Brian Dunkleman

Brian "The Dunkster" Dunkleman (born September 25 1971 in Ellicottville, New York) is a comedian and actor, best known for co-hosting the first season of American Idol on the Fox Network with Ryan Seacrest.

He has appeared on The Tonight Show, had a recurring guest role on Two Guys and a Girl, played a stand-up comic suspected of murder in NYPD Blue, voiced himself in an episode of The Proud Family, in which the show parodied American Idol, did voices for the animated 3 South, and is acting in an independent film called Comedy Hell. He also had a small role on an episode of Friends as the man who buys the engagement ring Chandler wants to buy Monica. He recently was a co-host with Eric the Midget on "The Idol Re-cap Show" on Sirius' Howard 101. He now does voice over for American Idol Rewind. In July of 2007, Dunkleman shocked the audience at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, stating "If wishes came true Ryan Seacrest would have AIDS," and that Seacrest "probably already has AIDS."

Dunkleman began doing stand up comedy in 1992, winning the “Buffalo’s Funniest New Comedian Contest." Since then he’s also performed at HBO’s US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, NBC’s “Late Friday," and TBS”s “Very Funny at the Laugh Factory." He's also acted in pilots for ABC and 20th Century FOX and guest-starred on the late night talk show “Talk Show with Spike Feresten”, “The Ghost Whisperer”, & “Las Vegas”.

Brian can also be seen doing stand up regularly in Los Angeles at the Laugh Factory and Improv, and he makes regular appearances as the host of “Family Feud Live” in Las Vegas and Atlantic City for Fremantle Media.