David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian,
actor, director, and writer, known primarily for his stand-up
performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show (1995â€"1999), and
his role as Tobias Fünke in the sitcom Arrested Development
(2003â€"present). Cross created, wrote, executive produced, and
starred in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
(2010â€"2016), developed and had a prominent role in Freak Show
(2006), appeared on Modern Family (2011â€"2012) and portrayed Ian
Hawke in the first three live action/CGI Alvin and the Chipmunks films
(2007â€"2011). Cross has also done voice work for the sitcom Oliver
Beene (2003â€"2004), and has had lead voice-over roles in the Kung Fu
Panda film franchise (2008â€"2016), Megamind (2010) and Next Gen
(2018).In 1993, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing
for a Variety Series for his work on The Ben Stiller Show. For Mr.
Show, he gained three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and for
Arrested Development, Cross was nominated for a Satellite Award for
Best Supporting Actor â€" Television Series, and, along with his cast,
for three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an
Ensemble in a Comedy Series. For his stand-up specials, he was
nominated for several Grammy Awards.Cross was born in Roswell,
Georgia, to a Jewish family. His parents are Barry and Susi, the
former of whom emigrated from Leeds, England. Six months after his
birth, Cross's family moved to Florida. After additional moves to New
York and Connecticut, the family settled back in Roswell, Georgia,
where Cross remained for nearly a decade. His family was poor and
Barry left the family when Cross was 10 years old; the two have not
spoken since he was 19, though they both primarily resided in New York
City until Cross sold his home there in 2011. Cross and his family
were evicted from their home while living in Georgia. He spent some
time living in motels and at friends' homes while growing up. He has
two sisters and once bailed his youngest sibling out of jail.At age
17, Cross began performing stand-up comedy. The day after he graduated
from Northside High School in Atlanta, Cross relocated to New York
City. Lacking a plan, he drifted, working briefly for a lawn care
company on Long Island. Later, he enrolled at Emerson College in
Boston. He would drop out after only a semester, but during his time
there, Cross joined This is Pathetic, a college sketch group, where he
met John Ennis. In the summer of 1985, the two aspiring actors took a
road trip to Los Angeles, although this did not significantly further
their acting careers. In Boston, Cross began to perform stand-up more
regularly. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Boston had a booming
comedy scene, although Cross did not fit the types of acts being
booked most of the time. He recalls that it was "a loud, dumb,
pandering, racist, homophobic-type scene".
actor, director, and writer, known primarily for his stand-up
performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show (1995â€"1999), and
his role as Tobias Fünke in the sitcom Arrested Development
(2003â€"present). Cross created, wrote, executive produced, and
starred in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
(2010â€"2016), developed and had a prominent role in Freak Show
(2006), appeared on Modern Family (2011â€"2012) and portrayed Ian
Hawke in the first three live action/CGI Alvin and the Chipmunks films
(2007â€"2011). Cross has also done voice work for the sitcom Oliver
Beene (2003â€"2004), and has had lead voice-over roles in the Kung Fu
Panda film franchise (2008â€"2016), Megamind (2010) and Next Gen
(2018).In 1993, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing
for a Variety Series for his work on The Ben Stiller Show. For Mr.
Show, he gained three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and for
Arrested Development, Cross was nominated for a Satellite Award for
Best Supporting Actor â€" Television Series, and, along with his cast,
for three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an
Ensemble in a Comedy Series. For his stand-up specials, he was
nominated for several Grammy Awards.Cross was born in Roswell,
Georgia, to a Jewish family. His parents are Barry and Susi, the
former of whom emigrated from Leeds, England. Six months after his
birth, Cross's family moved to Florida. After additional moves to New
York and Connecticut, the family settled back in Roswell, Georgia,
where Cross remained for nearly a decade. His family was poor and
Barry left the family when Cross was 10 years old; the two have not
spoken since he was 19, though they both primarily resided in New York
City until Cross sold his home there in 2011. Cross and his family
were evicted from their home while living in Georgia. He spent some
time living in motels and at friends' homes while growing up. He has
two sisters and once bailed his youngest sibling out of jail.At age
17, Cross began performing stand-up comedy. The day after he graduated
from Northside High School in Atlanta, Cross relocated to New York
City. Lacking a plan, he drifted, working briefly for a lawn care
company on Long Island. Later, he enrolled at Emerson College in
Boston. He would drop out after only a semester, but during his time
there, Cross joined This is Pathetic, a college sketch group, where he
met John Ennis. In the summer of 1985, the two aspiring actors took a
road trip to Los Angeles, although this did not significantly further
their acting careers. In Boston, Cross began to perform stand-up more
regularly. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Boston had a booming
comedy scene, although Cross did not fit the types of acts being
booked most of the time. He recalls that it was "a loud, dumb,
pandering, racist, homophobic-type scene".
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