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Bill Burr
American comedian (born 1968) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Frederic Burr (born June 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, writer, and director. He started his career as a stand-up comedian before expanding his career as an actor on stage and screen. As a comedian he is known for his sharp confrontational observational humor often tackling subjects such as social issues, politics and the absurdities of the human condition. He has received nominations for a Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him 17th on its list of the "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time".[1]
Burr's most notable stand-up comedy specials include You People Are All the Same (2012), I'm Sorry You Feel That Way (2014), Walk Your Way Out (2017), and Paper Tiger (2019). He has also hosted the Monday Morning Podcast every Monday and Thursday since 2007, and co-founded the All Things Comedy network in 2012. He received a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination for Paper Tiger and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nomination for the Quibi series Immoral Compass (2021).
Burr created, co-wrote, and voiced the lead character in the Netflix animated sitcom F Is for Family (2015–2021). His other notable roles include various characters in Chappelle's Show (2004), Patrick Kuby in the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2011–2013), Migs Mayfeld in The Mandalorian (2019–present), and John F. Kennedy in the film Unfrosted (2024). He made his feature-length directorial debut as the co-writer, director, and star of the comedy film Old Dads (2023) and has had supporting roles in Daddy's Home (2015), Daddy's Home 2 (2017), and The King of Staten Island (2020). He made his Broadway debut in the 2025 revival of the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross.
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Early life and education
William Frederic Burr[2] was born in Canton, Massachusetts,[3] on June 10, 1968,[4] the son of nurse, Linda Ann, and dentist, Robert Burr.[5] He is of German and Irish descent, and was raised Catholic.[6][7] He graduated from Canton High School in 1987.[8][9] After attending North Carolina State University for two semesters,[10] he graduated from Emerson College in Boston in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in communications.[11][12] He worked in warehouses before starting his comedy career, later stating that he enjoyed the freedom of the job: "If my boss gave me a rough time, I could just get on a forklift and just, like, drive away."[citation needed][13][non-primary source needed]
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Career
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1992–2009: Stand-up comedian and podcast
Burr first performed stand-up comedy at the age of 23 on March 2, 1992.[14][time needed][15][time needed] He moved to New York City in 1994.[16] He started to appear in numerous shows performing standup such as Showtime at the Apollo in 2000, Comedy Central Presents in 2003, Just for Laughs in 2004, One Night Stand in 2005, and Live at Gotham in 2006. Also during this time, he co-starred in the TV series Townies in 1996, appeared in Two Guys and a Girl in 1998 and Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2002. He gained prominence as a regular on Dave Chappelle's popular sketch comedy series Chappelle's Show in 2004 on Comedy Central.
On September 9, 2006, Burr performed at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, as part of Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour. After the crowd booed several comedians before him, Burr took the stage, also receiving boos. Forgoing the rest of his planned material, Burr unleashed a 12-minute expletive-laden rant in which he repeatedly attacked the crowd and the city of Philadelphia, especially its sports teams.[17][18] "I was just annoyed because I was sitting there going like, this is one of the greatest comedy line-ups, as far as up-and-coming guys, that I've been around," Burr said. "And these fucking people are treating everyone like shit. And, you know, I'm a defensive, fucking angry dude anyways, so it was just the perfect storm."[19] By the rant's end, Burr managed to win over the majority of the crowd and received a standing ovation. In 2017, Burr expressed some regret over the incident, saying, "I wasn't a professional. What I should have done was I should have kept my head in the game to survive it."[19] The Huffington Post called the rant a "watershed moment in the history of comedy".[17]
Since May 2007, Burr has recorded a weekly one-hour podcast, Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast, in which he speaks about his experiences, current events, going on tour, and sports, and offers advice to questions submitted by the listeners. The podcast is available on Burr's website, Spotify, YouTube, and on the All Things Comedy network he co-founded in 2012. He is sometimes joined by his wife Nia Hill and has featured guests and interviews with other comedians.[citation needed] In the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, Burr voiced Jason Michaels of the biker gang The Lost MC in the mission "No Love Lost". In 2009, he reprised his role in the game's expansion pack The Lost and Damned. Burr also appears as a guest on radio shows and other comedians' podcasts, such as Opie and Anthony, You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes, The Adam Carolla Show,[20] The Joe Rogan Experience,[21][22] WTF with Marc Maron,[23] The Nerdist Podcast,[24] The Adam Buxton Podcast, and Nobody Likes Onions.[25][26] Burr was also the first guest on Tom Green's podcast. Burr's first hour-long special, Why Do I Do This? (2008), was filmed in New York.[27]
2010–2019: Acting roles and comedy specials
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Burr's special Let it Go was recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco and premiered on Comedy Central on September 18, 2010. That same year Burr appeared in the comedy film Date Night as Detective Walsh. On April 18, 2011, he guest hosted the Hollywood Babble-On podcast alongside Ralph Garman.[28] He also appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of AMC's Breaking Bad as Patrick Kuby from 2011 to 2013.[29] A later special, You People Are All the Same, premiered in 2012 as a Netflix exclusive.[30] Burr's stand-up special You People Are All the Same (2012) was the first to premiere exclusively on Netflix. He played Mark Mullins in the 2013 buddy cop film The Heat. In 2014, Burr filmed his fourth hour-long special I'm Sorry You Feel That Way at the Tabernacle Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Unusual for modern comedy specials, the film was shot in black and white.
