Demetri Martin

Martin was born into a Greek-American family in New York City on May 25, 1973,{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/demetri-martin-the-joker-in-the-pack-556879.html | location=London | work=The Independent | title=Demetri Martin: The joker in the pack | date=August 17, 2004}} the son of Lillian (1951–2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/mycentraljersey/192920684|title=Lillian Martin Obituary (1951 - 2019) - 67, Seaside Park, NJ - MyCentralJersey|website=Legacy.com }} and Greek Orthodox priest Dean C. Martin (1948–1994).{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/02/sepinwall_on_tv_important_thin.html |title=Sepinwall on TV: 'Important Things with Demetri Martin' Interview | publisher=New Jersey Entertainment | work = TV & Film |date=10 February 2009 |access-date=January 25, 2010}}{{cite web |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-106769338 |title=Article: 'I know men who can far outgeek me'; Demetri Martin is obsessed with word games and maths, and sets himself bizarre challenges. He's also a favourite to win this year's Perrier Award |work=The Evening Standard |date=August 21, 2003 |access-date=January 25, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} His grandparents migrated from Sparta and Crete.{{Cite web|last=Stamocostas|first=Con|date=22 May 2019|title=Demetri Martin: 'My sense of humour is from Greek School and as an Altar boy'|url=https://neoskosmos.com/en/137508/demetri-martin-my-sense-of-humour-is-from-greek-school-and-as-an-altar-boy/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-28|website=NEOS KOSMOS|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522073232/https://neoskosmos.com/en/137508/demetri-martin-my-sense-of-humour-is-from-greek-school-and-as-an-altar-boy/ |archive-date=2019-05-22 }} He grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, and has a younger brother named Spyro and a younger sister named Christene. As a teenager, he worked at his family’s diner in Beachwood near the Jersey Shore.{{Cite web|url=https://greekreporter.com/ideas4greece/demetri-martin/|title=Demetri Martin}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/demetri-martin-hated-high-school-as-much-as-you-did/|title = Demetri Martin Hated High School as Much as You Did - VICE| date=31 May 2017 }}{{cite news |title= Off to College |work= The Star-Ledger |location= Newark, New Jersey |date= August 29, 1994 |first= David |last= Schwab |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12248B8AC2FAEC98&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=5 |quote="Demetri said his major regret is that he will be graduating at the end of the school year. He said he's thinking of taking a year off or even trying to become a standup comic. 'I'd rather avoid the real world as long as possible – I am going to law school – and continue to party,' he said, flashing a broad smile." }} He attended Toms River High School North and graduated in 1991.{{Cite news|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/delightfully-scrambled-egghead-demetri-martin/|title=Comedian Demetri Martin-www.njmonthly.com|date=2009-06-08|work=New Jersey Monthly|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}

Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995 with a B.A in History. During his time there, he wrote a 224-word poem{{cite web|title=Demetri Martin's Palindrome|url=http://users.math.yale.edu/public_html/People/frame/Fractals/Panorama/Literature/Martin/MartinPalindrome.html|work=Yale University|publisher=Mathematics Department|access-date=13 February 2016}}{{cite news |title= If it's hip to be square, then comedian Demetri Martin must be the coolest man on the planet |work= The Sunday Times |location= London, England |date= October 19, 2003 |first= Stephen |last= Armstrong |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=10035F27D969F85C&p_docnum=124&p_queryname=11 }} as a project for a fractal geometry class, which became a well-known palindromic poem. He was also a member of the Anti-Gravity Society, whose members juggle objects on Sunday evenings on Yale's Old Campus.{{cite news |title= The Fun of Testing Gravity |work= New Haven Register |location= New Haven, Connecticut |date= September 2, 1992 |first= Arnold |last= Gold |page= 1 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=108C18B3BB09AE95&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=4 }}

Although Martin was admitted to Harvard Law School, he instead decided to attend New York University School of Law upon receiving a full scholarship.{{cite web|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_195_-_demetri_martin |title=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast – episode 195 – Demetri Martin |date=25 July 2011 |publisher=Wtfpod.com |access-date=2012-06-01}} Martin withdrew from law school before the start of his final year, opting to pursue comedy over obtaining his Juris Doctor degree.{{cite news |title= Harvard graduate changing the face of comedy |work= Badger Herald |location= Madison, Wisconsin |publisher= University of Wisconsin |date= May 4, 2004 |first= Rick |last= Stoner |url= https://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2004/05/04/harvard-graduate-cha/ |quote="Although his success in comedy came quick, achieving is nothing new to Martin, as the second-generation Greek-American grew up as an academic prodigy in an upscale New York suburb. After graduating high school as the valedictorian, Martin enrolled at Yale and graduated with grades that landed him a scholarship at NYU. While at law school, Martin became bored with the life of class by day and library by night and decided to spice things up. He began to neglect his studies and attend class in bizarre fashion, one time suiting up in a full gorilla costume. As his interest in comedy grew, Martin began to debate dropping out of school. His parents encouraged him to stay in school, but Martin's father told Demetri to do what he was most passionate about. His father died shortly thereafter in 1994, and Martin then decided to give comedy a chance. What has ensued so far has been a remarkable start in the comedy field thanks to a perspective that the world has never seen before." }}{{cite news |title= Is the rest of the world any better? |work= The Times |location= London, England |date= August 21, 2003 |first= Alex |last= O'Connell |page= 5 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0FD16583C89B5EA2&p_docnum=71&p_queryname=9 }}

