Artie Lange
Encyclopedia
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. (born October 11, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv
.
Lange performed his first stand-up comedy
routine at 19 years of age. He took up work as a longshoreman to help support his family, following the death of his quadriplegic father. In 1995, Lange starred in the first season of MADtv before leaving halfway through the second due to cocaine abuse and his subsequent arrest. After a period of rehabilitation, Lange featured in Dirty Work with Norm MacDonald
, who brought Lange into the second season of his sitcom, The Norm Show
. In 2001, Lange replaced Jackie Martling
on The Howard Stern Show and stayed until late 2009, before a suicide attempt in early 2010 led to an eight-month stay in a psychiatric ward. He returned to the airwaves with Nick DiPaolo
in July 2011, and the two plan to start a show on Fox Sports Radio
within the year.
Lange has released recordings of comedy performances – It's the Whiskey Talkin (2004) and Jack and Coke (2009). He co-wrote, produced and starred in his film Artie Lange's Beer League in 2006, and co-wrote, with Anthony Bozza, the book Too Fat to Fish
in 2008, which entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one.
, United States and was raised in Union Township
. His mother Judy (née Caprio) was a housewife while his father, Arthur Sr., was a general contractor. His sister Stacy is a fashion designer. Two weeks after Lange's birth, his father went on trial for counterfeiting money but was spared jail time out of the court's sympathy for his young son. In 2003, after some of the staff on The Howard Stern Show submitted a sample of their DNA
for testing, it was revealed that Lange was approximately 25 per cent American Indian
.
Lange played baseball during his time at Union High School
, where he became an all-county third baseman. He spent his free time working with his father, who in October 1985, fell from a ladder and broke his back, becoming quadriplegic. Money soon became an issue within his family, and Lange's mother took a secretary job for income. "We took out a second mortgage. Medicaid
paid for a nurse eight hours a day. When my mother got back from being a secretary all day, she had to take care of him. Every night, she set her alarm clock to turn him so he wouldn't get bedsores." The family contacted celebrities asking them to donate items for auction, and Howard Stern
was the only one to respond, who sent an autographed K-Rock jacket in 1987, joking on the air "does this guy think that if he puts the jacket on he's going to walk again?" which Lange and his father found funny. His father died from an infection on February 1, 1990, four-and-a-half years after the accident.
In August 1985, Lange was arrested for attempted bank robbery. He claimed he was trying to flirt with the teller by passing her a note that said he was armed and demanded $50,000. The teller took it seriously, triggering a silent alarm. He was charged with disorderly conduct and entered community service in March 1986. As part of his probation, Lange attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting
from March to June 1987 as well as Seton Hall University
for a short time before leaving. On June 12, 1987, at 19 years of age, Lange performed his first stand-up comedy routine at The Improv
in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
. "I bombed for five minutes. Everyone thinks that they can do better. I was unprepared, I mumbled, and I forgot stuff. But I'm proud that I did it." In February 1991, Lange took up work as a longshoreman
at Port Newark to help support his family.
and resume work afterwards. Within the year Lange landed a role in a dinner theater play, touring restaurants and catering halls in New Jersey. He then co-formed an improv troupe called Live on Tape, which led to the group performing sell-out shows at Caroline's on Broadway in Manhattan. Lange was taken by William Morris Agency
, where he first met Peter Principato, his manager of ten years.
In May 1995, Lange flew to Los Angeles
to shoot the television pilot for MADtv
, a sketch comedy show that was picked up by the Fox
network. He landed a role as one of the eight original cast members from 8,000 comics who were screened, and moved to the West Coast in July. Lange attributed his hiring to the fact that he fit the John Belushi
"mold" that was popular in sketch comedy. His most popular recurring character on the show was "That's My White Mama". Lange returned for the filming of the second season of MADtv in August 1996, but his time with the show came to an end when fellow cast and crew members attempted to have an intervention for him after a cocaine
binge. Lange fled the studio, running through streets with his co-workers chasing after him. It ended in a supermarket, where he was arrested and sentenced to time served and probation
.
In March 1997 the producers persuaded Lange to enter rehabilitation, and he checked into Honesty House, a rehab center in Stirling, New Jersey
, for two months. His contract was not renewed for the third season, but Lange would make cameo appearances during the fifth and tenth seasons, including the show's final episode on May 16, 2009. That night he also appeared on Saturday Night Live
, MADtvs rival show, in a non-speaking role.
