Comedy Greats

At the young age of 15, Gilbert Gottfried began doing stand-up on open mike nights in NYC, and after a few short years became known as “the comedian’s comedian.” In 1980, he was hired as a cast member of NBC’s legendary Saturday Night Live, and a few years later by MTV for a series of improvised and hilarious promos.

Gottfried’s television soon led to roles in films such as Beverly Hills Cop II, Problem Child, Look Who’s Talking II, and more. He was also host of the popular late night movie series USA Up All Night; and after his stellar performance as the wisecracking parrot IAGO in the Disney classic Aladdin, he became one of the most recognizable voiceover talents. His signature voice can also be heard in Comedy Central’s The Annoying Orange series, Family Guy, the new Lego Batman 3–Beyond Gotham video game, and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

Gilbert has been a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, @Midnight with Chris Hardwick, and The Howard Stern Show; and had a recurring role on Law and Order SVU. Gottfried appeared in the hit comedy documentary The Aristocrats, of which Entertainment Weekly said, "Out of the 101 comedians who appear on screen, no one is funnier—or more disgusting—than Gilbert Gottfried."

In 2017, Gilbert, a documentary about Gilbert Gottfried, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film peeks behind the larger-than-life persona at a more personal story about growing up in Brooklyn and becoming a husband and father of two late in life. Gilbert, a lifelong resident of NYC, has never had a driver’s license.

Frank Santopadre has created comedy material for Bill Murray, Howard Stern, Sarah Silverman, Meryl Streep, Martin Short, Ben Stiller, and the Boston Red Sox, among others.
 
He’s written award shows (The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Daytime Emmys, TV Land Awards, and Writers Guild Awards), roasts (Friars Club Roast of Jack Black, and the Comedy Central Roasts of Roseanne and Pamela Anderson), and talk shows (The View, The Joy Behar Show, and The Howard Stern Show).
 
His work has been seen on ABC, CBS, and HBO; and quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Vanity Fair. As co-host and producer of Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!, he has booked and interviewed hundreds of celebrities, including Alan Alda, Judd Apatow, Alan Arkin, Whoopi Goldberg, and Dick Van Dyke.

With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country. He’s found success in film, TV, radio, and podcasts, as well as on the live stage. He is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and the late-night TV shows.

In 2020, Netflix premiered Papa’s fourth hour-long stand-up special Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great! Papa’s aim in this hilarious rebuttal to our current cultural feeling of dread is to remind you that life isn’t perfect, nor will it ever be, and that’s OK. Papa is also the author of You’re Doing Great!: And Other Reasons To Stay Alive, a collection of essays on how people really live in modern America and what’s truly good and wonderful about our lives; as well as Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas, a hilarious look at the host of characters in our families with bizarre and inescapable behavior. In 2018, he hosted his own Food Network TV series, Baked, where his love of baking took him on an exploration of bakeries across the country. 

Personally chosen by Jerry Seinfeld, Papa hosted the NBC series The Marriage Ref, which ran for two seasons. As a writer, his credits include the Rob Zombie film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, the Jerry Seinfeld film Bee Movie, and the TV series Red Oaks, The Marriage Ref, and Come to Papa. 

Papa is currently host of the hit podcast and weekly hour-long SiriusXM show Come to Papa, in which he explores the funny side of life. Several times a year in New York and Los Angeles, he hosts a live scripted radio play. With residencies at Largo in Los Angeles and The Village Underground in NYC, Papa writes the script for each show and casts top actors and comedians to play the roles or perform stand-up, all backed by a live band. Performers include Matt Damon, Sarah Silverman, Joel McHale, Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, John Mulaney, Kevin Nealon, Kevin Pollack, and many more. 

When not touring the country, Papa lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, and a cat and dog; and spends most of his time writing and baking bread.