David Cross

Cross was born in Roswell, Georgia, to a Jewish family. His parents are Barry Cross, who emigrated from Leeds, England, and Susi Cross.{{cite web| url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/interviews/2010/10/29/12031/while_i%92m_doing_alvin_and_the_chipmunks%2C_i%92m_thinking_of_awful_risque%26%238237%3B_%26%238236%3Bthings|title='While I'm doing Alvin And The Chipmunks, I'm thinking of awful risque things': Interview with David Cross|website=Chortle.com.uk|date=October 29, 2010}}

Six months after his birth, Cross's family moved to Florida. After additional moves to New York and Connecticut, the family re-settled in Roswell, where Cross remained for nearly a decade. He is the oldest of three children and has two younger sisters.{{cite web| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110723131717/http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2010/10/07/david-cross/| archive-date= July 23, 2011|work=Adam Carolla Show| url= http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2010/10/07/david-cross/ |title=David Cross|date=October 7, 2010}}

The family had little money. Cross recalled that they were evicted from their home and that he spent some time living in motels and at friends' homes in his youth.{{cite web| url= https://archive.org/details/2009.06.29acp-Cross| work= Adam Carolla Podcast| title= Interview: Cross|date=June 29, 2009| via=Internet Archive}} Cross's father left the family when Cross was 10 years old; the two have not spoken since Cross was 19, though they both primarily resided in New York City until Cross sold his home there in 2011.{{cite web | url= http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_269_-_david_cross/ | work= WTF with Marc Maron |format= Podcast | title= Episode 269 – David Cross | date= April 8, 2012 | access-date= April 19, 2012}}

Cross began performing stand-up comedy around the age of 17. The day after he graduated from Northside High School in Atlanta, Cross relocated to New York City. Lacking a plan, he drifted, working briefly for a lawn care company on Long Island. Later, he enrolled at Emerson College in Boston. He would drop out after a semester, but during his time there, Cross joined This is Pathetic, a college sketch group, where he met John Ennis. Aspiring towards an acting career, the two took a road trip to Los Angeles in the summer of 1985, although this did not significantly further their acting careers. In Boston, Cross began to perform stand-up more regularly. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Boston had a booming comedy scene, although Cross did not fit the types of acts being booked most of the time. He recalls that it was "a loud, dumb, pandering, racist, homophobic-type scene".Odenkirk, Naomi. (2002). Mr. Show What Happened?! Beverly Hills, CA: The Management Group. {{ISBN|0-9713597-8-4}}

In 1990, a new comedy scene began to emerge at the comedy club chain Catch a Rising Star. Alongside Janeane Garofalo, Louis C.K., and other comics, Cross appeared regularly several nights a week. Cross formed the sketch comedy group "Cross Comedy" with 12 other performers, and they put on a new show every week. They were known for playing tricks on the audience, such as introducing fake comics or planting fake hecklers. Cross became increasingly focused on his comedy work.

Cross later performed at the alternative comedy club Un-Cabaret in Los Angeles, where radio artist Joe Frank heard him, and hired him to appear in Frank's 1994 radio programs, "A Hearing" and "The Last Run" (in 1997 combined to become "The OJ Chronicles"),{{cite web|url=https://www.joefrank.com/shop/o-j-chronicles-the|title=O.J. Chronicles, The|first= John | last= Malloy|website=JoeFrank.com|date=December 2, 2011 }} where Cross appears as OJ's valet. Cross also starred in the Joe Frank program "Jam", produced in 1999,{{cite web|url=https://www.joefrank.com/shop/jam|title=Jam|website=JoeFrank.com}} and worked with Frank on radio shows for KCRW's Unfictional: "A Conversation" (2013){{cite web|url=https://www.joefrank.com/shows/unfictional|title=KCRW'S Unfictional|website=JoeFrank.com}} and "Downfall" (2015).{{cite web| url= http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/unfictional/joe-frank-downfall?|title=Joe Frank: Downfall|website=KCRW.com|date=May 26, 2023 }}

Cross's stand-up comedy blends political commentary and satire.{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800343908/bio |title=David Cross Biography |website=Yahoo! Movies |date=April 4, 1964 |access-date=September 14, 2010}} In 1999, he performed a one-hour comedy special, The Pride Is Back, on HBO. In 2003, he released his first tour film, Let America Laugh, and was named #85 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. He has released five comedy albums: 2002's Shut Up You Fucking Baby!, 2004's It's Not Funny, 2010's Bigger and Blackerer, 2016's Making America Great Again/...America... Great..., and 2019's Oh, Come On. He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album twice, in 2003 for Shut Up You Fucking Baby! and in 2016 for ...America... Great....{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/david-cross/16562|title=GRAMMY Award Results for David Cross|publisher=The Recording Academy|access-date=October 21, 2020}}

