 |
Colin QuinnAmerican comedian, actor and screenwriter
Date of Birth: 06.06.1959
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Colin Quinn: A Renowned Comedian and Actor
- Early Career and Stand-Up Comedy
- Saturday Night Live
- Weekend Update and Departure from SNL
- Post-SNL Television and Stand-Up
- Film and Television Appearances
- Solo Shows
- Personal Life
- Awards and Honors
Colin Quinn: A Renowned Comedian and Actor
Early Life and EducationColin Quinn was born on June 6, 1959, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. His parents were Irish immigrants. Quinn attended Stony Brook University on Long Island but did not graduate.
Early Career and Stand-Up Comedy
Quinn began performing stand-up comedy in 1984. He gained recognition in 1987 as the "announcer sidekick" on the MTV game show Remote Control, which ran for five seasons. In 1989, he hosted A&E's "Caroline's Comedy Hour" and wrote and starred in a comedy short/music video, "Return to Brooklyn," which parodied LL Cool J's "Return to Cali." He also wrote for "In Living Color" and co-wrote and co-produced the film "Celtic Pride."
Saturday Night Live
Quinn was hired as a writer and featured performer on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) in 1995 and became a full cast member for the 1997-1998 season. He became known for recurring characters and segments such as "Lenny the Lion," "Joe Blow," "Colin Quinn Explains The New York Times," and the desk anchor on "Weekend Update."
Weekend Update and Departure from SNL
Quinn began anchoring "Weekend Update" in January 1998 after Norm Macdonald's dismissal and remained in that role until leaving SNL in 2000. He provided commentary on several high-profile media circuses, including the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and the Microsoft antitrust trial. During his SNL tenure, Quinn turned down the role of Scott Evil in Mike Myers' "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." He has called this the only project he regrets passing on.
Post-SNL Television and Stand-Up
After leaving SNL, Quinn hosted "The Colin Quinn Show" on NBC in the spring of 2002. The show featured a mix of live sketch comedy and stand-up but was canceled after three episodes despite mostly positive critical reviews.
Quinn had more success with his follow-up show, "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," which aired weekdays on Comedy Central from 2002 to 2004. The show featured a roundtable of four comedians, with Quinn as the moderator, discussing social and political issues of the day. It ran for over 200 episodes.
Quinn's stand-up was also featured in the animated series "Shorties Watchin' Shorties." In 2005, he participated in a USO tour of American military bases worldwide, performing stand-up to entertain troops.
Film and Television Appearances
Quinn appeared in several films, including "Grown Ups" and "Grown Ups 2" as Dickie Bailey, the childhood rival of Adam Sandler's character. He also had a recurring role as Hermie in the HBO series "Girls."
Quinn wrote and starred in the web series "L/Studio Cop Show," which premiered in February 2015. The series features Quinn playing a satirical, bombastic version of himself starring in a crime drama set in New York City. Guest stars included Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Che, Tom Papa, Jim Norton, Pat Cooper, Irina Shayk, and Amy Schumer.
Quinn had a supporting role in Amy Schumer's debut film "Trainwreck," playing the father of her character. He received critical praise for his performance.
Solo Shows
Quinn has written and performed several solo shows, including:- "Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake" (1998)
- "My Two Cents" (2009)
- "Colin Quinn Long Story Short" (2010), directed by Jerry Seinfeld
- "Unconstitutional" (2013)
- "The New York Story" (2015), directed by Seinfeld
- "Red State Blue State" (2019)
Books and Recent Work
In 2020, Quinn released his second book, "Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States." He also filmed an HBO Max comedy special, "Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show."
Personal Life
Quinn is married to Jen Sochko, a producer on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." He has practiced Transcendental Meditation for over five years. In 2018, Quinn suffered a heart attack but made a full recovery.
Awards and Honors
Quinn was ranked 56th on Comedy Central's list of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time in 2004. He was named one of the 100 Irish Americans of the Year by Irish America magazine in 2004 and 2011.
