Chris Kattan
{{short description|American actor and comedian (born 1970)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chris Kattan
| image = Chris Kattan at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.JPG
| caption = Kattan at the premiere of Baby Mama in New York City at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival
| birth_name = Christopher Lee Kattan
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|19}}
| birth_place = Culver City, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| television = {{Plainlist|
}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian}}
| years_active = 1993–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Sunshine Deia Tutt|2008|2009|reason=divorced}}
| parents = Kip King (father)
| relatives = Andrew Joslyn (half-brother)
}}
Christopher Lee Kattan ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|t|æ|n}} {{respell|kə|TAN}}; born October 19, 1970){{cite tweet |user=ChrisKattan |author = Chris Kattan |number=1318310789623795715 |date=October 19, 2020 |title= I'm 50 years old today everybody everybody! }} is an American actor and comedian. First breaking through as a performer with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Kattan found wider success during his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003. He also played Doug Butabi in A Night at the Roxbury, Bob on the first five seasons of The Middle, Bunnicula in Bunnicula, and the main antagonist Mr. Feather in Undercover Brother.
Early life
Kattan was born in Culver City, California.{{cite interview|title=Interview with Chris Kattan|first=Chris|last=Kattan|interviewer=Howard Stern|work=The Howard Stern Show|date=October 8, 2001|time=3:00| quote=I was born in Culver City.}} His father, Kip King ({{ne}} Jerome Kattan; 1937–2010), was born to Jewish parents from Iraq and Poland and worked as an actor and voice artist. His mother, Hajnalka Biro (b. 1944), was once photographed for Playboy and worked as a model in London. She is a native of Budapest, Hungary, and is a Buddhist.{{cite news| last=Parsi| first=Novid| title=Kattan can…| magazine=Time Out Chicago| date=August 5, 2009| url=http://www.timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/movies-on-demand/66353/chris-kattan-interview| access-date=2009-08-05| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017052136/http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/movies-on-demand/66353/chris-kattan-interview| archive-date=2012-10-17}}{{cite news| url=http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/22714/edition_id/455/format/html/displaystory.html| title=Celebrity Jews| date=April 15, 2008| newspaper=J. The Jewish News of Northern California| url-status=bot: unknown|first=Nate| last=Bloom| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415192642/http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/22714/edition_id/455/format/html/displaystory.html|archive-date=April 15, 2008}} His stepfather was a Buddhist therapist and monk.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/arts/television/02rhod.html| title=Chris Kattan, Reincarnated in Mumbai for 'Bollywood Hero' on IFC| first=Joe| last=Rhodes| date=July 31, 2009| newspaper=The New York Times}} His half-brother, Andrew Joslyn, is a professional musician and composer.{{cite journal|url=http://www.cityartsonline.com/articles/pop-intuition| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127014436/http://www.cityartsonline.com/articles/pop-intuition| url-status=usurped| archive-date=January 27, 2017| title=Pop Intuition| last=Zwickel| first=Jonathan| date=January 25, 2017| journal=CityArts}}
Kattan was raised on a Zen retreat on Mount San Antonio, outside Los Angeles. He and his mother moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington, where he attended Bainbridge High School, graduating in 1989.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
Career
{{BLP sources section|date=December 2022}}
Kattan was a member of several improvisational comedy (improv) and sketch comedy troupes, one of them being The Groundlings in Los Angeles. His father was an original member of the troupe.{{cite news| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/theater/news/2004-10-03-groundlings_x.htm| title=After 30 years, The Groundlings still dig up yuks| newspaper=USA Today| first=Elysa| last=Gardner| date=October 3, 2004}} Kattan also did some minor roles on TV, including the second episode of the second season of NewsRadio, "No, This Is Not Based Entirely on Julie's Life", as a photo shop employee.
He moved to New York City to work on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003. His recurring characters included Mr. Peepers, Mango, Azrael Abyss, Kyle DeMarco from The DeMarco Brothers, Gay Hitler, and, most notably, one half of the Butabi Brothers with fellow SNL (and Groundlings) cast member Will Ferrell, known for their trademark head-bobbing. Kattan and Ferrell continued the characters in the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury.
