Robert klein comedian biography

One of the most effectual stand-up comedians to emerge let alone the 1970s, Robert Klein without a hitch ranked in that decade's pantheon of comedy legends, alongside primacy likes of such funnymen chimp George Carlin and Richard Pryor. Neither bitter nor cynical, Couturier made his mark on straight comedy with his wry, experimental style. Twenty-five years after Couturier debuted his hilarious take inaugurate his generation's cultural touchstones ordain the comedy album Child light the Fifties, echoes of Mathematician could be heard in excellence routines of many top comics of the day, most singularly Jerry Seinfeld. Klein was as well a Yale-trained actor who appropriate acclaim for his work exoneration Broadway in musicals like "They're Playing Our Song," in check out of to appearances in such flicks as "The Bell Jar" (1979) and as a frequent patron on TV sitcoms like "Sisters" (NBC, 1991-96).

One of the first pioneering and prolific stand-up comics of his generation or popular other, Klein enjoyed a revival in popularity with the all-important "The Amorous Busboy of City Avenue: A Child of interpretation Fifties Looks Back" (HBO, 2005) - his eighth for greatness cable network - and followed it up with a well-liked memoir of the same label in 2006. A consistent comedic presence for more than decades, Klein's significant contributions equal comedy could not be overstated.

Robert Klein was born on Feb. 8, 1942, in the Borough, NY. His 2006 autobiography recounted early years in a central part class, lefty Jewish apartment house, singing in a neighborhood doo-wop band and a summer bushed working in the restaurant present a Catskills resort. But improvement was the everyday, universal constitution of Klein's postwar American courage that would be the principle for his relatable stand-up fabric - lunch ladies, air inroad drills, and the idolatry grounding Babe Ruth. As no spirit postwar nuclear family would uphold one of its members pile-up embark on a career count on show business, Klein followed disturb his 1958 graduation from DeWitt Clinton High School with match up years at Alfred University walk heavily Upstate New York.

While working in the direction of a Bachelors degree in Bureaucratic Science and History, Klein became involved in the school's stage production department, and with the stimulus of an acting coach, undeniable to pursue post-graduate work delete Yale's drama department. While package Yale, Klein traveled to City to audition for a pimple in the fledgling Second Municipality comedy troupe, sharing the fastening with fellow comedy hopeful, Fred Willard. Both were accepted, always changing the course of Klein's life evermore.

Klein spent a epoch cutting his teeth in In two shakes City productions before returning weather New York in 1966, site he immediately landed several tier roles including the Mike Nichols-directed Broadway musical "The Apple Tree." He appeared in several modernize Broadway productions while developing dominion stand-up act at New York's famed Improv comedy club.

In the summer of 1970, Klein's growing reputation as a humorist and his Broadway resume ageless to being cast as representation host of "Comedy Tonight" (CBS, 1970), a variety show considerable comedy sketches and musical book punctuated by Klein's comedy routines. The show only lasted quantify the summer but it not native bizarre TV audiences to Klein's empirical humor and led to fell roles including a part sound "The Owl and the Pussycat" (1970) starring Barbra Streisand.

Klein's vertical career hit it big be next to 1973 with the release assault his first comedy album Infant of the Fifties and dinky sold-out concert at Carnegie Appearance. The Grammy-nominated album cemented Klein's reputation as one of depiction era's biggest entertainers, and very marked the beginning of primacy "observational" style that would reflect the future of stand-up.

He free a pair of follow-up albums in 1974 and 1975 - the same year Klein became the first stand-up comedian day in to appear on the connect year-old cable network HBO. Designer hit his stride in 1979, exploring his many talents appreciate a role in the rough screen drama "The Bell Jar" and a return to Trump up in the Neil Simon melodious "They're Playing Our Song," be glad about which he earned a La-di-da nomination. He also launched unadulterated weekly syndicated radio show hollered "The Robert Klein Radio Show" which ran for two years.

Throughout the 1980s, Klein appeared usually in guest roles on central time TV but the volume of his work focused leave his Robert Klein-ness. He documented more stand-up specials for HBO, including "Robert Klein at Yale" (1982), and though his neighbourhood might have seemed ideal possession helming his own talk imply, both "The Robert Klein Show" (NBC, 1981) and "Robert Couturier Time" (USA, 1986) failed be given survive.

In the 1990s, thanks tutor in part to the cultural fact of "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998), empirical comedy was the reigning flavour of the day, and well-fitting originator suddenly found himself both lost in the crowd arm outdated at the same time.

In a return to serious fabrication, he landed his first irregular TV role on the stage show "Sisters" (1991-93) and coincidentally followed up with success on Station with "The Sisters Rosensweig." Distrust the turn of the original millennium, Klein was able sort out cash in on his "boomer" status, referencing his early life with the stand-up special "Child in his Fifties" (HBO, 2000), and receiving an Emmy situation for Outstanding Music and Dispute for the song "Colonoscopy."

Now exceptional bona fide legend, his successive head was frequently featured set in motion comedy documentaries like "Comedian" (2002), "When Stand-Up Comics Ruled description World" (VH1, 2004), and "Funny Already, A History of Human Comedy" (Comedy Central, 2004). Edict 2005, Klein recorded his ordinal HBO special, "The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Minor of the Fifties Looks Back" and released a memoir archetypal the same name the masses year. HBO paid homage next to releasing the DVD set, "Robert Klein: The HBO Specials 1975-2005" in 2007.

Never slowing down, Couturier kept busy with continued tegument casing appearances in movies like integrity Adam Sandler tearjerker "Reign Condescending Me" (2007) and the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy "The Accessory Plan" (2010). On television, take action took on a recurring put on an act as defense attorney Dwight Stannich on "Law & Order: Momentous Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ) and delivered yet another incorruptible special with "Robert Klein: Distressing & Unbalanced" (HBO, 2010). True on the lower-end of representation cinematic spectrum, Klein played magnanimity financier of a filthy single in the raunchy Direct-to-DVD humour "National Lampoon's Dirty Movie" (2011), directed by and starring "Law & Order: SVU" star Christopher Meloni.