Jeff Garlin

Birthday: 5 June 1962, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Birth Name: Jeffrey Todd Garlin

Height: 185 cm

As a multi-talented comedian who encompasses writing, producing, directing, acting and performing stand-up comedy, Jeff Garlin has honed a successful career that started at Second City in his hometown of Chicago. Influenced by the comedians of his childhood (such as Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, and Shelley Berman), Garlin enjoys telling stories, exploring his personal foibles and exposing his innermost thoughts for all to hear. Garlin both co-stars and executive produces the critically acclaimed HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000). The unique comedy, which is one of the rare television shows to become part of the national zeitgeist, stars Seinfeld (1989) creator Larry David with Garlin portraying his loyal manager. The series recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy, The Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America and the AFI comedy series of the year award. Previously, Garlin was a series regular for three seasons on Mad About You (1992) in the role of Marvin. He also had his own self titled half hour special on HBO. Born and raised in Chicago and then South Florida, Garlin studied filmmaking and began performing stand-up comedy while at the University of Miami. He has toured the country as a stand-up comedian, is an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Theatre, and has written and starred in three critically acclaimed solo shows ("I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With," "Uncomplicated" and "Concentrated"). As a director he has directed Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) and both Jon Stewart ("Unleavened") and Denis Leary ("Lock-n-Load") in their HBO specials. Garlin was most recently seen on the big screen opposite Eddie Murphy in the Columbia/Tristar comedy Daddy Day Care (2003). As a newly unemployed father in the film, Garlin joins his pal (Eddie Murphy) in starting a full time day care business, despite the fact that neither can actually change a diaper. Jeff lives with his family in Los Angeles. His hobbies include eating puddin' and taking naps. Show less «

(2007, on Arrested Development (2003)) Years and years ago, I had a deal with a company called Witt-...Show more »

(2007, on Arrested Development (2003)) Years and years ago, I had a deal with a company called Witt-Thomas to do a television series for Fox, and they were going to team me up with Mitchell Hurwitz. You know, I'm a young comedian, he's a young writer, and they were going to team us up to create a TV show. I had specific ideas of what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to write a part for my friend Amy Sedaris, who nobody knew at the time. And Mitch, God bless him, said, "Yeah, let's do it. Let's write it together". I go, "Together?!" Because back then, people didn't do that. A writer wrote it for you, and that was it. And when he said that, I think the studio freaked out, and they split us up. They put him on The Golden Palace (1992), which was the sequel to The Golden Girls (1985). And then they put me with this other writer who didn't see things my way, and it was really a horrible experience. So it took all these years later before I got a phone call asking if I wanted to be on Arrested Development (2003). When I got the phone call, I still hadn't seen Arrested Development (2003). I went out and got the DVDs shortly thereafter, and I became a freak for the show. It's still one of my all-time favorite shows, and the idea that I was on that show is amazing to me. What an honor. And God, I loved every second of it. Show less «

(2007, on Michael Richards infamous comedy club meltdown) You know, I had stopped playing that club ...Show more »

(2007, on Michael Richards infamous comedy club meltdown) You know, I had stopped playing that club a while before that happened to Michael. I'd been on the same bill with him before at The Comedy Store, and two months before, he had his problem-I'm not even making this up-there was a night when the audience was 90 percent underage Korean kids. Now at the time, I'm probably a 43-year-old Jewish man. What living experience do I have to share with a room full of drunk Korean kids with fake IDs? As they say in Sweden, it's just not my audience. I'm having trouble as it is, and then behind me, one of the kids gets up onstage and starts taking pictures of his friends, from the stage. I felt something behind me, I turned around, and I came so close to punching this kid, just out of reflex, you know? But instead of punching him, I did what Michael Richards should have done. I put the mic down, and I walked out, and I never went back. When you allow 18-year-olds in the club, you know there are 16- and 17-year-olds there too, so you know that's not a good place to do comedy. So when Michael went up there, I'm sure he was very frustrated, and thought he was being interesting with his choices. I don't know that he thought he was being funny, but he thought he was being interesting and obviously said the most ignorant things he could possibly say. And now he's out of show business. Show less «

(2007, on After the Sunset (2004)) I had met Brett Ratner before, and he called and said, "Would you...Show more »

(2007, on After the Sunset (2004)) I had met Brett Ratner before, and he called and said, "Would you come down? This movie's not as funny as I thought it would be, and I want you to be in the beginning of the movie and try to help to liven it up". That was one of those moments when a director just says, "Do whatever you want, have a good time". Which I completely did. And I was taken aback by what a really wonderful guy Pierce Brosnan is. Really a great guy. Every bit of my comedy-every nuance-he was totally hip to what I was talking about. 'Cause I was really just fucking around. Show less «

(2007, on The Michael Richards Show (2000)) That was, ah, not very enjoyable. I kind of clashed with...Show more »

(2007, on The Michael Richards Show (2000)) That was, ah, not very enjoyable. I kind of clashed with Michael all week, because when you're an actor, you make choices, depending on your part, and I'm a pretty naturalistic actor, and he kept telling the director to tone me down, which I found very strange. Because I was getting laughs, and he didn't like that, I don't think. When we were done with shooting, I remember him getting up and thanking me for coming, and he hoped I'd had a good time. And I was rather shocked by that, and then I found out later that somebody told him to go do that. Now, that being said, I also want to say that I saw him do stand-up numerous times. I'm a big fan. I was a big fan of his on Seinfeld (1989), and a lot of his stand-up was really, really funny. Show less «

