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Fred Armisen

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Fred Armisen
Armisen performing at Webster Hall in 2001. (Photo by Tammy Lo)
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
SpouseSally Timms (divorced)

Fred Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American musician, comedian, and actor, known for his work as a castmember on Saturday Night Live.

Biography

Career

Armisen began his career in 1988 when he moved from New York to Chicago to play drums for the punk rock band, Trenchmouth. In the 1990s, he played background drums with Blue Man Group in Chicago, and in 1997 toured with David Shouse of The Grifters' sideband, Those Bastard Souls, which also featured The Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd.

Armisen's transition from music to comedy occurred with the 1998 short film Fred Armisen’s Guide to Music and South by Southwest. The film featured Armisen's trip to the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, where he captured reactions while posing as a music journalist. After this, Armisen began doing stand-up comedy. In 2002, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player. In the 2004 season, he was promoted to a repertory cast member. On SNL, he is noted for hardly ever breaking character. He has done a handful of supporting roles. His most famous role (hugely popular with the college crowd) was that of the creepy Italian man in the film Eurotrip. Also, he appeared in the films Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Deck the Halls.

As of 2007, Armisen continues to star on Saturday Night Live. The same year, he was seen in a supporting role in the comedy The Ex and in a starring role in the comedy Quebec. He has also created a comedy team with former Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein titled "ThunderAnt". [1] Armisen will also be seen in the upcoming feature The Rocker starring Rainn Wilson.

Throughout his comedic rise Armisen has maintained substantial ties with music. Armisen has directed music videos for bands like The Helio Sequence. Armisen also had a memorable role in the Wilco documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, which featured footage from his stint opening for frontman Jeff Tweedy's 2001 solo tour. He also appeared in video segments on Blue Man Group's How to Be a Megastar Tour 2.0.[2] Armisen occasionally writes for Pitchfork Media, and interviewed Cat Power for them.[3] Fred appeared as Jens Hannemann on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 19, 2007, promoting a 28 minute DVD; Fred Armisen presents, Jens Hannemann "COMPLICATED DRUMMING TECHNIQUE." On SNL, Armisen often plays musical instruments in sketches, has two recurring characters who are musicians (Mackey the drummer from "The Rialto Grande" and Ferecito from "Showbiz Grande Explosion), or impersonates famous figures in the music world such as Liberace, Phil Spector, Lou Reed, and, most notably, Prince.

Armisen directed the music video for The Helio Sequence's "Don't Look Away". He is noted for his quote, "You gotta get yourself some marble columns!"

Armisen is the second Latin-American Saturday Night Live castmember, after Horatio Sanz (Sanz is Chilean while Armisen is Venezuelan on his mother's side). Armisen, being part Japanese (and German) is also the second Asian-American castmember of SNL after Rob Schneider who is part Filipino.

Saturday Night Live

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Time Lincoln
2007 Quebec
2007 The Ex Manny
2006 Deck the Halls Gustave
2006 Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny Security Guard #2
2006 Griffin & Phoenix
2006 Kiss Me Again Dr. Szabo
2005 Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo Frenchman Uncredited
2005 Looking for a Thrill: An Anthology of Inspiration Himself Video
2004 Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie Tino Video
2004 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Tino
2004 EuroTrip Creepy Italian Guy
2003 Frank International Film Festival Frank Short film, video
2003 Melvin Goes to Dinner Vesa
2002 Like Mike New Age Dad
2002 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Himself
1998 Guide to Music and South by Southwest Various Characters Short film, also writer and director

Television

Year Title Role Notes
[[2007 30 Rock Raheem Guest star, episode: "Somebody to Love"
2006 Freak Show Dane Cheff Guest star, voice only, episode: "Elections"
2006 Tom Goes to the Mayor Phillip Priest/Serpent Expert Guest star, voice only, episode: "Jeffy the Sea Serpent"
2006 Squidbillies Jesus Guest star, voice only, episode: "Giant Foam Dickhat Trouble"
2005 Squidbillies Miguel Guest star, voice only, episode: "Office Politics Trouble"
2005 Squidbillies Miguel Guest star, voice only, episode: "Take This Job and Love It"
2004 12:21 Jeremy Television special
2004 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Poncho Guest star, voice only, episode: "Hypno-Germ"
2003-present Crank Yankers Chip Douglas Guest star, multiple episodes
2002-Present Saturday Night Live Various Characters Series regular
2002 Late World with Zach Various Characters Guest star, multiple episodes
2002 Next! Various Characters Series regular, failed television pilot
2001 Late Friday Fericito Guest star, episode: "Episode #1.12"
2001 Late Friday Father Fred Guest star, episode: "Episode 1.8"

Discography with the band Trenchmouth

Year Title Role Notes
1996 The Broadcasting System
1994 Trenchmouth Vs. the Light of the Sun
1993 Inside the Future
1991 Construction of New Action: Volume 1: First There Was Movement

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ http://www.howtobeamegastar.com/
  3. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39649/Interview_Interview_Cat_Power/



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