Mitch Hedberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitch Hedberg
Birth name	Mitchell Lee Hedberg
Born	(1968-02-24)February 24, 1968 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	March 30, 2005(2005-03-30) (aged 37) Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up
Years active	1989–2005
Genres	Observational comedy surreal humor word play non sequitur one-liner deadpan
Subject(s)	Everyday life American culture Self-deprecation Food
Spouse	Lynn Shawcroft ​ (m. 1999)​
Notable works and roles	Strategic Grill Locations Mitch All Together Do You Believe in Gosh?

Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24, 1968 – March 30, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and deadpan delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs.

Hedberg's comedy and onstage persona gained him a cult following, with audience members sometimes shouting out the punchlines to his jokes before he could finish them.

Early life

Hedberg was born on February 24, 1968, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the son of Arne and Mary (née Schimscha, 1943–2012) Hedberg. He was of Finnish-Swedish (from his paternal grandparents), Czech, and German descent. Hedberg attended Harding High School in Saint Paul. He took little interest in school, and claimed he was barely eligible to graduate.

Career

Hedberg began his stand-up career in Florida, and after a period of honing his skills, he moved to Seattle and began to tour. He soon appeared on MTV's Comikaze, followed by a 1996 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman that brought him his big break. He won the 1997 grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition. The next year he appeared in an episode of Fox's series That '70s Show.

In 1999, he completed his own independent feature film, Los Enchiladas!, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. He recorded three comedy albums: Strategic Grill Locations, Mitch All Together, and Do You Believe in Gosh?, the last released posthumously. He performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal three times: in 1998, 2001, and 2004.

Concurrent with his rising fame in the entertainment industry, Hedberg appeared on Letterman nine more times, signed a half-million-dollar deal with Fox for a television sitcom, and was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time magazine. George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Mike Birbiglia, Norm MacDonald and Lewis Black were among his comedian fans.

Style

Hedberg's standup comedy was distinguished by the unique manner of speech he adopted later in his career, his abrupt delivery, and his unusual stage presence. His material was based on wordplay. His act usually consisted of compact one- or two-liners and longer routines, often with each line as a punchline.

Hedberg occasionally added disclaimers to the end of a joke if it was not sufficiently well received, frequently variations on "that joke's dumb, I'm aware of that." During recordings for CDs, he would often say that he would find a way to edit a failed gag to make it seem well-received, for example by "adding laughter" to a failed joke containing arithmetic. Following such a failure on Strategic Grill Locations, Hedberg suggested, "All right... that joke is going to be good because I'm going to take all the words out and add new words. That joke will be fixed."

Comedy Central Records released an album, Do You Believe in Gosh? on September 9, 2008, that contained material Hedberg recorded at The Improv in Ontario, California in January 2005. His wife, Lynn, wrote in the introduction that the performance had been in preparation for a year-end CD recording.

Personal life

Hedberg was married to Canadian comedian Lynn Shawcroft from 1999 until his death in 2005.

Death

On March 30, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in his room at The Westminster Hotel in Livingston, New Jersey. His death was formally announced on April 1, leading some fans to believe it was an April Fools' Day joke.

Hedberg's funeral was held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Discography

Filmography

Television appearances

See also

In Spanish: Mitch Hedberg para niños