Cross's first three records were released on CD by indie-rock label Sub Pop, and on vinyl by comedy label Stand Up! Records for Shut Up and It's Not Funny. He self-released 2016's ...America... Great... on CD, with Stand Up! again releasing a vinyl version. Oh, Come On was released by Comedy Dynamics.{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-cross-mn0000644216/ |title=David Cross |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 21, 2020 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/David-Cross-Shut-Up-You-Fucking-Baby/master/128606 |title=David Cross – Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! |website=Discogs |access-date=October 21, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/David-Cross-Its-Not-Funny/master/128607 |title=David Cross – It's Not Funny |website=Discogs |access-date=October 21, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/David-Cross-AmericaGreat/master/1384564 |title=David Cross – ...America...Great... |website=Discogs |access-date=October 21, 2020}} Cross tends to release his albums in overlapping audio and video formats which each contain material not found on the other. This is the case on Bigger and Blackerer, Oh, Come On, and perhaps most obviously the 2016 companion set Making America Great Again (a Netflix film) and ...America... Great... (CD/vinyl audio), which have different titles.{{cite web |url=https://officialdavidcross.com/collections/cds-1/products/bigger-and-blackerer-cd |title=Bigger and Blackerer |website=David Cross |access-date=October 21, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://officialdavidcross.com/collections/america-great/products/america-great-mp3-download |title=...America...Great... |website=David Cross |access-date=October 21, 2020}} Oh, Come On{{'}}s video and audio versions were recorded at two different shows on the same tour.{{cite news |last= Greenough |first=Jason |date= May 10, 2019 |title=David Cross sticks to his rules and roots on new album 'Oh, Come On' |url=https://vanyaland.com/2019/05/10/david-cross-sticks-to-his-rules-and-roots-on-new-album-oh-come-on/ |work=Vanyaland |access-date=October 21, 2020 }}

Cross's stand-up material was featured in Comedy Central's 2004 animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. He appears on several Un-Cabaret compilation albums, including Freak Weather Feels Different and The Good, the Bad and the Drugly.

File:DavidCross2007.jpg

Cross began his professional television career as a writer on The Ben Stiller Show. The series hired him toward the end of its run, and he occasionally made brief appearances in the sketches. He had a speaking role in "The Legend of T.J. O'Pootertoot", a sketch written almost entirely by Cross. It was during this period that he first met Bob Odenkirk, with whom he would later co-create the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David (Mr. Show) in 1995. Cross won an Emmy for his work on The Ben Stiller Show in 1993.{{cite news | url =http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:74197 | title = Something Completely Different | first = Ron | last = Deutsch | work= Austin Chronicle | date = October 8, 1999 | access-date = July 7, 2008}} In 1997 he played Newton, an employee of the NYC Morgue in Men in Black, and reprised the character, now as an owner of a video rental store, in Men in Black II in 2002.

Cross later co-starred as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development, originally intended to be only a minor role.{{cite magazine|last1=Clark|first1=Meredith|title=Q&A: David Cross on 'Arrested Development,' Cutoff Shorts and Overpowering the Grid |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/q-a-david-cross-on-arrested-development-cutoff-shorts-and-overpowering-the-grid-20120822|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 21, 2016}} He also played smaller roles on programs such as Just Shoot Me!, The Drew Carey Show, NewsRadio, Strangers with Candy, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. From October 2005, Cross regularly appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report as Stephen Colbert's nemesis Russ Lieber, a fictional liberal radio talk show host from Madison, Wisconsin.{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Bradford|title=Why 'The Colbert Report' Should Use Correspondents More Often|url=http://splitsider.com/2014/02/why-the-colbert-report-should-use-correspondents-more-often/|website=Splitsider|access-date=January 21, 2016|archive-date=April 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424032846/http://splitsider.com/2014/02/why-the-colbert-report-should-use-correspondents-more-often/|url-status=dead}} Cross developed an animated series for Comedy Central called Freak Show, which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin and was cancelled due to low ratings.{{cite web|title=Comedy Gods David Cross and Jon Benjamin Made A Cartoon!! Comedy Central's FREAK SHOW!!|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/30294|website=Ain't It Cool News|access-date=January 21, 2016}} He has appeared several times on Wonder Showzen.

