Mitch Rouse

{{Infobox person

|name = Mitch Rouse

|image =

|birth_name = Edward Mitchell Rouse

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|8|6}}

|birth_place = Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.

|education = Oak Ridge High School (Tennessee)
University of Tennessee

|occupation = Actor

|years_active = 1992–present

|spouse = {{marriage|Andrea Bendewald|2001}}

|children = 2

}}

Edward Mitchell "Mitch" Rouse (born August 6, 1964) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter.{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/225193/Mitch-Rouse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825124412/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/225193/Mitch-Rouse|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-08-25|department=Movies & TV Dept.|publisher=Baseline & All Movie Guide|date=2009|title=The New York Times|accessdate=2012-01-14}} He is known for co-creating Comedy Central's Exit 57 (1995–1996) and Strangers with Candy (1999–2000), with fellow The Second City alumni Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris. In 2008 he created and starred in Spike TV's comedy series Factory.

Early life

Rouse was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He played football at Oak Ridge High School, where he graduated in 1983.Bendewald, Rouse married in Malibu, [http://www.oakridger.com The Oak Ridger], March 1, 2002 He attended the University of Tennessee, then developed an interest in acting.{{cite web|last=Senn|first=Dorothy|title=Oak Ridge's Mitch Rouse co-stars in new TV comedy|website=The Oak Ridger|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605111218if_/http://www.jerriblank.com/rouse.html#mytop|date=October 2, 1998|accessdate=February 26, 2024}}

Career

Rouse studied acting in Atlanta and later, improvisation in Chicago, where he became involved with improv guru Del Close and Chicago's Second City Theatre where he met long-time friend David Pasquesi and future collaborators Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. After writing and performing in a number of Second City productions, Rouse, Dinello and Sedaris moved to New York City where they put on a play titled Stitches, which they performed Off-Broadway at LaMama theater.{{cite web|last=Senn|first=Dorothy|title=Oak Ridge's Mitch Rouse co-stars in new TV comedy|website=The Oak Ridger|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605111218if_/http://www.jerriblank.com/rouse.html#mytop|date=October 2, 1998|accessdate=February 26, 2024}}

=Television=

In 1995, with Sedaris, Dinello, and fellow Second City alumn, Stephen Colbert, he co-created and starred in Comedy Central's sketch show Exit 57. The show aired through 1996.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/11/an-interview-with-stephen-colbert|title=An Interview with Stephen Colbert|first=Ken|last=P.|website=IGN|date=August 11, 2003|access-date=July 22, 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105202148/http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/08/11/an-interview-with-stephen-colbert|archive-date=January 5, 2014}} Although it lasted only 12 episodes, the show received favorable reviews{{cite news|title = Critic's Corner|first = Matt|last = Roush|work = USA Today|date = August 18, 1995}}{{cite news|title = The new skitcoms: Sketches of pain|first = David|last = Lipsky|magazine = Rolling Stone|date = January 21, 1995}} and was nominated for five CableACE Awards in 1995, in categories including best writing, performance, and comedy series.{{cite web|url = http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/news_team/correspondents/stephen_colbert.jhtml|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051026174626/http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/news_team/correspondents/stephen_colbert.jhtml|archive-date = October 26, 2005|title = Biography of Stephen Colbert at The Daily Show official website|publisher = Comedy Central|access-date = July 22, 2006}}

After the show was cancelled, Rouse and Sedaris had developed another pitch, which Sedaris described as "something based on after-school specials" inspired by shows like The Brady Bunch. They presented it first to MTV, as Rouse knew someone there; while his friend loved it, they were told the channel would not go for it.{{cite web|url=https://trainwreckdsociety.com/2017/12/04/mitch-rouse-interview/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202121938/https://trainwreckdsociety.com/2017/12/04/mitch-rouse-interview/|date=December 4, 2017|archive-date = February 2, 2023|title= Mitch Rouse [Interview]|access-date = April 28, 2023}} Later Dinello and Colbert joined them, and Comedy Central picked it up. Strangers with Candy ran from 1999 to 2000 for three seasons{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/strangers-with-candy-mini-oral-history|title=Strangers with Candy: A Mini-Oral History|first=Paul |last=Schrodt|website=GQ|date=June 5, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401193527/https://www.gq.com/story/strangers-with-candy-mini-oral-history|archive-date=April 1, 2023}}{{cite web|last=Seabaugh|first=Julie|url=https://www.avclub.com/night-after-night-to-midnight-an-oral-history-of-come-1798246395|date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703101144/https://www.avclub.com/night-after-night-to-midnight-an-oral-history-of-come-1798246395|archive-date =July 3, 2023 |title=Night After Night to @midnight: An oral history of Comedy Central (Part 1) |website=The A.V. Club |access-date = October 1, 2023}}

Rouse has further appeared on episodes of Reno 911!, Home Improvement, Still Standing, The Norm Show and Lost at Home. He appeared in seasons 4–6 of the sitcom According to Jim as Ryan Gibson, Dana's fiancee and later husband. Rouse also voiced Round John Virgin and Comet in the Holiday movie Olive, the Other Reindeer.

Rouse created and starred in Spike TV's 2008 comedy series Factory.Terry Morrow, [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Jun/27/oak-ridge-talent-finds-factory-in-backyard/ Oak Ridge talent finds 'Factory' in backyard], Knoxville News Sentinel, June 27, 2008

In 2013, Rouse played Eddie, the lead character in a single episode of the television series Call Me Crazy: A Five Film.

=Film=

Rouse appeared in several feature films, including Austin Powers, Friends with Money, Rudy, and The Heartbreak Kid. His most prominent screen appearance as an actor was playing the leading role opposite Janeane Garofalo in 1997's Sweethearts. He directed and co-wrote the movie Employee of the Month starring Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn, Christina Applegate, and Andrea Bendewald as well as co-wrote Without a Paddle, starring Seth Green and Dax Shepard.

Personal life

In 2001, he married actress Andrea Bendewald in Malibu, California. The couple met while performing on the sitcom The Secret Lives of Men. Jennifer Aniston was the matron of honor at their wedding on August 19, 2001. He has two children, one son and one daughter.