Michael Ian Black

2.1. Birth and Upbringing

Black was born Michael Ian Schwartz on August 12, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Robert Schwartz, was a store owner, and his mother, Jill, was an executive. The family is of Jewish background. He spent his formative years growing up in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, where he also attended high school. His parents divorced when he was three years old, and his mother, Jill, later publicly came out as a lesbian. Black's father passed away at the age of 39 due to a head injury, which was reportedly sustained in an assault, followed by an allergic reaction during subsequent surgery.

2.2. Education

Black attended Hillsborough High School in New Jersey. After high school, he briefly enrolled at New York University. However, he dropped out of the university to take on a unique role portraying Raphael as part of the promotional campaign for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concert tour.

2.3. Name Change

Michael Ian Black' was born with the surname Schwartz. This name is derived from the German word schwarz_black^German, meaning black. He later changed his professional name to Michael Ian Black to prevent any potential confusion with another actor named Mike Schwartz.

3.1. Comedy Group Activities

Black began his professional career as a foundational member of the highly influential sketch comedy group The State. The group gained widespread recognition through their eponymous television show on MTV. Following his work with The State, he continued to collaborate with several members of the troupe on subsequent projects. This included his role as "Johnny Bluejeans" in the show Viva Variety. He also worked closely with frequent collaborators Michael Showalter and David Wain, notably co-starring in and co-writing the Comedy Central series Stella, a television adaptation of their popular stage show developed with fellow State members Michael Showalter and David Wain. The first season of Stella consisted of ten episodes and debuted in June 2005, though it was not renewed for a second season. Black also developed another show for Comedy Central, initially titled Michael Ian Black Doesn't Understand, which was later retooled into Michael & Michael Have Issues. A pilot episode for this show, featuring Michael Showalter, was filmed in August 2008, and Comedy Central confirmed a seven-episode run that aired in July 2009.

3.2. Television Career

Black has had a prolific career in television, starring in and contributing to numerous series and specials. In addition to his work with comedy groups, he was the puppeteer and voice actor for the iconic Pets.com sock puppet dog from 1998 to 2000, an experience he described as "painful but fun." He also played a supporting character, Phil Stubbs, on the NBC dramedy Ed from 2000 to 2004, and later became the mascot for BarNone.

He hosted the first season of NBC's hidden-camera show Spy TV in 2001, before being replaced by Miss USA 1996, Ali Landry, for the second season. Black made numerous appearances on VH1's popular I Love the... series, including I Love the '70s, 80s, 90s, and New Millennium. His dry, sarcastically irreverent commentary on various pop culture artifacts significantly contributed to the shows' popularity and his own. He often quipped on the show that he felt "doomed to an eternity" of doing the I Love the... series. Black also frequently used self-deprecating humor, often satirically enforcing Jewish-American stereotypes.

In late 2004, Black served as a guest host for CBS's The Late Late Show while auditioning for the permanent hosting role. He was a finalist for the position, which ultimately went to Craig Ferguson. He has also appeared as a guest on various talk shows, including The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn in 2004, Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2004 and 2005, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson from 2006 to 2015. Black is a poker enthusiast and appeared in five episodes of Celebrity Poker Showdown beginning in 2003, playing for the Endeavor House charity. In 2004 and 2006, he played for the charity MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. In 2006, he came in third, receiving 100.00 K USD for his charity. Black was praised for his humor and his skilled poker play by Dave Foley, host of Celebrity Poker Showdown, and by poker experts Phil Gordon and Phil Hellmuth.

Black has a long list of acting credits in television. He starred as Bill Tundle in the web series Burning Love, a spoof of reality dating shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. He also co-hosted G4 TV with Candace Bailey in 2012 and occasionally appeared as a guest on Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. He starred as Randall Tyree Mandersohn in Adult Swim's late-night infomercial parody, You're Whole. In 2013, he joined the FOX comedy Us & Them in a regular role after a guest appearance in the pilot. This series, a US adaptation of the UK sitcom Gavin & Stacey, had 13 episodes filmed but was canceled during the production of the seventh episode, with none of the episodes ever airing. Black played the role of Brian in the series.

He co-hosted the single-season 2013 game show Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host alongside D.L. Hughley. He was also a co-host on Duck Quacks Don't Echo and a guest star on the short-lived 2014 improv sketch show Riot, which featured Steve Carell. Black played Peepers, an uptight butler, on the Comedy Central series Another Period from 2015 to 2018. He also portrayed Daniel Benjamin on the TVLand series The Jim Gaffigan Show from 2015 to 2016. In the prequel to the 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, titled Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, he reprised his role as McKinley. In May 2020, Black returned to a rebooted Reno 911! in a new recurring role as Captain Schwartz, a character named after Black's birth name. Captain Schwartz is depicted as the commander of a heavily militarized parody of Hatzalah, the Jewish volunteer medical emergency service.

3.3. Film Career

Black has contributed to the film industry as an actor, screenwriter, and director. He appeared in the cult classic film Wet Hot American Summer in 2001, reprising his role in its television prequels. He wrote the screenplays for two feature film comedies: Wedding Daze (2006) and Run, Fat Boy, Run (2007), the latter co-written with leading actor Simon Pegg. Black also took on directorial duties for Wedding Daze, which starred Jason Biggs, Joe Pantoliano, and Isla Fisher.