Cross teamed up with Mr. Show director and producer Troy Miller and Odenkirk to produce a feature film Run Ronnie Run, based on one of their Mr. Show characters. The film satirized the reality television craze, and featured cameos from many stars; however, Odenkirk got into conflict with the studio New Line Cinema, and they released it direct-to-video. In 1994 and again in 1999, Cross was a guest voice actor on Joe Frank's radio show, featured in the episodes "The Last Run", "A Hearing", "The O.J. Chronicles", and "Jam". In 2013, he returned, making an appearance in an episode of Frank's radio show, entitled "A Conversation".{{cite web|title=Joe Frank: A Conversation| website=KCRW.com| url=http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/uf/uf130125joe_frank_a_conversa | access-date= February 3, 2013}}

In 2004, Cross provided voices for a Marine in Halo 2 and a store clerk named "Zero" in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.{{cite web|title=Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Review|first=Jeff|last=Gerstmann|date=October 25, 2004|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas-review/1900-6111345/|work=GameSpot|access-date=May 22, 2025}} He was also the voice of the "Happy-Time Harry" doll and Bert Banana in Aqua Teen Hunger Force (although the part was credited as Sir Willups Brightslymoore). Cross has made guest appearances in Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! He directed the music video for The Black Keys' song "10 A.M. Automatic", a spoof of public-access television. Paste Magazine ranked it number 24 on their list of the 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade (2000–2009).{{cite web| url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/apologies-to-kanye-but-while.html?p=6|title=The 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade 2000–2009)|work=Paste Magazine|publisher=Paste Media Group| first= Steve| last= Labate| date= November 9, 2009|access-date=January 21, 2016}}

Cross appeared in The Strokes' music video for "Juicebox" as a bad local "morning zoo" radio DJ. He also appeared in The New Pornographers' video for "Use It", in Superchunk's video for "Watery Hands" (along with Janeane Garofalo), and in Yo La Tengo's video for "Sugarcube" (along with Bob Odenkirk and John Ennis). Cross contributes to Vice magazine, writing a column, My America. In 2005, he contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" and appeared in one of PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaigns.{{cite web| first= Bruna |last= Nessif| url= http://www.eonline.com/news/422046/blast-from-the-past-funnyman-david-cross-wears-his-own-fur-in-never-nude-peta-ad| title= Blast from the Past: Funnyman David Cross Wears His Own Fur in Never Nude PETA Ad| website=EOnline.com| date= May 22, 2013}}

In the Beastie Boys' 2006 concert film Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!, Cross portrays Nathaniel Hörnblowér in the fictional segment "A Day in the Life of Nathaniel Hörnblowér". In I'm Not There, Cross portrays Allen Ginsberg. Both Bill Lawrence and Zach Braff of the TV series Scrubs were eager to have Cross make a cameo appearance on the series as Tobias Fünke, but due to the series' cancellation, the plan never came to fruition.{{cite web| url=http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/categories/scrubs/|title=Zach Braff on Scrubs, Fletch and Being Goofy| author= Mischalova|date=September 6, 2006|website=Thehollywoodgossip.com|quote=The one person I want right now is David Cross. I wanted David Cross to come on as Tobias Funke ... I love that character, and the fact that character is over for good, I want him to at least have one more little life.|access-date=October 3, 2010}}{{cite web| url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/scrubs-zach-may-come-back-an-arrested-development-guest/|title=Scrubs: Zach May Come Back & An Arrested Development Guest?|date=September 9, 2006|website=TVSeriesFinale.com|quote=What is for sure is Zach's desire to work with actor David Cross. [...] Zach and Bill both love Cross' character from Development and prompted Zach to say "I want David Cross to come on as Tobias. I'm trying to broker that deal. I think that it would be so funny because I love [that character]. I want him to have at least one more life."|access-date=October 3, 2010}}

Cross provided commentary on the Vicarious music video DVD for Tool. He has previously performed comedy as an opening act for the band and its members appeared on Mr. Show several times. He portrayed Ian Hawke in Alvin and the Chipmunks film series and voiced Crane in the Kung Fu Panda film franchise.

Cross starred in David's Situation, a pilot for HBO. It filmed in May 2008 and included many Mr. Show alumni at the taping. On August 6, 2008, Bob Odenkirk announced on bobanddavid.com that David's Situation would not be produced.{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Bradford|title=The Lost Projects of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/10/the-lost-projects-of-bob-odenkirk-and-david-cross/|website=Splitsider.com|access-date=January 21, 2016|archive-date=February 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225093921/http://splitsider.com/2011/10/the-lost-projects-of-bob-odenkirk-and-david-cross/|url-status=dead}}

File:9.13.09DavidCrossByLuigiNovi.jpg]]

Cross's black comedy series The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, in which he stars and co-writes with Shaun Pye, has run on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and IFC in the United States since October 2010,{{cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|title='Todd Margaret' Season 3 Gets January Premiere On IFC|url=https://deadline.com/2015/10/todd-margaret-season-3-david-cross-january-premiere-ifc-1201570853/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 8, 2015|access-date=January 21, 2016}} for a total 18 episodes. On March 29, 2010, his first comedy special in six years, Bigger and Blackerer, was streamed on Epix HD. A CD with "slightly different content" was released on May 25, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/108529/david_cross|title=David Cross- new CD/DVD announced|website=idiomag.com|publisher=Idio Ltd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307215138/http://www.idiomag.com/peek/108529/david_cross|archive-date=March 7, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=March 26, 2016}}

