Rick Shapiro

Shapiro was born in New Jersey. Spending his early years in New York City and New Jersey, Shapiro started his career in the early 1980s as a comedian at Catch A Rising Star on Broadway.{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2004/05/recovery-rick-restands-up/|title=New York Observer: Article about Shapiro |date=17 May 2004 |access-date=2014-08-16}} Besides performing regularly on stage, throughout the 1990s he acted and starred in multiple films by Louis CK, including Ice Cream (1993) and Tomorrow Night (1998).See filmography below Additionally, he portrayed the re-occurring character "Angry Poet" in Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In 1998, Shapiro released his first comedy CD called Unconditional Love, which Billboard called "hard-edged and uncompromising".{{cite book|title=Unconditional Love Review|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DQoEAAAAMBAJ_2|access-date=27 February 2014|series=Billboard|date=1998-09-05|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DQoEAAAAMBAJ_2/page/n132 26]–}}

In the 2000s, Shapiro's career continues in multiple fields. He is performing stand-up comedy nationally and internationally, debuting a one-man show in 2007 in the Edinburgh Festival,Produced by Calvin Wynter at The Green Room.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/comedy-rick-shapiro-the-green-room-edinburgh-460708.html |title=A rant to remember |first=Julian |last=Hall |work=Independent |date=2007-08-08 |access-date=2011-01-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027043600/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/comedy-rick-shapiro-the-green-room-edinburgh-460708.html |archive-date=October 27, 2010}} and touring Australia in 2009.{{cite news|url=http://gaggingforit.comedytragics.com.au/2009/10/rick-shapiros-first-australian-tour/|title=List of Australian tour dates from 2009.|access-date=17 August 2014}} He had his first video game appearance in 2008, portraying the character Mason Waylon on the radio station PLR in Grand Theft Auto IV, a guest on a talk show who eventually drills holes in the heads of the two other guests.

Shapiro has an active acting career, appearing in numerous film and television productions. In film, his most recent roles are in Top Five by Chris Rock, portraying T-Rick in the movie Project X, and acting in the German comedy Timeless.{{cite news|url=https://www.facebook.com/filmTimeless |title=Official facebook-site of the film "Timeless", with production photos.|access-date=16 August 2014}}. His television credits include Jerry in Lucky Louie by Louis C.K. on HBO. Additionally, he appears in a scene originally filmed for the pilot of Louie.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbzQdeUfbs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727003145/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbzQdeUfbs |archive-date=2011-07-27 |url-status=dead|title=LOUIS CK DVD of LOUIE season 1 Extra Scene |publisher=Louis C.K |access-date=2011-06-21}}

Shapiro's first book Unfiltered,Published by Paradisiac Publishing, {{ISBN|978-0692028285}} containing over 200 previously unreleased writings, was released in 2012 along with his second CD, Catalyst for Change.Produced by Stand-Up Records

In 2013, Rick Shapiro was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.{{cite news|url=http://www.laughspin.com/2013/05/03/comedian-rick-shapiro-diagnosed-with-parkinsons-disease-exclusive/|title=Laughspin: Article about the diagnosis|access-date=18 August 2014|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083632/http://www.laughspin.com/2013/05/03/comedian-rick-shapiro-diagnosed-with-parkinsons-disease-exclusive/|archive-date=19 August 2014}} As of August 2014, he is practically symptom-free and is productive,{{cite news|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/tracy-demarzo/parkinsons-disease-depression-and-our-lives/10152430786209902|title=Facebook-Note by Rick Shapiro's wife and manager Tracy DeMarzo|access-date=18 August 2014}} and in 2014–15, Shapiro appeared in the role of Marc Maron's eccentric neighbor, Bernie, in the IFC comedy series Maron.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0788617/|title=Rick Shapiro}}

Shapiro is mainly known for his stream-of-consciousness monologues on stage that can run for more than an hour, in which he addresses many topics that are controversial or considered taboo by most comedians. His comedic style has been described as "explosive".{{cite news|url=http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.filmdreh-in-stuttgart-urlaub-von-der-ehefrau.91997747-cd6d-4ca4-b158-5dba234b4f8c.html|title=Stuttgarter Zeitung: Article about filming "Timeless", mentioning Shapiro's style.|access-date=17 August 2014}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.thespittake.com/2012/04/05/rick-shapiro-unfiltered-paradisiac-publishing/|title=Review about Shpairo's book "unfiltered".|access-date=2014-08-17}}

• Joey (1986) as Larry
• True Love as Kevin
• Caesar's Salad (1990) (short film){{cite news|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2290912/|title=IMDB-Page of Caesar's Salad.|access-date=16 August 2014}}.
• Ice Cream (1993) as Man's Brother (short film){{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8QzcS7g52g |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/w8QzcS7g52g |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Official youtube-upload of "Ice Cream" on Louis C.K.'s profile.|access-date=16 August 2014}}{{cbignore}}.
• Brunch (1995) as Old Woman (short film){{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmRXLBuDv8c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/OmRXLBuDv8c |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Official youtube-upload of "Brunch" on Louis C.K.'s profile.|access-date=16 August 2014}}{{cbignore}}.{{cite news|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2284836/trivia?item=tr1742172|title=According to IMDB, this film was first aired in 1995. In the youtube upload abouve, the copyright reads 1998.|access-date=16 August 2014}}.
• Highjacker (1998) as Highjacker (short film){{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7Su3mjjIM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/9s7Su3mjjIM |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Official youtube-upload of "Highjacker" on Louis C.K.'s profile.|access-date=16 August 2014}}{{cbignore}} Please note: Although the upload is titled "Hijacker" in the youtube-description, the film is clearly called "Highjacker" in the actual film's opening credits.
• Tomorrow Night (1998) as Tina
• Pootie Tang (2001) as Shakey
• Lucky Louie (2006–2007) as Jerry
• Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) as Waylon Mason
• Louie (2010) uncredited
• The League (2011) as Bum
• Project X (2012) as T-Rick
• Top Five (2014){{IMDb title|tt2784678|Finally Famous}} Please note: IMDB refers to the film as "Finally Famous". According to the film's wikipedia-page, its title has officially been changed to "Top Five". In the filmography it is therefore listed as "Top Five" as Biker AA Guy; Uncredited
• Maron (2014–2016) as Bernie
• Timeless (2016) as State's Attorney / Special Agent / Paratrooper / Repairman
• Heart, Baby (2017) as Shaky J

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://rickshapiro.tv}}
• {{IMDb name|788617}}
• [http://www.pocreations.com/shapiro_observer.html "Recovery Rick Re-Stands Up"] by Ryan Blitstein, New York Observer, May 17, 2004.
• [http://www.jesterjournal.com/RickShapiro.htm Performance at the UCB Theater, July 3, 2008]

{{Grand Theft Auto}}

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Category:1959 births

Category:American male comedians

Category:American male film actors

Category:Living people

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:American male television actors

Category:People with Parkinson's disease

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:20th-century American comedians

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:Stand Up! Records artists

Category:Comedians from New Jersey