Colin Quinn
{{Short description|American comedian and actor (born 1959)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Colin Quinn
| image = Colin Quinn Interviewed cropped (cropped).jpg
| caption = Quinn in 2005
| birth_name = Colin Edward Quinn
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1959|6|6}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| medium = {{hlist | Stand-up | television | film | radio | literature | one man show}}
| years_active = 1980–present
| genre = {{hlist | Observational comedy | black comedy | sketch comedy | satire | political satire | news satire}}
| subject = {{hlist | American politics | American culture | current events | race relations | world history | drinking culture}}
| education = Stony Brook University
| spouse = {{marriage|Jen Sochko|2019}}
| notable_works = {{ubl | Co-host of Remote Control | Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live | Host of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn}}
}}
Colin Edward Quinn (born June 6, 1959) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He first gained widespread attention for his work as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2000, and he became known for anchoring Weekend Update, the show's news parody segment. Prior to SNL, he was best known as the announcer/sidekick/co-host on MTV's 1980s game show Remote Control. Following his departure from SNL, Quinn went on to host Comedy Central's late-night panel show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, where he and a panel of New York's big names in stand-up comedy discussed and debated news stories of the day. Notable film work includes his role as Dooey in A Night at the Roxbury, Dickey Bailey in the Grown Ups films, and playing Amy Schumer's father in the film Trainwreck. Comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Chris Rock, and Dave Attell have cited Quinn as the quintessential "comic's comic" and New York comedian.{{cn|date=November 2022}}
Quinn has also become known for his comedic one-man shows that feature his takes on history and growing up in New York City. As of 2020, he has written and starred in seven stage shows: Irish Wake, My Two Cents, Long Story Short, Unconstitutional, The New York Story, Red State Blue State, and The Wrong Side of History, two of which he collaborated on with Seinfeld as director. Long Story Short was filmed as an HBO special that aired on April 9, 2011, and Unconstitutional, The New York Story, and Red State Blue State were released as Netflix specials.
Early life
Quinn was born on June 6, 1959, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, where he was raised, the son of teachers.{{cite web | url= http://www.filmreference.com/film/65/Colin-Quinn.html | title=Colin Quinn Biography (1959-)| publisher=FilmReference.com | access-date= June 11, 2015}}{{cite web| url= http://www.askmen.com/celebs/interview_60/99b_colin_quinn_interview.html| title= Colin Quinn...Irish Comic Standing| publisher= (interview) AskMen.com| date= n.d.| page= 2| access-date= June 11, 2015| quote= I grew up in Brooklyn, mixed area...| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170409122937/http://www.askmen.com/celebs/interview_60/99b_colin_quinn_interview.html| archive-date= April 9, 2017| url-status= dead}} He is of Irish descent. Quinn's paternal grandparents arrived from Belfast around 1920.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/irish-american-stand-up-colin-quinn-appears-in-jerry-seinfieldss-new-one-man-show-96485429-237700321.html|title=Irish American stand up Colin Quinn's one man show will take New York by storm|date=June 16, 2010|website=IrishCentral.com}} He attended Stony Brook University, in Stony Brook, Long Island, but did not graduate.{{cite news | url =http://www.danspapers.com/2011/06/colin-quinn-talks-with-dans/ | title= Colin Quinn Talks With Dan's! | date=June 2, 2011 | first= David| last= Rattiner| work= Dan's Papers | publisher= Manhattan Media LLC | location = Southampton, New York | quote = In college I stayed on Long Island and went to Stony Brook University. ... I only lasted there a few years, but I never graduated.}} He stopped drinking in the early 1980s after several bad experiences with alcohol, including blackouts and arrests.Quinn interview, AskMen.com, [http://www.askmen.com/toys/interview_60/99_colin_quinn_interview.html p. 1]
Career
=Early career=
Quinn began performing stand-up comedy in 1984. He first achieved fame in 1987 as the sidekick announcer of the MTV game show Remote Control, which lasted five seasons. Quinn also hosted the final episodes of the series in 1990 due to regular host Ken Ober's commitment to the series Parenthood. In 1989, he hosted the A&E stand-up showcase Caroline's Comedy Hour, and wrote and acted in the comedic short/music video "Going Back to Brooklyn" (a parody of LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali") with Ben Stiller. He wrote for In Living Color, and co-wrote and produced the movie Celtic Pride, which starred Damon Wayans and Dan Aykroyd.
