| Ben Schwartz | |
|---|---|
| File:Ben Schwartz (cropped).jpg Schwartz in 2009 | |
| Born | September 15, 1981 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Film, television, internet |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Genres | Improvisational comedy |
| Website | www |
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Ben Schwartz (born September 15, 1981)[1] is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is known for portraying Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the sitcom Parks and Recreation. In 2012, he joined Showtime's comedy House of Lies as the ambitious, brash, and insecure management consultant Clyde Oberholt.
His feature film credits include Peep World,[2] Everybody's Fine, The Other Guys, The Walk and This Is Where I Leave You.
Early life[]
Schwartz grew up in Riverdale, a neighborhood in the Bronx in New York City until his family moved to Edgemont when he was 11.[3] In an interview with Kevin Pollak, he stated, "When I told people I was from the Bronx, it was like 'Oh, do you have bullet wounds?' And I'm like 'No, it's just me and, like, Jewish people.'"[3] Schwartz graduated from Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York in 1999.
His father was a social worker before going into real estate,[3] and his mother was a music teacher.[4] He has one sister. He graduated from Union College in 2003 with a double major in psychology and anthropology.[5]
Career[]
On television, Schwartz guest-starred as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on NBC's Parks and Recreation[6] and was a lead in the Showtime show House of Lies.[7] In 2010, Schwartz played series regular Bill Hoyt on J. J. Abrams' one-hour spy drama Undercovers for NBC.
Schwartz has been writing, directing and acting in his own short films for some time.[when?] He had his own segment on HBO’s Funny or Die Presents called Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz and has appeared in multiple CollegeHumor[8] sketches including the popular web series Jake and Amir. Schwartz has been nominated for three Emmys and won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special for coauthoring Hugh Jackman's opening number for the 81st Academy Awards.[9]
In September 2013, he was hired by Paramount Pictures to re-make the 1991 comedy Soapdish,[10] retitled El Fuego Caliente and reworking the original's American soap opera into a Latin telenovela,[11] with producers Rob Reiner and Alan Greisman, and he sold an original pitch to Universal Studios based on an idea by Brian Grazer with Imagine Entertainment attached to produce. He was a staff writer for the third season of Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken and served as a freelance writer for the Weekend Update segment of Saturday Night Live as well as the monologues for the Late Show with David Letterman.[6]
Schwartz is an alumnus of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCBT)[6] and continues to perform there regularly. He is a member of the improv group "Hot Sauce" with Adam Pally and Gil Ozeri, the group performs their long-form improv show "Something Fresh" at UCBT every month.
He and Bill Hader served as vocal consultants for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[12] Schwartz also played a cameo role as a Stormtrooper in the film.[13]
Since 2014 Schwartz has appeared in episodes of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast as the only guest in "Solo Bolo" (2014), "Solo Bolo Dos Lo" (2015), "Solo Bolo Trolo" (2016), "Solo Bolo Cuatrolo" (2016), and "Solo Bolo Cincolo" (2017). In nearly each episode he and host Scott Aukerman compete in the Olympic Song Challenge.