In 2009, Cross released his first book I Drink for a Reason. The book features memoirs, satirical fictional memoirs, and material from Cross that originally appeared in other publications.{{cite web|title=I Drink for a Reason|url=http://www.idrinkforareason.com/|access-date=December 22, 2012}} In September 2009, Cross performed at his own comedy stage at the ATP New York 2009 music festival, for which he picked Eugene Mirman, H. Jon Benjamin, Jon Glaser, and Derrick Brown & The Navy Gravy to join him. In the same year, Cross and Benjamin created and wrote for Paid Programming on Adult Swim. Paid Programming was not picked up for a full series and Benjamin referred to it as an "abject failure".{{cite web| last= Heisler| first= Steve|title=Random Roles H. Jon Benjamin|url=https://www.avclub.com/h-jon-benjamin-1798224109|work=The A.V. Club|date=February 4, 2011|access-date=February 5, 2011}}

Cross starred alongside Julia Stiles and America Ferrera in It's a Disaster, which premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival. Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired US distribution rights to the film, releasing it in select theaters beginning April 13, 2013.{{cite web | url = http://www.oscilloscope.net/films/film/83/Its-A-Disaster | title = It's a Disaster | website=Oscilloscope.net| access-date = March 22, 2013}}

Cross's directorial debut film Hits premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.{{cite web |title=Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition|date=January 10, 2014|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-2014-world-cinema-dramatic-competition|access-date=January 18, 2014}}{{cite web |title=Hits – Director David Cross|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/82832-hits-director-david-cross/|access-date=January 18, 2014}} Instead of selling the film rights to distributors, Cross instead opted to sell the movie over Bit Torrent through their "bundles" program,{{cite web|last1=Kastrenakes|first1=Jacob|title=David Cross' new movie will be the first feature film distributed in a BitTorrent Bundle| url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/7/7508239/david-cross-movie-hits-bittorrent-bundle-kickstarter-pay-what-you-want|website=Theverge.com|date=January 7, 2015|access-date=January 8, 2015}} which BitTorrent launched to help "legitimize" the platform. According to The Verge, it was the first feature film to be distributed in such a format. At the same time, Cross launched a Kickstarter campaign for the movie's general release which would then distribute the movie using a pay what you want methodology.

In April 2015, episodes were ordered for a new sketch comedy show starring Cross and Odenkirk called W/ Bob & David.{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/bob-odenkirk-david-cross-netflix_n_6994374.html |title=Bob Odenkirk & David Cross Are Reuniting For A Netflix Series |last=Whitney |first=Erin |date=April 2, 2015 |website=The Huffington Post |publisher=Arianna Huffington |access-date=April 6, 2015}} It premiered in November 2015 on Netflix. Cross and Odenkirk write, star in, and produce the show.

On the January 10, 2016, broadcast of the National Public Radio-syndicated quiz show Ask Me Another, Cross appeared as a celebrity guest and performed well enough that at the audience's request the show's producers took the unusual step of allowing him to advance to the show's final, championship round; he then won that round and became that episode's overall champion, winning a prize package that included a pair of denim cutoff shorts that he himself had autographed.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

He created the eight-episode black comedy series Bliss, which was released by the BritBox streaming service in 2018. It stars Stephen Mangan as Andrew, a fraudulent travel writer, who is struggling to maintain long-term relationships with two partners, Kim (Heather Graham) and Denise (Jo Hartley), who are not aware of one another.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/david-cross-heather-graham-bliss-series-britbox-1202434511/|title=How David Cross' Comedy Crosses The Pond With BritBox's 'Bliss' – TCA|first1=Anthony|last1=D'Alessandro|website=DEadline.como|date=July 26, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-bliss-review-britbox-david-cross-20180815-htmlstory.html|title=Review: One father with two secret families. Life is complicated in the comedy 'Bliss'|date=August 15, 2018|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} The same year Cross provided the lead character's "white voice" in the science fiction comedy film Sorry to Bother You (2018).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/tessa-thompson-lakeith-stanfield-steven-yeun-movie-sorry-to-bother-you-1202113786/|title=Tessa Thompson, Lakeith Stanfield, Steven Yeun To Star In 'Sorry To Bother You'|last=Busch|first=Anita|work=Deadline Hollywood|date= June 15, 2017|access-date=May 19, 2018}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/watch-lakeith-stanfield-in-wild-sorry-to-bother-you-trailer-w520411|title=Watch Lakeith Stanfield Make Millions With 'White Voice' in Wild 'Sorry to Bother You' Trailer|last=Blistein|first=Jon|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=May 19, 2018|archive-date=May 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519204721/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/watch-lakeith-stanfield-in-wild-sorry-to-bother-you-trailer-w520411|url-status=dead}}

