Andrew Dice Clay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Dice Clay
Clay in 2012
Birth name	Andrew Clay Silverstein
Born	(1957-09-29) September 29, 1957 (age 67) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film
Years active	1978–present
Genres	Character comedy, observational comedy, improvisational comedy, political satire, shock humour, anti-humour
Spouse	Kathleen Swanson ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1986)​ Kathleen Monica ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 2002)​ Valerie Vasquez ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2014)​
Children	2

Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became famous in the late 1980s for his bold and unique comedy style, often using a character called "The Diceman." In 1990, he made history as the first stand-up comedian to sell out Madison Square Garden for two nights in a row. That same year, he starred in the comedy-mystery movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.

Clay has appeared in many movies and TV shows. He had praised supporting roles in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine (2013) and the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. For A Star Is Born, he was even nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. He continues to act and perform stand-up comedy today. His TV show, Dice, aired on Showtime for two seasons. He also started a podcast called I'm Ova Hea' Now in 2018.

Early Life and Beginnings

Andrew Clay Silverstein was born and grew up in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn, New York City. He is Jewish and has one sister. His father was a boxer and worked in real estate.

From a young age, Andrew loved to entertain. At five, he was doing impressions for his family. By seven, he was playing drums, inspired by big band music. He went to James Madison High School. As a teenager in the 1970s, he worked as a drummer for weddings and parties in the Catskill Mountains. He used the name Clay Silvers.

After returning to New York City, he tried to form his own big band but it didn't work out. He went to college but left to become a full-time comedian. Clay looks up to famous people like Elvis Presley, Fonzie, John Travolta, and Sylvester Stallone.

Comedy Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1970s

Clay began his stand-up comedy journey in 1978. He auditioned at Pips comedy club in Brooklyn and was offered a headline spot the very next week. He started by doing impressions, including a character called "The Diceman." This character was inspired by Jerry Lewis's Buddy Love from The Nutty Professor and later by John Travolta in Grease.

He spent three weeks getting his act ready. Early photos show him in a baggy white shirt and thick glasses, with a black leather jacket underneath. This allowed him to quickly change into his Travolta character. With his new act, Clay started performing at bigger comedy clubs like The Improv, Catch a Rising Star, and Dangerfield's. His father supported his unique act, and even his mother, though surprised at first, found his jokes funny.

Rising to Fame in the 1980s

In 1980, Clay moved to Los Angeles and started working at the Comedy Store. His performances weren't an instant hit, so he often performed late at night. In 1982, he got his first movie role in Wacko. By 1983, he officially added "Diceman" to his name. He stopped doing impressions and instead created his own unique character, inspired by his heroes. He first used this new act at the Comedy Store when he had to fill in for another comedian. He said he just "winged it" and said whatever came to his mind.

His shows at the Comedy Store led to TV roles on M*A*S*H and Diff'rent Strokes. He also appeared in movies like Making the Grade (1984) and Pretty in Pink (1986). From 1986 to 1988, he played Max Goldman on the TV series Crime Story. His stand-up act at this time also included a drum solo as a tribute to drummer Buddy Rich.

Clay's big break came in 1988. He performed at a special dinner event for Hollywood's important people. He showed up in a black leather jacket with a "Rock and Roll" flag on the back. His performance was a huge success! The next day, 20th Century Fox offered him a movie deal. Also in 1988, he performed a seven-minute set for Rodney Dangerfield's HBO special Nothing Goes Right, which brought him national attention.

In January 1989, Clay's HBO special, "The Diceman Cometh," aired and became a popular video rental. In March, he released his first comedy album, Dice. It sold over 500,000 copies in the US and reached No. 89 on the Billboard 200 chart. Performance magazine readers named him Comedy Act of the Year.

In December 1989, Clay recorded his second comedy album, The Day the Laughter Died, at Dangerfield's. It was released in March 1990 and sold 250,000 copies quickly, reaching No. 39 on the Billboard 200.

