Greg Behrendt
{{Short description|American comedian and author (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox writer
| image = Greg Behrendt December 2011.jpg
| caption = Greg Behrendt appearing for The Meltdown in 2011
| name = Greg Behrendt
| center =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = Gregory Paul Behrendt
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|7|21|mf=y}}
| birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = University of Oregon
| occupation = Comedian, host, writer, author, musician
| genre = Comedy, Podcasts, Rock, Self-improvement, Dating
| movement =
| notableworks = Walking the Room
The Reigning Monarchs
He's Just Not That Into You
The Greg Behrendt Show
| influences =
| children = 2
| spouse = Amiira Ruotola
| influenced =
}}
Gregory Behrendt (born July 21, 1963) is an American comedian, talk show host, author, and musician. His work as a script consultant for the HBO sitcom Sex and the City paved the way for co-authoring of the New York Times bestseller He's Just Not That Into You (2004), later adapted into a film by the same name.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/edinburgh-festival/6020512/Greg-Behrendt-why-Sex-and-the-City-needed-me.html|title=Greg Behrendt: why Sex and the City needed me|date=August 13, 2009|work=The Telegraph | location=London | first=Veronica | last=Lee}} He also hosted two talk shows, The Greg Behrendt Show (2006) and Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call (2009).{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-feb-08-ca-monitor8-story.html|title='He's Just Not That Into You' and 'Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call|date=February 8, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times | first=Jon | last=Caramanica}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021204209.html|title='If I'm the Last Stop, You're in Trouble.'|date=February 15, 2009|newspaper=Washington Post}}
Early life and education
Greg Behrendt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater from the University of Oregon in 1991, though initially he had enrolled to be a business major and to play rugby.{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117802701.html?categoryid=1043&cs=1|title=Greg Behrendt: Masculinity given new dimensions|date=July 12, 2001|publisher=Variety | first=Steve | last=Chagollan}}
Career
After graduation, Behrendt moved to San Francisco, where he joined an improvisational troupe, and met fellow comic Margaret Cho. In his early years, he performed comedy and improv in San Francisco. He was a member of the improv troupe Crash and Burn, whose members included Margaret Cho. He came up as a performer alongside such comics as David Cross (with whom he roomed for years) and Patton Oswalt.
He went on to appear on The Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His stand-up special, Greg Behrendt is Uncool, debuted on Comedy Central in January 2006.
In June 2006, he appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown, playing for a domestic violence charity. Behrendt was a script consultant for the HBO sitcom Sex and the City, "offering script notes from the perspective of a straight man to the writing team, composed of women and gay men".
With Liz Tuccillo, Behrendt co-wrote the 2004 self-help book He's Just Not That Into You. It was adapted by Drew Barrymore's Flower Films/Warner Bros. as a movie of the same name, premiering February 6, 2009.
With his wife Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, he co-wrote It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken and "It's just a f***** date".
He released the book It's Just a Date![https://www.amazon.com/dp/0007228325 It's Just a Date] amazon.com. in the UK.
His daily daytime "self-help" talk show, The Greg Behrendt Show, premiered September 12, 2006, four months later Sony Pictures Television announced, in January 2007 that the series would not have a second season, and the show aired its last new episodes in February 2007.{{cite web|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-greg-behrendt-show-syndicated-self-help-cancelled/|title=The Greg Behrendt Show: Syndicated Self-Help Cancelled|date=January 25, 2007|publisher=TVseriesfinale}}
He also did a mid-season program for the 2006–07 television season Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call for ABC, which never aired on the network. The program began airing in January 2009 on ABC's sister cable network SoapNet.{{cite news |title=Comic Behrendt to star in SoapNet reality show |website=Reuters |date=November 11, 2008 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE4AA23K20081111}} He also appeared on the Great Debate at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival, in which he argued as the third speaker for the negative team on the debate "Food Is Better Than Sex". Behrendt's team, made up of New Zealand comedian Cal Wilson, English comedian Russell Kane and Behrendt himself, won the comedy event.