Cross has said his comedic influences include Bill Hicks,Cross, David. In {{cite web|url=http://www.simonguildford.com/?page=2 |title=Does Anybody Remember Laughter? |first=Simon |last=Guildford |website=SimonGuildford.com |date=June 21, 2007 |quote=I was definitely influenced by Bill Hicks. Well, maybe less 'influenced' than 'inspired by'. When I first met him, I was doing stuff that I do now, so maybe I wasn't directly influenced by him. But he was certainly inspiring. |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240527002404/https://www.webcitation.org/6OgS7Q5Ln?url=http://www.simonguildford.com/does-anybody-remember-laughter |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |url-status=live }} Andy Kaufman, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Lou Costello, Steven Wright, Richard Pryor, and Lenny Bruce.{{Cite web | url = http://www.netplaces.com/comedy-writing/lets-get-sketchy/profile-in-comedy-david-cross.htm | title = Profile in Comedy: David Cross – Comedy Writing| website=NetPlaces.com| archive-date=April 7, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110407012456/http://www.netplaces.com/comedy-writing/lets-get-sketchy/profile-in-comedy-david-cross.htm}}

{{Criticism section|date=April 2025}}

In October 2005, Cross was sued by Nashville club manager Thomas Weber, who accused Cross of supposedly taping him without permission for Shut Up You Fucking Baby and Let America Laugh in apparent violation of Weber's privacy rights. In April 2006, the case against Cross was dismissed and the case proceeded with Warner Music, Subpop Records, WEA Corporation, and the Alternative Distribution Alliance.{{cite web| url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/lawsuit-against-david-cross-warner-music-dismissed_b3024|title=Lawsuit Against David Cross, Warner Music Dismissed|author=Dylan|date=August 21, 2006|website=Mediabistro.com| access-date= November 10, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://nashvillestandup.com/thomas-weber-exit-in-dude-sues-david-cross/|title=Thomas Weber (Exit-In dude) sues David Cross|last=Riden|first=Chad|date=October 12, 2005| website=Nashvillestandup.com|access-date=November 10, 2010}} In October 2017, Cross apologized to actor-comedian Charlyne Yi after she reported that he made racially insensitive comments toward her in the mid 2000s, and later .{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/david-cross-charlyne-yi-misremembers-racist-twitter-1202593667/|date =October 18, 2017|title=David Cross Accused of Racist Behavior by Charlyne Yi|first=Matt|last=Fernandez|magazine= Variety|access-date=November 26, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201111200854/https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/david-cross-charlyne-yi-misremembers-racist-twitter-1202593667/|url-status=live}}{{cite tweet|user=davidcrosss|first=David|last=Cross|number= 920473414430683142|title=Adressing [sic] the Charlyne Yi tweet below. |date=October 17, 2017|access-date=November 26, 2020|archive-date=October 19, 2017|archive-url= https://archive.today/20171019031257/https://twitter.com/davidcrosss/status/920473414430683142|url-status=live}} He later theorized that he was doing an impression of a Southern redneck. Five days later he tweeted, "Charlyne I'm sorry that I hurt you and that this whole thing played out as it did."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-cross-apologizes-to-charlyne-yi-im-sorry-that-i-hurt-you_n_59ee31a7e4b0d8293cabd167|date=October 23, 2017|title=David Cross Apologizes To Charlyne Yi: 'I'm Sorry That I Hurt You'|first=Elyse|last=Wanshel|magazine=HuffPost|access-date=November 26, 2020|archive-date=October 1, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201001041220/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/david-cross-apologizes-to-charlyne-yi-im-sorry-that-i-hurt-you_n_59ee31a7e4b0d8293cabd167|url-status=live}}{{cite tweet|user=davidcrosss|first= David|last=Cross|number=922514307610488832|date=October 23, 2017|access-date=November 26, 2020|title=Charlyne I'm sorry that I hurt you...|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20201126215653/https://twitter.com/davidcrosss/status/922514307610488832|url-status=live}}