=''SNL'' celebrity impersonations=
Image:Chris Kattan.jpg received his star on the Walk of Fame)]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Clay Aiken
- Christiane Amanpour
- Antonio Banderas
- Andy Dick
- Larry Fine
- Bill Gates
- Ben Affleck
- David Gest
- Elián González
- Anne Heche
- Julio Iglesias Jr.
- Steve Irwin
- Chris Kirkpatrick
- Ricky Martin
- Al Pacino
- Kid Rock
- David Lee Roth
- Paul Shaffer
- David Spade
- Kerri Strug (also appeared in Weekend Update with Strug as her fictional brother, Kippy)
- Geraldo Rivera
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Anthony Fauci
{{div col end}}
=2007–present: post-''SNL'' work=
Kattan appeared in a Diet Pepsi Max commercial during Super Bowl XLII in 2008 that featured the song "What Is Love" and had many actors in the commercial performing the head bob from A Night at the Roxbury.
In August 2009, Kattan starred in the Independent Film Channel (IFC) miniseries Bollywood Hero, where he portrays himself and the difficulties he faces after a career as a comic actor, trying to attain leading man status.*{{IMDb title|1269776|Bollywood Hero}} Starting in late 2009, Kattan appeared in a supporting role in The Middle. Kattan played Bob, a colleague of Frankie Heck's at Mr. Ehlert's car dealership. Kattan appeared in an episode of How I Met Your Mother as a star in "The Wedding Bride", a fictional movie within the show. He played himself portraying Jed Mosely, the film's villain, which the screenwriter bases on his girlfriend's ex-fiancé, series protagonist, Ted Mosby. He reappeared as the character in the fictional film's sequel, Wedding Bride 2.{{cite magazine |last=Stanhope |first=Kate |date=April 1, 2010 |title=How I Met Your Mother Taps Malin Akerman, Jason Lewis, Chris Kattan |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/mother-akerman-lewis-1016864/ |access-date=November 29, 2013 |magazine=TV Guide}} On December 17, 2011, Kattan made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live Christmas show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and again briefly on the final episode of SNL
In June 2014, Kattan reprised his role as former SNL character Mango in a preview of the music video for Sharaya J's "Shut It Down", featured in a fashion campaign by Alexander Wang.{{cite web| title=Watching The Week: T by Alexander Wang 2014 Campaign| url=http://www.hungertv.com/feature/watching-week-10/| website=Hunger TV| date=8 June 2014| access-date=10 June 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617151119/http://www.hungertv.com/feature/watching-week-10/| archive-date=2014-06-17| url-status=dead}}
In 2017, Kattan was a contestant on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars paired with professional dancer Witney Carson. He was the first celebrity dancer eliminated.{{cite web |date=March 1, 2017 |title=Dancing With the Stars 2017: Season 24 celebrity cast and partners revealed on 'GMA' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dancing-stars-2017-season-24-celebrity-cast-partners/story?id=45767534 |access-date=March 1, 2016 |work=ABC News}}
Kattan reunited with fellow SNL alumni Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, and Tracy Morgan during the December 18, 2018 cold open of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which also featured Ariana Grande, in a reprisal of their performance of "I Wish it Was Christmas Today".{{cite web| url=https://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/i-wish-it-was-christmas-today-with-ariana-grande-cold-open/3848566| title="I Wish It Was Christmas Today" with Ariana Grande (Cold Open)|publisher=NBC|date=December 18, 2018}} It was the first time since 2011 that Fallon, Sanz, Kattan, and Morgan were all present for a performance of the song.
