Alison Becker
Encyclopedia
Alison Helene Becker is an American
actress, comedian
, writer
, and TV personality. She is the previous host of VH1
's Top 20 Video Countdown and currently the co-host/sidekick on the FuelTV panel talk-show The Daily Habit.
. She graduated high school
at 16 years old and went on to attend Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in English
in 1999. After college graduation, she moved to New York City
and began exploring the fields of theatre
and comedy
, creating a variety of original characters and sketch comedies.
improv
theatre. She has also performed for Hopscotch: A New York Sex Comedy, Caroline's on Broadway
, and other comedy clubs. She starred on Boiling Points
, the MTV
prank television show. She was a VJ on the music video
TV channel Fuse
, where she hosted F-List and some other shows. She was the host of VH1
's Top 20 Video Countdown. She is on the online show Mayne Street with ESPN
broadcaster Kenny Mayne on ESPN. She is currently the co-host on the FuelTV talk show The Daily Habit and has a recurring role on NBC
's Parks and Recreation
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and TV personality. She is the previous host of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 20 Video Countdown and currently the co-host/sidekick on the FuelTV panel talk-show The Daily Habit.
Early life
Becker was born in Allamuchy Township, New JerseyAllamuchy Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,877 people, 1,692 households, and 1,133 families residing in the township. The population density was 188.8 people per square mile . There were 1,774 housing units at an average density of 86.4 per square mile...
. She graduated high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at 16 years old and went on to attend Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
in 1999. After college graduation, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began exploring the fields of theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, creating a variety of original characters and sketch comedies.
Career
Becker is a regular player at the Upright Citizens BrigadeUpright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
theatre. She has also performed for Hopscotch: A New York Sex Comedy, Caroline's on Broadway
Caroline's
Carolines on Broadway is a venue for stand-up comedy located in Times Square in New York City on Broadway between 49th and 50th Street. It is one of the most established, famous, and recognized stand-up comedy clubs in the United States. Its marketing slogan is "America's Premiere Comedy...
, and other comedy clubs. She starred on Boiling Points
Boiling Points
Boiling Points is a prank reality television show, much like the format used on Candid Camera. It is broadcast on MTV in the United States. In each half-hour episode, annoying situations are set up and deliberately inflicted on one or more young adults who are unaware that they are being tested...
, the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
prank television show. She was a VJ on the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
TV channel Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
, where she hosted F-List and some other shows. She was the host of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 20 Video Countdown. She is on the online show Mayne Street with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
broadcaster Kenny Mayne on ESPN. She is currently the co-host on the FuelTV talk show The Daily Habit and has a recurring role on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
.
TV series
- CalifornicationCalifornication (TV series)Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
(2011) - Nick Swardson's Pretend TimeNick Swardson's Pretend TimeNick Swardson's Pretend Time is a TV sketch comedy show created by and starring comedian and actor Nick Swardson. The show premiered on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST on Comedy Central....
(2010) - The LeagueThe LeagueThe League is an American sitcom that premiered on FX on October 29, 2009. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy about a fantasy football league, its members, and their everyday lives.-Synopsis:...
(2010) - Parks and RecreationParks and RecreationParks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
(2009-2011) - Mayne Street (2008)
- VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown (2008)
- Z RockZ Rock (TV series)Z Rock is an American television series, which airs on the IFC in the United States.The show is a semi-scripted comedy and is based on the double life of a Brooklyn band, ZO2. By night, they are a hard rock band but to pay the bills, they are the Z Brothers by day, playing kiddie parties...
(2008) - Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
(2007) - Human GiantHuman GiantHuman Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner.The show has completed two seasons. The status of a third season is unknown...
(2007) - StarveillanceStarveillanceStarveillance was a claymation television series created by Celebrity Deathmatch creator Eric Fogel that debuted on January 5, 2007 on E!. The show is produced by Toronto-based Cuppa Coffee Studio...
(2007) - The P.A. (2006)
- Fuse: F-ListFuse TVFuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
(2006) - Fuse: The Nighttime ClapThe Nighttime ClapThe Nighttime Clap was a sketch-comedy show on the cable channel Fuse TV. Alison Becker and Sean Hart hosted the show, and Dominic Dierkes and Billy Eichner were field reporters. The show studied and parodied current happenings in pop culture and music...
(2006) - Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
(2006) - Project This, Bitch (2006)
- 40 Greatest Pranks (2005)
- Jump Cuts (2004)
- Cavalcade of Personalities (2004)
- AV Squad (2004)
- Comedy Academy (2004)
- Popping the Question with Star Jones (2004)
- Boiling PointsBoiling PointsBoiling Points is a prank reality television show, much like the format used on Candid Camera. It is broadcast on MTV in the United States. In each half-hour episode, annoying situations are set up and deliberately inflicted on one or more young adults who are unaware that they are being tested...
(2003)
Movies
- The Other Guys (2010)
- May the Best Man Win (2008)
- ArrangedArranged (film)Arranged is an independent feature film produced by Cicala Filmworks. The film was written by Stefan Schaefer and is based in part on the story of Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jewish woman from Borough Park, Brooklyn and her friendship with a young Muslim woman...
(2007) - God-Links (2006)
- PremiumPremium (film)Premium is a 2006 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Pete Chatmon.-Cast:* Dorian Missick as Cool* Zoe Saldana as Charli* Hill Harper as Ed* Eva Pigford as Farrah* Tonya Pinkins as Marva* Sean Nelson as Austin Price...
(2006) - Four Dead Batteries (2004)
- Pushing Tom (2003)
See also
- VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown
- Boiling PointsBoiling PointsBoiling Points is a prank reality television show, much like the format used on Candid Camera. It is broadcast on MTV in the United States. In each half-hour episode, annoying situations are set up and deliberately inflicted on one or more young adults who are unaware that they are being tested...
- Upright Citizens BrigadeUpright Citizens BrigadeThe Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...