1. Overview
Brian Posehn (Posehnpoh-SAYNEnglish; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. He is recognized for his distinctive comedic style and his diverse work across various entertainment platforms, including notable television roles and stand-up specials, as well as his unique blend of comedy and heavy metal music. His career is marked by significant recurring roles in television series such as Mr. Show with Bob and David, The Sarah Silverman Program, and The Big Bang Theory, where he portrayed the geologist Bert Kibbler. Posehn has released multiple comedy albums, ventured into music with comedy metal albums, contributed extensive voice work to animated shows and video games, and written for comic books, including Marvel's Deadpool. His multifaceted contributions have established his notable impact on popular culture.
2. Early life
Brian Posehn's formative years were spent in California, where he developed the early influences that would shape his career in comedy and entertainment.
2.1. Birth and upbringing
Posehn was born on July 6, 1966, in Sacramento, California, and was also raised there. He is of German and Irish descent.
2.2. Education
He graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 1984. Posehn continued his education at California State University, Sacramento. His early career connections were forged in the San Francisco Bay Area after he met comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross in San Francisco, a pivotal moment that some consider the foundation of his comedy career.
3. Career
Brian Posehn's career is extensive and diverse, encompassing significant contributions to television, film, stand-up comedy, music, video games, podcasts, and writing.
3.1. Television work
Posehn began his television career with guest appearances and minor roles. He was a cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David, appearing in 28 episodes between 1995 and 1998, and also served as a writer for the show. In 1996, he made an appearance in an episode of Friends as a messenger. He played two distinct characters in NewsRadio (1997 and 1998) and portrayed a patient in the 1998 Seinfeld episode "The Burning". Posehn also co-wrote the Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Cahill" in 1998 with Ben Karlin.
He had a notable role as Kevin Liotta in 29 episodes of the NBC series Just Shoot Me! from 1999 to 2003. Posehn provided the voice of Jim Kuback in Mission Hill on The WB (1999-2002) and Del Swanson in 3-South on MTV (2002-2003). For Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, he voiced the Wisdom Cube in a 2003 episode.
Between 2005 and 2006, he voiced Gibbons, a small character, on several episodes of Cartoon Network's Tom Goes to the Mayor. He was also featured in "The Nerd Perspective" segment of the 2005 pilot for The Showbiz Show with David Spade, where he delivered a scathing criticism of MTV and its declining quality. Posehn played a mortician in multiple episodes of Comedy Central's Reno 911! and was part of the 2005 documentary series The Comedians of Comedy.
He co-starred with Steve Agee as a gay couple who are friends with Sarah Silverman in The Sarah Silverman Program (2007-2010), and also wrote the season three finale "Wowschwitz". Posehn played himself in the "Spagett" episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and appeared at the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget. He portrayed a physically disabled man, Scooter Man, in the 2008 second season premiere of Californication on Showtime. He also voiced Dethklok's second manager and wrote the episode "Fatherklok" for Metalocalypse. In 2007, he joined the MTV sketch comedy series Human Giant as a writer and performer and voices Glen Furlblam on the PBS Kids animated series WordGirl. He co-wrote the fourth season of Metalocalypse in 2012. From 2013 to 2019, Posehn had a recurring role as geologist Bert Kibbler on The Big Bang Theory.
