Chris Kattan
Encyclopedia
Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan (kəˈtæn; born October 19, 1970) is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live
.
, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911!
as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E. Biro, was once photographed for Playboy
and worked as a model in '60s London. His father was of Iraqi Jewish descent and his mother, a native of Budapest, Hungary, is a Buddhist. Kattan lived on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where he attended Bainbridge High School
, and graduated in 1989.
troupes one of them being The Groundlings
in Los Angeles
. His father was an original member of the troupe. Kattan also did some minor roles on TV, including the first episode of the second season of NewsRadio
, "No, This Is Not Based Entirely on Julie's Life," as a photo shop employee.
He moved to New York City
to work on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2003. His recurring characters included Mr. Peepers, Mango
, Azrael Abyss
, Kyle DeMarco from The DeMarco Brothers, Gay Hitler, Suel Forrester (known for the term "dagitybo") and, most notably, one half of the Butabi Brothers with fellow SNL (and Groundlings) cast member Will Ferrell
, known for their trademark head-bobbing. Kattan and Ferrell continued the characters in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury
.
, playing Xanthias
in a production of Aristophanes'
The Frogs
until his replacement during previews by Roger Bart
. Kattan was set to host the game show
Gameshow In My Head and even filmed the pilot episode in Hollywood. However, he was replaced with Joe Rogan
for the series.
Kattan appeared in a Diet Pepsi MAX
commercial during Super Bowl XLII
that featured "What Is Love" and had many actors in the commercial performing the Butabi head bob.
In August 2009 Kattan starred in the IFC
miniseries
Bollywood Hero
, where he portrays himself and the difficulties he faces after a career as a comic actor, trying to attain leading man
status.
Starting in fall of 2009, Kattan appeared in a supporting role in The Middle
. Kattan plays Bob, a colleague of Frankie Heck's at Mr. Ehlert's car dealership.
Kattan appeared in the May 17th episode of How I Met Your Mother
as a star in a fictional movie within the show. He played himself acting as Jed Mosely, a character based on the main character Ted with an arrogant personality.
, after proposing to her on Christmas Eve 2006. The couple separated on August 10, 2008, and were officially divorced in February 2009.
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...
.
Early life
Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip KingKip King
Kip King was an American film, television and voice actor. He was the father of American television sketch comedian Chris Kattan.-Life and career:...
, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911!
Reno 911!
Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...
as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E. Biro, was once photographed for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
and worked as a model in '60s London. His father was of Iraqi Jewish descent and his mother, a native of Budapest, Hungary, is a Buddhist. Kattan lived on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where he attended Bainbridge High School
Bainbridge High School (Washington)
Bainbridge High School is a high school on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The current principal is Brent Peterson.The school is Bainbridge Island School District's one of two comprehensive high schools serving students in grades 9-12...
, and graduated in 1989.
Early work and SNL
Kattan was a member of several improv/sketch comedySketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
troupes one of them being The Groundlings
The Groundlings
The Groundlings are an improvisational comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin to produce sketches and improvised scenes...
in 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...
. His father was an original member of the troupe. Kattan also did some minor roles on TV, including the first episode of the second season of NewsRadio
NewsRadio
NewsRadio is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1995 to 1999. The series was created by executive producer Paul Simms, and was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center and Sunset Gower Studios...
, "No, This Is Not Based Entirely on Julie's Life," as a photo shop employee.
He 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...
to work on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2003. His recurring characters included Mr. Peepers, Mango
Mango (Saturday Night Live)
Mango was a character performed by Chris Kattan on the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. The character was co-created and developed by Kattan and SNL writer Scott Wainio along with initial creative contributions by Roy Jenkins. Mango is a male exotic dancer who performed in a strip...
, Azrael Abyss
Goth Talk
Goth Talk was a recurring sketch on the American television series Saturday Night Live from the late 1990s.The sketch was about a late-night Tampa Bay Public-access television cable TV show recorded in the home of Azrael Abyss, Prince of Sorrows , a goth high school student. Another goth student,...
, Kyle DeMarco from The DeMarco Brothers, Gay Hitler, Suel Forrester (known for the term "dagitybo") and, most notably, one half of the Butabi Brothers with fellow SNL (and Groundlings) cast member 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...
, known for their trademark head-bobbing. Kattan and Ferrell continued the characters in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury
A Night at the Roxbury
A Night at the Roxbury is a 1998 comedy film based on a recurring skit on television's long-running Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys." Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, and Colin Quinn star....
