Chris Elliott
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Christopher Nash Elliott (born May 31, 1960) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He appeared in comedic sketches on '' Late Night with David Letterman'' (1982–1988), created and starred in the comedy series '' Get a Life'' (1990–1992) on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
, and wrote and starred in the film '' Cabin Boy'' (1994). His writing has won four consecutive
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
. His other television appearances include recurring roles on ''
Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch an ...
'' (2003–2005) and '' How I Met Your Mother'' (2009–2014), starring as Chris Monsanto in
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
's '' Eagleheart'' (2011–2014) and starring as Roland Schitt in ''
Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced ...
'' (2015–2020). He also appeared in the films '' Groundhog Day'' (1993), ''
There's Something About Mary ''There's Something About Mary'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. It stars Cameron Diaz as the title character with Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, and Chris Elliott all playing men w ...
'' (1998), '' Snow Day'' (2000) and ''
Scary Movie 2 ''Scary Movie 2'' is a 2001 American supernatural parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to ''Scary Movie'' and the second film in the ''Scary Movie'' film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and M ...
'' (2001).


Early life

Elliott was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and is the youngest of five children of Lee (née Peppers), a model and TV director, and Bob Elliott, who was part of the successful comedy team
Bob and Ray Bob and Ray were an American comedy duo whose career spanned five decades, composed of comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990). The duo's format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, suc ...
. He grew up on the
Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...
. He attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center for a semester.