His extensive television appearances also include:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Empty Nest | Painted gut guy | Episode: "Harry Weston: Man's Best Friend" |
| 1996 | Party Girl | Patron #1 | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1997, 2001 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Walter / Warren | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Jenny | Guest #3 | Episode: "A Girl's Gotta Hang with a Celebrity" |
| 1998 | Veronica's Closet | The Maintenance Guy | Episode: "Veronica's Divorce Papers" |
| 1998 | The Army Show | Eddie | 5 episodes |
| 1999 | Maggie | Janitor | Episode: "This Is Just a Test" |
| 1999 | Jesse | Terry | Episode: "Momma Was a Rollin' Stone" |
| 2001 | Clerks: The Animated Series | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Becker | George | Episode: "The Ugly Truth" |
| 2002 | Comedy Central Presents | Himself | Comedy special |
| 2002-2007 | Kim Possible | Cousin Larry | Voice, 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Ozzy & Drix | Sylvian Fisher | Voice, episode: "Growth" |
| 2003 | Crank Yankers | Clay | Voice, episode: "2.19" |
| 2003-2004 | The Man Show | Writer and consulting producer | |
| 2004 | Method & Red | Guard | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2004 | Dave the Barbarian | Knuckles the Silly Piggy, Kid | Voice, episode: "The Princess and the Peabrain" |
| 2004-2005 | The Bernie Mac Show | David | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | American Dad! | Dan Vebber | Voice, episode: "All About Steve" |
| 2005 | Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker | Craig Bogie | Episode: "Kids Putt-Putt/Double Dutch" |
| 2006 | Re-Animated | Crocco | Voice, television film |
| 2007, 2008 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Gibbons, self | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2007-2008 | Out of Jimmy's Head | Crocco | Voice, 18 episodes |
| 2008 | The Mighty B! | Ride Guy | Voice, episode: "So Happy Together/Sweet Sixteenth" |
| 2008 | Transformers: Animated | Nino Sexton/Nanosec | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Comedy Central Presents: 2008 Breakout Comedians | Himself | Comedy special |
| 2010 | Adventure Time | Business Man #1 | Voice, episode: "Business Time" |
| 2010 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Duane | Voice, episode: "Stop Bugging Me/Field Tripped" |
| 2010-2011 | Sym-Bionic Titan | Octus/Newton | Voice, 19 episodes |
| 2010 | The Suite Life on Deck | Dr. Cork | Episode: "Frozen" |
| 2010-2011 | Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | Writer | |
| 2011 | Bob's Burgers | Choo-Choo | Voice, episode: "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs" |
| 2012 | Holliston | Clerk | Episode: "Skunked" |
| 2012 | Conan | Audience member | Episode: "Never Bring a Knife to a Hot Dog Eating Contest" |
| 2012 | Guys with Kids | Victor | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Motorcity | Oracle | Voice, episode: "Ride of the Fantasy Vans" |
| 2013 | Newsreaders | Ames MacKenzie | Episode: "Auto Erotic" |
| 2012-2013 | Anger Management | Brian | Episode: "Charlie and Kate Start a Sex Study"; also writer |
| 2014-2016 | Uncle Grandpa | Charlie Burgers | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2014-2015 | New Girl | Biology Teacher | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Community | Bixel | Episode: "App Development and Condiments" |
| 2014-2018 | Steven Universe | Sour Cream, Person at Dance, Zombie | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2015 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Beach Ball Grandpappy | Voice, episode: "Balls!" |
| 2015 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Lobster Claws | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2015 | W/ Bob & David | Various | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Lady Dynamite | Sebastian | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2016 | You're the Worst | Himself | Episode: "The Inherent, Unsullied Qualitative Value of Anything" |
| 2017 | The Simpsons | Dumlee | Voice, episode: "A Father's Watch" |
| 2017 | Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer | Gorkager | Voice, 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Ginger Snaps | Fingers | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2017 | Mighty Magiswords | Tracy / Logan | Voice, episode: "Bureaucrophobia" |
| 2017 | The Adventures of Puss in Boots | Tim | Voice, episode: "The Iceman Meleth" |
| 2017-2018 | Mr Student Body President | Lyle | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Teachers | Zeke | Episode: "Hello, Goodbye" |
| 2018 | Camp Confessions | ||
| 2019 | Deadly Class | Shandy | 5 episodes |
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | Speeder pilot | Episode: "Chapter 1" |
| 2020 | DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders | Gludge | Voice, episode: "Belly Flop" |
| 2020 | Steven Universe Future | Sour Cream | Voice, episode: "Bismuth Casual" |
| 2020 | Crank Yankers | Himself | Voice, episode: "Brian Posehn, Nick Kroll & David Alan Grier" |
| 2020 | Top Secret Videos | Co-host | |
| 2020 | The Neighborhood | Clem | Episode: "Welcome to the Road Trip" |
| 2021 | Nailed It! | Himself | Episode: "I've Failed and I Can't Get Up!" |
| 2024 | Lopez vs Lopez | Nicholas | Episode: "Lopez vs Santa" |
Posehn has also appeared in several music videos:
| Year | Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Red Fang | "Wires" | Store Clerk |
| 2016 | Anthrax | "Blood Eagle Wings" | Tormentor - The Butcher |
| 2017 | Mastodon | "Show Yourself" | Street Vendor |
3.2. Film work
Posehn has appeared in numerous feature films and provided voice roles for animated movies.