File:Demetri Martin @ Beacon Theatre.jpg

Shortly after leaving law school, Martin started performing stand-up in the summer of 1997.{{cite web|url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/1965-funny-business|title=Funny business|access-date=4 May 2018}} He was an intern for The Daily Show in 1997, and in 2001 he had a set featured on the NBC late night stand up comedy showcase Late Friday.{{cite web | url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-laugh/id1456474041?i=1000652690300 | title=The Last Laugh: Demetri Martin 'Deconstructed' + What's up with SNL? On Apple Podcasts }} In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier Award with his show If I....{{cite news | url = http://www.slate.com/id/2101150/entry/2101158/ | title = Diary: A Weeklong Electronic Journal | first = Demetri | last = Martin | work = Slate | date = May 25, 2004 | access-date = February 24, 2007 }} The show was turned into a BBC television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.{{cite web | url = http://www.comedycentral.com/comedians/browse/m/demetri_martin.jhtml | title = Demetri Martin Bio | publisher = Comedy Central | access-date = March 7, 2008 | archive-date = October 20, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081020040629/http://www.comedycentral.com/comedians/browse/m/demetri_martin.jhtml | url-status = dead }} In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in a traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played the guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends, wearing fairy and dragon costumes, acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land from where his jokes came. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Starting in late 2005, he was credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and hosted a segment called "Trendspotting". He used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on Myspace.{{cite web | url = http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/news_team/contributors/demetri_martin.jhtml | title = News Team: Demetri Martin | work = The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | publisher = Comedy Central | access-date = February 24, 2007 | archive-date = October 13, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013141002/http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/news_team/contributors/demetri_martin.jhtml | url-status = dead }} On March 22, 2007, Martin made another appearance on The Daily Show, talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube. He is no longer a Daily Show contributor as of 2014.{{cite web|title=News Team|url=http://thedailyshow.cc.com/news-team|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321040733/http://thedailyshow.cc.com/news-team|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 21, 2014|website=The Daily Show|access-date=4 August 2014}} Before starting at The Daily Show, he was offered to audition for Saturday Night Live but turned it down due to the seven year commitment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ABburGrnFk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/9ABburGrnFk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Demetri Martin: A WARNING For Dreamers - Millionaire Mentor Motivation|date=13 September 2017 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}

He has recorded a comedy album titled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred with Faryl Millet, a comedian and actress better known for her show Fancy Nancy's Funny Hour, in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, and Millet as Beth Mackenzie. Both of them are characters in the song. He also starred in the video for the Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple T-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1078392/fullcredits|title="Flight of the Conchords" The Third Conchord (TV Episode 2007)|access-date=4 May 2018|via=www.imdb.com}}

He also had a part in the movie The Rocker (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season.{{cite news| url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/another-important-season-for-demetri-martin/ | work=The New York Times | title=Another 'Important' Season for Demetri Martin | first=Dave | last=Itzkoff | date=June 2, 2009 | access-date=May 1, 2010}} The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that Important Things will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled This Is a Book.

Martin played a small role in the 2011 film Contagion.

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks, and is expected to play a key supporting role.{{cite news | url = https://variety.com/2006/film/features/will-fills-d-works-bill-1117940457/ | title = 'Will' Fills D'Works Bill | date = March 27, 2006 | work = Variety | first = Chris | last = Gardner | access-date = February 24, 2007 }} He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

He also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.{{cite news | url = http://demetrimartin.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/demetri-martin-to-star-write-produce-own-cbs-show/ | title = Demetri Martin To Star, Write, Produce Own CBS Show | date = October 19, 2010 }} After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.{{cite news | url = http://demetrimartin.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/demetri-martins-cbs-show-not-happening/ | title = Demetri Martin's CBS Show Not Happening | date = March 11, 2011 }}

On October 2, 2012, Martin released his second comedy album entitled Demetri Martin. Standup Comedian.{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Demetri|title=Facebook|url=http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m85l37BHRo1qdcyquo1_1280.png|access-date=August 2, 2012}}{{cite web|last=Josh|first=Bell|title=Demetri Martin Standup Comedian album review|url=http://www.thespittake.com/2012/09/27/demetri-martin-standup-comedian-comedy-central/|publisher=The Spit Take|access-date=12 April 2013}}