Career

Elliott was hired as a production assistant on '' Late Night with David Letterman'', and was with the show from its very beginning in February 1982. Over the first year of the show, he was seen on camera irregularly and usually in small sketch roles. In the spring of 1983, Elliott became a writer on the show and his on-camera appearances became more frequent. He became known in the mid-to-late 1980s for playing an assortment of recurring quirky, oddball characters on ''Late Night''. His characters on the show included: * "The Conspiracy Guy": During staged audience "question and answer" sessions with Dave, Elliott would approach the microphone and begin accusing Letterman of various plots and schemes, after which "security" would wrestle Elliott to the ground and drag him out of the studio while Elliott yelled threats to Dave. * "The Panicky Guy": Elliott would pretend to be an audience member, who panics and runs from the studio at the slightest threat of danger (similar to doomed characters in disaster movies). Once in the hallway he would be run over and crushed by an advancing floor waxer, with his hands raised in terror. In one variation, he played a German Panicky Guy in Lederhosen, who was run over by a hand dolly full of cheese wheels. * "The Guy Under the Seats": a short character-comedy bit followed by Elliott as himself (living under the seats, that is) who eventually becomes angry at Letterman and threatens him with some metaphorically articulated comeuppance in the future and always closing with the line "But until that day, I'm gonna be right here, making your life...a living hell." * "The Fugitive Guy": a parody of the TV series '' The Fugitive'' * "The Laid Back Guy": When the studio changed his name on the West Coast to Pierce, Chris portrayed the laid back guy based on his observations of the differences between the West and East Coast. Laid back guy only appeared during West Coast interviews, and stayed around to make sure that Dave "kept things cool." * "The Regulator Guy": a parody of '' The Terminator'' films. The Regulator Guy spoke with a vaguely Germanic accent and claimed to be "from the future". The Regulator Guy segments were usually pre-taped and presented by Letterman as the trailer for an upcoming television series. The font used for the title was similar to the font used for the then-popular American television series '' The Equalizer''. Chris in fact appeared on an episode of ''The Equalizer'' playing a peeping Tom mildly assaulted by the Equalizer. In the Regulator Guy's only live, on-stage appearance, Elliott, carried by wires, "flew" over the audience via
jet pack A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...
onto the ''Late Night'' set. The "jet pack" prop appeared to malfunction, which the Regulator Guy then blamed for ruining his dramatic appearance. * "Skylark": an obnoxious, generic, Las Vegas
lounge lizard A lounge lizard is a man who frequents social establishments with the intention of seducing a woman with his flattery and deceptive charm. The term is reported to have arisen around 1915 in New York. A 1931 book described them as men " nthe habit o ...
with similar flamboyant features and characteristics as
Rip Taylor Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor Jr. (January 13, 1931 – October 6, 2019) was an American actor and comedian, known for his exuberance and flamboyant personality, including his wild moustache, toupee, and his habit of showering himself (and others ...
(including throwing confetti). Skylark debuted when ''Late Night'' went to Las Vegas for a week of shows. *"Marlon Brando": a parody of Brando, whom Elliott portrays as a semi-deranged man who performs a "banana dance" to the tune of " Alley Cat". * "Chris Elliott Jr.": a spoof of talk-show host
Morton Downey Jr. Sean Morton Downey Jr. (December 9, 1932 – March 12, 2001) was an American television talk show host and actor who pioneered the "trash TV" format in the late-1980s on his program ''The Morton Downey Jr. Show''. Early life Downey's parents we ...
*"Johnny Graham": a
cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
musician who hosted the Johnny Graham Piano Request Show in the style of John Wallowitch. During one ''Late Night'' special focused on short films, Elliott was the star of a short about himself entitled "A Television Miracle", in which he alluded that he was actually an animatronic being that was created for the TV show. The "miracle" was the behind-the-scenes work needed to bring his character to life and others. As his career on ''Late Night'' blossomed, Elliott also took small movie roles, often as a supporting actor in non-
comedies Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term origin ...
such as
Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive style of crime drama. His most acclaimed works include the films ''Thief'' (1981), ' ...
's '' Manhunter'' and
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
's ''
The Abyss ''The Abyss'' is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery tea ...
''. He also has a small supporting role in an episode of ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
''. In 1986, Elliott co-wrote and starred in the Cinemax special ''FDR: A One Man Show'', a spoof comedy about the life and times of the president. Elliott looked and sounded nothing like the man; he portrayed events from Roosevelt's life that never happened, such as a Japanese bombing of the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, and his crossing the Potomac in a rowboat. By the end of the show, he had performed Gallagher's shtick of smashing watermelons and other soft fruits on stage. Elliott left ''Late Night'' in early 1990, though he would return as a guest interview subject many times on ''Late Night'' and Letterman's subsequent talk show ''
The Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production c ...
''. In 1990, Elliott created and starred in his own sitcom, which was called '' Get a Life'', about a 30-year-old paperboy named Chris Peterson who lived at home with his parents. Elliott's real-life father, Bob Elliott, appeared in the show as Chris's father. The January 1999 issue of ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' called the "Zoo Animals on Wheels" episode the 19th funniest TV moment of all time. In 1993, Elliott teamed up with producer
Brad Hall William Bradford Hall (born March 21, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known as a ''Weekend Update'' news anchor on ''Saturday Night Live'' and for creating the sitcoms ''The Single Guy'' and ''Watching Ellie''. H ...
and directed a series of critically acclaimed short films that Elliott showed when appearing on ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
''. That year he also appeared as a news cameraman in the Harold Ramis film '' Groundhog Day''. Elliott became a cast member of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' in 1994. Also that year, Elliott starred in his first movie—entitled '' Cabin Boy''—which also featured a short appearance by Elliott's old boss, David Letterman, and was produced by
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
. He was nominated for a
Razzie Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
as Worst New Star. In 2007, Elliott again began appearing on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' with fellow former Letterman writer Gerard Mulligan. On average, these bits appeared once per month. His other television credits include the chowder taster on '' Throwdown with Bobby Flay'', airdate 9/2/09, and the voice of
Dogbert This is a list of characters that have appeared in Scott Adams' ''Dilbert'' comic strip. Primary characters Dilbert The main character in the strip, Dilbert is a stereotypical technically-minded single male. Prior to October 2014, he was us ...
on the short-run show ''
Dilbert ''Dilbert'' is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office with engineer Dilbert as the title charact ...
'' for
UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
. He played a
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
in the series ''
Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
'' in the episodes "The Hunter, Hunted" and "Greatest Detectives in the World" from season six. He played the role of Peter in the last three seasons of ''
Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch an ...
'' and a role in a semi-autobiographical sitcom pilot for
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, entitled ''You've Reached the Elliotts'', playing a man who tries to balance a modest show business career with his home life. From 2009 to 2014, Elliott played the estranged father of '' How I Met Your Mother'' character Lily Aldrin, whose relationship strengthened as the show progressed. As well as multiple appearances on ''
The King of Queens ''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show ...
'', Elliott made guest appearances on '' Late Show'', ''
That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, ...
'' in the episode "2000 Light Years From Home", and ''
According to Jim ''According to Jim'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran on ABC from October ...
''. From February 3, 2011 to January 16, 2014, Elliott starred in the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
series '' Eagleheart'', produced by Conan O'Brien's production company,
Conaco Conaco, LLC is the television production firm owned by entertainer Conan O'Brien. The name is a portmanteau of the words ''"Conan"'' and ''"Co"'', an abbreviation of company. It has produced programs primarily for NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia ...
. In 2015, he had a guest role on an episode of NBC's '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and began a starring role as Roland Schitt in ''
Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced ...
''. In 2016, he co-starred with
Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Most recently, she has appeared in both ''The Mandalorian'' (2019–2020) and '' The Book of Boba Fett'' (2022) as Peli Motto. She played Jerri Blank in the ...
on the
Sony Crackle Crackle, formerly called Grouper and Sony Crackle, is a free video streaming service supported by advertisements that was founded in 2004. The service was purchased by Sony Pictures in 2006 and renamed Crackle. In 2018 the name was changed to So ...
series ''Thanksgiving''. Elliott was also in an Avocados from Mexico commercial in February 2018. In 2021 he was cast in ''Maggie'', a sitcom pilot starring
Rebecca Rittenhouse Rebecca Rittenhouse (born November 30, 1988) is an American actress. She has played Cody LeFever in the ABC prime time soap opera ''Blood & Oil'', Dr. Anna Ziev in the Hulu romantic comedy series ''The Mindy Project'', and Maggie in the '' Into ...
that
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
ordered as a series for the following season, and he voiced the character of
Rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
in
Marvel New Media Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American show business, entertainment company (law), company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York (state), New York, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment ...
/
SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius S ...
's
radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
series Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord, appearing alongside
Timothy Busfield Timothy Busfield (born June 12, 1957) is an American actor and director. He has played Elliot Weston on the television series ''thirtysomething''; Mark, the brother-in-law of Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in ''Field of Dreams''; and Danny Concann ...
,
Patrick Page John Patrick Page (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor, low bass singer, and playwright. He originated the roles of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', the Grinch in ''Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christm ...
,
Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...
and
Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...
.


