Frank Nicotero
Encyclopedia
Frank Joseph Nicotero is an American
comedian
widely known as the host of the syndicated comedy game show
Street Smarts.
, quickly finding success when he landed his first stand-up gig at Pittsburgh's famed Funny Bone
comedy club in 1988. Shortly afterward, he toured college circuits, appearing with other comedians including Drew Carey
, Adam Sandler
and Rob Schneider
– and appearing at more than 300 colleges and clubs throughout the country. He has been a regular for over 10 years at The World Famous Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip
. He is also a regular at The Icehouse in Pasadena
and The Comedy Magic Club in Hermosa Beach
.
In 1996, Nicotero appeared as a contestant on Wink Martindale
's Debt
, winning the episode's grand prize of $14,106, retiring his debt of $7,053 and being awarded a corresponding cash prize. He later appeared on the Fox Sports Network trivia game The Ultimate Fan League where he won $10,000 in prizes. That same year, he was approached to write for the shows Peer Pressure
and Outrageous. He later wrote and produced Gameworld and Faux Pause
for the Game Show Network
, and in the summer of 1999, was contacted by the producers of Street Smarts
.
Nicotero has co-hosted The Sharon Osbourne Show
and has appeared as a guest on The Wayne Brady Show
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
, FSN's The Sports List
and the comedy game shows Make Me Laugh
and Comedy on the Road. In December 2008, Frank was the voice over announcer for NBC
’s Funniest Christmas Moments Special.
Currently, Frank recaps the previous night’s TV highlights daily on Yahoo! TV’s Primetime in No Time web series and Yahoo! Sports
' Out of Bounds.
He currently hosts a kids show called The Game of Life based on the hit board game.
He also was chosen as the second voiceover for TruTV's It Only Hurts When I Laugh
, replacing Thom Kikot.
and is the cousin of special effect
s artist Greg Nicotero. Nicotero resides in Studio City, California
with wife Katie and his two dogs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
widely known as the host of the syndicated comedy 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...
Street Smarts.
Career
Frank Nicotero got his start in Pittsburgh doing stand upStand-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...
, quickly finding success when he landed his first stand-up gig at Pittsburgh's famed Funny Bone
The Funny Bone
The Funny Bone is a comedy club chain in the United States. Its marketing slogan is: "America's No. 1 Comedy Nite Clubs!"The original Funny Bone Comedy Club opened in Pittsburgh, PA by co-founders Mitch Kutash and Gerald Kubach in 1982. The Funny Bone, with its sister club The Improv has now...
comedy club in 1988. Shortly afterward, he toured college circuits, appearing with other comedians including Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
, Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
– and appearing at more than 300 colleges and clubs throughout the country. He has been a regular for over 10 years at The World Famous Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
. He is also a regular at The Icehouse in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
and The Comedy Magic Club in Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
.
In 1996, Nicotero appeared as a contestant on Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale
Winston Conrad Martindale , known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Radio:...
's Debt
Debt (game show)
Debt is an American game show hosted by Wink Martindale, which aired on Lifetime from June 3, 1996 to August 14, 1998. The show featured contestants who were trying to earn money to get out of debt.-Gameplay:...
, winning the episode's grand prize of $14,106, retiring his debt of $7,053 and being awarded a corresponding cash prize. He later appeared on the Fox Sports Network trivia game The Ultimate Fan League where he won $10,000 in prizes. That same year, he was approached to write for the shows Peer Pressure
Peer Pressure (game show)
Peer Pressure was an American television game show where youths performed stunts and answered questions about moral dilemmas. The show aired in syndication from 1997-1998 in first-run , and was hosted by Nick Spano and Valarie Rae Miller.-Gameplay:Three youths, ages 12-17, competed in this game,...
and Outrageous. He later wrote and produced Gameworld and Faux Pause
Faux Pause
Faux Pause was a television program that was aired from 1997-1998 on Game Show Network. Co-hosted by Sean Donnellan and Mary Gallagher, it poked fun at certain episodes of game shows, in a similar fashion to Mystery Science Theater 3000...
for the Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
, and in the summer of 1999, was contacted by the producers of Street Smarts
Street Smarts (game show)
Street Smarts was a United States game show that features two in-studio contestants trying to predict the outcome of interviews of people that were found on the street. The show aired in syndication from October 2, 2000 to September 23, 2005, hosted by Frank Nicotero.A French-Canadian version, Les...
.
Nicotero has co-hosted The Sharon Osbourne Show
The Sharon Osbourne Show
The Sharon Osbourne Show refers to either of two TV chat shows hosted by Sharon Osbourne – the original US version, or the more recent UK version. These are described separately below.-US version :...
and has appeared as a guest on The Wayne Brady Show
The Wayne Brady Show
The Wayne Brady Show was a variety show hosted by Wayne Brady that originally ran from August 8, 2001 to March 11, 2002 on ABC. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled by ABC and reformatted into a daytime variety talk show for syndication...
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
, FSN's The Sports List
The Sports List
The Sports List is a television news show in which Summer Sanders counted down top ten lists of various sports topics. The show premiered August 1, 2004 on Fox Sports Net and the last episode aired September 7, 2004. Summer Sanders would start off the show by explaining the topic and then would...
and the comedy game shows Make Me Laugh
Make Me Laugh
Make Me Laugh was an American game show in which contestants watched three stand-up comedians performing their acts, one at a time, earning one dollar for every second that they could make it through without laughing. Each comedian got sixty seconds to try to crack the contestant up...
and Comedy on the Road. In December 2008, Frank was the voice over announcer for 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 Funniest Christmas Moments Special.
Currently, Frank recaps the previous night’s TV highlights daily on Yahoo! TV’s Primetime in No Time web series and Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
' Out of Bounds.
He currently hosts a kids show called The Game of Life based on the hit board game.
He also was chosen as the second voiceover for TruTV's It Only Hurts When I Laugh
It Only Hurts When I Laugh (TV series)
It Only Hurts When I Laugh is an American television series that premiered on TruTV on October 22, 2009. This program showcases hilarious painstaking moments caught on tape...
, replacing Thom Kikot.
Personal life
Nicotero is a graduate of North Allegheny Senior High SchoolNorth Allegheny Senior High School
North Allegheny Senior High School is a suburban high school in the North Allegheny School District and is located in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The current building was built in 1974, the school has won numerous awards and was ranked in the top 1300 US high...
and is the cousin of special effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s artist Greg Nicotero. Nicotero resides in Studio City, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with wife Katie and his two dogs.