In 2022, Kattan was announced as a HouseGuest competing on the third season of Celebrity Big Brother.{{Cite web |date=January 26, 2022 |title=Celebrity Big Brother Season 3 Cast Revealed: Meet the New Famous Houseguests |url=https://people.com/tv/celebrity-big-brother-season-3-cast-announced |accessdate=January 26, 2022}}
In 2023, Kattan did voice work in the film Leo as Alligator #1.{{cite web |last=Luciani |first=Kim |date=November 22, 2023 |title=Adam Sandler plays emotional support lizard from Florida school in new Netflix movie Leo |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2023/11/22/adam-sandler-movie-leo-netflix-fort-myers-elementary-florida/71676214007/ |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=News Press}}
Personal life
Kattan married model Sunshine Deia Tutt on June 28, 2008, in Oakhurst, California, after proposing to her on Christmas Eve 2006.{{cite web| url=http://www.celebrific.com/chris-kattan-engaged-to-sunshine-tutt/| title=Chris Kattan Engaged to Sunshine Tutt| website=Celebrific| url-status=dead| date=August 1, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024121613/http://www.celebrific.com/chris-kattan-engaged-to-sunshine-tutt/| archive-date=2007-10-24}} The couple separated forty-four days later on August 10, 2008, and divorced in February 2009.{{cite news| url=https://people.com/celebrity/chris-kattan-divorced-after-2-month-marriage/|title=Chris Kattan Divorced After 2-Month Marriage| magazine=People| date=October 15, 2008| access-date=November 24, 2019}}
On March 25, 2023, Kattan proposed to his girlfriend, Maria Libri, a writer and former on-air personality, in front of the stage at a Wilco concert held at the Riviera Theatre, while the Chicago band played "I'm the Man Who Loves You." The band members knew about the proposal. Kattan and Libri had met eighteen months before the proposal when Kattan was performing a stand-up comedy show at Boondocks Pub in Springfield. They have since collaborated on writing projects, including a romantic comedy, and have also appeared together on the YouTube channel, Hey Kattan!{{Cite web |title=Chris Kattan proposes to Maria Libri at Wilco concert in Chicago |url=https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2023/03/27/chris-kattan-proposed-to-maria-libri-at-a-recent-wilco-concert-in-chicago/70050252007/ |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=The State Journal-Register |language=en-US}}
= Neck injury =
Kattan competed in Dancing with the Stars in 2017, where judges criticized him for his stiff upper body movement. Afterward, Kattan revealed that he broke his neck while performing a stunt fourteen years prior and has had impaired mobility ever since. He further admitted the pain medication he began taking following his fourth surgery led to a 2014 DUI arrest.{{cite news| url=https://people.com/celebrity/chris-kattan-broken-neck-history-exclusive-interview/| title=Chris Kattan Tells All About His Secret 20-Year Health Nightmare After Breaking His Neck| journal=People| date=March 28, 2017| last=Gomez| first=Patrick| access-date=July 1, 2020}} In his 2019 memoir, Kattan said he broke his neck while filming an SNL sketch parodying The Golden Girls, during which he threw himself backwards on a chair. Additionally, NBC paid for two of the five surgeries he underwent afterwards.{{cite news |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=May 3, 2019 |title=Chris Kattan Claims He Broke His Neck During Saturday Night Live Sketch |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/chris-kattan-saturday-night-live-broke-neck-1203204375/ |access-date=May 12, 2019 |newspaper=Variety}}
Memoir
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Film ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1993
| The Making of '...And God Spoke' | Moviegoer #1 | |
| 1998
| Doug Butabi | |
| 1999
| Watson Pritchett | |
| 2000
| Any Given Wednesday | Short film |
| rowspan="2"|2001
| Organ Donor Stu | |
| Corky Romano
| Corky Romano | |
| 2002
| Mr. Feather | |
| rowspan="2"|2005
| Michael | |
| Santa's Slay
| Jason Mason | |
| rowspan="4"|2007
| Luke Rudd | |
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
| Walter Melon (voice) |
| Nancy Drew
| Burglar | |
| Christmas in Wonderland
| Leonard Cardoza | |
| 2008
| Delgo | Filo (voice) |