Success in the 1990s

In February 1990, Andrew Dice Clay became the first comedian to sell out two nights in a row at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A total of 38,000 people came to see him perform. He also appeared on Saturday Night Live in May 1990.

His agent, Dennis Arfa, helped him get his first HBO special and his starring role in the 1990 film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. For this movie, he later received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor in 1991.

In 1991, Clay started his own production company. Footage from his Madison Square Garden shows was used for his 1991 concert film Dice Rules. This was followed by One Night With Dice, which was filmed in 1986.

In July 1993, Clay released No Apologies, his first stand-up concert available on pay-per-view. Over 250,000 homes bought it, making it the highest-earning non-sports pay-per-view event that year. He followed this with another pay-per-view special, The Valentine's Day Massacre. In 1994, Clay took on more television roles.

In 1995, he signed a deal with CBS and starred in the sitcom Bless This House. By mid-1995, Clay explained that his "Diceman" character had grown very popular, which allowed him to do more TV and film work. This led to a change in his stand-up act, where he started talking more about being a husband and father, but still with his unique style.

In 1996, Clay released another HBO special called Assume the Position, where he returned to his "Dice" character. In 1998, he released the album Filth through his website. He also started appearing on the New York City radio show Opie and Anthony.

2000s and Beyond

In 2000, Clay released two more albums: I'm Over Here Now and Banned for Life.

In 2003, a CNN interview with Clay became a bit tense when the reporter asked about his career. Clay denied any problems and stated he was still a headline act. The very next night, he performed to a sold-out crowd at the Beacon Theatre, showing his continued popularity.

In 2005, Clay got his own show on Sirius Satellite Radio called Out of the Cage. In 2007, he tried a comeback with a reality TV series on VH1 called Dice: Undisputed, which ran for seven episodes.

He also appeared on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice 2. He was the first celebrity to be "fired" from the show. During the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity. Clay chose StandUp For Kids.

2010s and Recent Work

In July 2011, Clay was featured in the TV series Entourage and later appeared as himself in the Entourage movie. He also appeared as himself in an episode of Raising Hope in November 2011.

Clay in 2012

In May 2012, Clay was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He also performed at The Bamboozle festival in Asbury Park. In December 2012, he had a stand-up comedy special on Showtime called Indestructible.

From 2013 to 2015, Clay hosted a podcast called Rollin' with Dice and Wheels...The Podcast.

Clay appeared with Cate Blanchett in Woody Allen's movie Blue Jasmine, which came out in July 2013. He said it was exciting to do a dramatic role after not being in a movie for 12 years. His acting in the film received positive reviews.

In July 2013, Clay signed a book deal for his memoir, The Filthy Truth, which was released in November 2014.

In 2016, Clay had a guest role in the HBO TV series Vinyl, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger. In 2017, he competed with his wife on the Fox reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules.

In September 2018, Dice launched his new podcast I'm Ova Hea' Now. Later that year, he played Lorenzo in the musical drama film A Star is Born, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. He played Lady Gaga's character's father. Clay was chosen for the role over many other famous actors, and his performance was well-received.

Personal Life

Andrew Dice Clay has been married three times. He has two sons with his second wife, Kathleen Monica. One of his sons, Max, is also a stand-up comedian and sometimes performs before his father's shows.

In 2017, Clay had a stent placed in his heart. In 2021, he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a temporary condition that affects facial muscles, but he continues to perform live.

He has homes in both New York City and Los Angeles.

Selected Discography

• ADC: The Mixtape That Hates You (1988)
• Dice (1989)
• The Day the Laughter Died (1990)
• Dice Rules (1991)
• 40 Too Long (1992)
• The Day the Laughter Died, Part II (1993)
• No Apologies (1993)
• Filth (1998)
• Indestructible (2012)

Filmography

Comedy Specials

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Andrew Dice Clay para niños