Peter Grosz
{{Short description|American actor and television writer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{For|those of a similar name|Peter Gross (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Peter Grosz
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| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
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| occupation = {{csv|Actor|writer}}
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Peter Grosz is an American actor and television writer. He is most recognizable for appearing in Sonic Drive-In's "Two Guys" commercials, in which he appears as the straight man in a double act with improvisational comedian T. J. Jagodowski until it was replaced by families in 2020.
Early life and education
Grosz was born in New York City, and was raised in Scarsdale, New York.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/243037/the-chosen-ones-an-interview-with-peter-grosz |title=The Chosen Ones: An Interview With Peter Grosz |magazine=Tablet |access-date=January 27, 2018 |author=Aschenbrand, Periel}} Grosz is Jewish. For years he attended Camp Greylock in Massachusetts where he was a Red & Grey captain. He attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1996.{{Cite web |title=The Good Humor Man: Northwestern Magazine - Northwestern University |url=https://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/spring2008/alumninews/wherearetheynow/sethmeyers.html |access-date=July 1, 2022 |website=northwestern.edu}} One of his college roommates during that time was fellow actor Seth Meyers.{{cite news |date=October 18, 2011 |title=Q&A with Seth Meyers, Northwestern homecoming parade Grand Marshal |work=Daily Northwestern |url=https://dailynorthwestern.com/2011/10/19/thecurrent/artsentertainment/q-a-with-seth-meyers-northwestern-homecoming-parade-grand-marshal/ |access-date=October 18, 2017}}
Career
From 2002 to 2012 and 2014 on, Grosz has starred as one half of the "Two Guys" for the Sonic Drive-In commercials alongside fellow improviser T. J. Jagodowski.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/business/media/sonic-drivein-brings-back-longtime-spokesmen.html |title=Sonic Drive-In revives 'out of work' spokesmen |author=Andrew Adam Newman |date=February 21, 2012 |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 15, 2016}}Lazare, Lewis (June 19, 2014) [https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2014/06/19/thanks-sonic-two-funny-guys-are-headed-uptown.html "Thanks Sonic: Two (funny) Guys are headed Uptown"] Chicago Business Journal In 2020, it was reported that Sonic's commercials would be going in a different direction, but that the "Two Guys" series would continue to be part of the chain's advertising in some way. Lori Abou Habib, Sonic's Chief Marketing Officer, said that the commercials are "a huge part of our voice, and they’ll be part of our brand going forward."Stanley, T. L. (February 20, 2020) [https://www.adweek.com/creativity/after-8-years-of-2-guys-ads-sonic-moves-in-a-new-direction-with-mother-la/ "After 8 Years of ‘2 Guys’ Ads, Sonic Moves in a New Direction With Mother LA"] Adweek The two actors also appeared together in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction.
Grosz worked as a writer for The Colbert Report from 2007 to 2010,{{cite news |author=Ms Interpreted |title="The Colbert Report" welcomes a new writer: Peter Grosz |url=http://www.nofactzone.net/2007/03/16/the-colbert-report-welcomes-a-new-writer-peter-grosz |work=Nofactzone |date=March 16, 2007 |access-date=August 21, 2010}} where he has appeared on screen at least four times: once as the Time-Travelling Brandy Thief, once as a version of himself on September 23, 2008,[http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/185616/september-23-2008/peter-grosz-insults Colbertnation.com: Peter Grosz insults] once on May 13, 2010, to interrupt Stephen Colbert's attempt to introduce guest band The Hold Steady, only to perform the introduction himself, and on January 9, 2013, as McGnaw the Gluten-Free Beaver.{{cite web |title=Thought for Food - Wheat Addictions - The Colbert Report |url=https://www.cc.com/video/52uula/the-colbert-report-thought-for-food-wheat-addictions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206234456/https://www.cc.com/video/52uula/the-colbert-report-thought-for-food-wheat-addictions |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 6, 2021 |website=Comedy Central |access-date=December 6, 2021 |date=January 10, 2013}} In addition, the May 13, 2010 episode ended with Colbert wishing farewell to the Time-Travelling Brandy Thief; Grosz confirmed on his Facebook page that this was his last episode of the Report as a writer. Additionally, the birth of his child was announced on the show on March 9, 2009.{{cite web |title=New Baby Abraham Carter Grosz - The Colbert Report |url=https://www.cc.com/video/4bvnlr/the-colbert-report-new-baby-abraham-carter-grosz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124170652/https://www.cc.com/video/4bvnlr/the-colbert-report-new-baby-abraham-carter-grosz |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |website=Comedy Central |access-date=December 6, 2021 |date=March 10, 2009}}
Grosz joined the writing staff of Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014.