| rowspan="2"|2009
| Scouts Honor: Badge to the Bone | Brandon | |
| Tanner Hall
| George Middlewood | |
| rowspan="2"|2010
| Jack Sanders | |
| Devolved
| Coach Papillion | |
| rowspan="2"|2011
| Hertz Waters | |
| A Holiday Heist
| Uncle Harry | |
| rowspan="3"|2012
| Polar Penguin (voice) |
| Crazy Enough
| Fred/Teddy | |
| Guns, Girls and Gambling
| Gay Elvis | |
| 2013
| Drew | |
| rowspan="5"|2015
| Troop Hood | Phil Neffler | Short film |
| Hotel Transylvania 2
| Kakie (voice) |
| The Ridiculous 6
| |
| The Passenger
| Sebastian | Short film |
| ImagiGARY
| Officer Jones | |
| 2016
| Harvey Weinstein | |
| rowspan="4"|2017
| Desiderata | Man | Short film |
| Walk of Fame
| Alejandro | |
| Breaking Legs
| Robby | |
| How to Get Girls
| Mr. Fox | |
| rowspan="2"|2018
| Mr. Malevolent | Mr. Preevy | |
| The Bobby Roberts Project
| Self | Mockumentary |
| 2019
| Subject 3 | |
| rowspan="2"|2020
| Delivery Guy Ricky | |
| In Other Words
| Maximillion Woods | |
| rowspan="2"|2021
| 40-Love | Bootman | |
| Famous
| Lawrence Nichols | |
| 2023
| Leo | Alligator #1 (voice) |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Film ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1995
| Employee #3 | Episode: "No, This Is Not Based Entirely on Julie's Life" |
| 1996
| Carnival Barker | Episode: "Guess Who's Not Coming to Lunch?" |
| 1996–2003; 2006; 2011 | Various roles | Series regular: 1996–2003; guest: 2006 & 2011 |
| 2005
| Enough About Me | Chris Adams | TV film |
| rowspan="2"|2006
| Gabriel | TV film |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus
| Sparky | TV film |
| 2007
| Two Dreadful Children | Chet Dunbar (voice) | TV film |
| 2008
| Sploopers Show Host/ESPN Announcer | TV film |
| 2009
| AllaKattan! | Self | |
| 2009–2014
| Bob Weaver | Series regular, 56 episodes |
| 2010–2014
| Jed Mosely | 2 episodes |
| 2011
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | Casey Madisenn/Bill Fisk | Episode: "28 July 2011" |
| rowspan="2" |2014
| Various roles | Episode: "Season 2, Episode 12" |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
| Craig Newton | Episode: "Kevin Spacey/Lewis Black" |
| 2014–2015
| Jake and the Never Land Pirates | King Zongo (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2015
| Indiana Johnson (voice) | Episode: "Indiana Johnson and the Nazi Granddaughters" |
| 2016
| Jingle Ballin' | DJ Booth | |
| 2016–2018
| Bunnicula, Arthur Monroe (voice) | Main cast (69 episodes){{Cite web |last=Serrao |first=Nivea |date=February 5, 2016 |title=5 Things to Know About Creepy-Cute Bunnicula From Cartoon Network |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/70847/5-things-to-know-about-bunnicula-cartoon-network/ |access-date=October 23, 2024 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}} |
| rowspan="2"|2017
| Real Rob | Mitch | Episode: "Acupuncture & Spring Rolls" |
| Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
| Prime Minister | TV film |
| 2017–2018
| Blaytz (voice) | 3 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2018
| The Time Capsule | Rod | TV film |
| Lent!
| Conrad | TV film |
| 2021
|Sprinkles, Elfin-Mark-V (voice) |
| rowspan="2"|2022
| Himself | |
| The Cuphead Show!
| Werner Werman (voice) | Episode: "Rat's All, Folks" |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |
| 2000
| {{nom}} |
| 2001
| {{n/a}} | {{nom}} |
| 2013
| Best Actor | Just Crazy Enough | {{win}} |
| 2016
| Hoboken International Film Festival Award | Best Supporting Actor | Breaking Legs | {{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|441592|Chris Kattan}}
- {{IBDB name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kattan, Chris}}
Category:21st-century American Buddhists
Category:20th-century American comedians
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American people of Hungarian descent
Category:American people of Iraqi-Jewish descent
Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent
Category:American male comedians
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American sketch comedians
Category:American Zen Buddhists
Category:Comedians from California
Category:Comedians from Washington (state)
Category:Male actors from California
Category:Male actors from Washington (state)
Category:Participants in American reality television series