Dirty Work and The Norm Show (1998–2001) After Lange served a short jail term and a drug rehabilitation
program, comedian Norm MacDonald
, impressed by Lange's work on Mad TV, offered him a part in the 1998 movie Dirty Work. Although the film was unsuccessful during its theatrical run, Lange credits MacDonald and director Bob Saget
with rejuvenating his comedy career, leading to several more film appearances and two lucrative television development deals. He then joined the cast of MacDonald's sitcom The Norm Show
during its second season, staying until its cancellation the following year. Lange has since described this period as a personal high point but a creative low point. He enjoyed being paid $35,000 an episode, sleeping late, and being in healthy physical shape, as well as working with the cast, particularly with MacDonald and Laurie Metcalf
; however, he disliked the show itself, referring to the material as "ridiculously lame, easy jokes."
, Richard Jeni
, Jim Florentine
and Ron Zimmerman. "There were a lot of great funny guys - guys that were funnier than me...I remember saying to my manager, 'I am not the most talented guy in this group, but I guarantee that I'm the biggest fan of the show." After the cancellation of The Norm Show in April, Lange sat in for a number of shows between May and October before beginning full time on October 26, 2001. Since Lange joined the show, Stern has often teased him for his eating habits, gambling, drinking, drug use, and sleeping at work. Stern also makes a point to praise Lange's comedic talents. Lange had grown up listening to the show and was a fan to the point of being able to recall obscure details from years before on a regular basis.
Stern and his staff have commented that Lange's life is a sort of perpetual adolescence
: His mother delivers food parcels and cleans his apartment while he continually gorges himself on pizza, pancakes, and other fattening foods and goes on drunken binges.
In May 2004, while The Howard Stern Show aired at the Las Vegas
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, local television station KLAS-TV
reported Lange was found dead in his hotel room. The story turned out to be a hoax.
. The situation climaxed in Lange's behaving strangely and belligerently on the air. On July 27, he infamously sneered at Stern and the staff
, "Artie's gotta do what Artie's gotta do!" Lange then missed the next two days, writing off his absence as due to stress from doing the radio show and filming his film Artie Lange's Beer League. The truth for his absence was revealed in a spontaneous revelation on September 21, 2006, in which Lange acknowledged that he had regularly snorted heroin. He discussed past episodes of heroin use beginning when he was a standup comedian and continuing until Beer League was set to begin shooting. He then detailed his painful withdrawal
from the drug, which included side effects of aching, cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting
. Lange recalled taking his telephone off the hook to avoid speaking to his mother, who ultimately intervened to help him recover. Lange was threatened with legal action by producers of Beer League if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting, which led him to secure a home visit from a doctor, who prescribed Subutex
to alleviate his dependency.
In the days leading up to Stern's departure from terrestrial radio in December 2005, Lange revealed that he and show producer Gary Dell'Abate
were approached by Infinity Broadcasting about replacing Stern with a show of their own. He claimed he was offered roughly $5 million to defect, but he and Dell'Abate claimed never to have given the offer much thought.
On April 10, 2008, Lange walked off the show after an on-air argument and subsequent outburst at his personal assistant, Teddy (during which he mentioned that Teddy embarrassed him by referring to Bloomingdale's as "Bloomie's"), resulting in a physical altercation. Lange expressed his disdain for his assistant of nearly two years because of recent money issues. Later in the broadcast, Lange returned to apologize and tender his resignation, which Stern accepted.
On April 21, 2008, Lange returned to the Howard Stern Show following a scheduled one-week vacation hiatus for the cast members. He apologized and took full responsibility for his behavior. It was revealed that Sirius was allowing him to continue, but that another infraction would end his employment. Additionally, Lange explained that despite their on-air confrontation, he and Teddy will maintain their working relationship.
to entertain the U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan
. He was inspired to travel after viewing the documentary film Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie
which was about comedian Jeffrey Ross
' comedy tour in Iraq
. As headliner, Lange picked fellow comedians Jim Florentine
, Nick DiPaolo
, and Dave Attell
to join him, including producer of The Howard Stern Show Gary Dell'Abate
, who served as master of ceremonies
on the tour.
On November 11, 2008 Lange released his first book, Too Fat to Fish
. The book is a collection of narrative episodes from Lange's life, from his childhood to his USO trip. The foreword is written by Howard Stern. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list under hardcover nonfiction. The softcover edition was released in June 2009 with a change to the back cover from the hardcover edition and includes a bonus chapter.
