Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and film producer. He is known for his distinctive lethargic voice and slow, deadpan delivery of ironic, philosophical and sometimes nonsensical jokes, paraprosdokians, non sequiturs, anti-humor, and one-liners with contrived situations.[1]
For other people named Steven Wright, see Steven Wright (disambiguation).Steven Wright
Steven Alexander Wright
December 6, 1955
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Stand-up
- film
- television
1978–present
Wright was ranked as the 15th Greatest Comedian by Rolling Stone in its 2017 list of the 50 Greatest Stand-up Comics.[2] His accolades include the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for starring in, writing, and producing the short film The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988)[3] and two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations as a producer of Louie (2010–2015).[4] He had a supporting role as Leon in the Peabody Award–winning tragicomedy web series Horace and Pete.
Early life, family and education[edit]
Wright was born at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and grew up in Burlington, Massachusetts,[5][6] one of four children of Lucille "Dolly" (née Lomano) and Alexander K. Wright.[5][7][8] He was raised Catholic.[9] His mother was Italian American, and his father of Scottish descent.[10] Wright's father worked as an electronics technician who "tested a lot of stuff" for NASA during the Apollo spacecraft program. When that program ended, he worked as a truck driver.[5]
Wright attended Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts, for two years to earn his associate degree, then continued his education at Emerson College.[11] He graduated from Emerson in 1978.[11]
Awards and honors[edit]
Wright was awarded an Oscar in 1989 for Best Short Live-Action Film for The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, which he co-wrote (with Michael Armstrong) and starred in.[21] He received two Emmy nominations as part of the producing team of Louie, first in 2014 and again in 2015.[22]
On December 15, 2008, Wright became the first inductee to the Boston Comedy Hall of Fame.[23][24]
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted among the top 50 comedy acts by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. He was named No. 23 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics.[25]