David Wain

David Wain
Born David Benjamin Wain
August 1, 1969
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Spouse(s) Zandy Hartig (2009present)
Website
http://davidwain.com/

David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor and director. He is most widely known for directing the feature films Role Models, Wanderlust and Wet Hot American Summer, the sketch comedy series The State, for producing, directing and writing the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital, and for voicing The Warden on the Adult Swim series Superjail!. Wain is a founding member of comedy group Stella, along with Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black.

Early life

Wain was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. As a young man, Wain went to a summer camp in Canaan, Maine, on which Wet Hot American Summer was loosely based.

Career

In 1988 while attending NYU film school, Wain became a founding member of the sketch comedy group The New Group. This group would later come to be known as The State, and in 1993 he and his fellow members created and starred in The State, a sketch show that lasted 26 episodes on MTV. After The State ended, he, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter eventually formed the comedy trio Stella.

Wain's first feature film Wet Hot American Summer (2001) is an absurdist summer camp comedy starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black and Elizabeth Banks. Wain directed the film, and co-wrote and co-produced it with Michael Showalter, who also plays a lead role. Showalter credits Wain with being an active and observant Jew who infused the movie with an authentically Jewish sense of humor.[1]

His second feature film The Ten, starring Winona Ryder and Paul Rudd (and a large ensemble cast of well-known actors) had a short theatrical run and was released on DVD on January 15, 2008.

Wain's third feature, Role Models, starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch and Elizabeth Banks, was his first widely released film. Released in theaters on November 7, 2008, the film received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, as well as earning $19 million on its opening weekend.[2] Its eventual worldwide gross was over $91 million.

Wain stars in a web series titled Wainy Days on the website My Damn Channel, which is in its fifth season as of December 2011. The series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to romance numerous women and discusses his problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Josh Charles, A.D. Miles, Paul Rudd, and Michael Ian Black, and various other Stella, The State and Wet Hot American Summer alumni have all guest-starred in various episodes.

As one third of the comedy troupe Stella, Wain has hosted a long running New York City nightclub show, toured the United States, made a series of shorts, and created a 2005 series on Comedy Central.

Wain is featured as the voice of The Warden in the animated series Superjail!. He was a featured commentator in the I Love the 70s series, I Love the 90s Part Deux series, and the weekly VH1 show Best Week Ever. Wain has also dabbled in theatre; he, Michael Showalter and Joe Lo Truglio wrote the play SEX, aka Wieners and Boobs. With The State, Wain co-wrote the book State by State with The State. He has appeared in such movies as The Baxter, Keeping the Faith and Role Models.

Wain's fourth feature film, Wanderlust, was released on February 24, 2012. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Malin Akerman and Alan Alda. Wain directed the film, from a screenplay he wrote with Ken Marino, and has a cameo in the film as a TV weatherman.

His fifth feature They Came Together was released in June 2014. The cast includes Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, and Christopher Meloni.

Personal life

Wain lives in New York City with his wife, actress Zandy Hartig. They have two sons.

Filmography

Actor

Television
Film

Writer

Director

References

  1. Bassist, Elissa (24 March 2009). "The Rumpus Interview with David Wain". The Rumpus. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  2. IMDB | Role Models – Box Office

External links