David Wain

David Wain
Wain in 2008
Born	David Benjamin Wain August 1, 1969 (1969-08-01) (age 42) Shaker Heights, Ohio
Spouse	Zandy Hartig
Website
http://davidwain.com/

David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor and director. He is most widely known for the feature films Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer, the 1990s' sketch comedy series The State and for directing the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital. Wain was a founding member of Stella, along with Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black.

Early life

Wain was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Wain first began his career in 1991 as a writer/director, with the short film Aisle Six.^{[citation needed]} The film stars Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Patrick Jann and other members of The State. In 1988 while attending NYU, Wain became a founding member of the sketch comedy group The New Group. This group would later come to be known as The State, and in 1993 he and his fellow members created and starred in The State, a sketch show that lasted 26 episodes on MTV. After The State ended, he, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter eventually formed the comedy trio Stella.

Career

Wain's first feature film Wet Hot American Summer (2001) is an absurdist summer camp comedy starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black and Elizabeth Banks. Wain directed the film, and co-wrote/co-produced it with Michael Showalter, who also plays a lead role. Showalter credits Wain with being an active and observant Jew who infused the movie with an authentically Jewish sense of humor.^[1]

His second feature film The Ten, starring Winona Ryder and Paul Rudd (and a large ensemble cast of well known actors) had a short theatrical run and was released on DVD on January 15, 2008.

Wain's third feature, Role Models, starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch and Elizabeth Banks, was his first widely released film. Released in theaters on November 7, 2008, the film received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, as well as earning $19 million dollars on its opening weekend.^[2] Its eventual worldwide gross was over $91 million.^{[citation needed]}

Wain stars in a web series titled Wainy Days on the website My Damn Channel, currently^[when?] in its fourth season. The series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to romance numerous women and discusses his problems with his friends at the sweatshop where he works. Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Josh Charles, A.D. Miles, Paul Rudd, and Michael Ian Black, and various other Stella/The State/Wet Hot American Summer alum have all guest-starred in various episodes.

As one third of the comedy troupe Stella, Wain has hosted a long running NYC nightclub show, toured the United States, made a series of shorts, and created a 2005 series on Comedy Central.

Wain is featured as the voice of The Warden in the animated series Superjail!. He was a featured commentator in the I Love the 70s series, I Love the 90s Part Deux series, and the weekly VH1 show Best Week Ever. Wain has also dabbled in theatre. He, Michael Showalter and Joe Lo Truglio wrote the play SEX, aka Wieners and Boobs. With The State, Wain co-wrote the book State by State with The State. He has appeared in such movies as The Baxter, Keeping the Faith and Role Models.

Wain has just been announced he will be directing the John Grisham novel The Last Juror in 2013.

Personal life

Wain lives in New York City with his wife Zandy Hartig. They have two sons.

Filmography

Actor Television You Wrote It, You Watch It (1992) – Various The State (1993) – Various The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special (1995) – Various The Daily Show (1996) – Correspondent Random Play (1999) – Various Crank Yankers (2003) – Al Foster Reno 911 (2003) – Sensual Masseuse Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker (2004) – Brian Lewis Stella (2005) – David Superjail! (2008) – The Warden Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2009) – Reasonable Shirts Host Childrens Hospital (2010) – Rabbi Jewy McJewjew Film Keeping the Faith (2000) – Steve Posner Bamboozled (2000) – Bunning The Baxter (2005) – Louis Lewis Delirious (2006) – Byron Reno 911!: Miami (2007) – Breen the Plumber The Ten (2007) – Abe Grossman The Guitar (2007) – Phone Man Role Models (2008) – Chevron Baine

Writer You Wrote It, You Watch It (1992) The State (1993) The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special (1995) Strangers with Candy (2000) – Episode "The Blank Page" Mad TV (2000) Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Stella (2005) The Ten (2007) Role Models (2008) Childrens Hospital (2010) Wanderlust (2011) Director The State (1993) Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Stella (2005) Denis Leary's Merry F %$in' Christmas (2005) The Ten (2007) Role Models (2008) "Party Down" Childrens Hospital (2010) Wanderlust (2011) The Last Juror (2013)

References

1. ^ Bassist, Elissa (24 March 2009). "The Rumpus Interview with David Wain". The Rumpus. http://therumpus.net/2009/03/the-rumpus-interview-with-david-wain/. Retrieved 20 February 2011. 
2. ^ IMDB | Role Models – Box Office

External links

• Official website
• David Wain at the Internet Movie Database
• Wainy Days series
• 2009 interview with Bullz-Eye.com

Persondata
Name	Wain, David
Alternative names	Wain, David Benjamin
Short description	writer, director, actor and comedian
Date of birth	August 1, 1969
Place of birth	Shaker Heights, Ohio
Date of death
Place of death