Del Close facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Del Close
Born	(1934-03-09)March 9, 1934 Manhattan, Kansas, U.S.
Died	March 4, 1999(1999-03-04) (aged 64) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Resting place	Goodman Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, writer, teacher
Years active	1960–1999
Notable work	The Delmonic Interviews iO The Del Close Theater Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation

Del Close (born March 9, 1934 – died March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher. He helped train many famous comedians and comic actors in the late 1900s. Del Close also had a career in TV and movies. He was a big influence on modern improvisational theater, often called improv. He also co-founded the ImprovOlympic (iO) theater.

Del Close: A Comedy Legend

Early Life and Start in Comedy

Del Close was born on March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas. When he was 17, he ran away from home. He worked for a short time in a traveling side show. Later, he went back to attend Kansas State University.

At 19, Del performed in summer plays with the Belfry Players. This was near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. By age 23, he joined the Compass Players in St. Louis. Many actors from this group, like Mike Nichols and Elaine May, moved to New York City. Del followed them.

In New York, he started a stand-up comedy act. He also acted in a Broadway musical called The Nervous Set. He performed briefly with an improv group in Greenwich Village. Del also worked with John Brent. They recorded a funny album called How to Speak Hip. It made fun of language-learning guides.

Building a Career in Chicago

In 1960, Del Close moved to Chicago. This city became his main home for most of his life. He worked at Second City, a famous improv theater. He performed and directed there.

In the late 1960s, he moved to San Francisco. There, he was the main director for an improv group called The Committee. This group included actors like Gary Goodrow and Howard Hesseman.

Del returned to Chicago and Second City in 1972. He also directed for Second City's group in Toronto in 1977. For the next ten years, he coached many popular comedians. In the early 1980s, he worked at Saturday Night Live. Many actors on that show were students of Del Close.

In the mid-1980s and 1990s, he taught improv. He worked with Charna Halpern at Yes And Productions. They also worked together at the ImprovOlympic Theater.

In 1987, Del Close put on his first written show. It was called Honor Finnegan vs. the Brain of the Galaxy. He also appeared in The TV Dinner Hour. In this show, he played a funny character called The Rev. Thing.

Del's Work in Movies and Comics

During this time, Del Close also acted in several movies. He played a city official in The Untouchables. He was also an English teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

He co-wrote comic books too. He worked on the horror series Wasteland for DC Comics. He also wrote parts of "Munden's Bar" in the Grimjack comic series. In 1993, Del performed in Steve Martin's play Picasso at the Lapin Agile. This play premiered in Chicago.

Del's Last Years and Legacy

Del Close passed away on March 4, 1999. He was almost 65 years old. He died from a lung condition called emphysema.

He had a unique wish for after his death. He wanted his skull to be used in plays of Hamlet at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. He even wanted to be credited as the character Yorick in the program. His long-time partner, Charna Halpern, said she gave a skull that was his. However, later reports questioned if it was really his skull.

Before Del's death, Bill Murray organized an early 65th birthday party for him. This event was also a memorial.

After Del Close died, his former students created something special. The Upright Citizens Brigade group started the annual Del Close Marathon. This is a three-day event in New York City. Hundreds of performers do continuous improv.

Famous Students of Del Close

Del Close taught and influenced many well-known comedians and actors. Here are some of them:

The Delmonic Interviews Film

In 2002, Cesar Jaime and Jeff Pacocha made a film. It was called The Delmonic Interviews. The film featured interviews with Del Close's former students, friends, and co-workers. It showed his life and how he impacted people. It also explored the art form of improv that he helped create.

The film was made as a thank you to Del. It helped people who never met him understand what he was like. It included interviews with people like Charna Halpern, Matt Besser, Rachel Dratch, and Amy Poehler. The film was shown at several improv festivals.

Del Close in Books

Del Close is featured in Something Wonderful Right Away. This book is about the members of the Compass Players and Second City. It was written by Jeffrey Sweet.

From 1984 to 1988, Del Close wrote comic book stories. He co-wrote "Munden's Bar" stories in Grimjack with John Ostrander. He also co-wrote horror stories in the DC Comics title Wasteland. Some of these stories were based on his own experiences.

In 2004, writer R. O'Donnell wrote "My Summer With Del." This article was for Stop Smiling magazine. It described his visits with Del at his Chicago apartment.

In 2005, Jeff Griggs published Guru: My Days with Del Close. This book shared details about their friendship. It covered the last two years of Del's life. The book was later adapted into a screenplay. Harold Ramis (who passed away in 2014) wanted Bill Murray to play Del in the movie.

Del Close also co-authored the 1994 book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation. He wrote it with Charna Halpern and Kim "Howard" Johnson. This book explains techniques used in longform improvisation. It also describes the "Harold" structure, which is common in longer improv scenes.

In 2007, Eric Spitznagel wrote an article about Del in The Believer magazine. It focused on Del's life and his love for storytelling.

In 2008, Kim "Howard" Johnson published The Funniest One in the Room: The Lives and Legends of Del Close. This is a full biography of Del. Johnson was a student of Del's and they remained friends.

In 2022, Bob Odenkirk wrote his memoir, Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama. It includes parts of an interview with Del Close. Del was very important in starting Odenkirk's career.

Del Close's Film Appearances

Del Close appeared in several movies and TV shows:

• Goldstein (1964)
• Beware! The Blob (1972) as Hobo Wearing Eyepatch
• Gold (1972) as Hawk
• American Graffiti (1973) as Man at Bar (Guy)
• The Last Affair (1976)
• Thief (1981) as Mechanic #1
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) as English Teacher
• One More Saturday Night (1986) as Mr. Schneider / Large Tattooed Man
• Light of Day (1987) as Dr. Natterson
• The Untouchables (1987) as Alderman
• The Big Town (1987) as Deacon Daniels
• The Blob (1988) as Reverend Meeker
• Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) as Dr. Kenneth Whiteside
• Next of Kin (1989) as Frank
• Opportunity Knocks (1990) as Williamson
• The Public Eye (1992) as H.R. Rineman
• Mommy 2: Mommy's Day (1997) as Warden
• Upright Citizens Brigade (1998) as opening Narrator (voice)
• For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close (2020) documentary footage