In August 2018, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints protested against a photo which Cross tweeted of himself wearing "Mormon religious undergarments."The tweet was meant to promote his show at the University of Utah's Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university president issued a statement condemning apparent "bigotry and religious intolerance" and calling the imagery "deeply offensive." Citing the First Amendment, the university said it would not "censor the content of those coming to campus."{{Cite news|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900028735/u-president-decries-deeply-offensive-tweet-from-comedian-david-cross.html|title=U. president decries 'deeply offensive' tweet from comedian David Cross|last=Knox|first=Annie|date=August 19, 2018|newspaper=Deseret News|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2019|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201126220345/https://www.deseret.com/2018/8/20/20651530/u-president-decries-deeply-offensive-tweet-from-comedian-david-cross%23comedian-david-cross-left-has-stirred-up-controversy-with-a-tweet-advertising-his-aug-22-show-at-the-university-of-utah-in-which-he-is-pictured-wearing-nothing-but-garments-worn-by-many-members-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-cross-is-pictured-with-actor-jason-bateman-right-in-this-2013-publicity-photo-for-the-netflix-series-arrested-development|url-status=dead}}

In April 2005, Cross criticized stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy in a Rolling Stone interview, saying, "It's a lot of anti-gay, racist humor—which people like in America—all couched in 'I'm telling it like it is.' He's in the right place at the right time for that gee-shucks, proud-to-be-a-redneck, I'm-just-a-straight-shooter-multimillionaire-in-cutoff-flannel-selling-ring-tones act. That's where we are as a nation now. We're in a state of vague American values and anti-intellectual pride."

In response, Larry devoted a chapter in his book GIT-R-DONE to Cross and the "PC left," claiming that Cross had supposedly "screwed with my fans, it was time for me to say something." Larry claimed that Rolling Stone was baiting comedians to attack him, and they turned to Cross only after Lewis Black refused, as Larry and Black are good friends.{{cite news|last=Ullman|first=Ethan|title=Interview with comedian Lewis Black|url=http://www.albanystudentpress.org/interview-with-comedian-lewis-black-1.1278668#.Ue81B23lfms|access-date=July 24, 2013|newspaper=Albany Student Press|date=March 24, 2010|quote=And we totally don't agree on politics, but he's a friend of mine.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170028/http://www.albanystudentpress.org/interview-with-comedian-lewis-black-1.1278668#.Ue81B23lfms|archive-date=February 3, 2014}} Cross responded with An Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy posted on his website.{{cite web|first= David| last= Cross| archive-date=October 14, 2009| website=BobandDavid.com| date= October 2, 2007| title= An Open Letter to Larry The Cable Guy| url= http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/10/an_open_letter_to_larry_the_ca.html| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091014092745/http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/10/an_open_letter_to_larry_the_ca.html| url-status= dead| access-date= March 26, 2016}} He continued to mock Larry in his stand-up, satirizing Blue Collar TV during a guest appearance on Wonder Showzen. In December 2005, he ended his performance on Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05 by mockingly yelling Larry's catchphrase, "GIT-R-DONE!", to the audience as he left the stage. He poked fun at Larry's comedy in Freak Show with a character called "Danny the Plumber Guy."

Cross criticized Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton on a Mr. Show sketch and in his stand-up performance The Pride Is Back, calling him "pretentious."Cross, David. The Pride is Back, track: "James Lipton" Lipton, who thought Cross's impression of him was not good-natured, later appeared alongside Cross in Arrested Development, in the recurring role of Prison Warden Stefan Gentles. During filming, Cross was impressed with Lipton's acting and comedic ability, and the two became good friends.{{cite web |url=http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2007/05/24/a-couple-of-questions-withjames-lipton/ |title= A Couple of Questions with…James Lipton |website=Premiumhollywood.com}} On one commentary track for season four of Mr. Show, Cross discussed the encounter, complimenting Lipton for his professionalism and performance, saying that he liked Lipton personally but still "didn't care for" Inside The Actors Studio.