On November 17, 2009, Lange released his first comedy CD, Jack and Coke, via Shout! Factory
. The 80-minute set was recorded live in New York City.
on Fox Sports Radio
with comedian Nick DiPaolo
. A caller asked Lange about returning to The Howard Stern Show, to which he replied: "That would be the greatest thing ever, but you know listen, I was on the greatest show of all-time for about nine years and I put them in a very awkward situation to say the least. So what am I gonna do? But I love them all and they were great to me." On July 21, Lange announced to comedian Joe Matarese on his podcast of the plans to have him and DiPaolo to host a "sports entertainment comedy show" on Fox Sports Radio in. "It looks like it's a definite. They made an offer," said Lange. "Nothing's been signed yet, but we're gonna do it." On October 3, 2011, The Nick and Artie Show debuted on DirecTV
.
, Lange has expressed doubts about the existence of God
but is "afraid" to identify himself as an atheist in the event that he is wrong.
In 2002, Lange began to date his longtime girlfriend Dana Sironi. He announced in 2006 their decision to break up, citing his heroin abuse as the primary reason. However, Lange announced on an early November 2006 Stern Show that they were again together to some extent, but that the situation was a mystery even to him. The couple broke up in early 2007 but began dating again in December 2007. The couple have since parted ways, though Sironi accompanied Lange to an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman in March 2009.
His favorite book is A Confederacy of Dunces
. He considers George Carlin
to be the all-time greatest comedian and said, "It's easy to follow the funniest guy ever" when he appeared after Carlin as a guest during his first talk show appearance, on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. He has been critical of the "unbelievably positive press" given to comedians such as Jon Stewart
and Ricky Gervais
, feeling that their acclaim approaches hyperbole; he acknowledges their talents, however.
He has been asked to appear on Celebrity Fit Club
for each of the show's four seasons but has declined every time because of his commitment to Stern's show.
, a supporter of gay rights, and a supporter of unions owing to his former career as a longshoreman
. He has called President George W. Bush
a "dolt" and supported John Kerry
in 2004 and Barack Obama
in 2008. He initially supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, but has since changed his mind. When documentarian Michael Moore
visited The Howard Stern Show in 2007, Lange told him that he had changed some of his political opinions because of Moore's films. Crumbs Bakery
currently offers an "Artie Lange" vanilla and chocolate cupcake, with partial proceeds going toward the Lifebeat HIV/AIDS charity.
recommended a therapist to Lange.
On the December 8, 2008 show, Lange admitted that he lied about intensive outpatient rehab and had only gone to the therapist twice, not even making it through the end of the second session.
On the June 17, 2009, episode of The Adam Carolla
Podcast, Lange revealed that he had been sober for two and a half months, had lost 45 pounds, and hoped to lose 45 more. On the August 10, 2009 broadcast of The Howard Stern Show, Stern noticed Lange's weight loss. Lange then confirmed that his current weight was 230 lb. and that he wished to continue in his endeavor to lose more weight.
by repeatedly stabbing himself in the abdomen with a 13-inch kitchen knife. He was found on the floor of his home by his mother and taken to Jersey City Medical Center
, where he underwent surgery. Lange was released the following week. Sirius stated that Lange would be welcomed back onto The Howard Stern Show following his recovery.
Lange returned to the comedy stage for the first time on September 27, eight months after his suicide attempt, performing two nights at Comedy Cellar in New York. He mentioned being in a psychiatric ward for 8 months since the incident.
's film Office Space
, and again for the role of Judge Hank "The Hangman" BMW in Mike Judge
's film Idiocracy
, he lost both roles to Stephen Root
. Lange auditioned for Paul Giamatti
's role in Man on the Moon. He also auditioned for the role of Nick Volpe (Wass Stevens was ultimately cast) in the 2008 film The Wrestler. During a December 18, 2008 call to The Howard Stern Show, director Darren Aronofsky
, a stand-up comedy fan, stated he was impressed by Lange's acting but felt his celebrity would be distracting to the audience; Stern, who said it was his favorite movie of the year, agreed with this assessment and Lange joked it was the most flattering reason he'd ever been turned down for a role.
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
.
Lange performed his first stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
routine at 19 years of age. He took up work as a longshoreman to help support his family, following the death of his quadriplegic father. In 1995, Lange starred in the first season of MADtv before leaving halfway through the second due to cocaine abuse and his subsequent arrest. After a period of rehabilitation, Lange featured in Dirty Work with Norm MacDonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
, who brought Lange into the second season of his sitcom, The Norm Show
The Norm Show
The Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:...