His filmography includes the 2003 comedy sequel Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Grind, and the 2005 Rob Zombie horror film The Devil's Rejects. He also appeared in Sleeping Dogs Lie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and voiced Glen Maverick in the 2007 animated feature Surf's Up.
He appeared as himself in the 2007 documentary Super High Me starring 'marijuana comedian' Doug Benson and the 2008 documentary Nerdcore Rising about MC Frontalot. Posehn had a supporting role in Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic. He voiced Murray, a robot, in Rob Zombie's animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto and Hayashi in the English dub of Pom Poko.
His film appearances also include:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Wedding Singer | Man at Table 9 | Uncredited |
| 2000 | The Independent | Fan from Casper | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Desperate but Not Serious | Auteur #2 | |
| 2002 | Run Ronnie Run! | Tank | Also writer |
| 2002 | Sorority Boys | Haggard Alum | |
| 2003 | Brother Bear | Additional voices | |
| 2004 | Adventures in Homeschooling | Eugene Drifke | Short film |
| 2004 | Eulogy | Video Store Clerk | |
| 2005 | Cake Boy | Darrel | |
| 2006 | Ergo Proxy | Dog Cop #2 | |
| 2007 | Smiley Face | Bus Driver | |
| 2008 | Spy School | Grissom | |
| 2008 | Sex Drive | Carney | |
| 2010 | Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo | Marlon Whirlen | Voice |
| 2011 | Lloyd the Conqueror | Andy | |
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Tarquin | |
| 2013 | Knights of Badassdom | Gilberto | |
| 2015 | Hell and Back | Cleb | Voice |
| 2015 | Uncle Nick | Uncle Nick | |
| 2017 | Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie | Mr. Rected | Voice |
| 2019 | Christmas Magic | ||
| 2020 | The Last Blockbuster | Himself |
3.3. Stand-up comedy
Posehn's stand-up comedy career gained prominence with his appearance on Comedy Central Presents in 2002. He was part of The Comedians of Comedy in 2005, a documentary and live special that chronicled a 2004 small-club comedy tour. This was followed by a television series of the same name on Comedy Central.
His debut comedy album, Live In: Nerd Rage, was released in 2006. In 2008, he performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival's Comedy Lineup, alongside comedians like Louis C.K., Janeane Garofalo, and Zach Galifianakis. During his 2008 routine on Comedy Central Presents, Posehn humorously referred to his own Wikipedia article, which he supposedly vandalized.
In 2010, Posehn released his second album, Fart and Wiener Jokes. In 2011, his decision to perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos drew criticism from some fans who felt it was "not metal." Posehn countered that "getting a paycheck is metal," and expressed respect for the Juggalo fan culture, as well as the independent music success of Insane Clown Posse and Psychopathic Records. His third comedy album and first DVD, The Fartist, was released in 2013, followed by his fourth comedy album, Posehn 25x2, in 2017.
3.4. Music
In 2006, Relapse Records released his first album, Live In: Nerd Rage, which, while primarily a stand-up comedy album, included the song "Metal by Numbers." This track satirized the formulaic nature of metal at the time of its release. The instrumental portions of the song featured notable musicians such as guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax, bassist Joey Vera (from Anthrax, Armored Saint, and Fates Warning), drummer John Tempesta (of The Cult and White Zombie), and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais (of Shadows Fall). Posehn also appeared in Anthrax's music videos for "What Doesn't Die" and "Blood Eagle Wings."
He performed "More Metal Then You," a song from his non-musical stand-up comedy album Fart & Wiener Jokes, with "Brian Posehn's All-Star Band" at the 2010 Revolver Golden Gods Awards. Posehn also provided backing vocals for Evile's album Five Serpent's Teeth and appeared in The Damned Things' music video for "We've Got A Situation Here."
