George Wallace (American comedian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Wallace
Wallace in 2014
Birth name	George Henry Wallace
Born	(1952-07-21) July 21, 1952 (age 73) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Medium	Television, stand-up, film
Years active	1977–present
Parent(s)	George Wallace Sr. (father) Mary Lou Wallace (mother)
Relative(s)	Steve Wallace (brother)

George Henry Wallace, born on July 21, 1952, is a well-known American comedian and actor. He has appeared in many movies and TV shows. You might have seen him in films like Batman Forever (1995), where he played the Mayor of Gotham City. He was also in The Ladykillers (2004) as Sheriff Wyner.

Wallace has also made guest appearances in popular TV shows. He was in the sitcom Scrubs and Seinfeld. In Seinfeld, he played a doctor in the episode "The Checks". More recently, he starred as Mayor Benson in Hubie Halloween (2020).

Early Life and Education

George Wallace was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were Mary Lou and George Wallace Sr. He went to Lynwood Park Elementary School and Lynwood Park High School.

When he was sixteen, his mother passed away. He then moved to Ohio and started working at Firestone Tire. The company helped him pay for college. He studied at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. There, he learned about transportation, marketing, and advertising.

Comedy Career

After college, Wallace moved to New York City. He wanted to follow his dream of becoming a comedian. At first, it was hard to find success in comedy. So, he worked as a salesman for an advertising company to earn money.

His big chance came when one of his clients opened a comedy club. The owner thought George was naturally funny. He offered George a chance to perform stand-up comedy. In 1977, George Wallace went on stage for the very first time. He wore a preacher's robe and called himself "The Right Reverend Dr. George Wallace." His jokes were completely made up on the spot, which is called improvised. He lived in New York City for several years, improving his comedy skills. He even lived with his friend, fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

In 1978, Wallace moved to the West Coast. He quickly became known as a talented young comedian. After one of his shows, producers from The Redd Foxx Show asked him to write for their popular TV series. But after just one year of writing, Wallace decided to go back to performing on stage.

He became a regular performer at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California. Many other famous comedians also performed there, like Richard Pryor and Jay Leno. Wallace also toured with his comedy show. He opened for music stars like George Benson and Diana Ross.

In 1995, George Wallace was named the Best Male Standup Comedian at the American Comedy Awards. He often says that his jokes come from everyday life. His funny comments about society were also popular on the radio. He was a regular on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. He also had his own special on HBO. He has appeared on many famous TV shows, including The Tonight Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In December 2007, Wallace had an accident on stage. He fell during a show at the Bellagio resort hotel and casino in Las Vegas. He sued the Bellagio, saying they were careless because of loose wires on the stage. In April 2014, a jury in Las Vegas agreed with Wallace. They awarded him $1.3 million.

After winning his case, Wallace announced he would stop being a headliner in Las Vegas. He had performed there for 10 years. He wanted to work on other projects. He said, "There are so many things to do. It's time to get into something new."

Personal Life

George Wallace has thought about getting involved in politics. In 2006, he considered running for mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada. He said that if he were mayor, he would improve the Las Vegas Strip. He wanted to add an easy-to-use monorail and close the Strip to cars. He also planned to make the road system behind the hotels bigger.

He was the best man at his friend, comedian Jerry Seinfeld's wedding.

George Wallace's brother, Steve Wallace, was a professional football player. He played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Podcasts