. In 2001, Lange replaced Jackie Martling
Jackie Martling
John Coger "Jackie" Martling, Jr. is an American comedian, comedy writer and radio personality. He is best known for being a writer on The Howard Stern Show from 1983 to 2001.-Early life and career:...
on The Howard Stern Show and stayed until late 2009, before a suicide attempt in early 2010 led to an eight-month stay in a psychiatric ward. He returned to the airwaves with Nick DiPaolo
Nick DiPaolo
Nicholas Rocco "Nick" DiPaolo is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and radio host formerly on 92.3 Free FM in New York City until May 24, 2007, when the station changed formats. He is also a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern radio shows...
in July 2011, and the two plan to start a show on Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
within the year.
Lange has released recordings of comedy performances – It's the Whiskey Talkin (2004) and Jack and Coke (2009). He co-wrote, produced and starred in his film Artie Lange's Beer League in 2006, and co-wrote, with Anthony Bozza, the book Too Fat to Fish
Too Fat to Fish
Too Fat to Fish is a collection of memoirs by American comedian, radio personality and actor Artie Lange. Published by Spiegel & Grau on November 11, 2008, the book is co-written by journalist Anthony Bozza. Lange dedicated the book to radio personality Howard Stern, who also writes its foreword...
in 2008, which entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one.
Early life and education
Lange was born on October 11, 1967 in Livingston Township, New JerseyLivingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, United States and was raised in Union Township
Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms...
. His mother Judy (née Caprio) was a housewife while his father, Arthur Sr., was a general contractor. His sister Stacy is a fashion designer. Two weeks after Lange's birth, his father went on trial for counterfeiting money but was spared jail time out of the court's sympathy for his young son. In 2003, after some of the staff on The Howard Stern Show submitted a sample of their DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
for testing, it was revealed that Lange was approximately 25 per cent American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
.
Lange played baseball during his time at Union High School
Union High School (New Jersey)
Union High School is a comprehensive community public high school located in Union Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Union Public School District. In the late 1960s, a new high school was built, expanding on the existing Burnet Junior High School structure...
, where he became an all-county third baseman. He spent his free time working with his father, who in October 1985, fell from a ladder and broke his back, becoming quadriplegic. Money soon became an issue within his family, and Lange's mother took a secretary job for income. "We took out a second mortgage. Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
paid for a nurse eight hours a day. When my mother got back from being a secretary all day, she had to take care of him. Every night, she set her alarm clock to turn him so he wouldn't get bedsores." The family contacted celebrities asking them to donate items for auction, and Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
was the only one to respond, who sent an autographed K-Rock jacket in 1987, joking on the air "does this guy think that if he puts the jacket on he's going to walk again?" which Lange and his father found funny. His father died from an infection on February 1, 1990, four-and-a-half years after the accident.
In August 1985, Lange was arrested for attempted bank robbery. He claimed he was trying to flirt with the teller by passing her a note that said he was armed and demanded $50,000. The teller took it seriously, triggering a silent alarm. He was charged with disorderly conduct and entered community service in March 1986. As part of his probation, Lange attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting
Connecticut School of Broadcasting
The Connecticut School of Broadcasting is a national career college based in Farmington, Connecticut, United States with a focus on Television and Radio certification and training in areas such as television anchoring, commercial radio performance and journalism including production...
from March to June 1987 as well as Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
for a short time before leaving. On June 12, 1987, at 19 years of age, Lange performed his first stand-up comedy routine at The Improv
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman and located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on West 44th near the SE corner of 9th Ave. A second location was opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District...
in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
. "I bombed for five minutes. Everyone thinks that they can do better. I was unprepared, I mumbled, and I forgot stuff. But I'm proud that I did it." In February 1991, Lange took up work as a longshoreman
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
at Port Newark to help support his family.
Early comedy career and MADtv (1992–1997)
In 1992, Lange quit his job at Port Newark to focus on his comedy career. While searching for such work, his regular form of employment was driving a taxi in New York City. The flexibility of the job allowed him to perform 20-minute sets at the Comic StripComic Strip Live
The Comic Strip Live is the oldest stand-up comedy showcase club in New York City and the world. Located at 1568 Second Avenue .-Beginnings:...
and resume work afterwards. Within the year Lange landed a role in a dinner theater play, touring restaurants and catering halls in New Jersey. He then co-formed an improv troupe called Live on Tape, which led to the group performing sell-out shows at Caroline's on Broadway in Manhattan. Lange was taken by William Morris Agency
William Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
, where he first met Peter Principato, his manager of ten years.