=''Saturday Night Live''=
Quinn was hired as a writer and featured player on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1995 and became a full cast member during the 1997–1998 season. He established himself on the show with recurring characters and segments such as "Lenny the Lion", "Joe Blow", "Colin Quinn Explains The New York Times", and "Weekend Update".
Quinn began hosting "Weekend Update" in January 1998 after Norm Macdonald was fired, and anchored the segment until his departure from SNL in 2000. He commented on a number of highly publicized media circuses, including the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the Microsoft anti-trust trial.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
During his tenure on SNL, Quinn turned down an offer for the role of Scott Evil in fellow cast member Mike Myers's film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Quinn has called the role, which was ultimately played by Seth Green, the only project he has regretted turning down.{{cite web |title=Colin Quinn |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/colin-quinn-13816 |work=The Onion A.V. Club |first=Nathan |last=Rabin |date=June 18, 2003}}
=Television and film work and stand-up=
After leaving SNL, Quinn hosted the short-lived The Colin Quinn Show on NBC in the spring of 2002. The show combined sketch comedy and stand-up in a live-to-tape format. Despite mostly positive reviews from critics, it was cancelled after three episodes.
Quinn had greater success with his subsequent show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, which ran on weekdays on Comedy Central from 2002 to 2004. The show featured a panel of four comedians, with Quinn as host, discussing the social and political issues of the day. The show ran for over 200 episodes.
His stand-up was also used in the animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties.
File:USMC-13540.jpg tour in 2005]]
In 2005, Quinn participated in a USO tour of American military bases around the world, performing stand-up to entertain the troops.{{cite news | last=Garamone | first=Jim | date=August 25, 2005 | title=Around the World in 10 Days, Chairman-Style | url=http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=16810 | publisher=United States Department of Defense | access-date=July 18, 2016 | archive-date=August 28, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828124310/http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=16810 | url-status=dead }}
He was the "unofficial co-host" on the Nick DiPaolo show on the now-defunct 92.3 Free FM in New York City, airing Monday–Friday from noon to three. Quinn and DiPaolo were originally slated to host the show together on WJFK-FM, but the station decided not to pick up the show. Quinn was also a regular guest on The Opie & Anthony Show until its run ended in 2014.
Quinn played Dickie Bailey, the childhood rival to Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler's character) in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. He also had a recurring role as Hermie on the HBO series Girls.
Quinn wrote and starred in the L/Studio web series Cop Show, which premiered in February 2015. The series stars Quinn as a satirical, pompous version of himself, starring in a New York City-based crime drama. The show's guest stars have included Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Che, Tom Papa, Jim Norton, Pat Cooper, Irina Shayk and Amy Schumer.{{cite news|last1=Holcomb-Holland|first1=Lori|title=Colin Quinn's Streaming 'Cop Show' to Satirize Police Dramas|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/colin-quinns-streaming-cop-show-to-satirize-police-dramas/?action=click&contentCollection=Television®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=article|access-date=3 February 2015|agency=New York Times|publisher=Arts Beat|date=3 February 2015}}
Quinn had a supporting role in Amy Schumer's film debut, Trainwreck, as her character's father. He was critically praised for his performance.{{cite web |title=Colin Quinn is legit good in Trainwreck |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/23/colin-quinn-trainwreck |first=Christopher |last=Rosen |date=July 23, 2015 |publisher=Entertainment Weekly}}
=One-man shows=
Quinn made his Broadway debut in 1998 in a one-man show, Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake, co-written with Lou DiMaggio. The show reflected Quinn's upbringing within the Irish-American community of Brooklyn; it was set at a wake in 1976, with Quinn portraying family members and acquaintances who show up for the event.
