Greg Behrendt
Encyclopedia
Gregory Behrendt is an American
stand-up comedian
and author
. His work as a script consultant to the HBO sitcom Sex and the City
, starring Sarah Jessica Parker
, paved the way for co-authoring of the New York Times bestseller He's Just Not That into You
(2004), later adapted into a film by the same name
. Apart from that he also hosted two short-lived talk shows, The Greg Behrendt Show
(2006) and Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call
(2009).
degree in theater from the University of Oregon
in 1991, though initially he had enrolled to be a business major and play rugby.
and improv
in San Francisco, California
. He was a member of the improv troupe Crash and Burn, whose members included Margaret Cho
. He came up as a performer alongside such comics as David Cross
(with whom he roomed for years) and Patton Oswalt
.
He went on to appear on The Tonight Show
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. His stand-up special, Greg Behrendt is Uncool, debuted on Comedy Central
in January 2006.
In June 2006, he appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown
, playing for a domestic violence charity. Behrendt was a script consultant for the HBO sitcom Sex and the City
, "offering script notes from the perspective of a straight man to the writing team, composed of women and gay men".
With Liz Tuccillo
, Behrendt co-wrote the 2004 self-help book
He's Just Not That Into You
. It was adapted by Drew Barrymore
's Flower Films
/Warner Bros.
as a movie of the same name
, premiering February 6, 2009.
With his wife Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, he co-wrote It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken.
He released the book It's Just a Date! in the UK. .
His daily daytime "self-help" talk show, The Greg Behrendt Show
, premiered September 12, 2006, four months later Sony Pictures Television
announced, in January 2007 that the series would not have a second season, and the show aired its last new episodes in February 2007.
He also did a mid-season program for the 2006-07 television season, Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call, for ABC
, which never aired on the network. The program began airing in January 2009 on ABC's sister cable network SoapNet
. He also appeared on the Great Debate at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival, in which he argued as the third speaker for the negative team on the debate "Food is Better Than Sex". Behrendt's team, made up of New Zealand
comedienne Cal Wilson
, English comedian Russell Kane
and Behrendt himself, won the comedy event
He started the podcast
Walking the Room
with his friend Dave Anthony
.
. He dreams of designing pants.
1593599900.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian
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...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. His work as a script consultant to the HBO sitcom Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, starring Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
, paved the way for co-authoring of the New York Times bestseller He's Just Not That into You
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name...
(2004), later adapted into a film by the same name
He's Just Not That into You (film)
He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
. Apart from that he also hosted two short-lived talk shows, The Greg Behrendt Show
The Greg Behrendt Show
The Greg Behrendt Show is a daytime talk show which premiered in syndication on September 12, 2006. The show was distributed by Sony Pictures Television and was taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City....
(2006) and Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call
Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call
Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call was an American reality television series that premiered on SoapNet on January 8, 2009. The series was hosted by stand-up comedian and author Greg Behrendt....
(2009).
Early life and education
Greg Behrendt graduated with a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in theater from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1991, though initially he had enrolled to be a business major and play rugby.
Career
After graduation, Behrendt moved to San Francisco, where he joined an improvisational troupe, and met fellow comic Margaret Cho. In his early years, he performed stand-up comedyStand-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...
and improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. He was a member of the improv troupe Crash and Burn, whose members included Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...
. He came up as a performer alongside such comics as David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
(with whom he roomed for years) and Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
.
He went on to appear on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. His stand-up special, Greg Behrendt is Uncool, debuted on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
in January 2006.
In June 2006, he appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown
Celebrity Poker Showdown was a celebrity game show on the cable network Bravo. It was a limited-run series in which celebrities played poker, and ran eight tournaments during its five-season run....
, playing for a domestic violence charity. Behrendt was a script consultant for the HBO sitcom Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, "offering script notes from the perspective of a straight man to the writing team, composed of women and gay men".
With Liz Tuccillo
Liz Tuccillo
Liz Tuccillo is an American writer and actress best known for her work on the HBO comedy series Sex and the City and for co-authoring the self-help book He's Just Not That Into You...
, Behrendt co-wrote the 2004 self-help book
Self-help book
Self-help books are books written with the stated intention to instruct any readers on a number of personal problems. They take their name from Self-Help, the Victorian best-seller, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help...
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name...
. It was adapted by Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
's Flower Films
Flower Films
Flower Films is a commercial film production company founded by Drew Barrymore in 1995 with Nancy Juvonen. Flower Films has produced ten movies and several television shows to date...
/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,...
as a movie of the same name
He's Just Not That into You (film)
He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
, premiering February 6, 2009.
With his wife Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, he co-wrote It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken.
He released the book It's Just a Date! in the UK. .
His daily daytime "self-help" talk show, The Greg Behrendt Show
The Greg Behrendt Show
The Greg Behrendt Show is a daytime talk show which premiered in syndication on September 12, 2006. The show was distributed by Sony Pictures Television and was taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City....
, premiered September 12, 2006, four months later Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
announced, in January 2007 that the series would not have a second season, and the show aired its last new episodes in February 2007.
He also did a mid-season program for the 2006-07 television season, Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call, for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, which never aired on the network. The program began airing in January 2009 on ABC's sister cable network SoapNet
SOAPnet
SOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
. He also appeared on the Great Debate at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival, in which he argued as the third speaker for the negative team on the debate "Food is Better Than Sex". Behrendt's team, made up of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
comedienne Cal Wilson
Cal Wilson
Cal Wilson is a New Zealand stand-up comedian and radio and television personality. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is well known in Australia through her appearances on television and radio.-Biography:...
, English comedian Russell Kane
Russell Kane
Russell Kane is an English writer, comedian, actor and media personality. In June 2006, he became the face of digital station Five US. He has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the main prize in August 2010...
and Behrendt himself, won the comedy event
He started the podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
Walking the Room
Walking the Room
Walking the Room is a comedy podcast hosted by American comedians Greg Behrendt and Dave Anthony. The free, hour-long weekly show debuted via web and iTunes on May 24, 2010, and is recorded in Behrendt’s closet in Los Angeles, California...
with his friend Dave Anthony
Dave Anthony
Dave Anthony is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and podcaster. Anthony has lived in San Francisco, New York City, and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Heather, and their son, Finn...
.
Personal life
He is married to Amiira Ruotula. They have two daughters, Mighty and True. He is a recovering alcoholic, and as of late 2008 has been sober for 12 years. He plays guitar in his own surf/rockabilly instrumental band, The Reigning MonarchsThe Reigning Monarchs
The Reigning Monarchs are a surf punk band from North Hollywood, California, formed in 2007 by guitarists Greg Behrendt and USA Mike Eisenstein. The current line-up includes bassist David Hawkins and drummer Blair Sinta...
. He dreams of designing pants.
Works
- Pocket Guide to He's Just Not That Into You: The No-excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, with Liz Tuccillo. Peter Pauper Press, Inc., 2005. ISBN
1593599900.
- It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Breakup Buddy, with Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt. Broadway Books, 2006. ISBN 0767921968.
- It's Just a Date: How to Get 'em, How to Read 'em, and How to Rock 'em, with Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt. Harper, 2008. ISBN 0007228325.
- He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, with Liz Tuccillo. Simon & Schuster, 2009. ISBN 141690977X.
External links
- Greg Behrendt's official website
- Greg Behrendt Does Not Rock, a short film
- Interview with Greg Behrendt at WickedInfo.com