In May 1995, Lange flew to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to shoot the television pilot for MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
, a sketch comedy show that was picked up by the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network. He landed a role as one of the eight original cast members from 8,000 comics who were screened, and moved to the West Coast in July. Lange attributed his hiring to the fact that he fit the John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
"mold" that was popular in sketch comedy. His most popular recurring character on the show was "That's My White Mama". Lange returned for the filming of the second season of MADtv in August 1996, but his time with the show came to an end when fellow cast and crew members attempted to have an intervention for him after a cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
binge. Lange fled the studio, running through streets with his co-workers chasing after him. It ended in a supermarket, where he was arrested and sentenced to time served and probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
In March 1997 the producers persuaded Lange to enter rehabilitation, and he checked into Honesty House, a rehab center in Stirling, New Jersey
Stirling, New Jersey
Stirling is an unincorporated area within Long Hill Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07980....
, for two months. His contract was not renewed for the third season, but Lange would make cameo appearances during the fifth and tenth seasons, including the show's final episode on May 16, 2009. That night he also appeared on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, MADtvs rival show, in a non-speaking role.
Dirty Work and The Norm Show (1998–2001) After Lange served a short jail term and a drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
program, comedian Norm MacDonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
, impressed by Lange's work on Mad TV, offered him a part in the 1998 movie Dirty Work. Although the film was unsuccessful during its theatrical run, Lange credits MacDonald and director Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
with rejuvenating his comedy career, leading to several more film appearances and two lucrative television development deals. He then joined the cast of MacDonald's sitcom The Norm Show
The Norm Show
The Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:...
during its second season, staying until its cancellation the following year. Lange has since described this period as a personal high point but a creative low point. He enjoyed being paid $35,000 an episode, sleeping late, and being in healthy physical shape, as well as working with the cast, particularly with MacDonald and Laurie Metcalf
Laurie Metcalf
Lauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2...
; however, he disliked the show itself, referring to the material as "ridiculously lame, easy jokes."
Replacing Jackie Martling and It's the Whiskey Talkin (2001–2004)
Lange was introduced to The Howard Stern Show by his father in 1982. Following the departure of Jackie Martling, the show's head writer for 15 years, in March 2001, Stern announced a "Win Jackie's Money" contest, in which various comedians would audition for Martling's seat by sitting in during shows. Those who sat in included Craig Gass, Doug StanhopeDoug Stanhope
Douglas Gene "Doug" Stanhope is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author known for his abrasive comedy routines.-Life and career:Stanhope quit high school after his freshman year...
, Richard Jeni
Richard Jeni
Richard John Colangelo , better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni, was an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:...
, Jim Florentine
Jim Florentine
James "Jim" Florentine is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer...
and Ron Zimmerman. "There were a lot of great funny guys - guys that were funnier than me...I remember saying to my manager, 'I am not the most talented guy in this group, but I guarantee that I'm the biggest fan of the show." After the cancellation of The Norm Show in April, Lange sat in for a number of shows between May and October before beginning full time on October 26, 2001. Since Lange joined the show, Stern has often teased him for his eating habits, gambling, drinking, drug use, and sleeping at work. Stern also makes a point to praise Lange's comedic talents. Lange had grown up listening to the show and was a fan to the point of being able to recall obscure details from years before on a regular basis.
Stern and his staff have commented that Lange's life is a sort of perpetual adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
: His mother delivers food parcels and cleans his apartment while he continually gorges himself on pizza, pancakes, and other fattening foods and goes on drunken binges.
In May 2004, while The Howard Stern Show aired at the Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, local television station KLAS-TV
KLAS-TV
KLAS-TV, virtual channel 8 , is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Las Vegas, Nevada market; it is owned and operated by Landmark Media Enterprises...
reported Lange was found dead in his hotel room. The story turned out to be a hoax.
Beer League and substance abuse (2005–2008)
In early June 2005, Lange missed four days of shows, prompting concerns of a possible relapse into substance abuseSubstance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
. The situation climaxed in Lange's behaving strangely and belligerently on the air. On July 27, he infamously sneered at Stern and the staff
The Howard Stern Show staff
Throughout its nearly 30 year run The Howard Stern Show has gone through a number of staff members and contributors.-Current staff:These staffers currently work for and appear on the show on a regular, if not hourly basis.-Howard Stern:...