In 2017, Schwartz began voicing Dewey in the Disney XD revival of DuckTales.[14] Schwartz has been featured as himself in Netflix's Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh’s 2017 animated Christmas special - Home for the Holidays - alongside Kelly Clarkson.[15] He is currently the voice of Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[16] In August 2018, Schwartz was announced to voice the titular character in the 2020 film, Sonic the Hedgehog.[17]
The Wrong Mans[]
Schwartz will also co-star in an American adaptation of the British TV series The Wrong Mans, opposite comedian Jillian Bell. The show will appear on Showtime and is executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Matthew Baynton and James Corden.[18]
Books[]
Schwartz has co-written four books, three with writer Amanda McCall: Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals, Maybe Your Leg Will Grow Back!: Looking on the Bright Side With Baby Animals, and Why is Daddy in a Dress?: Asking Awkward Questions With Baby Animals; and one with writer Laura Moses, Things You Should Already Know About Dating, You F-king Idiot.[19]
Personal life[]
Schwartz dated Gina Rodriguez briefly in 2016.[20]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | New York City Serenade | Russ | |
| 2009 | Mystery Team | Dougie's Buddy | |
| I Hate Valentine's Day | Tammy's Date | ||
| Everybody's Fine | Writer | ||
| 2010 | The Other Guys | Beaman's Assistant | |
| Peep World | Nathan Meyerwitz | ||
| 2013 | Turbo | Skidmark (voice) | |
| Coffee Town | Gino | ||
| Better Living Through Chemistry | Noah | ||
| Runner Runner | Craig | ||
| 2014 | This Is Where I Leave You | Rabbi Charles "Boner" Grodner | |
| Happy Christmas | Party Guest | ||
| The Interview | Eminem's Publicist | ||
| 2015 | The Walk | Albert | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | BB-8 | Voice consultant[12] | |
| 2016 | The Intervention | Jack | |
| 2017 | How to Be a Latin Lover | Jimmy / Valet | |
| Outside In | Ted | ||
| 2018 | Happy Anniversary | Sam | |
| Blue Iguana | Paul Driggs | ||
| An Actor Prepares | Jimmy | ||
| Night School | Marvin | ||
| 2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | Banarnar (voice) | |
| 2020 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic (voice) | Post-production |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Starveillance | Glenn (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2007–08 | Bronx World Travelers | Ben | 5 episodes; Also producer and director |
| 2008–09 | Mayne Street | Evan Mintz | 10 episodes |
| 2009 | Intercourse With A Vampire | Waiter | 1 episode |
| Accidentally On Purpose | Max | Episode: "Working Girl" | |
| Happiness Isn't Everything | Jacky Hamburger | Television film | |
| 2009–11 | Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz | Ben | Also producer |
| 2009–15 | Jake and Amir | Sulu Candles, Carot Slat, Himself, Others | 22 episodes |
| 2010 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Writer | 1 episode |
| 2010–12 | Undercovers | Bill Hoyt | 13 episodes |
| 2010–15 | Parks and Recreation | Jean-Ralphio Saperstein | 21 episodes |
| 2011 | Funny or Die Presents | Ben | Segment "Terrible Decisions"; Also producer |
| Mad | Various characters (voice) | Episode: "Ribbitless/The Clawface" | |
| 2012 | Tron: Uprising | Rilo (voice) | Episode: "The Renegade: Part 1" |
| 2012–16 | House of Lies | Clyde Oberholt | 58 episodes |
| 2012–15 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Randy Cunningham (voice) | 50 episodes |
| 2013 | The Doc Files | Stuffy (voice) | Spinoff series to Doc McStuffins |
| Arrested Development | John Beard Jr. | Episode: "Colony Collapse" | |
| Bob's Burgers | Josh (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| CollegeHumor Originals | Himself | 1 episode; Also director | |
| 2013, 2014 | Robot Chicken | Various characters (voice) | 2 episodes: "Papercut to Aorta", "Batman Forever 21" |
| 2013–16 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Rodney Wayber | 4 episodes |
| 2015–17 | BoJack Horseman | Rutabaga Rabbitowitz (voice) | 8 episodes |
| 2015 | The Simpsons | Clerk (voice) |
Episode: "Cue Detective" |
| Drunk History | Meyer Lansky | Episode: "Las Vegas" | |
| The Late Late Show | Himself | Episode that aired January 30 | |
| 2016 | The Earliest Show | Josh Bath | 6 episodes; also director Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series |
| 2016, 2017 | Animals. | Various characters (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2017–present | DuckTales | Dewey (voice) | [14] |
| 2018 | Modern Family | Nick | 2 episodes |
