Lewis Niles Black is an American funnyman and actor. He talks a lot about history, politics, religion, and what’s happening in our culture. He hosted a show called Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil on Comedy Central and also appears regularly on The Daily Show, where he shares his thoughts in a segment called “Back in Black.” People really like him, and in 2004, Comedy Central ranked him as the 51st greatest stand-up comedian. He’s been part of other rankings too, like being 5th in 2008 and 11th in 2010.
Lewis Black is more than just a comedian. He voiced Anger in the Pixar movie Inside Out, and he’s been a spokesperson for the Aruba Tourism Authority. Plus, he’s all about voting rights and has been an “ambassador for voting rights” for the American Civil Liberties Union since 2013.
When he’s not making people laugh on stage, Lewis Black lives in Manhattan and also has a home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Let’s talk about his early years. Lewis was born on August 30, 1948, in Washington, D.C. His mom was a teacher, and his dad was an artist and mechanical engineer. He grew up in a middle-class Jewish family in Maryland. His grandparents came from places like Ukraine and Poland. After high school, he went to the University of Maryland, College Park, and later transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied playwriting.
Lewis tried starting a theater company but faced some challenges. Eventually, he went back to Washington, worked at the Appalachian Regional Commission, wrote plays, and did stand-up at a place called the Brickskeller in Dupont Circle.
He earned a master’s degree at the Yale School of Drama in 1977 and got married for a short time when he was 26 years old.
Lewis Black’s career started in theater, but he always had a thing for stand-up. He worked at the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in New York City and wrote lots of plays. Then, he began working as a comedian and appeared in TV and movies.
Now, let’s talk about his comedic style. Lewis looks up to comedians like George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart, and Shelley Berman.
He made a name for himself with stand-up. In 1994, he appeared on A&E’s An Evening at the Improv. He did comedy specials for Comedy Central, HBO, and even won a Grammy Award for “Best Comedy Album” in 2007. He hosted shows, like The Root of All Evil and History of the Joke with Lewis Black.
Lewis also tried his hand at acting. You might have seen him in Law and Order, The Big Bang Theory, or the film Accepted.
He’s done voice work too! Lewis was Anger in Inside Out and voiced characters in Duck Dodgers, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Lewis Black is a busy guy, but he also goes on tours. He performed at events like the Bonnaroo music festival and did a benefit show at his high school.
In 2000, he faced some legal trouble related to an incident with a bus and topless women, but it seems like he took it in stride and even cracked a joke about it on The Daily Show.
That’s Lewis Black in a nutshell – a funny, talented guy who’s been making people laugh for a long time.