Joe Piscopo

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Joe Piscopo

Joe Piscopo (born Joseph Charles John Piscopo on June 17, 1951, Passaic, New Jersey) is an American comedian known for his work on Saturday Night Live. Piscopo planned to study acting but went into stand-up comedy in the late 1970s. In the summer of 1980 he was hired as a contract player for SNL. The show had gone through major upheaval, as all the writers, major producers and cast members had left that spring. The all-new cast bombed with critics and fans. Piscopo and Eddie Murphy were the exceptions and the only two cast members to be kept when Dick Ebersol took over the show in spring 1981. Piscopo was best known for his boorish impressions of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra (he wrote Sinatra a letter asking his permission; Sinatra agreed and jokingly dubbed him "vice-chairman of the board"). Piscopo left SNL in 1984, but unlike Murphy, did not find major success. He appeared in a few semi-successful films, appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and had his own HBO comedy special, but was regarded more as a punch line to a bad joke about the doomed careers of most SNL alumni.

During his time on SNL, Piscopo recorded the hit single "The Honeymooners Rap" in which he impersonated Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners. (Also appearing on the single was an uncredited Eddie Murphy as Art Carney's character, Ed Norton). "The Honeymooners Rap" also appeared on Piscopo's 1985 comedy album New Jersey.

In the 1980's, Piscopo starred in and created a series of humorous Lite Beer from Miller commercials.

In 1992 he provided the voice for Sheriff Terrorbull in the saturday morning cartoon series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa.

In the early 1990s, Piscopo became a subject of controversy after his newly buffed-up physique and appearances on fitness magazines led many to speculate he was using steroids. Piscopo has repeatedly denied the allegations and says he began a campaign to improve his body after battling thyroid cancer from 1981 to 1982. He has also appeared in anti-steroid PSAs. Piscopo lampooned the controversy in his HBO Special, wherein he appeared to have a drug test during the show.

In more recent years Piscopo appeared in the long-running Broadway revival of Grease, guest-starred on major TV series such as Law & Order and toured with other SNL alumni such as Kevin Nealon and Victoria Jackson. Piscopo is most often cast as a villain in comedies most like the Chuck Norris vehicle Sidekicks and Johnny Dangerously. He appeared as ladies man "Rocky" in the contemporary version of Herman Melville's Bartleby (2001). Some in his native New Jersey have urged Piscopo to run for state office, and Piscopo considers himself "a Democrat, but very conservative."

Piscopo's wife, Kimberly, filed for divorce on July 10, 2006. They have taken out restraining orders on each other, and both have alleged domestic abuse. Piscopo first met Kimberly when she was a nanny to his son, Joey. Piscopo and Kimberly were married in 1997 and had three children together.

[edit] Recurring Characters on Saturday Night Live

Blaire, a homosexual hair stylist. Friends with Dion (played by Eddie Murphy)
Doug Whiner, one half of the Whiner couple (Wendy Whiner was played by Robin Duke)
Froggy from SNL's parody of The Little Rascals
Harry Schliemer from Schliemer and Laub Songwriters
Mr. Blunt
Paulie Herman, an annoying, high-voiced young man from New Jersey (This was Piscopo's only recurring character he did when he was a castmember for Jean Doumanian)
Pudge, an elderly man who rambles about the good old days with his friend, Solomon (played by Eddie Murphy)