(2007, on Daddy Day Care (2003)) I was in my late 30s, and I'd done Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), and...Show more »

(2007, on Daddy Day Care (2003)) I was in my late 30s, and I'd done Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), and I was sort of settled into the way my career and life were going to be. And I'd had some health problems. I remember driving and seeing a big billboard in L.A. for an Eddie Murphy movie, and thinking, "Wow, I guess I'll never be able to star in a movie with Eddie Murphy", you know? And then a year later, I found myself on a set co-starring with Eddie Murphy. And he let me do most of the funny stuff, which surprised me. He was really generous. And I think he's the funniest person I've ever worked with. What I mean by that is: I'm very confident in my comedic ability. I think I'm very funny. And something would happen on the set, and I'd think of something funny to say, and before I could say anything, around the time I would think it, Eddie would say something. And I'm not exaggerating when I say this: A hundred out of a hundred times, what he said was funnier than what I was going to say. There was not even once where I went, "Oh, mine was funnier". No, he was funnier every single time. That really blew my mind. Show less «

It used to be that people thought I was Norm from Cheers (1982). Ten years ago everyone would say th...Show more »

It used to be that people thought I was Norm from Cheers (1982). Ten years ago everyone would say that to me. Then, in the last year, I was at a newsstand in Studio City, and I saw George Wendt. He said he had just gone on an audition, and they said they were looking for a Jeff Garlin type. Show less «

(2007, on turning down the sequel to Daddy Day Care (2003)) I have to be blunt. They wanted me for t...Show more »

(2007, on turning down the sequel to Daddy Day Care (2003)) I have to be blunt. They wanted me for the sequel, but they didn't offer me enough money. And if I'm gonna be in a big piece of shit like that, I'm gonna need a lot of money. By the way, if they had offered me a lot of money, they could have made the movie even stinkier, and I still would've done it. Show less «

(2007) Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), I don't look back on fondly, though I got to meet Téa Leoni a...Show more »

(2007) Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), I don't look back on fondly, though I got to meet Téa Leoni and hang out with her, and she's one of the coolest people I've ever worked with. I signed on to play Téa Leoni's old boyfriend, and we filmed a few different scenes, and they showed it for test audiences, and the audiences liked my character, so they were upset when Dick and Jane robbed me. And I thought, "Well, when they rob people, you should be upset. They're desperate". But, they decided to make me do re-shoots, which were unpleasant. They wrote the part for me originally, and it was supposed be fun, but it ended up being a huge pain in my butt. And it became, of all things, a huge hit. Show less «

(2007, on his role in Baywatch (1989)) I was at a wedding, and one of the producers of Baywatch (198...Show more »

(2007, on his role in Baywatch (1989)) I was at a wedding, and one of the producers of Baywatch (1989) was an uncle of the gal getting married. I mean the girl getting married. "Gal". I sound like I'm 90. Anyway, he said to me that he produced Baywatch (1989), and I said, "I love that show! Pretty colors and bosoms, what more do you need?" And he said "Would you ever be on it?" And I said, "I'd love to be on Baywatch!" So they wrote a part for me as an evil disc jockey who takes over the beach, and I worked with Pamela Anderson. I remember I had to do a fantasy sequence with her, and I was supposed to kiss her. It was the first day of working, and I also had just gotten married the week before. And I moved out to L.A. just that week. And here I am, on a beach, in a Baywatch bathing suit, running in slow motion on the beach, with Pamela Anderson. And we're supposed to kiss, and she didn't want to kiss me. But at the end of the week, she goes, "I really like you, I'd so totally kiss you now". I'm actually happy the way it worked out. Show less «

(2007, on Little Big League (1994)) I was cast out of Chicago. I hadn't done a lot of movie roles, s...Show more »

(2007, on Little Big League (1994)) I was cast out of Chicago. I hadn't done a lot of movie roles, so it was fun, even though it was small and there wasn't a lot to do. I just liked being on a movie set. I was there for probably a week. I've never seen the movie. Which is really... I mean, on Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), I'm an executive producer, so I see all of them, but for the most part, unless it's my project? Something like, where I'm a producer? I don't watch it. Show less «

When referring to performing his lines after having had a stroke before the filming of Curb Your Ent...Show more »

When referring to performing his lines after having had a stroke before the filming of Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000): "By the way, I'm convinced - no kidding around - that I got better faster because of the show; because I had to say things like that". Show less «

(2007, on Mad About You (1992)) I had just gotten done telling my agent that I didn't want to do any...Show more »

(2007, on Mad About You (1992)) I had just gotten done telling my agent that I didn't want to do any auditions unless I had more time to prepare. I didn't want to go on any more same-day auditions. So they call me for a same-day audition for Mad About You (1992), and I don't know why I said yes, but I did. It was this pretty big role, and I auditioned. Had a great audition, got the part, and when I went to report for work the first day, the character was down to one line. They said they were sorry, and-you never hear of this happening, but they were more than happy to pay me and cast somebody else, because they didn't want to insult me. But I wasn't any big deal, so I said, "No, I'll stick with it, what the heck". I wasn't doing anything else. And the producers, when they were watching us rehearse, they said, "We feel like we've got some sort of chemistry here, so we're going to come up with more for you". And they came up with a lot more. From this one little part, one line, one time only, I ended up being on the show for the last three years...I was working. That's really all it did for my career. I gained experience, and it was a very pleasurable experience. But it didn't do much in terms of the industry taking notice, if you will. I didn't get recognized a lot from it. Show less «

Jeff Garlin

Jeff Garlin's FILMOGRAPHY

Jeff Garlin'S roles

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