.
SNL celebrity impersonations
- Clay AikenClay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
- Christiane AmanpourChristiane AmanpourChristiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
- Antonio BanderasAntonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
- Andy DickAndy DickAndrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
- Larry FineLarry FineLouis Feinberg , known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American comedian and actor, who is best known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges.-Early life:...
- Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
- Ben AffleckBen AffleckBenjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
- David GestDavid GestDavid Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
- GollumGollumGollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
- Elian GonzalezElián GonzálezThe custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, González's father, Juan Miguel González Quintana, González's other relatives in Miami, Florida, and in Cuba, and Miami's...
- Anne HecheAnne HecheAnne Celeste Heche is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She started her career on the daytime soap opera Another World, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991. Heche gradually landed supporting roles in feature films, and in 1997 appeared in I Know What You Did Last Summer,...
- Julio Iglesias, Jr.
- Steve IrwinSteve IrwinStephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
- Chris KirkpatrickChris KirkpatrickChristopher Alan "Chris" Kirkpatrick is an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and voice actor who is best known as a founding member of the pop group 'N Sync in which he sang counter tenor. He has provided the voice for many kids shows, including the voice of Chip Skylark on The Fairly Odd...
- Ricky MartinRicky MartinEnrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
- Alanis MorissetteAlanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
- Al PacinoAl PacinoAlfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
- Kid RockKid RockRobert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
- David Lee RothDavid Lee RothDavid Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
- Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
- David SpadeDavid SpadeDavid Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 when he starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J...
- Kerri Strug (also appeared in Weekend UpdateWeekend UpdateWeekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...
with Strug as her fictional brother, Kippi) - Geraldo RiveraGeraldo RiveraGeraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
- Robert Downey, Jr.
- Queen Elizabeth II
After SNL
Kattan has made one appearance on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, playing Xanthias
Xanthias
Xanthias refers to several characters, notably all slaves, who appear in plays by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes.In The Frogs, Xanthias is the slave of Dionysus. He delivers the opening line of the play, riding on Dionysus' donkey and debating with Dionysus about what jokes Xanthias can...
in a production of Aristophanes'
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
The Frogs
The Frogs
The Frogs is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus, in 405 BC, and received first place.-Plot:...
until his replacement during previews by Roger Bart
Roger Bart
Roger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987...
. Kattan was set to host the game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Gameshow In My Head and even filmed the pilot episode in Hollywood. However, he was replaced with Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan
Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on...
for the series.
Kattan appeared in a Diet Pepsi MAX
Diet Pepsi Max
-Product information:Pepsi Max contains 69 milligrams of caffeine per 355ml . Diet Pepsi contains 24 milligrams of caffeine per 237ml.-History:...
commercial during Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
that featured "What Is Love" and had many actors in the commercial performing the Butabi head bob.
In August 2009 Kattan starred in the IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Bollywood Hero
Bollywood Hero
Bollywood Hero is an American television miniseries which aired on the IFC in three parts on August 6-8, 2009. The miniseries was shot in Mumbai and Los Angeles....
, where he portrays himself and the difficulties he faces after a career as a comic actor, trying to attain leading man
Leading man
Leading man or leading gentleman is an informal term for the actor who plays a love interest to the leading actress in a film or play. A leading man is usually an all rounder; capable of singing, dancing, and acting at a professional level, but never outshining his female co-star...
status.
Starting in fall of 2009, Kattan appeared in a supporting role in The Middle
The Middle (TV series)
The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck , a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three...
. Kattan plays Bob, a colleague of Frankie Heck's at Mr. Ehlert's car dealership.
Kattan appeared in the May 17th episode of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
as a star in a fictional movie within the show. He played himself acting as Jed Mosely, a character based on the main character Ted with an arrogant personality.
Personal life
Kattan married model Sunshine Tutt on June 28, 2008, in Oakhurst, CaliforniaOakhurst, California
Oakhurst is a census-designated place in Madera County, California, south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Oakhurst is located on the Fresno River south-southwest of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of 2274 feet...
, after proposing to her on Christmas Eve 2006. The couple separated on August 10, 2008, and were officially divorced in February 2009.
Filmography
- Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday 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...
(TV) (1996–2003) - Grace Under Fire (TV) (1996)
- A Night at the RoxburyA Night at the RoxburyA Night at the Roxbury is a 1998 comedy film based on a recurring skit on television's long-running Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys." Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, and Colin Quinn star....