In 2020, Posehn released his first music-only album, Grandpa Metal. This album featured guest appearances from a range of prominent artists, including Brendon Small of Dethklok, Scott Ian, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Weird Al Yankovic, Phil Demmel of Machine Head, and Michael Starr of Steel Panther. Grandpa Metal consists of comedy metal songs and also includes metal covers of popular tracks like "Take On Me" by A-Ha and "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" by Ylvis.
3.5. Video games
Posehn has lent his voice to various video games, contributing to characterizations and narratives in interactive entertainment.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Off-World Interceptor | Comedy Voiceover |
| 1997 | Star Warped | Brian |
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Grunt |
| 2009 | Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall | Octus |
| 2009 | Brütal Legend | Hunter |
| 2015 | Minecraft: Story Mode | Axel |
3.6. Podcasts
Posehn has been a prominent figure in the podcasting world, engaging with popular culture and gaming communities.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-present | Nerd Poker | Himself/Amarth Amon/Dag Darkomen/Bodhi/Dargthur Sturry |
Since 2012, Posehn has hosted the Dungeons & Dragons podcast Nerd Poker, where he plays the game with a group of comedians. His co-hosts include comic book writer Gerry Duggan and comedian Blaine Capatch. Posehn has also participated in the Dungeons & Dragons campaign Force Grey: Lost City of Omu, which was hosted by Matthew Mercer.
3.7. Writing
As a writer, Posehn has contributed significantly to the comic book industry. In 2006, he co-wrote the comic book The Last Christmas with writer Gerry Duggan, which was published by Image Comics.
As part of the Marvel NOW! initiative, Posehn and Gerry Duggan co-wrote the ongoing Deadpool comic series. This series launched in November 2012 and ran for 45 issues, concluding in April 2015. The first six issues of their run were illustrated by Tony Moore. His work on the Deadpool series includes:
- Volume 1: Dead Presidents (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #1-6)
- Volume 2: Soul Hunter (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #7-12)
- Volume 3: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #13-19)
- Volume 4: Deadpool vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #20-25)
- Volume 5: The Wedding of Deadpool (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #26-28 and Deadpool Annual #1)
- Volume 6: Original Sin (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #29-34)
- Volume 7: Axis (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #35-40)
- Volume 8: All Good Things (collects Deadpool (Marvel Now!) vol. 3 #41-44, #250)
- Dracula's Gauntlet (collects Deadpool: Dracula's Gauntlet (Marvel Now!) vol. 1 #1-7)
He also co-wrote Rifters with Gerry Duggan, with Volume 1 (collects issues #1-6) slated for release in 2025.
4. Discography
Brian Posehn's discography includes both stand-up comedy albums and a music-only album.
- Live In: Nerd Rage (2006) - stand-up comedy
- Fart and Wiener Jokes (2010) - stand-up comedy
- The Fartist (2013) - stand-up comedy
- Posehn 25x2 (2017) - stand-up comedy
- Grandpa Metal (2020) - as Posehn; music only
5. Accolades
Brian Posehn has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and one DVDX Award in recognition of his professional achievements in comedy, television, and film.
His first Primetime Emmy nomination was in 1998 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program. This nomination was for his writing contributions to Mr. Show with Bob and David, which he shared with the series' writing crew, including Scott Aukerman, Jerry Collins, David Cross, Jay Johnston, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Odenkirk, B. J. Porter, and Dino Stamatopoulos. The writing staff of Mr. Show with Bob and David, including Posehn, received another nomination in the same category in 1999. For this second nomination, Posehn shared the recognition with Mike Stoyanov, Paul F. Tompkins, Mike Upchurch, and other past writing staff members.
In 2003, Posehn was nominated at the DVD Exclusive Awards for Best Original Song in a DVD Premiere Movie. This nomination was for "The Golden Rule Song," featured in Run Ronnie Run!. He shared this nomination with performer Jack Black (with the Joey Cheesy Reunion Band) and fellow lyricists David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Scott Aukerman, B. J. Porter, and Eban Schletter.
6. Personal life
Brian Posehn married Melanie Truhett in 2004, and they have a son together. While he was once known for his use of cannabis, Posehn initially quit smoking marijuana in 2011, but later resumed about three years later.