Rick Shapiro (born April 13, 1959) is a

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-based comedian and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Life and career

Shapiro was born in New Jersey. Spending his early years in

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and New Jersey, Shapiro started his career in the early 1980s as a comedian at Catch A Rising Star on Broadway. Besides performing regularly on stage, throughout the 1990s he acted and starred in numerous films by

Louis CK Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...

, including '' Tomorrow Night''. Additionally, he portrayed the re-occurring character "Angry Poet" in ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

''. In 1998, Shapiro released his first comedy CD called ''Unconditional Love'', which Billboard called "hard-edged and uncompromising". In the 2000s, Shapiro's career continues in multiple fields. He is performing stand-up comedy nationally and internationally, debuting a one-man show in 2007 in the

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, and touring Australia in 2009. He had his first video game appearance in 2008, portraying the character Mason Waylon on the radio station PLR in ''

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...

'', a guest on a talk show who eventually drills holes in the heads of the two other guests. Shapiro has an active acting career, appearing in numerous film and television productions. In film, his most recent roles are in '' Top Five'' by Chris Rock, portraying T-Rick in the movie '' Project X'', and acting in the German comedy '' Timeless''. His television credits include Jerry in ''

Lucky Louie ''Lucky Louie'' is an American television sitcom created by Louis C.K., which aired on HBO in the U.S. for one season in 2006 — and in Canada on Movie Central, The Movie Network, and The Comedy Network. As the show's creator, writer and executi ...

'' by Louis C.K. on HBO. Additionally, he appears in a scene originally filmed for the pilot of '' Louie''. Shapiro's first book ''Unfiltered'', containing over 200 previously unreleased writings, was released in 2012 along with his second CD, ''Catalyst for Change''. In 2013, Rick Shapiro was diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. As of August 2014, he is practically symptom-free and is productive, and in 2014–15, Shapiro appeared in the role of Marc Maron's eccentric neighbor, Bernie, in the IFC comedy series ''Maron''.

Style

Shapiro is mainly known for his stream-of-consciousness monologues on stage that can run for more than an hour, in which he addresses many topics that are controversial or considered taboo by most comedians. His comedic style has been described as "explosive".

Filmography (excerpt)

* '' Joey'' (1986) as Larry * '' True Love'' as Kevin * '' Caesar's Salad'' (1990) (short film) * ''

Ice Cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

'' (1993) as Man's Brother (short film) * ''

Brunch Brunch is a meal eaten between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., sometimes accompanied by alcoholic drinks (typically champagne or a cocktail). The meal originated in the British hunt breakfast. The word ''brunch'' is a portmanteau of '' breakfast'' ...

'' (1995) as Old Woman. (short film) * '' Highjacker'' (1998) as Highjacker (short film) * '' Tomorrow Night'' (1998) as Tina * ''

Pootie Tang ''Pootie Tang'' is a 2001 American comedy film written and directed by Louis C.K. Adapted from a comedy sketch that first appeared on ''The Chris Rock Show'', the character Pootie Tang is a satire of the stereotyped action heroes who appeared in ...

'' (2001) as Shakey * ''

'' (2006–2007) as Jerry * ''

'' (2008) as Waylon Mason * '' Louie'' (2010) uncredited * ''

The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...

'' (2011) as Bum * '' Project X'' (2012) as T-Rick * '' Top Five'' (2014) Please note: IMDB refers to the film as "Finally Famous". According to the film's wikipedia-page, its title has officially been changed to "Top Five". In the filmography it is therefore listed as "Top Five" as Biker AA Guy; Uncredited * ''Maron'' (2014–2016) as Bernie * '' Timeless'' (2016) as State's Attorney / Special Agent / Paratrooper / Repairman * '' Heart, Baby'' (2017) as Shaky J

References

External links

* *
"Recovery Rick Re-Stands Up"
by Ryan Blitstein, ''New York Observer,'' May 17, 2004.
Performance at the UCB Theater, July 3, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapiro, Rick 1959 births American male comedians American male film actors Living people Place of birth missing (living people) American male television actors People with Parkinson's disease 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Stand Up! Records artists