Ian Michael Roberts (born July 29, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and a founding member of the famed

Upright Citizens Brigade The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Amy Poehler, Matthew Walsh, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, ...

improv and sketch comedy troupe.

Life and career

Roberts was born in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York to parents Don and Penny Roberts, but spent most of his childhood in

Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus ( ) is a Town (New Jersey), town in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 22,181, an increase of 5,917 (+36.4%) from the 2010 United St ...

, where he moved at age four. In 1987 he graduated from

Grinnell College Grinnell College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalis ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, where he majored in theater. He moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

and eventually to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

where he became involved in improvisational comedy, studying under comedy legend Del Close. In the early 1990s, Roberts and

Matt Besser Matthew Gregory Besser (born September 22, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, director, producer, writer, and one of the four founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, who had their own show on Comedy Central from 1 ...

(along with several other Chicago improv comics) formed the

sketch comedy troupe.

Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...

and Matt Walsh later joined them, forming the ''UCB'' foursome who went on to create their own

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

series and open the affiliated

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Amy Poehler, Matthew Walsh, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Ad ...

in New York and Los Angeles, well-known venues for live

alternative comedy Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe ...

and

improv Improv may refer to: *Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention **Improvisational theatre (includes improvisational comedy) **Musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of im ...

where many other comics have launched their careers. Roberts wrote and starred in the limited release film '' Martin & Orloff'', and had supporting roles in films such as '' Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'', '' Bring It On'', '' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'', '' Drillbit Taylor'', '' Reno 911!: Miami'' and '' Semi-Pro''. On the Upright Citizens Brigade's sketch series on

, he was often seen as UCB Agent Antoine, and portrayed other sketch characters such as Steve Youngblood and Astronaut Mike Birchwood. A running joke on the sketch series was that his character (Agent Antoine) was thought by the other UCB Agents (Colby, Trotter, Adair) to be a

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

'' for many years. He also had a recurring character in the sitcom ''

Arrested Development ''Arrested Development'' is an American satire, satirical television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family and is presented in a Serial (radio and television), serialized format, inco ...

'', Dr. Fishman (AKA The Literal Doctor, AKA Dr. Wordsmith), and returned for several episodes for the show's revived 4th season on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in 2013. Circa 2002, he voice-acted in ''Home Movies'', a largely improvised cartoon that has developed a cult following. His character, Tom Wilsonberg, featured in the episode "Stowaway," was an entrepreneur with a gambling addiction and eccentric behavior. Roberts was one of the additions to the cast of ''

Reno 911! ''Reno 911!'' is an American television sitcom created by Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver for Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically '' Cops'', with comic ...

'' in its final season, as Sgt. Jack Declan. In 2010 he starred with ''UCB'' partner Matt Walsh in the

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...

improvised comedy series '' Players'', created by Walsh, where starred as brothers who ran a sports bar. Roberts and Walsh also directed several episodes. It ran one season, concluding on August 14, 2010. In September 2010, Roberts appeared with

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...

in commercials promoting O'Brien's new TBS show. Roberts played the captain of the "Conan Blimp", with O'Brien as a passenger. Roberts has written several screenplays with writing partner Jay Martel, one of which was recently sold to DreamWorks. They wrote the script for the comedy '' Get Hard'', starring

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...

and

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. After winning se ...

. They were also

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

s for all five seasons of the

sketch series '' Key & Peele''. They were executive producers and showrunners of the 2016

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...

series ''

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

''.

Personal life

Roberts lives in

Agoura Hills, California Agoura Hills () is a city situated in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 20,330 as of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. Agoura H ...

, with his wife Katie and their two children, Declan and Josie.

Selected filmography

Actor * ''

'' (1998–2000), Antoine/Various * '' Bring It On'' (2000), Sparky Polastri * '' Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'' (2004), Stage Manager * ''

'' (6 episodes, 2005–2013), The Literal Doctor * '' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' (2006), Kyle * '' Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'' (2007), Drug Dealer * '' Semi-Pro'' (2008), Spurs Coach * '' Drillbit Taylor'' (2008), Jim * '' Step Brothers'' (2008), Male Therapist * ''

I Love You, Man ''I Love You, Man'' is a 2009 American bromantic comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg, based on a script by Larry Levin. The film stars Paul Rudd as a friendless man looking for a best man for his upcoming wedding. However, his ...

'' (2009), Venice Boardwalk Jogger * ''

'' (main cast, 2009), Sergeant Jack Declan * '' Parks and Recreation'' (2 episodes, 2009–2010), Ian Winston * '' Players'' (main cast, 2010), Ken Fitzgerald * '' Workaholics'' (1 episode, 2011), Cal * '' Key & Peele'' (2 episodes, 2012–2013) * ''

Hate Crime Hate crime (also known as bias crime) in criminal law involves a standard offence (such as an assault, murder) with an added element of bias against a victim (individual or group of individuals) because of their physical appearance or perceived ...

'', Three * ''

Community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

'' (1 episode, 2013), Coach Jason Chapman * ''

Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...

'' (1 episode, 2014), Lucas Wint * '' Drunk History'' (1 episode, 2014),

James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...

* '' Playing House'' (5 episodes, 2014–2017), Ian * ''

Review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...

'' (1 episode, 2015), Cassius * '' Freaks of Nature'' (2015), Chaz Sr. * ''

'' (1 episode, 2016), Superintendent Greg * '' The House'' (2017), Driver at College Campus Writer * ''

'' (1998–2000) * '' Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) * '' Get Hard'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * '' Craig of the Creek'' (2018)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Ian 1965 births Living people Male actors from Queens, New York Male actors from New Jersey American sketch comedians American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors American television writers Grinnell College alumni People from Secaucus, New Jersey 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male television writers Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from New Jersey 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Comedians from Queens, New York Comedians from Hudson County, New Jersey Actors from Hudson County, New Jersey Writers from Hudson County, New Jersey