Louie Anderson
Sharing the ups and downs of his childhood experiences as one of 11 children in Minnesota, Anderson crafted comedy routines that rang true for his early club audiences while reducing them to helpless fits of laughter, routines that led him from his career as a counselor to troubled children, to the first place trophy at the 1981 Midwest Comedy Competition. Henny Youngman, who hosted the competition, recognized the diamond in the rough genius of the young comic and hired him as a writer, providing invaluable experience that soon put Anderson in his own spotlight on comedy stages all over the country.
Johnny Carson, the comedy icon for generations of rising stars, invited Anderson to make his national television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1984, and the rest is history. Jay Leno, David Letterman, Comic Relief, Showtime, and HBO specials followed. This made Anderson a household name and opened doors for him as an actor. He has guest starred in sitcoms like Grace Under Fire and dramas like Touched by an Angel and Chicago Hope. He has had memorable featured roles in film comedies like Coming to America, opposite of Eddie Murphy, and the classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He is also host of the hilarious Comedy Showcase, the late night series that follows Saturday Night Live.
In 1995, Anderson put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning animated series, Life with Louie. The long-running series based on Anderson's own childhood and life with his father won him three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a children's animated series, making him the only three time recipient of this award. It also earned a Genesis Award for its depiction of the proper treatment of animals, and most significantly, two Emmy Awards.
His best-selling books include Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult Child, a collection of alternately touching and outrageous letters from Anderson to his late father, and Goodbye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World, self-help for those who struggle with self-esteem issues, as only an award-winning comedian could write it.
Anderson recently finished writing his newest installment on family, The F Word: How to Survive Your Family. Now, Anderson is traveling the States doing what Anderson loves to do, stand up comedy. Anderson again delivers to his fans his inimitable brand of humor and warmth.