David Strassman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Strassman |
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Strassman with Chuck Wood
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| Born | September 6, 1957 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Genres | Ventriloquism |
| Spouse | Lisa McLaughlin (ex) |
David Strassman (born September 6, 1957) is an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, and voice artist. He is famous for his shows with his puppet friends, especially Chuck Wood and Ted E. Bare.
Contents
David Strassman's Early Life
Strassman was born and grew up in Los Angeles County, California. He is the second of four children. His father, Harvey D. Strassman, was a psychiatrist and a university professor.
Strassman's Career Journey
When David was young, a trip to Disneyland made him want to try magic tricks. He started performing them for kids in his neighborhood.
In junior high, Strassman took a ventriloquism class. He quickly found out he was good at it and could even earn money from his performances!
Learning and Performing
Strassman later studied acting in New York. However, he soon returned to ventriloquism. He performed in public places like Central Park in New York and Leicester Square in London.
He also performed in comedy clubs in New York. In 1980, Strassman and his puppet, Chuck Wood, appeared in the movie Humanoids from the Deep.
Bringing Puppets to Life
In 1986, Strassman made his puppet, Chuck Wood, even more amazing. He added remote controls to Chuck. This allowed Chuck to move and seem alive even when Strassman was not directly touching him.
He used technology from remote control airplanes and even a NASA facility! This new trick let Chuck appear to come to life after Strassman left the stage. Strassman would speak into a hidden microphone to make Chuck "talk." He first showed this routine on TV in 1989.
Performances Around the World
Strassman has performed in many places. In 1995, he was on The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. In 1996, he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. There, he won two awards for comedy.
He often performs in Australia, New Zealand, and Britain.
Strassman on Television
Strassman also had his own TV talk show called "Strassman." On this show, his puppet character, Chuck Wood, would interview famous people. The show was made in Australia, England, and New Zealand.
DVDs and Stage Shows
Strassman has released six DVD shows. These include Strassman Live (1999), The Chuck You Tour (2003), Get Chuck'd Tour (2007), Ted E's Farewell (2010), Careful What You Wish For (2014), and iTedE (2018).
In 2010, he performed in a play called "Duality." This play was about a ventriloquist who talked to himself through a puppet. Strassman used both manual and robotic controls for the puppet in the play.
Strassman also visits children's hospitals with his characters while on tour. His show, Careful What you Wish For, toured Australia until April 2014.
Meet Strassman's Puppet Friends
David Strassman brings many different puppet characters to life. Here are some of them:
- Chuck Wood - This puppet looks like he's from the 1950s. Chuck is known for telling jokes and sometimes being a bit silly. He can also be controlled remotely. In later shows, Chuck sometimes has a different look, like a shaved head and goatee.
- Ted E. Bare - A soft Teddy bear puppet. Ted E. is innocent, curious, and sometimes a bit slow. Chuck often teases him. In some shows, there's an alternate version of Ted E. who smokes cigars!
- Sid Beaverman - A beaver puppet who tries to be a stand-up comedian. In some shows, he appears as a koala named Sidney Australia Wellington.
- Kevin - An alien puppet made of foam. Strassman controls Kevin by hand.
- Grandpa Fred - Ted E. Bare's grandfather, who sometimes forgets things. In some shows, Grandpa Fred is an old transgender bear named Grandpa Frieda.
- A.N.G.E.L - Strassman's first female puppet. A.N.G.E.L is a robot. Special technology makes Strassman's voice sound like a female robot.
- Buttons the Clown - A clown puppet that seems a bit clumsy.
- Little Ricky - A baby puppet who is very nice to Strassman.
- The Dinosaurs - Robotic dinosaur puppets that sing pre-recorded songs.
- Vinny - A character based on the story of King Midas, who loved gold.
Strassman also has some non-puppet characters in his shows:
- The Crows - These are robotic puppets who want to be musicians. They sometimes can't stop sneezing or burping.
- Mr. Invisible - A character who auditions for a role. Strassman pretends to talk to an invisible puppet, which makes Chuck Wood think Strassman has lost his mind!
- Guido the Teddy Impersonator - This character looks a lot like Ted E. Bare but has a misshapen head. He was supposedly in trouble for pretending to be Ted E.
- Charley - A small, programmable robot toy. Chuck Wood sometimes hacks Strassman's computer to make Charley do funny and unexpected things.
- Mumbles - Another character who tries to replace Ted E. Strassman realizes he forgot to give Mumbles a mouth, so he can't join the show.
Television Appearances
David Strassman has been on many TV shows:
- Lifestyles with Regis Philbin
- Evening at the Improv
- Strassman (England ITV)
- BBC Royal Variety Show
- The Late Late Show (Ireland)
- Strassman (Australia)
- Good Morning Australia (Australia Ch. 10)
- Hey Hey It's Saturday (Australia Ch. 9)
- Today Tonight (Australia Ch. 7)
- Strassman (New Zealand TV2)
Film Appearances
- Humanoids from the Deep
Radio Appearances
Strassman has also been on radio shows in Australia and New Zealand:
- ABC Radio with Ben Elton
- 3AW Radio
- 4BC
- More FM
- MIX 106.3 FM Canberra