Author

Elliott has written four books spoofing history or pseudo-history. '' Daddy's Boy: A Son's Shocking Account of Life with a Famous Father'' is a comedic fictionalized biography about growing up with his famous father, spoofing
Christina Crawford Christina Crawford is an American author and actress, best known for her 1978 memoir and exposé, '' Mommie Dearest'', which described her abusive relationship with her adoptive mother, film star Joan Crawford. Early life and education Christ ...
's ''
Mommie Dearest ''Mommie Dearest'' is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. Published in 1978, it attracted much controversy for its portrayal of Joan Crawford as a cruel, unbalanced, and alcoholic m ...
''. '' The Shroud of the Thwacker'' is a historical novel about Elliott's investigation of a
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
in 1882 New York City, spoofing London's infamous
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
case. ''
Into Hot Air ''Into Hot Air'' is a 2007 book written by American comedian and author Chris Elliott, and published by the Weinstein Company in the United States. The book is a parody of celebrity and adventure memoirs. Its title references Jon Krakauer's 199 ...
'' tells the story of Chris climbing
Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
with a group of celebrities tagging along to underwrite the trek as he investigates his Uncle Percy's failed Everest expedition. And ''The Guy Under The Sheets'' is an "unauthorized autobiography" that tells a comedically fictional version of Elliott's life in which Elliott "reveals" that he is the son not of comedian Bob Elliott, but, rather, of playwright
Sam Elliott Samuel Pack Elliott (born August 9, 1944) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Aw ...
and actress
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
.


Personal life

Elliott has been married to Paula Niedert since 1986. Niedert worked as a talent coordinator on '' Late Night with David Letterman'' when they met. They have two daughters: Abby and Bridey. Abby was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 until 2012, making her the first ''SNL'' cast member to be the child of a previous cast member. His father Bob Elliott, of the popular comedy duo
Bob & Ray Bob and Ray were an American comedy duo whose career spanned five decades, composed of comedians Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990). The duo's format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, suc ...
, co-starred on an ''SNL'' Christmas episode in the 1978–1979 (fourth) season, making for three generations of Elliotts on ''SNL''.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards


Primetime Emmy Awards

* 1984 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for ''Late Night with David Letterman'' * 1985 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for ''Late Night with David Letterman'' * 1986 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for ''Late Night with David Letterman'' * 1987 Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program for ''Late Night with David Letterman''


Canadian Screen Awards

* 2016 Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series for ''Schitt's Creek''


Screen Actors Guild Awards

* 2020 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for ''Schitt's Creek''


References


Books

*


External links

*
Boilerplate meets Chris Elliott
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Chris 1960 births American male comedians 21st-century American comedians American male film actors 20th-century American novelists American male television actors American television writers American male voice actors American parodists Primetime Emmy Award winners Living people Male actors from New York City People from Wilton, Connecticut People from Ridgefield, Connecticut Waldorf school alumni 21st-century American novelists American sketch comedians American male novelists Writers from New York City Novelists from Connecticut American male television writers Novelists from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Canadian Screen Award winners 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers