| Judah Friedlander | |
|---|---|
Friedlander at the New York Comic Convention in Manhattan, October 9, 2010 |
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| Born | March 16, 1969 Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation | actor/comedian |
| Years active | 1999–present |
Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.[1]
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Friedlander was born in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the son of Shirley (née Sestric) and Art Friedlander. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother, a native of Pittsburgh, is Croatian American.[2][3][4]
Friedlander started in show business as cameraman on Chris Rock's short Who Is Chris Rock?. Ten years later, Friedlander began working in front of the camera, with appearances on Lateline and roles in numerous feature film comedies including Meet the Parents, Zoolander and Full Grown Men. Friedlander's most noted movie role to date was in the film American Splendor, as Toby Radloff.[5] He appeared as "The Hug Guy" from the Dave Matthews Band 2001 video "Everyday".[5] He was also a series regular on VH1's Best Week Ever and currently on NBC's 30 Rock, on which he plays Frank Rossitano, one of the writers of TGS with Tracy Jordan, a spoof of Saturday Night Live. In every episode, Friedlander wears a different slogan on his trademark hat, which he designs himself.[1]
Friedlander headlines at various standup comedy venues in Boston, New York and LA, including Caroline's and Tufts University. His best-known "schtick" is "The World Champion of the World", in which he makes outlandish claims of greatness.[6] For example, he claims on his website to have once scored 243 goals in a single game of international soccer in Brazil while also acting as the referee. Friedlander hosted Comedy Central's Live at Gotham.
Friedlander worked as the backstage host of the TV Land Awards online in 2009.[7]
In 2010, he authored the comedy book How to Beat Up Anybody: An Instructional and Inspirational Karate Book by the World Champion.
| Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Other Notes |
| 2000 | Endsville | Wrestling Fan | |
| Meet the Parents | Pharmacy Clerk | ||
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Ronald von Kleinenstein | |
| Spring Break Lawyer | Mervin | (TV) | |
| Zoolander | Scrappy Zoolander | (non-speaking) | |
| How High | Student | ||
| 2002 | Showtime | Julio | |
| 2003 | The Trade | Duffy Dyer | |
| Old School | Action Figure Dude | (TV version) | |
| American Splendor | Toby Radloff | ||
| The Janitor | Drunk Man | ||
| 2004 | Channel Surfing | (voice) (TV) | |
| Starsky and Hutch | Ice Cream Man | ||
| Bad Meat | Maintenance Man | ||
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Donald | (TV) | |
| 2005 | Duane Hopwood | Anthony | |
| Southern Belles | Duane | ||
| Pizza | Jimmy | ||
| The Unseen | Earl | ||
| Sunday Pants | (voice) (TV series) | ||
| Feast II: Sloppy Seconds | Beer Guy | ||
| 2006 | The Darwin Awards | Simon | |
| Date Movie | Nicky | ||
| Live Free or Die | Hesh | ||
| The Cassidy Kids | Max Cassidy(Adult) | ||
| Full Grown Men | Elias Guber | ||
| 30 Rock | Frank Rossitano | Recurring 06- | |
| Wonder Showzen | Crickey | (TV) ep. 203 & 207 | |
| 2007 | Chapter 27 | Paul | |
| The Proctor | Harry | ||
| Flight of the Conchords | Pawn Shop Patron | (TV) | |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Engineer | |
| The Wrestler | Scott Brumberg | ||
| 2009 | I Hate Valentine's Day | Dan O'Finn | |
| Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever | Toby | ||
| 2010 | Beware the Gonzo | Cafeteria Guy | (post-production) |