1. Entertainment
About.com
Comedians

Discuss in my forum

David Wain - Biography

By , About.com Guide

David Wain Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Born:

August 1, 1969

David Wain Overview:

As one of the founding members of the legendary sketch comedy group The State, actor/writer/director David Wain has already forever made his mark on comedy. Not content to just rest there, however, Wain has gone on to become one of the very best comedy filmmakers working in Hollywood and star of his own very popular Web series, Wainy Days. In fact, Wain's hands have touched so many excellent projects that if you're watching something funny, there's a good chance David Wain is involved in some way.

Quick David Wain Facts:

  • David Wain was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
  • In 1991, he began directing short films starring his future collaborators in The State.
  • Wain was a member of the sketch comedy group The State, which had its own series on MTV in the early '90s.
  • In 1997, Wain formed the sketch troupe Stella alongside fellow State alum Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black. The trio had their own Comedy Central series of the same name, which ran for 10 episodes in 2005.
  • Wain made the leap to directing feature films in 2001.
  • His popular Web series, Wainy Days, debuted in 2007 on My Damn Channel. The first four seasons of the show were released on DVD in 2012.

David Wain and The State:

In 1988, Wain joined the sketch comedy troupe The New Group while attending NYU. The group eventually became The State, which got a gig performing on the short-lived MTV series You Wrote It, You Watch It (hosted by a very young Jon Stewart) before receiving their very own sketch series, The State, in 1993. Though a massive cult hit, the show only aired for 26 episodes between 1993 and 1995. It was picked up as a late-night series by CBS, which aired only a single episode (on Halloween night) before canceling it. One of Wain's memorable characters with The State included "The Jew" in "The Jew, The Italian and the Redhead Gay."

David Wain's Wainy Days:

In 2007, Wain created the Web series Wainy Days for My Damn Channel. The episodes, which each run about five minutes, focus on Wain's romantic mishaps and professional life. In addition to starring on the show, Wain has written and directed a number of episodes. Several of his former State castmates have appeared on the show, including Michael Ian Black, Ken Marino, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Joe Lo Truglio. Other actors and comedians appearing on the series include Paul Rudd, Jason Sudekis, Elizabeth Banks, Rashida Jones, Janeane Garofalo, Lake Bell and Nick Offerman, among others. The show won the 2008 Webby Award for Best Comedy Series.

In 2012, the first four "seasons" of the show were released on DVD as Wainy Days: Seasons 1-4.

David Wain Filmography:

Additional David Wain Facts:

  • In addition to his work with The State and Stella and as a director, Wain has guest starred on a number of comedy series including Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Reno 911! and The Daily Show, where he worked as a correspondent in 1996. He has also guest-written and guest-directed several TV series, including Party Down and Children's Hospital on Adult Swim.
  • He is the voice of The Warden on the Adult Swim animated series Superjail.
  • Wain is married to actress Zandy Hartig.

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.