Lewis Black facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lewis Black
Black in 2007
Birth name	Lewis Niles Black
Born	(1948-08-30) August 30, 1948 (age 76) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Medium	Film stand-up television
Education	University of Maryland, College Park University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Years active	1970s–present
Genres	Black comedy news satire observational comedy political satire
Subject(s)	American culture American politics current events pop culture

Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is famous for his comedy style, where he pretends to get very angry and rants about topics like history, politics, and modern life.

He hosted the Comedy Central show Lewis Black's Root of All Evil. He also has a regular part on The Daily Show called "Back in Black," which he started when Craig Kilborn was the host. In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 51st greatest stand-up comedian of all time.

You might know his voice from the Pixar movie Inside Out and its 2024 sequel, Inside Out 2. He plays the character Anger, who is always red and fiery.

Besides comedy, Lewis Black has supported important causes. Since 2013, he has worked with the American Civil Liberties Union as an "ambassador for voting rights." He is also on the board of directors for the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library.

Early Life and Education

Lewis Black was born in Washington, D.C., on August 30, 1948. His mother, Jeannette, was a teacher, and his father, Samuel, was an artist and mechanical engineer. He grew up in a Jewish family in Silver Spring, Maryland. His grandparents came to the United States from Ukraine and Poland.

After graduating from Springbrook High School in 1966, he went to college. He first attended the University of Maryland, College Park for a year. Then, he transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied playwriting. He graduated in 1970.

Later, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the prestigious Yale School of Drama in 1977.

Beginning of His Career

Black started his career in theater as a playwright, which means he wrote plays. He worked at the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in New York City from 1981 to 1989. There, he wrote hundreds of short plays.

He also wrote a musical called The Czar of Rock and Roll, which was first performed in 1990. To warm up the audience for his plays, Black would perform stand-up comedy. He soon realized he was very good at it. When there was a change in management at the theater, he left to become a full-time comedian.

Comedy Career

Stand-up Specials

Black became well-known through his comedy specials. He starred in his first special on Comedy Central Presents in 1998 and did two more in 2000 and 2002. He also had a popular HBO special in 2004 called Black on Broadway.

In 2006, he filmed another HBO special, Red, White, and Screwed, in Washington, D.C. He won a Grammy Award in 2007 for "Best Comedy Album" for The Carnegie Hall Performance.

In 2008, he hosted a show on Comedy Central called The Root of All Evil. On the show, comedians would debate which of two things was "more evil," and Black would act as the judge.

Over the years, he has released many comedy specials and albums, including Stark Raving Black (2009), In God We Rust (2011), and Thanks for Risking Your Life (2020).

Film and Television Roles

Black in 2007 at "Stand Up for Heroes"

Besides stand-up, Lewis Black has acted in many movies and TV shows. He has appeared on shows like Law & Order and The Big Bang Theory.

In 2006, he acted in the movie Accepted, where he played the dean of a fake college. He also appeared in Man of the Year and Unaccompanied Minors.

Voice Acting Work

Lewis Black has a very recognizable voice, which he has used for many animated characters.

• Anger: His most famous voice role is Anger in the Pixar movies Inside Out and Inside Out 2.
• Mr. E: He voiced the mysterious character Mr. E in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.
• Spider-Bytez: He played a villain named Spider-Bytez in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Santa Claus: He has also voiced Santa Claus in the popular cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants.

Published Works

• Nothing's Sacred (2005)
• Me of Little Faith (2008)
• I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas (2010)
• One Slight Hitch (Play, 2013)

Media Releases

CDs

DVDs

• Unleashed (2002)
• Black on Broadway (2004)
• A Pair of Lewis Black Shorts (2006)
• Red, White, and Screwed (2006)
• History of the Joke with Lewis Black (2008)
• Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black (2009)
• Stark Raving Black (2009)
• In God We Rust (2012)
• Lewis Black: Old Yeller - Live At the Borgata In Atlantic City (2013)
• Black to the Future (2017)
• Thanks for Risking Your Life (2020)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Lewis Black para niños