He started the podcast Walking the Room with his friend Dave Anthony.
Personal life
He is married to Amiira Ruotola, a writer and marketing expert. They have two daughters, Mighty Luna and Bella True.[http://www.ocregister.com/articles/behrendt-says-people-2225719-guy-candy Just who is Greg Behrendt?] OC Register, November 11, 2008 He is a recovering alcoholic.{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/tvfeatures/zap-gregbehrendtfixyouup,0,4250190.story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930081347/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/tvfeatures/zap-gregbehrendtfixyouup,0,4250190.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2012|title='Greg Behrendt' Wants to Fix You Up|date=July 12, 2008|publisher=Zap2it}}Interview, KUPD morning show Holmberg's Morning Sickness, September 25, 2008 He plays guitar in his own surf/rockabilly instrumental band, The Reigning Monarchs.[https://www.myspace.com/thereigningmonarchs MySpace: The Reigning Monarchs]
In June 2015, Behrendt announced{{cite web|last1=Behrendt|first1=Greg|title=Quick update on HOW TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE FROM SUCKING |url=https://www.facebook.com/18934830605/photos/a.126488675605.103303.18934830605/10153442690635606/?type=1&permPage=1 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/18934830605/10153442690635606 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|website=Greg Behrendt FB Fan Page|publisher=Facebook|access-date=June 9, 2015}}{{cbignore}} via his Facebook Fan Page that he was battling cancer, and had undertaken three rounds of chemotherapy. He discussed his diagnosis on episode 16TF of Jimmy Pardo's podcast "Never Not Funny", as well as Wil Anderson's podcast "Wilosophy" on July 9, 2015. He stated that he had a form of lymphoma.
In February 2015, Behrendt published the ebook "See You on the Way Down - Catch You on the Way Back Up!" (Everand Originals) about his battles with cancer and addiction. It has been described (on KTLA5 podcast) as a candid tell-all revelation.
Literary works
- Pocket Guide to He's Just Not That into You: The No-excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, with Liz Tuccillo. Peter Pauper Press, Inc., 2005. {{ISBN|1593599900}}.
- {{cite book| author = Greg Behrendt|author2=Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt| title = It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Break-Up Buddy| url = https://archive.org/details/itscalledbreakup00greg| url-access = registration| date = September 5, 2006| publisher = Broadway| isbn = 978-0-7679-2196-1 }}
- {{cite book| author = Greg Behrendt|author2=Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt| title = It's Just a Date: How to Get 'em, How to Read 'em, and How to Rock 'em| url = https://archive.org/details/itsjustdate0000behr| url-access = registration| date = July 1, 2008| publisher = HarperElement| isbn = 9780007228324 }}
- {{cite book| author = Greg Behrendt|author2=Liz Tuccillo| title = He's Just Not That into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys| date = January 6, 2009| publisher = Gallery Books| isbn = 978-1-4169-0977-4 }}
- {{cite book| author = Greg Behrendt| title = See You on the Way Down: Catch You on the Way Back Up!| date = February 15, 2024| publisher = Everand| isbn = 9781094460802 }}
Comedy albums
- Greg Behrendt Is Uncool (2006)
- That Guy From That Thing (2009)
- Original Uncool (2011)
- (contains much of the same material as Greg Behrendt Is Uncool)
- Why Are You In Here? (2018)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.gregorybehrendt.com/ Greg Behrendt's official website]
- {{IMDb name|1021163|Greg Behrendt}}
- [http://russellbates.com/work/greg-behrendt-does-not-rock/ Greg Behrendt Does Not Rock], a short film
- [https://archive.today/20130209135308/http://www.wickedinfo.com/content/view/229/1/ Interview with Greg Behrendt] at WickedInfo.com
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Category:Television writers from California
Category:American male television writers
Category:American male non-fiction writers
Category:American stand-up comedians
Category:Writers from San Francisco
Category:American self-help writers
Category:American television talk show hosts
Category:University of Oregon alumni
Category:Contestants on American game shows
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:20th-century American comedians