Dennis Wolfberg
| Dennis Wolfberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 29, 1946 Long Island, New York |
| Died | October 3, 1994 (aged 48) Culver City, California |
| Medium | Stand up, Television |
| Nationality | American |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Self-deprecation, Human behavior, Religion, Human sexuality, Education |
Dennis Wolfberg (March 29, 1946 – October 3, 1994) was an American stand up comedian and actor.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Born in Long Island, New York, Wolfberg taught sixth-grade students for 12 years in the South Bronx before leaving for a full-time comedy career in 1979. [1] Wolfberg attended Queen's College where he received a master's degree in clinical psychology.[2]
Wolfberg married fellow comedian Jeannie McBride in 1985. The couple had three sons.[1]
[edit] Comedy career
Wolfberg was a frequent guest on both The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He starred in his own half-hour comedy special on HBO in 1990.[2] He also had a recurring role as Gooshie on NBC's Quantum Leap, and in April 1993 Entertainment Tonight aired "A Day in the Life of Dennis Wolfberg," focusing on his relentless touring schedule.
He appeared at comedy clubs across the country, and he was twice named America's top male comic in votes by clubgoers and owners nationwide. In 1990 he won an American Comedy Award as best male standup.[1]
[edit] Death
Wolfberg died of cancer on October 3, 1994. Though he battled cancer for at least two years, he continued to work through the end of August 1994. At the time of his death from melanoma, he was negotiating a deal for his own TV show.
[edit] Filmography & TV Appearances
- Comedy Club Greats (2007)
- Best of the Improv Volume 4 (2002)
- Comic Strip Live!
- The Clairvoyant - Comedian (1982) - aka The Killing Hour (1985) (USA: video title), aka The Killing Kind (1985) (USA: video title)
- Late Night With David Letterman - Guest - 860428 (1986)
- Quantum Leap
- - Gooshie - "Genesis" - (1989)
- - Gooshie - "The Leap Back" (1991)
- - Gooshie - "Lee Harvey Oswald" (1992)
- - Gooshie - "Killin' Time" (1992)
- - Gooshie - "Mirror Image" (1993)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - Guest - Show #4488 (1992)
- Teacher Teacher (1990) (TV short), Plot Outline: Wolfberg relived some of his finest moments as a teacher, and proves that in a tough classroom, a good sense of humor is the most essential weapon.
- Frank Chindamo's Shorts - A collection of Frank Chindamo's comic short subjects, which explore modern mishaps related to such subjects as phone sex, radio psychology, jelly donuts, styling mousse, angry cats, blind dates, bondage, and Gilbert Gottfried with x-ray vision.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Dennis Wolfberg, Comedian, 44, Dies". New York Times. October 5, 1994. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/05/obituaries/dennis-wolfberg-comedian-44-dies.html. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ a b "Dennis Wolfberg; Gifted Stand-Up Comic Was 48". Los Angeles Times. October 5, 1994. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-05/news/mn-46630_1_dennis-wolfberg. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