His minor screen acting credits include two appearances on the Adult Swim show Tom Goes to the Mayor, a guest voice on Seth Green's stop-motion show Robot Chicken, and a bit for Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. He also appeared on the Comedy Central shows Crank Yankers and Reno 911!. In 2007, he made a cameo as a prison guard in David Wain's film The Ten. In 2015, Black appeared in Smosh: The Movie as Steve YouTube, the fictional germophobic creator and CEO of YouTube. The movie premiered on July 24, 2015, at VidCon 2015 in Los Angeles.

3.4. Stand-up Comedy and Podcasts

Black expanded his comedic presence into stand-up comedy and digital media. In September 2007, he released his first stand-up comedy album, I Am a Wonderful Man. This was followed by Very Famous in 2011 and Noted Expert in 2016.

He has also become a prolific podcaster. In 2010, Black launched the podcast Mike and Tom Eat Snacks with his former Ed castmate Tom Cavanagh. In 2013, he and Michael Showalter, his long-time collaborator, started the podcast Topics. Black hosts How to Be Amazing, an in-depth interview podcast show produced by Black, Jennifer Brennan, and Mary Shimkin, largely recorded at Argot Studios in New York City. In June 2017, he recorded an episode in Los Angeles with pop star Katy Perry for her livestream marathon, Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide. In 2018, Black launched a new podcast titled Obscure with Michael Ian Black, where he reads works of classic literature and provides commentary as he reads. For Season 1, he read Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. Season 2 featured Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Season 3 focused on Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. In June 2014, he appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor Podcast.

3.5. Commercials and Other Media

Beyond his primary acting and comedy roles, Michael Ian Black has appeared in various commercials and other media ventures. He was featured in several commercials for Sierra Mist and Klondike bars. He also appeared in an eBay commercial alongside Michael Showalter. In a notable online event, on February 21, 2009, Black initiated what he called a "Celeb-Feud" or the "World's First Twitter War" with LeVar Burton, aiming to see if he could gather more Twitter followers than Burton. Black humorously dubbed this online rivalry "LeWar." Additionally, he is an occasional contributor to the online edition of McSweeney's, where he writes a column titled "Michael Ian Black Is a Very Famous Celebrity."

4.1. Books

Since 2008, Black has authored a number of books across different genres. His non-fiction works for adults include:

• My Custom Van ... And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face (2008)
• You're Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death, and Other Humiliations (2012)
• America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom (2012, co-written with Meghan McCain). This book was the result of a road trip the two took across America in the summer of 2011, documenting how Americans were living.
• Navel Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (but also my mom's, which I know sounds weird) (2016)
• A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son (2020)

He has also written several children's books:

• Chicken Cheeks (January 6, 2009), published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, which received a starred review from Kirkus, calling it "a perfect collaboration of text and illustration." An alternative review was aired on The Michael Showalter Showalter.
• The Purple Kangaroo (2009)
• A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea (2011)
• I'm Bored (2012)
• Naked! (2014)
• Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop! (2015)
• A Child's First Book of Trump (2016)
• I'm Sad (2018)
• I'm Sorry (2021)
• I'm Worried (2021)

4.2. Articles and Columns

Black is an occasional contributor to the online edition of McSweeney's, where he maintains a column titled "Michael Ian Black Is a Very Famous Celebrity." In April 2021, his essay "My application essay to Brown (rejected)" was published in The New Yorker magazine.

6.1. Film

6.2. Television

7.1. Family

Michael Ian Black married Martha Anne Hagen in 1998. The couple has two children: a son named Elijah, born in 2001, and a daughter named Ruthie, born in 2003. The family currently resides in Savannah, Georgia.

7.2. Beliefs

Black has openly discussed his spiritual journey. He was previously an atheist but has since described himself as a "reluctant deist."

8.1. Role in Popular Culture

Black's comedic style is characterized by its dry, often sarcastic, and irreverent tone. This style was particularly evident and gained him significant popularity through his commentary on pop culture artifacts in VH1's I Love the... series. His humor often includes self-deprecating elements, such as satirically enforcing Jewish-American stereotypes. Beyond his individual performances, his collaborative work with comedy troupes like The State and Stella contributed to a distinct brand of absurdist and observational comedy that influenced a generation of comedians. His versatility in seamlessly transitioning between acting, writing, directing, and hosting roles has made him a recognizable and enduring presence in popular culture.

Black's engagement with various platforms, from traditional television to early internet phenomena like the Pets.com sock puppet and later podcasts, demonstrates his adaptability and relevance across evolving media landscapes. His participation in shows like Celebrity Poker Showdown, where he was praised for both his humor and skilled poker play by experts like Phil Gordon and Phil Hellmuth, further showcased his multifaceted appeal to a broader audience.

8.2. Influence

Black's career trajectory, marked by his ability to excel in multiple creative roles-from sketch comedy and stand-up to screenwriting, directing, and authorship-has made him an influential figure for aspiring entertainers. His consistent collaboration with fellow comedians like Michael Showalter and David Wain has also highlighted the power of creative partnerships in developing enduring comedic content. Through his diverse body of work, including his successful foray into children's literature and his insightful podcast interviews, Black has demonstrated the potential for comedians to expand their impact beyond traditional performance, engaging with wider social and intellectual topics. His critical and often satirical commentary on contemporary issues, as seen in his books and articles, reflects a broader cultural shift towards comedians as commentators and public intellectuals.