All Things Comedy was officially launched on October 1, 2012, with a roster of 11 podcasts including Burr's own Monday Morning Podcast, The Long Shot Podcast by Eddie Pepitone, and Skeptic Tank by Ari Shaffir.[31][32] By 2014, the network had six dozen members and over 50 podcasts.[33][34] The network was started by comedians Al Madrigal and Bill Burr with The Daily Show on the All Things Comedy website.[35] The network was established as an artist owned cooperative, which Madrigal and Burr emphasize as an important aspect of the collective.[36] All Things Records was started in March 2014 and released three albums in the months following its creation including Believe in Yourself by Sam Tripoli, Live at the Comedy Castle by Brian Scolaro, and This Will Make an Excellent Horcrux by Jackie Kashian.[34] Madrigal sees the network as a way of improving representation of Latin American people in media.[37] For instance, the network hosts Spanish-language podcasts such as Leyendas Legendarias and El Dollop.[38][39][40] All Things Comedy also partnered with Comedy Central to produce a documentary about Patrice O'Neal in addition to three comedy specials.[41][42]
Burr voiced lead character Frank Murphy in F Is for Family, which premiered on Netflix on December 18, 2015. The show, an animated sitcom he created and co-wrote, drew on Burr's stand-up and the absurdity of political correctness. Season 4 of the series debuted on Netflix on June 12, 2020.[43] Burr writes and executive produces the series along with Michael Price.[44] Burr's fifth hour-long special, Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out, debuted on Netflix on January 31, 2017. He appeared in the third episode (titled "Bill Burr") of the second season of the HBO series Crashing.[45] Burr's sixth hour-long special, Paper Tiger, debuted on Netflix on September 10, 2019. He premiered a new podcast co-hosted with fellow comedian Bert Kreischer, called the Bill Bert Podcast, in October. In December, he played Migs Mayfeld in two episodes of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
2020–present: Career expansion and Broadway debut
In 2020, he appeared in Judd Apatow's comedy film The King of Staten Island, and promoted the film on October 10 by hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live for the first time with musical guest Jack White.[46][47][48] In March 2022, it was announced that Burr would co-write, direct, and star in the comedy film Old Dads, his feature-length directorial debut; it was released on Netflix in 2023 to mixed reviews.[49] A few months later, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nomination for the dark comedy series Immoral Compass (2021–present).[50] His seventh stand-up special, Live at Red Rocks, was released on July 12.[51]
On August 21, 2022, Burr became the first comedian to perform at Fenway Park, in front of a sold-out crowd of around 35,000 people[52] (and replied to fans that he did not count them himself to confirm[53]). It was also the largest comedy show in the history of Boston.[54] He has had sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2015, and then again on November 11, 2023,[55][56][57] the Royal Albert Hall on June 6, 2018,[58] and consecutive shows on March 4 and 5, 2019.[59][60] He holds the record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at Boston's Wilbur Theatre, where he performed 19 sold-out shows in a row, almost doubling the record of 10 set by Aziz Ansari.[61] Burr sold out 20,000 seats at the Los Angeles Forum on September 28, 2018.[62][63] In September 2021, he sold out Red Rocks Amphitheatre.[64] In 2023, he performed at the 5,000-seat ancient Roman amphitheater, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece.[65] In 2024, Bill performed in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 60,000 at Gillette Stadium where he followed Jay-Z for the Tom Brady 's Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony.[66][67]
In 2023, Burr had a cameo role as the voice of pastor Nick Saint Angelo in the episode "the wizard" of HBO series Barry.[68] In 2024 he was cast in a supporting cameo role as John F. Kennedy in the Jerry Seinfeld directed satirical comedy Unfrosted which debuted on Netflix. Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm wrote that among the films numerous cameos, Burr's performance was "particularly memorable".[69] In 2024 he returned for the second time to host Saturday Night Live with musical guest Mk.gee. Burr hosted the first episode since the 2024 United States presidential election results with Jesse Hassenberger of The A.V. Club writing, "Burr seemed to have been booked as the Dave Chappelle Emeritus, a blunt-spoken comic willing to speak some possibly-uncomfortable truths, regardless of election results".[70] In 2025, he released his eighth comedy special, Drop Dead Years on Hulu. Sean McCarthy of Decider wrote, "Burr may continue to rub some people the wrong way, but that’s always been a part of his comedic ethos, and if you can listen to what he’s actually saying, there’s a lot not only worth considering, but also worth laughing about."[71]
