Birthdate
April 4, 1964
Birthplace
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Nationality
United States
Professions
Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter, Producer
Companions
Mary Lynn Rajskub, Amber Tamblyn
A key figure in the rise of alternative comedy in the 1990s, writer-actor-comedian David Cross was associated with two of the subgenre's most lasting and influential television shows - "Mr. Show with Bob and David" (HBO, 1995-98) and "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06). The inventive sketch comedy show and the half-hour sitcom, respectively, were both adored by critics and earned a loyal following among comedy and alternative pop culture fans, but their niche audiences failed to deliver the numbers their respective networks demanded. In his stand-up comedy, Cross was fiercely intelligent, brutally honest, and often confrontational, especially in the fields of politics and religion. Cross managed to build a solid career at the fringes of Hollywood, with a Grammy-nominated stand-up album, voiceover work for offbeat animated series like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" (Adult Swim, 2000- ) and "Crank Yankers," (Comedy Central, 2002-05; MTV2, 2007), and big screen character roles in the films "I'm Not There" (2007) and "Year One" (2009). Longtime Cross devotees, however, truly appreciated the work of his own creation, "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret" (IFC, 2010-12) and thrilled at news of the revival of "Arrested Development" on the media provider Netflix. Irreverent, opinionated and outspoken, Cross somehow managed to work on an incredibly wide array of projects, while never compromising his professional integrity or recognized comedic persona.David Cross was born in Atlanta, GA on April 4, 1964. His father abandoned the family when David was 10 years old and they moved to nearby Roswell. His classmates at Atlanta's Northside High School of the Performing Arts voted him "Most Humorous." After high school, Cross moved to Boston, MA, but after only a year and a half at Emerson College, he left to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian on the local comedy scene. He began his career in television on Fox's seminal "The Ben Stiller Show" (1992-93). Although hired on as a writer, Cross occasionally made brief appearances in some of the sketches, including a memorable role in one of the show's most ambitious sketches, "The Legend of T.J. O'Pootertoots," which was written almost entirely by Cross. Although the show lasted for just 13 episodes, it unleashed a tremendous collection of talent into the comedy world, including Stiller Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, and most importantly for Cross, future collaborator Bob Odenkirk. Pooling $18,000 of their own money, the new comedy partnership financed a series of comedy showcases that became the prototype for their future TV success.Although Cross appeared in several films after the 1993 cancellation of "The Ben Stiller Show," nothing compared to his next collaboration with Odenkirk - 1995's "Mr. Show with Bob and David." The absurdist sketch show - which resembled "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (BBC1, 1969-1974) more than any other American sketch show - was adored by critics and eventually garnered a huge cult following. But like most Cross projects, the show was far from a smash success in its day; instead it developed a nostalgic following by fans years later. In 1996, the bespectacled, balding Cross appeared in three films, essentially as the weird and/or nerdy guy: "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," "The Cable Guy" and "Waiting for Guffman." That image, coupled with the growing cult respect for "Mr. Show" and several stand-up specials, eventually made Cross the poster child for alternative comedy. By the late-1990s and into the new millennium, simply casting him in a film gave it a certain indie-comedy cred. It did not, however, guarantee success. Cross starred in and along with Odenkirk and others, co-wrote 2002's "Run Ronnie Run," a film inspired by a "Mr. Show" sketch. The film was never released theatrically, but in fairness, Odenkirk and Cross refused to associate themselves with the film's final cut.By 2003, Cross' cult following had become so large that he essentially aband