, "Artie's gotta do what Artie's gotta do!" Lange then missed the next two days, writing off his absence as due to stress from doing the radio show and filming his film Artie Lange's Beer League. The truth for his absence was revealed in a spontaneous revelation on September 21, 2006, in which Lange acknowledged that he had regularly snorted heroin. He discussed past episodes of heroin use beginning when he was a standup comedian and continuing until Beer League was set to begin shooting. He then detailed his painful withdrawal
Withdrawal
Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and alcohol...
from the drug, which included side effects of aching, cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
. Lange recalled taking his telephone off the hook to avoid speaking to his mother, who ultimately intervened to help him recover. Lange was threatened with legal action by producers of Beer League if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting, which led him to secure a home visit from a doctor, who prescribed Subutex
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that is used...
to alleviate his dependency.
In the days leading up to Stern's departure from terrestrial radio in December 2005, Lange revealed that he and show producer Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
were approached by Infinity Broadcasting about replacing Stern with a show of their own. He claimed he was offered roughly $5 million to defect, but he and Dell'Abate claimed never to have given the offer much thought.
On April 10, 2008, Lange walked off the show after an on-air argument and subsequent outburst at his personal assistant, Teddy (during which he mentioned that Teddy embarrassed him by referring to Bloomingdale's as "Bloomie's"), resulting in a physical altercation. Lange expressed his disdain for his assistant of nearly two years because of recent money issues. Later in the broadcast, Lange returned to apologize and tender his resignation, which Stern accepted.
On April 21, 2008, Lange returned to the Howard Stern Show following a scheduled one-week vacation hiatus for the cast members. He apologized and took full responsibility for his behavior. It was revealed that Sirius was allowing him to continue, but that another infraction would end his employment. Additionally, Lange explained that despite their on-air confrontation, he and Teddy will maintain their working relationship.
Too Fat to Fish, USO tour and Jack and Coke (2008–2009)
In June 2008 Lange embarked on a comedy tour he named "Operation Mirth" with the United Service OrganizationsUnited Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
to entertain the U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. He was inspired to travel after viewing the documentary film Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie
Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie
Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie is a 2005 documentary film that was written and directed by comedian Jeff Ross.The filmed performances were inspired by the life of United Service Organizations’ Bob Hope. It premiere at the Montréal Just For Laughs Festival) on 21 July 2005, and has since...
which was about comedian Jeffrey Ross
Jeffrey Ross
Jeff Ross is an American stand-up comedian, insult comic, actor, director and author.-Early life:...
' comedy tour in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. As headliner, Lange picked fellow comedians Jim Florentine
Jim Florentine
James "Jim" Florentine is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer...
, Nick DiPaolo
Nick DiPaolo
Nicholas Rocco "Nick" DiPaolo is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and radio host formerly on 92.3 Free FM in New York City until May 24, 2007, when the station changed formats. He is also a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern radio shows...
, and Dave Attell
Dave Attell
Dave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
to join him, including producer of The Howard Stern Show Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
, who served as master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
on the tour.
On November 11, 2008 Lange released his first book, Too Fat to Fish
Too Fat to Fish
Too Fat to Fish is a collection of memoirs by American comedian, radio personality and actor Artie Lange. Published by Spiegel & Grau on November 11, 2008, the book is co-written by journalist Anthony Bozza. Lange dedicated the book to radio personality Howard Stern, who also writes its foreword...
. The book is a collection of narrative episodes from Lange's life, from his childhood to his USO trip. The foreword is written by Howard Stern. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list under hardcover nonfiction. The softcover edition was released in June 2009 with a change to the back cover from the hardcover edition and includes a bonus chapter.
On November 17, 2009, Lange released his first comedy CD, Jack and Coke, via Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
. The 80-minute set was recorded live in New York City.
Return to radio (2011–present)
On July 6, 2011, Lange returned to radio for the first time since December 2009, guest hosting in place of Tony BrunoTony Bruno
For Tony Bruno, the musician, see Tony Bruno Tony Bruno is an American sports talk radio personality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
on Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
with comedian Nick DiPaolo
Nick DiPaolo
Nicholas Rocco "Nick" DiPaolo is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and radio host formerly on 92.3 Free FM in New York City until May 24, 2007, when the station changed formats. He is also a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern radio shows...
. A caller asked Lange about returning to The Howard Stern Show, to which he replied: "That would be the greatest thing ever, but you know listen, I was on the greatest show of all-time for about nine years and I put them in a very awkward situation to say the least. So what am I gonna do? But I love them all and they were great to me." On July 21, Lange announced to comedian Joe Matarese on his podcast of the plans to have him and DiPaolo to host a "sports entertainment comedy show" on Fox Sports Radio in. "It looks like it's a definite. They made an offer," said Lange. "Nothing's been signed yet, but we're gonna do it." On October 3, 2011, The Nick and Artie Show debuted on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
.
