Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American comedian, writer, playwright, social critic and celebrity. He’s famous for his furious face, humor style, which generally contains modeling a mental breakdown, or an increasingly furious rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, styles and ethnic happenings. When not on the street performing, he resides in Manhattan. He also keeps a home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He’s now the spokesman for Aruba Tourism, appearing in television advertisements that aired in late 2009 and 2010.
Black’s style of humor is the fact that of a person who, in working with the absurdities of life and modern politics, is approaching his individual limits of sanity. Sarcasm, hyperbole, profanity, yelling and hallmark furious finger-shaking bring emphasis to his subjects of discussion. He once described his wit as “being on the Titanic each and every day and being the one man who is aware of what will take place.” Black has described his political association as: “I am a socialist, so that sets me completely outside any theory…the Canadians get it. But seriously, most folks do not get it. The concept of limiting people’s income only frightens folks. ‘Oh, you are taking cash from your wealthy.’ Ooh, just what a terrible thing. These individuals actually want $200 million”.
Comedian, Playwright, Actor, Writer, Social Critic, Commentator, Screenwriter, Television producer, Film Producer, Author
Education
University of Maryland, College Park
Nationality
United States of America
Parents
Sam Black, Jeannette Black
Siblings
Ronald Black
Nicknames
Lewis Niles Black
Awards
Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show - Weekly, Orono, ME, United States, Providence, RI, United States, Portland, ME, United States
Nominations
Teen Choice Award for Choice Hissy Fit: Film, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, The Dick Schaap Writing Award, Gemini Award for Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series, Orono, ME, United States,...
Movies
Orono, ME, United States, Providence, RI, United States, Portland, ME, United States, Inside Out, Unaccompanied Minors, Man of the Year, Accepted, Black on Broadway, Hannah and Her Sisters, Riley's First Date?, The Happy Elf, Peep World, Jacob's Ladder, Farce of the Penguins, Falling for Grace, The ...
TV Shows
Orono, ME, United States, Providence, RI, United States, Portland, ME, United States, Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc., Robotomy, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, The Daily Show, Just for Laughs
Star Sign
Virgo
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Trademark
1
Glasses
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Deep, gravelly voice
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Moving his fingers in odd patterns while performing his act
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Incensed, sarcastic delivery of jokes, which usually focus on less-than-rational ideas and behavior of people.
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Quote
1
Golf is a game that was invented for people who don't hate themselves enough in their daily lives.
I do have certain feelings. My feeling is that whoever is in charge, I want him out. [on why he will not campaign for political candidates, quoted in The Boston Globe, Aug. 1, 2004]
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Fact
1
In one of his early concerts, he declared that he believed the "End of the Universe" to be in Houston, Texas, because on West Gray Street, there are two Starbucks coffeehouses on adjacent corners. More than a decade later, not only do both Starbucks still stand, but there is a third within a Barnes & Noble just slightly down the block.
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Lives in New York City and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. [2008]
3
Release of his book, "Nothing's Sacred". [2005]
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Release of his book, "Me of Little Faith". [2008]
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His mother, Jeanette, is now 90 years young [2008].
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Great influence on him growing up was George Carlin.
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Has a beer named after him at The Top of The Hill bar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Lewis Black Imperial Stout.
8
Friends with fellow comedian-actor Mark Linn-Baker, and worked with him on a comedy act in New York in the early 1980s called "The Laundry Hour". The act was recreated on the audio-book version of "Me of Little Faith" with Linn-Baker.
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Is a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.
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Toured Europe with childhood friend, Cliff, in the late 60s with the intent on "hitchhiking and getting laid", neither of which were successful. His tour took him to London, Paris, Vatican City, and many cities in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Germany. Among others, he saw the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and visited the Nazi concentration camp, Dachau.
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Played basketball in high school.
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Attended the Yale School of Drama.
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His mother, Jeannette, taught math in an all-black high school in Washington, D.C. She quit after the administration told her to stop straying from the rigid curriculum, wherein there were no real practical applications for students, many of whom were not going to college.
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He has written 40 plays.
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His father, Sam, was a mechanical engineer who built sea mines for the government during World War II and the Vietnam War. He quit ten years earlier than he had planned after reading the Geneva Accord and deciding there was no justification for the United States occupation of Vietnam. He then dedicated his life full-time to art, mostly stained glass and painting. He was also the one who introduced his son to theater and play writing, two things that defined Lewis Black's artistic endeavors long before stand-up comedy.
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Once worked for the Silver Spring Post Office.
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Graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Once worked for the Appalachian Regional Commission under President Nixon.
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Went to University of Maryland his freshman year.
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Once co-owned a theater in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Had a younger brother named Ronald, who died of cancer in July 1997 at 46. Black claims in his book, "Me of Little Faith", that his success as an entertainer finally took off after his brother's death, and thus he views him as an archangel.
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Grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Graduated from University of North Carolina and Yale University
$1.5 Million
