Leo Allen
Encyclopedia
Leopold Rufus "Leo" Allen (born July 5, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian
and writer from Detroit, Michigan
, known as one half of the comedy team Slovin and Allen.
special
which featured highly memorable sketches such as "Time Machine" and "Turkey Slapper". Slovin and Allen went on to write for Saturday Night Live
from 2002 - 2005.
A veteran of numerous New York City comedy clubs and alternative venues, Allen performs solo and as part of the duo "Slovin and Allen." He has toured with comedians such as Eugene Mirman
, Demetri Martin
, Todd Barry
, Michael Showalter
, and others. He currently hosts "Whiplash" at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in NYC, for which he was nominated for a 2009 ECNY award for Best Host.
Beginning in September 2005, Allen challenged himself to read 100 books in one year. Halfway into that endeavor, he cited as favorites The Ginger Man
by J.P. Donleavy, The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov
, Don Quixote by Cervantes
and anything by Octavia Butler. Listen: A Standup Guy Who Is Serious About Books, NPR
Allen's writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine. His television credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, Funny or Die Presents
, Comedians of Comedy, Human Giant
, Michael and Michael Have Issues and more.
Allen currently appears with a recurring role on the Comedy Central
series Jon Benjamin Has a Van
; he is also co-creator and executive producer of the series.
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 writer from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, known as one half of the comedy team Slovin and Allen.
Career
Allen has been performing stand-up comedy since the late '90s. In 2001, Allen, along with his writing partner, Eric Slovin, starred in their own Comedy Central PresentsComedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
special
which featured highly memorable sketches such as "Time Machine" and "Turkey Slapper". Slovin and Allen went on to write for 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 2002 - 2005.
A veteran of numerous New York City comedy clubs and alternative venues, Allen performs solo and as part of the duo "Slovin and Allen." He has toured with comedians such as Eugene Mirman
Eugene Mirman
Eugene Boris Mirman is a Russian-born American comedian, writer, and filmmaker. Mirman currently plays Yvgeny Mirminsky on Delocated, and voices Gene Belcher for the animated comedy Bob's Burgers.-Early life:Mirman was born in Russia to Jewish parents...
, Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.- Early life :Demetri Martin was born to a Greek...
, Todd Barry
Todd Barry
-Biography:Barry was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Florida. In 1999, his Comedy Central Presents aired. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film Borrowing Saffron , which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin. He has made a variety of guest appearances on shows like Dr...
, Michael Showalter
Michael Showalter
Michael English Showalter is an American comedian, actor, writer, and director. He is a member of the sketch comedy trio Stella. Showalter first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995...
, and others. He currently hosts "Whiplash" at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in NYC, for which he was nominated for a 2009 ECNY award for Best Host.
Beginning in September 2005, Allen challenged himself to read 100 books in one year. Halfway into that endeavor, he cited as favorites The Ginger Man
The Ginger Man
The Ginger Man is a 1955 novel by J. P. Donleavy.First published in Paris, the novel is set in Dublin, Ireland, in post war 1947. Upon its publication, it was banned in the Republic of Ireland and the United States of America for obscenity....
by J.P. Donleavy, The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
by Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
, Don Quixote by Cervantes
Cervantes
-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
and anything by Octavia Butler. Listen: A Standup Guy Who Is Serious About Books, NPR
Allen's writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine. His television credits include 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...
, Funny or Die Presents
Funny or Die Presents
Funny or Die Presents is a half-hour sketch comedy show that spawned from the Will Ferrell & Adam McKay created comedy website Funny or Die. It premiered on HBO on February 19, 2010...
, Comedians of Comedy, Human Giant
Human Giant
Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner.The show has completed two seasons. The status of a third season is unknown...
, Michael and Michael Have Issues and more.
Allen currently appears with a recurring role on the Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
series Jon Benjamin Has a Van
Jon Benjamin Has a Van
Jon Benjamin Has a Van is a live action television comedy series that premiered on June 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The series stars Jon Benjamin as a reporter who tours around in a van to deliver uninteresting news to the viewers and to unsuspecting people while utilizing scripted scenes for...
; he is also co-creator and executive producer of the series.