Personal life
Though raised as a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Lange has expressed doubts about the existence of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
but is "afraid" to identify himself as an atheist in the event that he is wrong.
In 2002, Lange began to date his longtime girlfriend Dana Sironi. He announced in 2006 their decision to break up, citing his heroin abuse as the primary reason. However, Lange announced on an early November 2006 Stern Show that they were again together to some extent, but that the situation was a mystery even to him. The couple broke up in early 2007 but began dating again in December 2007. The couple have since parted ways, though Sironi accompanied Lange to an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman in March 2009.
His favorite book is A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published by LSU Press in 1980, 11 years after the author's suicide. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy and Toole's mother Thelma Toole, quickly becoming a cult classic, and later a...
. He considers George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
to be the all-time greatest comedian and said, "It's easy to follow the funniest guy ever" when he appeared after Carlin as a guest during his first talk show appearance, on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. He has been critical of the "unbelievably positive press" given to comedians such as Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
and Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, feeling that their acclaim approaches hyperbole; he acknowledges their talents, however.
He has been asked to appear on Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
for each of the show's four seasons but has declined every time because of his commitment to Stern's show.
Political views
Politically, he has said he does not consider himself to be a "liberal," though he is pro-choicePro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, a supporter of gay rights, and a supporter of unions owing to his former career as a longshoreman
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
. He has called President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
a "dolt" and supported John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 2004 and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2008. He initially supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, but has since changed his mind. When documentarian Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
visited The Howard Stern Show in 2007, Lange told him that he had changed some of his political opinions because of Moore's films. Crumbs Bakery
Crumbs Bake Shop
Crumbs Bake Shop is a bakery headquartered in New York City, New York. Founded as a single bakery in 2003 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by Mia & Jason Bauer, the company has since expanded to 35 bakeries across the New York area, Chicago, Washington DC/Virginia and Los Angeles...
currently offers an "Artie Lange" vanilla and chocolate cupcake, with partial proceeds going toward the Lifebeat HIV/AIDS charity.
Drug and alcohol problems
On August 6, 2008, Lange claimed to have begun an intensive outpatient rehab program after missing the Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget. On the August 11 airing of the show, Lange admitted to having been back on heroin for the previous seven weeks. He stated that he had gotten drunk playing pool and was offered the heroin by someone at the pool hall. Comedian Richard LewisRichard Lewis (comedian)
-Early life:Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. His father worked as a caterer and his mother was an actress. Lewis is Jewish. He later attended Ohio State University and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity....
recommended a therapist to Lange.
On the December 8, 2008 show, Lange admitted that he lied about intensive outpatient rehab and had only gone to the therapist twice, not even making it through the end of the second session.
On the June 17, 2009, episode of The Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla is an American radio personality, television host, comedian, and actor. He currently hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast on the ACE Broadcasting Network...
Podcast, Lange revealed that he had been sober for two and a half months, had lost 45 pounds, and hoped to lose 45 more. On the August 10, 2009 broadcast of The Howard Stern Show, Stern noticed Lange's weight loss. Lange then confirmed that his current weight was 230 lb. and that he wished to continue in his endeavor to lose more weight.
2010 suicide attempt
On January 2, 2010, Lange attempted suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by repeatedly stabbing himself in the abdomen with a 13-inch kitchen knife. He was found on the floor of his home by his mother and taken to Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City Medical Center
The Jersey City Medical Center is a hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey. The hospital has had different facilities in the city.-History:The hospital began as the "Charity Hospital" but the Board of Aldermen of Jersey City bought land at Baldwin Avenue and Montgomery Street in 1882 for a new hospital...
, where he underwent surgery. Lange was released the following week. Sirius stated that Lange would be welcomed back onto The Howard Stern Show following his recovery.