Despite critical praise for his performance, David Cross received backlash from fans for his role in Alvin and the Chipmunks. In December 2007, comedian Patton Oswalt joked in a MySpace blog post that he and fellow comedian Brian Posehn were offered the role of Ian but rejected it, adding, "We both threw the script across the room in disgust. David Cross caught it."{{cite web|author-link=Patton Oswalt|last=Oswalt|first=Patton|date=January 2, 2008|url=https://www.avclub.com/patton-oswalt-responds-1798213018|title=Patton Oswalt Responds|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=December 25, 2019|archive-date=January 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103210219/https://film.avclub.com/patton-oswalt-responds-1798213018|url-status=live}} Responding to critics of his decision to appear in the film, Cross said he had rejected the role initially but reconsidered.{{cite news| last= Netburn| first= Deborah| url= https://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/03/entertainment/et-webcross3 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091025090716/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/03/entertainment/et-webcross3 | url-status= dead | archive-date= October 25, 2009 |title=Comedian defends his kid-flick role|newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date=January 3, 2008| access-date=January 16, 2020}}{{cite news| last= Sicha| first=Choire| url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-conversation14-2009jun14,0,4296916,full.story | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090618141328/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-conversation14-2009jun14,0,4296916,full.story | url-status= dead | archive-date= June 18, 2009 |title= It's full speed ahead for David Cross|newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date=June 14, 2009}}{{cite web|author-link=David Cross|last=Cross|first=David|date=December 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103174313/http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/12/allllllviiiiin.html|url=http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/12/allllllviiiiin.html|archive-date=January 3, 2008|title=Allllllviiiiin!|website=The Bob and Davider|access-date=December 25, 2019}} Cross reprised his role as Ian Hawke in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011). Cross described Chipwrecked as "literally without question, the most unpleasant experience I've ever had in my professional life."{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/david-cross-alvin-chipmunks-chipwrecked-movie-producer-280950/ |access-date=8 October 2024|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|title=David Cross Clarifies Rant Against 'Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked' Producer|date=12 January 2012 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/david-cross-calls-chip-wrecked-the-most-unpleasant-experience-of-his-career-113957/#:~:text=When%20comedian%20and%20actor%20David,has%20been%20rotten%20for%20him.|access-date=11 October 2024|publisher=Indiewire|title=David Cross Calls 'Chip-Wrecked' "The Most Unpleasant Experience" Of His Career|date=14 December 2011 }} He accused an unidentified female producer of antisemitism and mistreating him.{{cite web|url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-juice-celeb-news/david-cross-slams-alvin-chipmunks-producer-172107091.html|access-date=11 October 2024|title=David Cross slams 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' producer|date=11 January 2012 |publisher=Yahoo News}} He was also "forced at legal gunpoint" to spend a week shooting footage on a Carnival Cruise, which Cross argued was unnecessary since he had no lines and was unrecognizable in a pelican suit.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-06|title=David Cross Is Still Pissed About The 'Alvin And The Chipmunks' Movies|url=https://uproxx.com/entertainment/david-cross-hated-the-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-movies/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=UPROXX|language=en-US}} The comments cost Cross a $150,000 bonus for violating his non-disparagement clause by discussing his grievances publicly.

In August 2011, after four years of dating, Cross became engaged to Amber Tamblyn. They married in 2012.{{cite news |url= http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/amber-tamblyn-29-weds-david-cross-48-2012710 |title=Exclusive: Amber Tamblyn, 29, Weds David Cross, 48|work=Us Weekly |date=October 7, 2012 |access-date= October 26, 2016|archive-date= March 3, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192012/http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/amber-tamblyn-29-weds-david-cross-48-2012710| url-status=live}} On February 21, 2017, Tamblyn announced that she and Cross have a daughter.{{cite web| last= Tamblyn| first=Amber| url= https://www.instagram.com/p/BQyS0reFhMn/ |publisher= Amber Tamblyn verified Instagram account| date= February 21, 2017|access-date=February 25, 2017|archive-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20170226231004/https://www.instagram.com/p/BQyS0reFhMn/| url-status=live| title= David and I are proud to announce.... |quote= ...the birth of our daughter, Dauphinoise Petunia Brittany Scheherazade Von Funkinstein Mustard Witch RBG Cross Tamblyn-Bey jr.}}{{cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Hawkes |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/amber-tamblyn-announces-utterly-ridiculous-baby-name-people/ |title=Amber Tamblyn announces utterly ridiculous baby name - and people aren't quite sure what to think |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |date=February 24, 2017 |access-date=February 25, 2017 |archive-date= February 25, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170225210109/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/amber-tamblyn-announces-utterly-ridiculous-baby-name-people/ |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |last1=Mizoguchi |first1=Karen |title=Amber Tamblyn Reveals Her Daughter's Name Is Marlow Alice — and the Announcement Involves Hillary Clinton |url=http://people.com/babies/amber-tamblyn-david-cross-daughter-named-marlow-alice/ |magazine=People|access-date= March 14, 2017 |date=March 13, 2017}}

Cross was raised Jewish, but became an atheist in adulthood, and no longer practices Judaism.{{cite journal|url=https://www.avclub.com/content/node/22961 |title=Interview: David Cross|journal= The A.V. Club|date=September 15, 1999| archive-date= December 24, 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081224073025/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/22961 |quote=I was raised Jewish but I don't believe in God, I'm not Jewish, and I don't hold those beliefs.}}{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=981142 |title=Stand-up Comic David Cross |website=Npr.org|date=February 6, 2003 |access-date=July 1, 2013}} He describes his political philosophy as "definitely more socialist Democrat than centrist politician".{{Cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/david-cross-why-his-comedy-tour-pissed-people-righ-241159 |title=David Cross on why his comedy tour pissed off people right and left |work= The A.V. Club|date=August 18, 2016|access-date=February 28, 2017| archive-date= December 6, 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161206060100/http://www.avclub.com/article/david-cross-why-his-comedy-tour-pissed-people-righ-241159| url-status=live}} In an interview in 2016, Cross praised Senator Bernie Sanders and said he admired Sanders "way before he ran for President".{{cite web|url=http://www.vanyaland.com/2016/03/23/interview-david-cross-on-bernie-sanders-staying-tastefully-offensive-and-not-saying-a-word-about-season-5-of-arrested-development/|title=Interview with David Cross|website=Vanyaland.com|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=July 14, 2018}} In 2021, Cross featured on a video produced by the Gravel Institute, a progressive think tank.{{cite web |url=https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/3/15/2021141/-Great-new-video-from-the-Gravel-Institute-featuring-David-Cross |title=Great new video from the Gravel Institute featuring David Cross |last= |first= |date= |website=Daily Kos |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}