(1998) - House on Haunted Hill (1999)
- Any Given Wednesday (2000)
- Corky RomanoCorky RomanoCorky Romano is a 2001 film starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan. Also starring are Fred Ward, Vinessa Shaw, Roger Fan, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett and Jason Ward. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures studios...
(2001) - MonkeyboneMonkeyboneMonkeybone is a 2001 American comedy film that combines live-action with stop-motion animation. It was based on Kaja Blackley's graphic novel Dark Town...
(2001) - Undercover BrotherUndercover BrotherUndercover Brother is a 2002 American comedy film starring Eddie Griffin and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The screenplay is by Michael McCullers and co-executive producer John Ridley, who created the original internet animation characters. It spoofs blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as a...
(2002) - Enough About Me (TV) (2005)
- Adam & SteveAdam & SteveAdam & Steve is a 2005 LGBT romantic comedy film directed by and starring Craig Chester, who also wrote the screenplay. It deals with the lives of two gay men, played by Chester and Malcolm Gets...
(2005) - Santa's SlaySanta's SlaySanta's Slay is a 2005 Christmas Black comedy horror film that stars former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg as Santa Claus. The movie was written and directed by David Steiman, a former assistant to Brett Ratner....
(2005) - InkedInkedInked is a documentary television series about the employees of the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The series was created by Jeff Bowler in 2005, and was broadcast by the A&E Network...
(TV) (2005) - Totally AwesomeTotally AwesomeErik Piskun Totally Awesome is a television movie produced by VH1. Totally Awesome directly parodies a number of 1980s movies, including Dirty Dancing, Soul Man, Footloose, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Better Off Dead, Lucas, Pretty in Pink, and The Karate Kid...
(TV) (2006) - Two Dreadful Children (voice) (2007)
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (voice) (2007)
- Christmas in WonderlandChristmas in WonderlandChristmas in Wonderland is a 2007 comedy film about three children who move with their father from Los Angeles to Edmonton, Alberta, where they catch a group of counterfeiters while Christmas shopping...
(2007) - Sunset TanSunset TanSunset Tan was an American reality television program that aired on the E! cable television network. The series chronicles the lives of the managers and employees of a tanning salon in Los Angeles called Sunset Tan. Season Two finished September 28, 2008...
(2007) - Superbad (deleted scene) (2007)
- Nancy Drew (2007)
- Undead or AliveUndead or AliveWanted: Undead or Alive is a 2007 comedy-horror Western film directed by Glasgow Phillips, it was written by Phillips and Scott Pourroy. The film stars Navi Rawat, Chris Kattan and James Denton.-Plot:...
(2007) - DelgoDelgo (film)Delgo is a 2008 computer-animated fantasy film. The film was produced by Fathom Studios, a division of Macquarium Intelligent Communications, which began development of the project in 1999....
(voice) (2008) - Foodfight!Foodfight!Foodfight! is an unreleased computer-animated film produced by Threshold Entertainment and directed by Larry Kasanoff. The film features the voices of Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady and Eva Longoria. Threshold has released a trailer for the film as part of their work on their website....
(voice) (unreleased) - Tanner HallTanner Hall (film)Tanner Hall is a 2009 drama film that centers on four girls coming-of-age in boarding school. It was written and directed by Tatiana von Fürstenberg and Francesca Gregorini...
(2008) - Hollywood & WineHollywood & Wine-Plot:Diane Blaine has the face of a movie star. Unfortunately, fallen star/tabloid queen Jamie Stephens already made it famous. Hollywoods constant rejection due to what Diane refers to as "TJS" has made her bitter, frustrated....and, yes, whiny. Co-worker/boyfriend Jack Sanders doesn't help...
(2009) - Bollywood HeroBollywood HeroBollywood Hero is an American television miniseries which aired on the IFC in three parts on August 6-8, 2009. The miniseries was shot in Mumbai and Los Angeles....
(TV) (2009) - The MiddleThe Middle (TV series)The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck , a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three...
(TV) (2009-present) - How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
(TV) (2009) - The Last Film FestivalThe Last Film FestivalThe Last Film Festival is an upcoming American comedy film starring the late Dennis Hopper, Chris Kattan and Jacqueline Bisset. It is written and directed by Linda Yellen. Yellen hosted a special screening of the film on 15 September in New York City...
(2010) - "Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
" (2011)
External links
- ChrisKattan.net, his official website