In 2009, Quinn premiered his second one-man show, My Two Cents, which covers the economic crumbling of the American empire.{{cite tweet|number=1713463866|user=iamcolinquinn|title="My Two Cents" opens tomorrow at the Roy Arias Theatre! Get tkts at brownpapertickets.com/event/63112 - Look forward to seeing ya there! |date=May 6, 2009}}
In 2010, Quinn premiered his third one-man show Colin Quinn Long Story Short on Broadway, directed by Jerry Seinfeld. The show covered world history from prehistoric times to the present, offering satirical takes on the rise and fall of various world empires. Quinn recorded a special performance of the show that aired on HBO on April 9, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Colin_Quinn_Stars_In_Colin_Quinn_Long_Story_Short_At_Bleecker_Street_Theater_Thru_815_20100702 |title=Broadway World |website=broadwayworld.com}} A Brazilian version of the show featuring comedian Bruno Motta has the title 1 Milhao de Anos em 1 Hora ("1 Million Years in 1 Hour").{{Cite web|url=https://www.ummilhaodeanos.com.br/|title=Bruno Motta em 1 Milhão de Anos em 1 Hora|website=1milhaodeanosem1hora}}
In 2013, Quinn premiered another one-man show on historical themes, Unconstitutional, which covers the United States Constitution, its creation, and its impact on the American psyche.{{cite magazine |title=Framers Reframed |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/06/03/framers-reframed |magazine=The New Yorker |first=Tad |last=Friend |date=May 27, 2013}}
Quinn starred in his fifth one-man show, The New York Story, in July and August 2015 at the Cherry Lane Theatre. The show was based upon the experiences chronicled in his book, The Coloring Book: A Comedian Solves Race Relations in America. It delves into his growing up in the ethnically diverse Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn and how it has changed over the years into its current state.{{Cite web |url=https://thenew-yorkstory.squarespace.com/ |title=Previews Begin July 9 |access-date=June 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618072809/https://thenew-yorkstory.squarespace.com/ |archive-date=June 18, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Seinfeld, who directed Long Story Short, returned as director.
In early 2019, Quinn premiered his sixth one-man show, Red State Blue State, at the Minetta Lane Theatre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/colin-quinn-red-state-blue-state|title=Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State {{!}} Minetta Lane Theatre {{!}} Theater in New York|website=Time Out New York|date=January 22, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}} The show explored contemporary politics in the United States on both sides of the primary political spectrum.Comedian Colin Quinn Calls on the United States to ‘Divorce’ Over Division, Breitbart News
In 2020, Quinn released his second book, Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States, and directed the HBO Max comedy special Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show.
Personal life
On February 14, 2018, Quinn suffered a heart attack in New York, and recovered a few days later.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/|title=Celebrity News - Entertainment News: Breaking news and opinions|website=www.mail.com}}
On June 8, 2019, Quinn married Late Night with Seth Meyers producer Jen Sochko.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-10 |title=Colin Quinn marries 'Late Night' producer Jen Sochko |url=https://pagesix.com/2019/06/10/colin-quinn-marries-late-night-producer-jen-sochko/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |language=en-US}}
Awards and honors
In 2004, Quinn was named No. 56 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time.
