Michael Ian Black American comedian, actor, writer and director Date of Birth: 12.08.1971 Country: USA

1. Biography of Michael Ian Black
2. Early Life
3. Education and Career Beginnings
4. Rise to Fame
5. Television Hosting and Writing
6. Writing and Directing Career
7. Current Projects

Biography of Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black is an American comedian, actor, writer, and director. He has played leading roles in a variety of popular comedy series such as "The State," "Viva Variety," "Stella," and currently "Michael & Michael Have Issues."

Early Life

Michael Ian Black, then known as Michael Ian Schwartz, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jill, a shop owner, and Robert Schwartz, a manager. He grew up in Hillsborough, New Jersey. When Michael was three, his parents divorced, and when he was twelve, his father died on the operating table after a mysterious attack. He has Jewish heritage.

Education and Career Beginnings

Michael attended the Stagedoor Manor performing arts training center in New York and the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University for a period of time before dropping out. He started his career as a member of the comedy group "The State" and made his television debut in the eponymous show on MTV.

Rise to Fame

Black gained popularity after appearing in VH1's series "I Love the..." and his work in his own comedy troupe, "Stella." He also appeared in several other series and films, voiced a sock puppet for the project "Pets.com," played a prominent character in Sierra Mist commercials, and hosted the first season of NBC's show "Spy TV." He had supporting roles in the film "Big Helium Dog" and the NBC tragicomedy series "Ed."

Television Hosting and Writing

In late 2004, Black became a guest host on CBS's "The Late Late Show" and was a finalist in the race for a permanent hosting position, which ultimately went to Craig Ferguson. He also writes periodically for the online version of "McSweeney's" and has his own column titled "Michael Ian Black - A Very Famous Star."

Writing and Directing Career

Black co-wrote the script (and played one of the main roles) for the Comedy Central show "Stella" with his fellow "The State" colleagues Michael Showalter and David Wain. He wrote the scripts for two major comedy films, "Wedding Daze" (2006) and "Run, Fat Boy, Run" (2007), with Simon Pegg in the lead role. He even directed "Wedding Daze," which starred notable actors such as Jason Biggs, Joe Pantoliano, and Isla Fisher.

Current Projects

Michael currently hosts the reality show "Reality Bites Back" on Comedy Central. He previously developed another show for the same channel called "Michael Ian Black Doesn't Understand," which later served as the inspiration for the project "Michael & Michael Have Issues." The pilot episode of the latter aired in August 2008.