Demetri Martin
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| Demetri Martin | |
| Image:Demetrimartin.jpg <tr><td style="text-align:left;">Birth name</td><td>Demetri Martin</td></tr> | |
| Born | May 25 1973 (age 35) New York City, New York, USA |
| Height | 5'10' |
| Official site | http://www.demetrimartin.com |
| Notable roles | Correspondent on The Daily Show |
Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, and writer, best known for his work as a stand-up comedian and as a contributor on The Daily Show.
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[edit] Personal life
Martin's father was a Greek Orthodox priest and his mother is a nutritionist. Martin attended Yale University and then New York University School of Law. He later dropped out to pursue a career in comedy. Martin is divorced. He enjoys skateboarding, and his height is 5'10". [1]
[edit] Career
In 2001, Demetri Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. In 2003 he won the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his show If I.... <ref>http://www.slate.com/id/2101150/entry/2101158/ "Diary: A Weeklong Electronic Journal" by Demetri Martin. Slate.com</ref> The show was turned into a British television special in 2004.
From 2003 to 2004, Martin was a writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up comedy special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons and acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land from which his jokes came. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.[citation needed]
Martin, along with Zach Galifianakis, is one of the first people on a Comedy Central special to do the three major forms of stand-up comedy, appearing as a standup comic, a prop comic, and as a musical comic.[citation needed]
Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting." He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs and the Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace and "life coaching". <ref>http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/news_team/contributors/demetri_martin.jhtml The Daily Show</ref>
Martin appeared at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a show called "These Are Jokes". Also in 2005, he was featured at the intimate comedy showcase Invite Them Up and the subsequent best of CD and DVD collection. Martin returned to the Fringe in 2006 with his show "Dr. Earnest Parrot Presents Demetri Martin", in which the comedian discussed his diagnosis by the eponymous Dr Earnest Parrot, PhD, PhD, PhD, MD, and PhD (Director of the Institute of Advanced Personhood) of the rare psychological condition PHEALS and subsequent treatment (of which his performance was part).
Martin hosted the Across the Narrows music festival in Coney Island on October 1, 2005, which also starred Nine Black Alps, Mando Diao, Death From Above 1979, Rilo Kiley, Built to Spill, Gang of Four, and Pixies.
He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD entitled "These Are Jokes", which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member and personal friend of Martin, Will Forte on the track "Personal Information Waltz". He also appeared at the 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where he won the Barry Award (named for Barry "Dame Edna Everage" Humphries), the festival's top prize.
He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence. Both use deadpan one-liners in their acts. <ref>http://www.gelfmagazine.com/mt/archives/word_games.html "Word Games." May 11 2005. Gelf Magazine</ref>
[edit] Future plans
Martin sold his movie concept called "Will" to Dreamworks, and will not play the title role but is expected to play the second lead. He is expected to play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch which he sold to Columbia Pictures. According to his website, Martin is in the process of publishing a book of drawings. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Martin has signed a deal with Microsoft to write advertisements for Windows Vista quoting that, "Demetri Martin will be the face of a massive multipronged campaign."
[edit] Discography
- Invite Them Up (2005)
- These Are Jokes (2006)
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 2009 | Moon People | lead role, also writer | |
| 2008 | Will | supporting role, also writer | |
| 2004 | 12:21 | Himself | short film, also writer |
| 2003 | If I | Himself | British television special, also writer |
| 2002 | Analyze That | Personal Assistant | mistakenly credited as "Demitri Martin" |
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | For | Category | Result | Other notes |
| 2006 | Barry Award | Won | At the Melbourne International Comedy Festival | ||
| 2005 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series | Won | Shared with Mike Sweeney (head writer), Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Allison Silverman, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg |
| 2004 | Emmy Awards | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program | Nominated | Shared with Mike Sweeney (head writer), Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Allison Silverman, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg |
| 2003 | Perrier Comedy Award | If I... | Won | At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival |
[edit] External links
[edit] Official sites
[edit] Interviews
- Interview from November, 2006, in Onion AV Club
- Interview from October, 2006, in The DePaulia
- Article, in The Scotsman
- Article, in Gelf Magazine
- Interview at Brian M. Palmer
- MP3 Audio Interview on The Sound of Young America public radio show and podcast
- Interview From October of 2005
- Interview Believer Mag
[edit] Other sites
[edit] References
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