It was announced that Burr would make his Broadway debut in the 2025 revival of the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross acting opposite Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk.[72] Burr was recommended to director Patrick Marber for the production by Nathan Lane, who was originally approached for the role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Lane stated, the revival had to have an "all star cast and the first person you should cast is Bill Burr" adding, "he's the leading comedian in America, a wonderful actor and sounds like a David Mamet-character".[73] Burr received positive reviews for his Broadway debut with David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter describing his performance as "a knockout" adding, "It’s no surprise that the seasoned comic has flawless timing."[74] Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press declared that he "almost steals the show" citing his casting as "perfect", while adding that Burr "turns out to be the most comfortable with Mamet’s tricky dialogue."[75] Upon not receiving a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Helen Shaw of Vulture stated, "How did Burr not get nominated? He's actually giving a performance where this show makes sense again" adding, "The sound of the play, the energy of the play makes sense in him and he moved the play from being an antique piece into something that feels present".[76]
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Style and influences
Burr has been referred to as a "comedian's comedian" by observers of the American stand-up comedy circuit.[77][78] Rolling Stone magazine called him "the undisputed heavyweight champ of rage-fueled humor".[79] Burr often portrays himself as "that loud guy in the bar" with "uninformed logic".[80] In an interview with The Boston Globe, he stated, "I'm the 'dude, bro' guy."[3] According to the Montreal Gazette, he is "a cynic and a contrarian who has never paid any heed to political correctness".[81] The New York Times in 2013 called him "one of the funniest, most distinctive voices in the country for years".[82] In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter described the variety and effectiveness of Burr's comedy and referred to his "mastery of the medium".[83]
In 2013, Burr listed Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Sam Kinison, and Patrice O'Neal as the five greatest stand-up comedians of all time.[84]
Personal life
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Marriage and family
Burr is married to Nia Renee Hill,[80][85] who sometimes appears as a guest on his podcast.[4] They reside in Los Angeles[6][82] and have two children: a daughter born in 2017[86] and a son born in 2020.[87]
Interests
Burr is a drummer[88] and licensed helicopter pilot.[89] He has named John Bonham, Dave Lombardo, and Nicko McBrain as his favorite drummers. He is a fan of rock and heavy metal bands such as AC/DC, Gojira,[90] Karnivool, Iron Maiden,[91] Meshuggah, Metallica, Ministry, Pantera, Slayer,[92] Tool, The Mars Volta, and Led Zeppelin. He enjoys smoking cigars.[93] He quit drinking alcohol in 2018.[83]
Political views
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Burr's political statements have often garnered widespread attention. He has made various statements in support of gun control,[94][95] and, seemingly, of abortion rights,[96] although he stated in his 2022 stand-up special, Live at Red Rocks, that he has a "weird take" on the latter: "Pro-choice always made sense to me because I don't like people telling me what to do. And I always was just like, 'It's your body. Who the fuck am I to tell you what to do with your body?' [...] However, I still think you're killing a baby. That's where it gets weird."[97][better source needed]
Burr has said that he believes political correctness fails to effectively address the problems it aims to fix, such as racism, because it only focuses on the words people use rather than changing their attitudes.[98] He has also said that political correctness has no answer for, or impact on, other major sociopolitical issues such as the power held by bankers and pharmaceutical executives.[non-primary source needed][99][100][101][102][103][original research?]
Burr voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election.[citation needed][104][full citation needed][non-primary source needed] He did not vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election as he had a negative opinion of both.[105] In 2021, he criticized Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis for removing mask requirements in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.[106]
Burr is an outspoken critic of billionaires and health insurance companies. He garnered attention for praising Luigi Mangione, who was charged for the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.[107] Clips of him shouting "free Luigi" during his January 2025 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[citation needed] and March 2025 appearance on Complex Networks' Sneaker Shopping[non-primary source needed][108][full citation needed]) both went viral,[according to whom?][citation needed] as did an audio clip of him stating that billionaires should be "put down like rabid dogs" during a February 2025 episode of his Monday Morning Podcast.[citation needed][109]
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Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
Podcast
Video games
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Comedy specials and albums
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Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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