Matt Iseman

Matt Iseman
Born January 22, 1971
Denver, Colorado
Alma mater Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Princeton University
Occupation comedian, actor, television host, physician

Matthew C. "Matt" Iseman (born January 22, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, and television host, who began his career as a physician.

Early life and medical career

Iseman was born in Denver, Colorado. The son of a pulmonologist, Iseman was raised in Denver and followed his father into a medical career, earning a B.S. with honors from Princeton University and an M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He did his residency and internship in internal medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital in his home town of Denver, and later relocated to the Los Angeles area.

Comedy career

Soon he found he was much happier doing stand-up comedy, with a routine based partly on his experiences as a doctor. He gained performing experience with the prominent improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and finally decided in 2002 to put his medical practice in abeyance and become a full-time professional comedian, although he remains a licensed physician. In addition to comedy club gigs, Iseman’s medical background has made him a popular performer for medical and health-related organizations.

An athletic man standing 6'3" (1.91 m), he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2002, at age 31. His disease is being treated successfully, and he has worked his experiences being on the other end of the stethoscope into his stand-up material.

He cites Brian Regan as the comic who inspired him to become a comedian. As is the case with Regan's, Iseman's comedy beyond the realm of medicine is mainly observational, and he generally avoids off-color material. One favorite subject is the fact that he's the last to remain unmarried out of his circle of high-school and college friends.

He has entertained American troops overseas at USO shows in Afghanistan, South Korea, Bosnia, and Hungary.

Television work

Iseman has hosted the game shows Scream Play on E! and Casino Night on the GSN. He appears as a regular cast member on the home makeover show Clean House and its companion outtakes show, Clean House Comes Clean, both on the Style Network. Additionally, he hosted seasons 2 and 3 of American Ninja Warrior on the channel G4. Iseman began working with American Ninja Warrior in 2010. He uses his athleticism and work as a comedian to add his style to the show with Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (former American professional football player), and Jenn Brown (sideline correspondent).[1]

He also has worked episodically in television shows including The Drew Carey Show, NCIS, and General Hospital. He has appeared on the syndicated MAD TV, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, and Fox News Channel's Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.As of May 4, 2010, Iseman is the host of Sports Soup,[2] a spin-off of E!'s The Soup, on Versus. Style Network and Versus are owned by Comcast.

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ American Ninja Warrior Hosts, G4; G4; NBC Universal (June 2012). "American Ninja Warrior Hosts". NBC Universal. p. hosts. Retrieved 17 June 2012. Matt joined the American Ninja Warrior team in 2010. Before co-hosting ANW, Matt had intentions of being a medical doctor but quickly realized stand-up comedy was more in his DNA. He has utilized his energetic, charismatic style around the world performing shows for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Bosnia, Hungary and other top vacation destinations and has been able to parlay that into his work as co-host with Akbar Gbaja-Biamila on American Ninja Warrior.
  2. ↑ Michael Schneider (14 September 2008). "E! heats up 'Sports Soup': Versus to offer sports-flavored edition of show". Variety (Los Angeles, California). Retrieved 2008-12-10.

External links