On September 26, 2013, Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler revealed that Cross was the first investor in the crowdfunding platform. Strickler included Cross among the "friends and family" who first financed Kickstarter in 2006.{{cite podcast |url =http://newdisrupt.org/blog/2013/8/26/and-the-crowdfund-goes-wild-with-yancey-strickler |title =And the Crowdfund Goes Wild |website =The New Disruptors |host =Glenn Fleishman |date =September 26, 2013 |access-date =September 27, 2013 |archive-date =October 26, 2016 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20161026200604/http://people.com/celebrity/amber-tamblyn-david-cross-married/ |url-status =dead }}

File:David Cross Opens Up About Adam Yauch, from the Beastie Boys.webm about working with the late great Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, 2015]]

Cross is a fan of and friends with the musical group Beastie Boys. He is sampled on the beginning of the group's single "Ch-Check It Out" from their album To the 5 Boroughs. One of the group's members, Mike D, did not believe that this was Cross's voice in the sample, and Cross says he had to perform the voice in front of Diamond to prove it was actually him. Cross revealed this while hosting the Beastie Boys SiriusXM channel.{{Cite web|date=August 4, 2020|title=SiriusXM on Twitter: "@davidcross reveals the @beastieboys song he's sampled on."|url=https://twitter.com/siriusxm/status/1290697815383998466|website=Twitter}} Cross also appeared in the group's music video for "Make Some Noise" which was nominated for Video of The Year at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.{{Cite web|title=Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise (Official Video) - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgLMslbDuY&feature=youtu.be| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/WdgLMslbDuY| archive-date=2021-10-30|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=www.youtube.com| date=April 21, 2011 }}{{cbignore}} In the Spike Jonze directed documentary Beastie Boys Story in 2020, Cross has a post-credit scene in which he interrupts the group's theater performance to poke fun at the commercial failure of their second album, Paul's Boutique.{{Cite web|date=April 24, 2020|title=The Ending of 'Beastie Boys Story' Explained|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/beastie-boys-story-ending-explained/|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=Film School Rejects|language=en-US}}

Cross has dual British and American citizenship.{{cite web | url=https://www.irishnews.com/arts/stage/2023/09/01/news/david_cross_on_why_he_s_the_worst_daddy_in_the_world-3566924/ | title=Cult US comedian David Cross on why he's the Worst Daddy in the World | date=August 31, 2023 }}

In March 2025, during an interview with Katie Halper, Cross referred to the state of Israel as "corrupt" and an "apartheid state."{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z1NyTdhZ-U|title=David Cross CALLS OUT Israel's Apartheid State|publisher=YouTube|date=March 8, 2025|accessdate=March 11, 2025}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website}}

{{sister project links|d=Q362332|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|wikt=no|s=no|c=category:David Cross}}

• {{IMDb name|0189144}}
• [http://www.idrinkforareason.com I Drink For A Reason Book website]

{{David Cross|state=uncollapsed}}

{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1990s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, David}}

Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American comedians

Category:20th-century American Jews

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:20th-century American male writers

Category:20th-century American screenwriters

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:21st-century American screenwriters

Category:American atheists

Category:American comedy writers

Category:American male comedians

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:American male screenwriters

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male television writers

Category:American male video game actors

Category:American male voice actors

Category:American people of English-Jewish descent

Category:American satirists

Category:American sketch comedians

Category:American stand-up comedians

Category:American television producers

Category:American television show creators

Category:American television writers

Category:Comedians from Atlanta

Category:Comedians from Brooklyn

Category:Emerson College alumni

Category:Film directors from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Jewish American atheists

Category:Jewish American comedy writers

Category:Jewish American male actors

Category:Jewish American comedians

Category:Jewish American screenwriters

Category:Jewish male comedians

Category:Jews from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Jews from New York (state)

Category:Male actors from Brooklyn

Category:Male actors from Atlanta

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:Screenwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)

Category:Stand Up! Records artists

Category:Sub Pop artists