Larry Wilmore
| Larry Wilmore | |
|---|---|
 Wilmore at St. Mary's College of Maryland, April 29th 2011 |
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| Born | October 30, 1961 |
| Occupation | Actor, television producer, writer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
Larry Wilmore (born October 30, 1961) is an American writer, actor and television producer.
Early life
Wilmore grew up in suburban Los Angeles, the child of a Catholic family.[1][2] His father is a doctor.[2] He has a younger brother, Marc, who is also a television writer, actor, and producer.[2]
Wilmore studied theatre at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, but dropped out to pursue acting and stand-up comedy.[2]
Career
Beginning in the 1980s, Wilmore appeared as an actor in several small film and television roles, including a recurring role as a police officer on The Facts of Life. In the early to mid-1990s, he was on the writing staff of the talk show Into the Night With Rick Dees, the sketch comedy show In Living Color, and the sitcom Sister, Sister, where he portrayed a bus driver in one episode. Wilmore went on to be a writer and producer on a series of sitcoms, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Jamie Foxx Show.
In 1999, Wilmore co-created the animated comedy The PJs[3] with Eddie Murphy and was Executive Producer until its conclusion in 2001. He subsequently co-created[3] and produced The Bernie Mac Show, and he won an Emmy for writing the pilot episode. He also created and produced Whoopi, with Whoopi Goldberg. From 2005 to 2007, he was a consulting producer for The Office and made recurring appearances on the show as Mr. Brown, a diversity consultant.[2][3]
In 2006, Wilmore began appearing regularly on The Daily Show, where he is billed as the "Senior Black Correspondent" or a derivative form of the title, such as the "Senior Executive Commander-in-Chief Who Happens To Be Black Correspondent" following the election of Barack Obama.[2] His work on the show frequently centers on humorous observations of the Black experience in American society.[1][2] In January 2009, Hyperion published Wilmore's I'd Rather We Got Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts, a political humor book described by Booklist as "a faux collection of articles, essays, radio transcripts, and letters exploring the more ludicrous angles on race." Wilmore originated the titular phrase I'd Rather We Got Casinos in a January 2007 Daily Show appearance.[4]
Wilmore has continued to make occasional acting appearances, including a role as a minister in I Love You, Man (2009) and a supporting role in Dinner for Schmucks (2010).
In 2011, Wilmore began a recurring role on the ABC comedy Happy Endings, where he played Mr. Forristal, Brad's (Damon Wayans, Jr.) uptight boss.
As of 2012, Wilmore starred in the Showtime special titled Race, Religion and Sex that was shot in Salt Lake City, Utah. Part stand-up show, part town-hall meeting, the special is a precursor for a possible series that could take place in different cities.
Personal life
Wilmore is married to actress Leilani Jones and has two children. He lives with his family in San Marino, California.
Awards
Wins
| Year | Award | Category | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Peabody Award | The Bernie Mac Show | |
| 2002 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | The Bernie Mac Show |
| 2003 | Humanitas Prize | 30 Minute Category | The Bernie Mac Show |
Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program | In Living Color |
| 1999 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) | The PJs |
| 2003 | Humanitas Prize | 30 Minute Category | The Bernie Mac Show |
| 2003 | WGA Award | Episodic Comedy | The Bernie Mac Show |
| 2006 | WGA Award | Comedy Series | The Office |
| 2006 | WGA Award | New Series | The Office |
| 2008 | WGA Award | Comedy Series | The Office |
References
- ^ a b Bashir, Martin and Dan Morris. "Veteran TV Writer Moves in Front of the Camera." ABC News, 2007-10-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lee, Felicia R."They Call Me Mister Correspondent." New York Times, 2007-04-02.
- ^ a b c "'Black Thoughts' With Comedian Larry Wilmore". NPR. February 24, 2009.
- ^ Black History Month (video clip from episode of television show). The Daily Show. Comedy Central. January 31, 2007. "Jon Stewart: Don't you feel that black history month serves a purpose? Larry Wilmore: Yes, the purpose of making up for centuries of oppression with 28 days of trivia. You know what? I'd rather we got casinos."
External links
- Larry Wilmore at the Internet Movie Database
- The Larry Wilmore
- Larry Wilmore videos from the Daily Show
- Wilmore Shines as 'Senior Black Correspondent': June 5, 2007, Interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air on NPR
- I'd Rather We Got Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts by Larry Wilmore - ISBN 978-1-4013-0955-8
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