He was named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans of the year in 2004 and 2011 by the magazine Irish America.[http://irishamerica.com/2011/12/colin-quinn/ Top 100 - 2011: Colin Quinn], Irish America[http://www.irishabroad.com/irishworld/irishamericamag/aprilmay04/features/ www.irishabroad.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040704063634/http://irishabroad.com/irishworld/irishamericamag/aprilmay04/features/ |date=July 4, 2004 }}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1983
|Rock 'n' Roll Hotel |DJ |Aired on HBO |
| 1987
|Gift Shop Clerk | |
| 1988
| Onlooker at Mansion | |
| 1988
|Homicide Detective | |
| 1993
|Frankie Flynn | |
| 1998
|Dooey | |
| 2003
|Crooked Lines |Annoying Customer | |
| 2006
|Home |Himself |Documentary film |
| 2008
|Reedy | |
| 2009
|TV Voiceover | |
| 2010
|Dickie Bailey | |
| 2012
|Strip Club DJ | |
| 2013
|Dickie Bailey | |
| 2015
|Gordon | |
| 2016
|Booted |Debt Collector | |
| 2017
|Kevin Connors | |
| 2019
|Ryan the Bum #2 | |
| 2020
| Hubie Halloween{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/adam-sandler-kevin-james-julie-bowen-maya-rudolph-netflix-comedy-1202650376/|title=Adam Sandler Sets Next Netflix Comedy With All-Star Cast Including Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Maya Rudolph & Many More|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|date=July 22, 2019|access-date=July 22, 2019}} |Janitor | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1987–1990
|Sidekick/Announcer and writer |All episodes |
| 1988
|Davey Herbeck |1 episode |
| 1988
|Co-host with Ahmet Zappa |Unknown episodes |
| 1989
|Men |Baltimore |1 episode |
| 1989
|Host |2 episodes |
| 1989–1990
| |2 episodes |
| 1990
|Manly World | |Also writer |
| 1992
| |1 episode |
| 1992
|Mulligan |TV movie |
| 1995
|Cully |1 episode |
| 1996–2000
|Cast Member |74 episodes |
| 1996
|Tom |TV movie |
| 1997
|Pulp Comics: Jim Breuer |Cop |1 episode |
| 1997
|Himself |1 episode |
| 2002
|The Colin Quinn Show | |3 episodes |
| 2002–2004
|Host and writer |200+ episodes |
| 2003
|Talk Show Guest |TV movie |
| 2004
|Ring My Bell |Game Show Guest |CW Network |
| 2008
|What About Sal? |O'Brien |TV short |
| 2011
|Delivery Boy |TV short |
| 2011
|The Green Room with Paul Provenza |Himself |1 Episode |
| 2013–2017
|Hermie |8 episodes |
| 2014
|Jeff Apelstein |7 episodes |
| 2014–2015
|Judge / Elevator Passenger From Hell |2 episodes |
| 2015
|The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore |Pinocchio |1 episode |
| 2015–2016
|Himself |2 episodes |
| 2019
|Himself |Episode: "The Viewing Party" |
=Writer=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1993
|TV series (8 episodes) |
| 1995–1997
|TV series (also cast member) (40 episodes) |
| 1996
|Film written with Judd Apatow |
| 2014–2016
|Cop Show |26 episodes |
=Comedy specials=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Studio ! Formats |
|---|
| 1992
| HBO | Broadcast/streaming |
| 2011
| Long Story Short | HBO | Broadcast/Blu-ray/DVD/download/streaming |
| 2015
| Unconstitutional | Netflix | DVD/CD/audio & video download/streaming |
| 2016
| The New York Story | Netflix | Streaming |
| 2019
| Red State Blue State | Netflix/CNN | CD/audio download/video streaming |
| 2020
| Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show | HBO Max | Streaming |
| 2024
| Colin Quinn: Our Time Is Up | YouTube{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PGVxGEpA0 | title=Colin Quinn: Our Time is up | Full Stand up Comedy Special | website=YouTube | date=May 3, 2024 }} | Streaming |
| 2024
| Stamps & Tea | YouTube{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Z3spwqAmk | title=Stamps & Tea | Full Stand up Comedy Special | website=YouTube | date=October 29, 2024 }} | Streaming |
Bibliography
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Publisher ! Formats |
|---|
| 2015
| The Coloring Book: A Comedian Solves Race Relations in America | Print: hardcover/E-book, audiobook: CD/download/streaming |
| 2020
| Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States | Print: hardcover/E-book, audiobook: CD/download/streaming |
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website|http://www.colinquinn.com}}
- {{IMDb name|703800|Colin Quinn}}
- {{National Public Radio|1545621}} in 2003
- [http://comedyhalloffame.com/archives/colin-quinn/ Colin Quinn] at the Comedy Hall of Fame
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{{s-media}}
{{succession box | title=Weekend Update anchor | before=Norm Macdonald | after=Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon | years=1998–2000}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Colin}}
Category:American game show hosts
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American male television actors
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American sketch comedians
Category:American stand-up comedians
Category:American television talk show hosts
Category:American television writers
Category:Comedians from Brooklyn
Category:John Dewey High School alumni
Category:Male actors from Brooklyn
Category:American male television writers
Category:People from Park Slope
Category:Stony Brook University alumni
Category:20th-century American comedians