Today, February 7th
IT’S A BIG BIRTHDAY FOR COMEDY…and these 3 comedians who came into the world on this day couldn’t be more different.
With his geek persona and 70s-style bob, EMO PHILLIPS (b. 1956) has been a staple of late-night TV for decades. And his self-deprecating, ironic humor and falsetto delivery remain as original (and slightly unnerving) as they first did in the early 80’s. Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame) marvels at Emo’s ability to “write one-liners that have twists you don’t see coming.” While comedian Patton Oswalt tweets, “I will never, EVER, EVER, write funnier, darker, more disturbing, more inappropriate and 100% clean jokes than Emo Phillips.” One example: “I went to confession today… but I’m not catholic. I said, ‘bless me father for I have sinned, I’m just in here to develop film.’”
Eddie Izzard said he knew he was transgender by age four, and that he wanted to be an actor by age seven.
A self-described comedian, actor, runner of marathons and political activist, Britain’s EDDIE IZZARD (b. 1962) is probably best known for the drag persona he employs in specials like 2000’s “Dress to Kill” (which garnered him a Primetime Emmy). Izzard uses a stream-of-consciousness delivery that jumps among topics and has cited Monty Python as his biggest influence (prompting John Cleese to refer to Izzard as "the lost Python").
Izzard’s star shone especially bright in 2009 when—despite having no significant prior running experience—he launched into 43 consecutive marathons over 51 days (totaling more than 1,100 miles), to raise money for Sport Relief (an off-shoot of the charity, Comic Relief).
Lastly, CHRIS ROCK (b. 1966), the four-time Emmy and three-time Grammy winner who was voted the fifth-greatest stand-up comedian ever in a Comedy Central poll. While it’s fascinating to look back at Rock’s three year tenure on SNL (1990-93) and marvel at how little an impression he made, in the end it’s not surprising. As his career-defining 1996 special, “Bring the Pain,” proved , SNL was no place for his brilliant, no-holds-barred assessment of race and relationships. One example: “Men lie the most, women tell the biggest lies... a man's lie is, ‘I'm at Tony house, I was at Kenny house!’ A woman’s lie is, ‘It's your baby!’"