| 2018–present | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Leonardo (voice) |
Web series[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Guest Grumps | Himself | Episode: "Playing Magic Kingdom w/ Ben Schwartz!"[21] |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Turbo: Super Stunt Squad | Skidmark |
References[]
- ↑ "wcocoa". Improv Resource Center - Forums. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
{{cite web}}: ; - ↑ Fernandez, Jay (25 February 2011). "TRAILER: Rainn Wilson and Sarah Silverman in 'Peep World'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111229064627/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/risky-business/trailer-rainn-wilson-sarah-silverman-161322. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Pollak, Kevin. "Kevin Pollak Chat Show: Ben Schwartz #143". Kevin Pollak Chat Show. YouTube. 10:30. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Marsh, Steve (12 January 2012). "Ben Schwartz '03". Vulture. http://www.vulture.com/2012/01/ben-schwartz-on-house-of-lies-and-cute-animals-on-the-internet.html. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ↑ "Notable Alumni in Entertainment". Union College. https://uconnect.union.edu/s/1684/images/gid2/editor_documents/union-ent-insert-5.12-rd4.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61&sessionid=be9c84bd-1c72-499c-a2cc-c00b2d18f7df&cc=1. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Ben Schwartz". Upright Citizens Brigade. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Bacle, Ariana (June 12, 2016). "Ben Schwartz says goodbye to House of Lies in sweet letter". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/12/ben-schwartz-house-lies-series-finale-goodbye. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ↑ ""Ben Schwartz" Stuff on CollegeHumor". CollegeHumor. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Primetime Emmy® Award Database". Primetime Emmy Award Database. Emmy.org. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Kit, Borys (23 February 2011). "Ben Schwartz to Pen 'Soapdish' Remake for Paramount". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-schwartz-pen-soapdish-remake-160771. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ↑ Finke, Nikki (12 December 2011). "The Black List 2011: Screenplay Roster". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 12.0 12.1 DiClaudio, Dennis (December 16, 2015). "Turns out Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz did the voice of BB-8 in The Force Awakens". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/article/turns-out-bill-hader-and-ben-schwartz-did-voice-bb-229927. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ↑ @rejectedjokes (4 May 2018). "On this beautiful #MayThe4thBeWithYou I feel like I can finally reveal that I played a Storm Trooper in @starwars The Force Awakens. It was an incredible honor and years later, I'm still smiling from the experience but please do not tell BB8" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 14.0 14.1 Petski, Denise (December 16, 2016). "‘DuckTales’: David Tennant, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz Among Voice Cast For Disney XD Reboot". Deadline. http://deadline.com/2016/12/ducktales-david-tennant-danny-pudi-ben-schwartz-voice-cast-disney-xd-reboot-1201872151/.
- ↑ Boone, John (November 17, 2017). "Kelly Clarkson Gets Animated in 'DreamWorks Home For the Holidays' Christmas Special (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. http://www.etonline.com/kelly-clarkson-gets-animated-dreamworks-home-holidays-christmas-special-exclusive-91235.
- ↑ Snierson, Dan (November 2, 2017). "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cast features Ben Schwartz and Kat Graham". Entertainment Weekly. http://ew.com/tv/2017/11/02/rise-of-the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-cast-ben-schwartz-kat-graham/.
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (August 8, 2018). "Ben Schwartz to Lead Paramount's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/sonic-hedgehog-casts-ben-schwartz-as-sonic-1133408.
- ↑ Goldberg, Lesley. "Jillian Bell to Star Opposite Ben Schwartz in Showtime's J.J. Abrams-James Corden Comedy". www.thr.com. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Bacle, Ariana. "Ben Schwartz, Laura Moses announce new book". www.EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Webber, Stephanie. "'Jane the Virgin's' Gina Rodriguez Is Dating Ben Schwartz!". www.usmagazine.com. Us Magazine. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Playing Magic Kingdom w/ Ben Schwartz!". Game Grumps. 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
{{cite web}}: ; publisher