Grosz recurred on the HBO comedy series Veep, playing callous oil lobbyist Sidney Purcell over four of the first five seasons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2003994/|title=Peter Grosz|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-02-01}} He also played Mike Pence on The President Show.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-april-with-the-president-show-comedy-1491240851-htmlstory.html |title=With 'The President Show,' Comedy Central commits to peak Trump |first=Christie |last=D'Zurilla |date=April 3, 2017 |website=LATimes.com |access-date=April 10, 2017}}
On December 18, 2018, Grosz appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor for policy to US President Donald Trump, in a sketch with Colbert about Miller's appearance on Face the Nation the previous Sunday.{{Citation|last=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert|title=Stephen Miller Has A Bad Hair Day|date=December 18, 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN6ZvcqnaNg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/lN6ZvcqnaNg |archive-date=December 15, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=December 19, 2018}}{{cbignore}}
Grosz also routinely appears as a panelist and has been a guest host on the NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
In April 2023, he made his Broadway debut playing Robert Sarnoff, President of NBC, in the Tony Award-winning play Good Night, Oscar, opposite Tony Award winner Sean Hayes.
Filmography
= Acting =
== Film ==
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| 2005
| {{sortname|The|Weather Man}} | Shelly's Archery Instructor | |
| 2006
| IRS Co-Worker #5 | |
| 2008
| {{sortname|The|Promotion}} | Guy in Windbreaker | |
| 2014
| Drifters | Albert | Short film |
| 2015
| Dr. Mark Sonderskov | |
| rowspan="2"|2017
| Aardvark | Anthony | |
| Rough Night
| Cliff | |
| rowspan="2"|2021
| Martin | |
| Here Today
| Doctor Joe | |
| rowspan="2"|2022
| {{sortname|The|Menu|dab=2022 film}} | Sommelier | |
| Who Invited Charlie?
| Trey Reynolds | |
== Television ==
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| 2007
| Science Digest | Brad Crane | Episode: "Animal Guy" |
| 2011
| Minyan Member #2 | Episode: "Mister Softee" |
| 2012
| David Schwartzman | Episode: "Landlord" |
| 2012–2019
| Veep | Sidney Purcell | 12 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2013
| {{sortname|The|Chris Gethard Show}} | Chef Michael Dinaldi | Episode: "Let's Sell Out with Real Late Night Characters" |
| Inside Amy Schumer
| Jason's Father | Episode: "Clown Panties" |
| 2014
| Deadbeat | Jeremy Goldberg | Episode: "The Ghost in the Machine" |
| 2014–2015
| Various characters | 12 episodes |
| 2015–2016
| Cop Show | Manager | 18 episodes |
| rowspan="3"|2016
| Vinyl | Nate Druker | 2 episodes |
| Odd Mom Out
| Dylan Unger | Episode: "The O.D.D. Couple" |
| Jon Glaser Loves Gear
| Photographer | Episode: "Photography" |
| rowspan="5"|2019
| {{sortname|A|President Show Documentary: The Fall Of Donald Trump}} | Television film |
| {{sortname|The|Loudest Voice}}
| Episode: "2001" |
| You're Not a Monster
| Frankenstein / Freddy / Cannibal | 4 episodes |
| Living with Yourself
| Too Hip | Episode: "Va Bene" |
| {{sortname|The|Marvelous Mrs. Maisel}}
| Bernie Zucker | 3 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2020
| Man with Yarmulke | Episode: "The Silence" |
| At Home with Amy Sedaris
| Amy's Date | Episode: "First Dates" |
| rowspan="3"|2021
| Roger Carrots | Episode: "Something Sharp" |
| {{sortname|The|Crew|dab=2021 TV series}}
| Director | Episode: "Hot Mushroom Meat" |
| Gossip Girl
| Mr. Spencer | Episode: "You Can't Take It with Jules" |
| 2022
| Camp director | 2 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2023
| Eric | Episode: "Right Place" |
| White House Plumbers
| Episode: "True Believers" |
| 2024
| Elsbeth | Leonard Rosen | Episode: "A Classic New York Character" |
== Theatre ==
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| 2023
| Robert Sarnoff, President of NBC | Broadway debut |
= Writing =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| rowspan="2"|2007
| UCB Comedy Originals | Episode: "2 Square" |
| The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show
| 8 episodes |
| 2007–2010
| 189 episodes |
| 2008
| Episode: "Indecision 2008: Election Night - America's Choice" |
| 2011
| Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A Royal Pain in the News | rowspan="2"|Television special |
| 2014 |
| 2014–2015
| 44 episodes |
| 2017
| 21 episodes |
| 2020
| 2 episodes |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|2003994}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2000s}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2010s}}
{{Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosz, Peter}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:Male actors from New York City
Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners
Category:American male television actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni
Category:Television producers from New York City
Category:American television writers
Category:American male television writers
Category:Scarsdale High School alumni
Category:Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers
Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century American screenwriters
Category:21st-century American male writers