Mario Cantone
Encyclopedia
Mario Cantone is an American
stand-up comedian
, writer
and actor
, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central
including Chappelle's Show
. He also played Anthony Marentino on Sex and the City
. His unique style is fast-paced and energetic, with much of the humor coming from his impersonations of various characters ranging from his family members, to celebrities, to stereotype
s.
, which aired on New York
-New Jersey
superstation
WWOR-TV
from 1988 to 1993.
Much of his comedy derives from the fact that he is gay
, camp
, and Italian-American.
on HBO. Much of the humor of that role derived from his regular stand-up persona.
–winning play, Love! Valour! Compassion!
. Later that year, he returned to Broadway again in the revival of The Tempest
. Several years later, Cantone did a workshop for The Lion King
as Timon
but was not comfortable using a puppet and eventually left the project, which led him to Sex and the City
. As Cantone gained popularity and a cult following
, he created his own one-man show for Broadway, An Evening With Mario Cantone, which he also wrote. A year later, Cantone starred in the lead of The Violet Hour
. Playwright Richard Greenberg
had written the part specifically for the actor. However, Cantone and the play itself received mediocre reviews and closed after a month-long run.
In 2004, Cantone starred in the Stephen Sondheim
musical Assassins
as Samuel Byck
. Cantone had originally turned down the role of Carmen Ghia in Mel Brooks
's The Producers
to star in Assassins
in 2001, but it was cancelled because of the 9/11 attacks. His latest Broadway credit was in his second one-man show, Laugh Whore, which he also wrote. Laugh Whore ran from October 24, 2004, to January 2, 2005, at the Cort Theatre
and received a Tony Award
nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event.
On September 20, 2010, Cantone starred as Jackie Morelli in a staged reading of the Charles Messina
play A Room of My Own at The Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. The play is currently being developed for stage and screen with Cantone set to reprise his role.
. Along with Leary, Cantone attended Emerson College
, in Boston
. He was a favorite guest on the Opie and Anthony
radio show, where he is remembered for a tune called "Getcha Balls Out." He currently narrates the Sunsilk
"hairapy" advertisements. He also appears on The View, where he reviews televised award ceremonies.
He is the voice of the talent scout bird Mikey Abromowitz in the 2007 computer animated movie Surf's Up
.
.
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...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
including Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
. He also played Anthony Marentino on 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...
. His unique style is fast-paced and energetic, with much of the humor coming from his impersonations of various characters ranging from his family members, to celebrities, to stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s.
Early career
His first major gig was hosting a children's show called Steampipe AlleySteampipe Alley
Steampipe Alley was a children's television program that aired on Secaucus, New Jersey superstation WWOR-TV from February 7, 1988 to April 1993...
, which aired on New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
from 1988 to 1993.
Stand-up career
He occasionally does stand-up concerts where, in addition to impressions of Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Bruce Springsteen, and others, he sings original comedic songs such as "Laugh Whore" and an ode to being in love with a bat.Much of his comedy derives from the fact that he is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
, and Italian-American.
Sex and the City
Cantone's breakout role was that of Charlotte York's gay and incredibly bossy wedding planner in the series Sex and the CitySex 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...
on HBO. Much of the humor of that role derived from his regular stand-up persona.
Broadway
Cantone is also a regular stage performer with numerous Broadway credits. He made his Broadway debut in 1995 as replacement for the role of Buzz in the Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
–winning play, Love! Valour! Compassion!
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Love! Valour! Compassion! is a play by Terrence McNally. Its off-Broadway premiere took place at the Manhattan Theatre Club on October 11, 1994, in a staging by Joe Mantello that ran for 72 performances...
. Later that year, he returned to Broadway again in the revival of The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. Several years later, Cantone did a workshop for The Lion King
The Lion King (musical)
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well...
as Timon
Timon
Timon is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Timon lepidus*Timon pater*Timon princeps*Timon tangitanus...
but was not comfortable using a puppet and eventually left the project, which led him to 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...
. As Cantone gained popularity and a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, he created his own one-man show for Broadway, An Evening With Mario Cantone, which he also wrote. A year later, Cantone starred in the lead of The Violet Hour
The Violet Hour
The Violet Hour is a play by Richard Greenberg. It was commissioned by and originally produced by South Coast Repertory with Hamish Linklater as Seavering and Mario Cantone as Gidger. It received its Broadway debut on November 6, 2003 when the Manhattan Theatre Club produced it as the first play...
. Playwright Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg
Richard Greenberg is an American playwright. He is the author of over 25 plays including eight South Coast Repertory world premieres: Our Mother's Brief Affair, The Injured Party, The Violet Hour, Everett Beekin, Hurrah at Last, Three Days of Rain Richard Greenberg (1958–present) is an American...
had written the part specifically for the actor. However, Cantone and the play itself received mediocre reviews and closed after a month-long run.
In 2004, Cantone starred in the Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
musical Assassins
Assassins (musical)
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
as Samuel Byck
Samuel Byck
Samuel Joseph Byck was an unemployed former tire salesman who attempted to hijack a plane flying out of Baltimore-Washington International Airport on February 22, 1974. He intended to crash into the White House in the hope of killing U.S...
. Cantone had originally turned down the role of Carmen Ghia in Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
's The Producers
The Producers (musical)
The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich...
to star in Assassins
Assassins (musical)
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
in 2001, but it was cancelled because of the 9/11 attacks. His latest Broadway credit was in his second one-man show, Laugh Whore, which he also wrote. Laugh Whore ran from October 24, 2004, to January 2, 2005, at the Cort Theatre
Cort Theatre
The Cort Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 138 West 48th Street in the Theatre District of midtown Manhattan in New York City...
and received a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event.
On September 20, 2010, Cantone starred as Jackie Morelli in a staged reading of the Charles Messina
Charles Messina
Charles Messina is an American playwright, screenwriter and director.Messina was born in Greenwich Village, of Italian-American descent...
play A Room of My Own at The Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. The play is currently being developed for stage and screen with Cantone set to reprise his role.
Other work
Previously, he appeared at a roast for comedian Denis LearyDenis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
. Along with Leary, Cantone attended Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
, in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He was a favorite guest on the Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
radio show, where he is remembered for a tune called "Getcha Balls Out." He currently narrates the Sunsilk
Sunsilk
Sunsilk is a hair care brand, primarily aimed at women, produced by the Unilever group, which is now considered the world's leading company in hair conditioning and the second largest in shampoo. Sunsilk is Unilever’s leading hair care brand, and ranks as one of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate's...
"hairapy" advertisements. He also appears on The View, where he reviews televised award ceremonies.
He is the voice of the talent scout bird Mikey Abromowitz in the 2007 computer animated movie Surf's Up
Surf's Up (film)
Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others....
.
Personal life
In October 2011, Cantone married his partner of 20 years, musical theater director Jerry Dixon. The ceremony was officiated by pastor Jay BakkerJay Bakker
Jamie Charles Bakker is an American Christian pastor and the son of Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. He ministers to Revolution Church, a church he founded in 1994 in Phoenix, Arizona with Kelli Miller and Mike Wall...
.