Lange returned to the comedy stage for the first time on September 27, eight months after his suicide attempt, performing two nights at Comedy Cellar in New York. He mentioned being in a psychiatric ward for 8 months since the incident.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Serial Buddies | Golden Graham | |
| 2009 | Artie Lange: Jack and Coke | Himself | Stand-up comedy DVD |
| 2007 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Scott Segil | Ad-libbed Leslie Bibb's ass bite |
| 2006 | Rescue Me Rescue Me (TV series) Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show... |
Mike – Lou's cousin | |
| Artie Lange's Beer League | Artie DeVanzo | ||
| Fox Sports Fox Sports (USA) Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games... ' 2006 World Series 2006 World Series The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking... coverage |
Himself | TV – promos alongside Jerry Stiller Jerry Stiller Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara... |
|
| Supertwink Supertwink Supertwink is a 2006 comedy film directed, written, and filmed by Richard Christy and Sal Governale. Produced and made for subscribers of Howard TV, an In Demand digital cable service operated by Howard Stern, the film stars members of Stern's radio show staff and "Wack Packers"... |
The Plumber | Howard Stern on Demand film | |
| 2005 | Waltzing Anna | Jacob Kline | |
| 2004 | Game Over Game Over (TV series) Game Over is an American computer-animated television series created by David Sacks, produced by Carsey-Werner Productions, and broadcast on UPN in 2004... |
Turbo | Voice |
| Artie Lange: It's the Whiskey Talkin' | Himself | Stand-up comedy DVD | |
| A Piece of My Heart | Lenny Steinberg | ||
| 2003 | Elf Elf (film) Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is... |
Fake Santa | |
| Mail Order Bride | Tommy | Jackie Martling Jackie Martling John Coger "Jackie" Martling, Jr. is an American comedian, comedy writer and radio personality. He is best known for being a writer on The Howard Stern Show from 1983 to 2001.-Early life and career:... also stars but they do not appear together |
|
| Old School Old School (film) Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong... |
Booker | ||
| 2002 | Boat Trip Boat Trip Boat Trip is a 2003 romantic comedy directed by Mort Nathan and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Horatio Sanz, Vivica A. Fox, Roselyn Sanchez and Roger Moore.- Plot :... |
Brian | Refused to kiss co-star Will Ferrell Will Ferrell John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega... |
| 2001 | Gameday | Artie | Short, featured as extra on It's the Whiskey Talkin |
| Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth is a 2000 American direct-to-video parody film directed by John Blanchard. Several mid and late '90s teen horror films are parodied, as are the slasher films of the '70s and '80s, including the Scream films , Friday the 13th , Halloween , A... |
Swim Coach Hasselhoff | ||
| 1999 | The Norm Show The Norm Show The Norm Show is an American television sitcom that ran from 1999 through 2001 on the ABC television network.-Synopsis:... |
Artie Henderson | Once smoked pot with Peter Boyle Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein .... behind The West Wing set on the Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,... studios lot |
| The Bachelor | Marco | ||
| Mystery Men Mystery Men Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who... |
Big Red | ||
| Lost & Found | Wally | ||
| The 4th Floor The 4th Floor The 4th Floor is a 1999 film, written and directed by Josh Klausner. The film stars Juliette Lewis, William Hurt, Shelley Duvall and Austin Pendleton. The film was released in 1999. It was filmed on location in New York City and Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada... |
Jerry | ||
| Puppet | Alexie | ||
| 1998 | Dirty Work | Sam McKenna | |
| 1996 | Jerry Maguire Jerry Maguire Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe... |
Sports radio host | Deleted scene; Tom Cruise Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards.... yelled at him |
| 1995 | MADtv MADtv MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first... |
various |
Roles lost
Lange auditioned for the role of Milton in Mike JudgeMike Judge
Michael Craig Judge is an American animator, film director, writer and voice actor, best known as the creator and star of the animated television series Beavis and Butt-head , King of the Hill , and The Goode Family .He also wrote, directed and in some instances produced the films Beavis and...
's film Office Space
Office Space
Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
, and again for the role of Judge Hank "The Hangman" BMW in Mike Judge
Mike Judge
Michael Craig Judge is an American animator, film director, writer and voice actor, best known as the creator and star of the animated television series Beavis and Butt-head , King of the Hill , and The Goode Family .He also wrote, directed and in some instances produced the films Beavis and...
's film Idiocracy
Idiocracy
Idiocracy is a 2006 American film, a satirical science fiction comedy, directed by Mike Judge and starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews....
, he lost both roles to Stephen Root
Stephen Root
Stephen Root is an American actor. He is best known for his comedic work on the TV sitcom NewsRadio, in the film Office Space and as the voice of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in the animated series King of the Hill...
. Lange auditioned for Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
's role in Man on the Moon. He also auditioned for the role of Nick Volpe (Wass Stevens was ultimately cast) in the 2008 film The Wrestler. During a December 18, 2008 call to The Howard Stern Show, director Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
, a stand-up comedy fan, stated he was impressed by Lange's acting but felt his celebrity would be distracting to the audience; Stern, who said it was his favorite movie of the year, agreed with this assessment and Lange joked it was the most flattering reason he'd ever been turned down for a role.
Interviews
- Artie Lange interview on Rock 'n Roll Ghost in 2006 in 2008
- Artie Lange interview on the Best Damn Sports Show Podcast