Sam Richardson (born January 12, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing Richard Splett in the
HBO political comedy series ''
Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
'' (2012–2019), co-creating and co-starring in the
Comedy Central comedy series ''
Detroiters'' (2017–2018) alongside
Tim Robinson, and playing various characters in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
sketch show ''
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson'' (2019–present), and co-starring in the
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
series ''
The Afterparty'' (2022). In 2022, he was nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Edwin Akufo in ''
Ted Lasso''.
Early life
Richardson was born in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
on January 12, 1984,
the son of a Ghanaian mother and an African-American father. His aunt was
Barbara-Rose Collins (née Richardson), who in 1990 became the first black woman from
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
to be elected to the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
.
Once or twice a year, Richardson would travel with his parents to
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...
, where his grandfather was a chief and local political leader. He graduated from the
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy was founded in 1877, and is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan, the other being Loyola High School. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, the s ...
in 2002, and studied theater at
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
.
Career
Early in his career, Richardson performed at the
Second City in Detroit and then in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
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.
At Second City, he was known for a wide range of characters, from sight gags to impressions of public figures.
Following a move to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
, Richardson appeared in six episodes (including the series finale) of ''
The Office
''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries.
The original ser ...
'' and a season 4 episode of ''
Arrested Development''.
He has also appeared on episodes of ''
Drunk History
''Drunk History'' is an American educational comedy television series produced by Comedy Central, based on the Funny or Die web series created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner in 2007. They and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are the show's ...
'', ''
New Girl
''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zoo ...
'', ''
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. whe ...
'', and six episodes of ''Harder Than It Looks''. He played Richard Splett on the
HBO political comedy series ''
Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of his sitcom '' The Thick of It''. The protagonist of ''Veep ...
'', first appearing in four episodes during season 3 as the handler for Selina Meyer during her Iowa book tour.
During season 4, Richardson was made a regular cast member of the show,
after his character received a job offer in President Meyer's administration as an assistant to the character Jonah. He has also appeared in films including ''
We're the Millers'', ''
Horrible Bosses 2'', ''
Spy'',
''
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising'', ''
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates'', and ''
Ghostbusters''.
In 2015,
Comedy Central ordered a pilot for the series ''
Detroiters'', created by Richardson and
Tim Robinson. The show stars Richardson and Robinson, who also co-wrote and co-executive produced the series with others. Comedy Central then ordered ten episodes of the series, which began shooting in the Detroit area in 2016. According to ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primar ...
'', "In the series, Richardson and Robinson play struggling advertising men in Detroit who make local TV commercials. The plot was inspired partly by the classic Detroit ads they grew up watching, including the
Mel Farr Superstar and Gordy from
ABC Warehouse campaigns." ''Detroiters'' ran for two seasons before its cancellation by Comedy Central in 2018.
In 2016, Richardson was nominated for the Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) award at the
Canadian Screen Awards for his work on ''
The Second City Project''. He was also nominated for the
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
for his work on ''Veep'', winning the last one. In 2018, he began playing Alf in the
YouTube Premium series ''
Champaign ILL''.
Since 2019, he has played various characters in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
sketch show ''
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson''.
In 2022, Richardson was in the main cast of the
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
mystery comedy series ''
The Afterparty''.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Sam
Living people
1984 births
21st-century American male actors
African-American male actors
African-American male comedians
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Ghanaian descent
Male actors from Detroit
21st-century American comedians
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people