Kevin Meaney

Kevin Meaney

Kevin Meaney | |
---|---|
Birth name | Kevin Gerard Meaney |
Born | (1956-04-23)April 23, 1956 White Plains, New York, United States |
Died | October 21, 2016(2016-10-21)(aged 60) Forestburgh, New York, United States |
Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1980–2016 |
Spouse |
|
Children | 1 |
Kevin Gerard Meaney (April 23, 1956 – October 21, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.
Kevin Meaney | |
---|---|
Birth name | Kevin Gerard Meaney |
Born | (1956-04-23)April 23, 1956 White Plains, New York, United States |
Died | October 21, 2016(2016-10-21)(aged 60) Forestburgh, New York, United States |
Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1980–2016 |
Spouse |
|
Children | 1 |
Career
Meaney began his career in comedy in 1980. His big break into mainstream culture is considered to be his first HBO comedy special in 1986, followed by his debut performance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1987.[1]
After that, his act was broadcast several times by HBO, Comedy Central and several network television stations with appearances on The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Conan.[2][3]
His most famous catchphrase was "That's not right!", delivered while doing an impression of his mother, which was followed by, and usually preceded by, her complaints and remonstrations. Typically, his act consisted of commentary about his family and complaints about hotel service. Often, Meaney closed his show with a rendition of the 1985 song "We Are the World" which included comical impressions of the various singers who originally sang the song.[4]
He often ended his performance with a few jokes that intentionally would not get a good response in order to follow them up with a song reminiscent of "I Don't Care" by Jean Lenox and Harry O. Sutton sung about how he doesn't care whether the audience laughs at his jokes.
Meaney was involved in a number of television programs, including Ned & Stacey, Dr. Katz, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Garfield and Friends, Rocko's Modern Life, London Underground, and Duckman. He starred as the title character on the short-lived sitcom version of Uncle Buck.
He was also a singer and musician, writing and producing songs for HBO and Comedy Central with his co-writer Martin Olson, with whom he wrote several television series. He intermittently appeared on The Jay Thomas Show as a co-host. In 1996, he wrote and performed a one-man play titled Vegas Vows based loosely on his brief marriage to a woman he had just met.[5]
For seven years in the 2000s, Meaney performed in various roles in the Broadway musical Hairspray.
Personal life
In 2002, Meaney was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport. After his wife set off a metal detector and lifted her shirt high enough to expose her bra, he reportedly got belligerent and was asked twice not to film the security operations of the terminal. A scuffle with police ensued.[6]
Death
Discography
That's Not Right (2004)
Filmography
Features
Big (1988)
Plump Fiction (1998)
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1999)
Shut Up and Kiss Me (2004)
Heterosexuals (2010)
Blood Ransom (2014)
Television
Saturday Night Live (1986)
CBS Summer Playhouse (1988)
Uncle Buck (1990)
The Jackie Thomas Show (1993)
Garfield and Friends (1994)
Duckman (1994)
Ned and Stacey (1995)
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995)
Rocko's Modern Life (1996)
Brotherly Love (1997)
The Tom Show (1997)
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1998)
Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (1998)
Mad Jack the Pirate (1998)
The Nightmare Room (2002)
30 Rock (2010)
2 Broke Girls (2015)
Gotham Comedy Live (2014)
Hidden America with Jonah Ray (2016)