David CrossEmmy-winning American actor, writer, and comedian David Cross has completed numerous stand-up comic routines, and directed and acted in music videos. He has also performed in many movies, television shows, and even video games. He won the Best Male Performance Award for his voice narration of a marine in 2004’s Halo 2 Xbox videogame by Bungie Studios.
Cross was born in Atlanta, on April 4, 1964. He grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, with siblings Juli Cross and Wendy Cross, and he briefly studied at Emerson College in Massachusetts. But he dropped out of college almost immediately and soon began his stand-up career.
He started out as part of several comedy troupes, like Cross Comedy, in the Boston area. Sometimes he performed before or during concerts featuring local bands such as the Cavedogs.
His comedy routines are usually a blend of left-wing political commentary and crude humor. In 2003 Cross released his first tour film called Let America Laugh, and followed that with two extremely successful comedy CDs called Shut Up You Fucking Baby (2004) and It’s Not Funny (2004). Shut Up You Fucking Baby was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2004. Cross began his television career in the early 1990s as a writer for the short-lived FOX comedy, The Ben Stiller Show. He also occasionally made brief appearances in some of the skits including a memorable speaking role in one of the show’s most ambitious sketches, The Legend of T.J. O'Pootertoots, which was written almost entirely by Cross. The Ben Stiller Show only ran for twelve episodes and was cancelled by FOX in 1993 due to low ratings.
While working on The Ben Stiller Show, Cross met fellow actor Bob Odenkirk, whom he later worked with to create the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show in 1995. The show lasted until December 1998.
His next big role was on the character-driven, Emmy-Award winning FOX comedy, Arrested Development where he co-starred as Tobias Funke. He also made cameo appearances in the television shows Just Shoot Me, The Drew Carey Show, NewsRadio, Strangers with Candy, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, where he was the voice of the violent, alcoholic “Happy-Time Harry.” He was credited for this role as Sir Willups Brightslymoore.
In 1999 Cross was given his own one hour comedy special on HBO called The Pride is Back.
In October 2005, Cross was sued by Nashville club owner Thomas Weber who claimed Cross violated his privacy rights by taping him without his permission for Cross’s 2003 tour film, Let America Laugh. In April 2006, the case against Cross was dismissed, leaving Warner Music, Subpop Records, WEA Corporation, and the Alternative Distribution Alliance as the accused. The four companies offered Weber a total of $30,000, but when Weber demanded that amount from each of the companies, he ended up receiving nothing when the case was dismissed on July 25, 2006.
Cross is #85 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. He has also been a contributor to Vice Magazine, a New York City based free glossy magazine that covers contemporary independent arts and youth culture. He wrote the column titled "My America." YUDDY |
