Gary Kroeger
Encyclopedia
Gary Kroeger is an American
actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live
from 1982 to 1985.
Born in Cedar Falls, Iowa
, Kroeger attended Northern University High School
and graduated from Northwestern University
in 1981. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live during Lorne Michaels
' hiatus from the show, under the direction of Dick Ebersol
. During his tenure, Kroeger, who also wrote for the show, was frequently cast as young teenage kids and did the impersonation of Walter Mondale
when he was the Democratic
candidate for US President in 1984. He is probably best remembered today for a Christmas sketch in which he and fellow cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus
perform "Blue Christmas" as Donny
and Marie Osmond
. The sketch culminates with the supposed brother and sister making out with each other.
Kroeger left the show after the summer of 1985 when Lorne Michaels returned to the show and the entire cast was replaced. In the time since he has kept a fairly low profile, appearing in only a handful of movies, including a role as Reggie Mantle
on 1990's Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
and the lead
and title role
on the spoof
film A Man Called Sarge
. He has enjoyed some success as a host of television game show
s, most notably revivals of The Newlywed Game
and Beat the Clock
. He was also the announcer for the 2001 revival of Card Sharks
, the 2002 revival of Press Your Luck
called Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck
, and the 2010 revival of The Newlywed Game when Sherri Shepherd
was the new host. In addition, he appeared in the sitcom Hidden Hills
, and was in an episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as the weatherman. In 1990-1991, he was host of Fox's Comic Strip Live. He also made a guest appearance in the episode Columbo: Death Hits the Jackpot (1991). In 2000, he hosted an infomercial for DirecTV, which played in-store at many Best Buy
locations.
Kroeger gave up ownership of the restaurant Figaro Figaro in Simi Valley, California
. He has relocated to his hometown in Iowa and can still be seen in local theater, as well as the occasional infomercial.
He is now associate creative director for Cedar Falls, Iowa-based Mudd Advertising (www.mudd.com). Kroeger is a local celebrity in Cedar Falls where mocking his former SNL employment has become somewhat of a cult-status inside joke amongst the townspeople.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor best known for his work 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...
from 1982 to 1985.
Born in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
, Kroeger attended Northern University High School
Northern University High School
Northern University High School, or Price Lab, is a small public high school in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States, that is run by the University of Northern Iowa.-Athletics:...
and graduated from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1981. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live during Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels, CM is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it.-Early life:...
' hiatus from the show, under the direction of Dick Ebersol
Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....
. During his tenure, Kroeger, who also wrote for the show, was frequently cast as young teenage kids and did the impersonation of Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
when he was the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for US President in 1984. He is probably best remembered today for a Christmas sketch in which he and fellow cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
perform "Blue Christmas" as Donny
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
and Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
. The sketch culminates with the supposed brother and sister making out with each other.
Kroeger left the show after the summer of 1985 when Lorne Michaels returned to the show and the entire cast was replaced. In the time since he has kept a fairly low profile, appearing in only a handful of movies, including a role as Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle is a fictional character in the Archie Comics book. His full name is given as Reginald Mantle, but he is usually called by his nickname Reggie, and sometimes refers to himself as "Mantle, The Magnificent." The character was introduced in 1942...
on 1990's Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again was a live-action television movie based on comic book characters published by Archie Comics...
and the lead
Leading actor
A leading actor, leading actress, star, or simply lead, plays the role of the protagonist in a film or play. The word lead may also refer to the largest role in the piece and leading actor may refer to a person who typically plays such parts or an actor with a respected body of work...
and title role
Title role
The title role in the performing arts is the performance part that gives the title to the piece, as in Aida, Giselle, Michael Collins or Othello. The actor, singer or dancer who performs that part is also said to have the title role....
on the spoof
Parody film
A parody film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or films. Although the genre is often overlooked, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office...
film A Man Called Sarge
A Man Called Sarge
A Man Called Sarge is a 1990 American parody film, written and directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Gary Kroeger, Marc Singer, Gretchen German and introducing a young Natasha Lyonne...
. He has enjoyed some success as a host of television 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...
s, most notably revivals of The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game is an American television game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know each other. The program, originally created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir The Newlywed Game is an American...
and Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
. He was also the announcer for the 2001 revival of Card Sharks
Card Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
, the 2002 revival of Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
called Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck
Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck
Whammy! is an updated version of the American television game show Press Your Luck. Taped at Tribune Studios, the FremantleMedia production aired on Game Show Network from April 15, 2002 to December 5, 2003 with repeats that continue to air...
, and the 2010 revival of The Newlywed Game when Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock...
was the new host. In addition, he appeared in the sitcom Hidden Hills
Hidden Hills
Hidden Hills is an American sitcom that aired on NBC during the 2002-2003 TV season. Based on the book Surviving Suburbia, the series was created by Peter Segal and Ric Swartzlander. The theme song was Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees.-Cast:...
, and was in an episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as the weatherman. In 1990-1991, he was host of Fox's Comic Strip Live. He also made a guest appearance in the episode Columbo: Death Hits the Jackpot (1991). In 2000, he hosted an infomercial for DirecTV, which played in-store at many Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
locations.
Kroeger gave up ownership of the restaurant Figaro Figaro in Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
. He has relocated to his hometown in Iowa and can still be seen in local theater, as well as the occasional infomercial.
He is now associate creative director for Cedar Falls, Iowa-based Mudd Advertising (www.mudd.com). Kroeger is a local celebrity in Cedar Falls where mocking his former SNL employment has become somewhat of a cult-status inside joke amongst the townspeople.