Martin voices Ice Bear in the Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears, and the narrator in its spin-off series We Baby Bears. He wrote, directed, edited, and starred in the 2016 film Dean.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3914332/|title=Dean|date=2 June 2017|access-date=4 May 2018|via=www.imdb.com}}

File:Demetri Martin in 2012.jpg

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytexanonline.com/1.1370449-1.1370449 |title=Comedian Demetri Martin's 'Important' TV Show Fails at Funny |work=The Daily Texan |date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=January 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214204620/http://dailytexanonline.com/1.1370449-1.1370449 |archive-date=February 14, 2009 }} His style is often compared to Mitch Hedberg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ent-demetri-martin-comedy-review-1010-story.html?outputType=amp|title = Demetri Martin is most himself with his one-liners at the Vic| website=Chicago Tribune | date=9 October 2017 }} He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) as well as The Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson. He has submitted cartoons to the New Yorker magazine at its invitation – and had them rejected. "You gotta get better at drawing. These aren't funny enough."http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-817-lesley-stahl-demetri-martin Martin told comedian Marc Maron in 2017

Martin plays instruments on stage and has music playing in the background of his performances as a way of preventing any editing of his performances to better fit for television.{{cite web|url=http://www.nerdist.com/2012/12/nerdist-podcast-demetri-martin/ |title=Podcast: Demetri Martin |publisher=Nerdist |access-date=2017-05-16}} However, Martin has also confessed a desire to evolve his comedic style.{{cite web|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-817-lesley-stahl-demetri-martin|title=Episode 817 - Lesley Stahl / Demetri Martin|date=5 June 2017 |access-date=4 May 2018}} "I love one-liners, I love jokes...but I also want to talk about how I feel. I want to talk about below-the-neck stuff. It's hard, if that's not where your head goes, it's hard to get comedy out of that...[But] I want to dig deeper, I want to connect in a different way with the audience."

According to a July 2011 interview on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, Martin had a short-lived marriage with a former high school classmate named Jen. They began dating after high school and got married when he was at NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. This relationship was further analyzed in his one-man show Spiral Bound.

On June 1, 2012, Martin married his long-time partner Rachael Beame in Santa Monica, California. They currently reside in Los Feliz, California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/demetri-martin/|title=Demetri Martin on 'Dean' and why social media creeps him out|first=Connie|last=Guglielmo|website=CNET|date=31 May 2017 }}The Adam Carolla Show, [http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2011/04/13/demetri-martin/ 13 April 2011, 20 minute mark] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418081534/http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2011/04/13/demetri-martin/ |date=18 April 2011 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-21-ca-hot-martin21-story.html|title=Demetri Martin, star of 'Taking Woodstock'|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=21 April 2011|quote=Martin, who recently moved from Brooklyn to West Los Angeles|first=John|last=Horn|date=June 21, 2009}}

Martin has anaphylactic reactions to seafood, poultry, nuts and certain legumes.{{cite web | url=https://www.mtv.com/news/66t2fo/demetri-martin-jon-stewarts-latest-act | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618013415/https://www.mtv.com/news/66t2fo/demetri-martin-jon-stewarts-latest-act | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 18, 2024 | title=Demetri Martin: Jon Stewart's Latest Act | website=MTV }}

• If I (2004)
• These Are Jokes (2006)
• Person (2007)
• Standup Comedian. (2012)
• Live (At The Time) (2015)
• The Overthinker (2018)
• Demetri Deconstructed (2024)

• Important Things with Demetri Martin (2009–2010)

• This Is a Book, April 2011, {{ISBN|978-0446539708}}.
• 19 1/2 Stories, 2017

• Point Your Face at This, March 2013, {{ISBN|978-1455512058}}.
• If It's Not Funny It's Art, September 2017 {{ISBN|978-1538729045}}.

• Dean (2016)

{{reflist|2}}

{{external links|date=May 2024}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{IMDb name|1336595}}
• [https://www.avclub.com/content/node/55840 Interview from November, 2006], in The A.V. Club
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004805/http://www.thedepaulia.com/story.asp?artid=1876§id=5 Interview from October 2006], in The DePaulia
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060524132010/http://www.brianmpalmer.com/demetrimartin.htm Interview]}} by Brian M. Palmer
• [http://media.libsyn.com/media/tsoya/tsoya010706.mp3 MP3 Audio Interview] on The Sound of Young America public radio show and podcast
• [http://www.believermag.com/issues/200602/?read=interview_martin Interview Believer Mag]

{{Demetri Martin|state=expanded}}

{{Edinburgh Comedy Award winners}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Demetri}}

Category:1973 births

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