Matt Besser

Matt Besser was born on September 22, 1967, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is probably best known for his work on the Comedy Central improv sketch show, Upright Citizens Brigade. The Upright Citizens Brigade, which started out as a Chicago improv comedy club in 1991, earned a cult following from the start.

In 1997, the Upright Citizens Brigade relocated to New York City. It was here where they produced their three seasons of Upright Citizens Brigade on Comedy Central from 1998 to 2001. The cast consisted of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts , Matt Walsh , and originally directed by Del Close. Although highly influential, the show could be considered just too far ahead of its time.

Since then Matt Besser, along with the rest of the UCB crew, has moved on to individual projects. He was the creator of the MTV hidden camera show, Stung. And in 2004, had a bit in the Will Ferrell movie, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. He also created and starred in his second Comedy Central show, Crossballs, mocking news debate shows by putting fake experts against real people.

As of 2004, he still runs his comedy club, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, in Chelsea, Manhattan, and continues to do solo improv comedy where he lives in Los Angeles, California.

External links

• Official Matt Besser Site
• Official Upright Citizens Brigade Website
• The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
• Official Crossballs Website
• Crossballs Fan Page
• Salon article on Matt Besser's prank call CD
• Matt Besser in the Chicago Improviser Directory