Bill Burr | |
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![]() Burr in July 2018 | |
Born | William Frederick Burr (1968-06-10)June 10, 1968 (age 56) Canton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1992–present |
Spouse | Nia Hill |
Children | 2 |
Comedy career | |
Medium |
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Genres | |
Website | billburr |
William Frederick Burr (born June 10, 1968) is an American comedian, podcaster, actor, writer, and director.
Burr's most notable stand-up comedy specials includeYou People Are All the Same (2012),I'm Sorry You Feel That Way (2014),Walk Your Way Out (2017), andPaper Tiger (2019). He has also hosted theMonday Morning Podcast every Monday and Thursday since 2007, and co-founded the All Things Comedy network in 2012. He received aGrammy Award nomination forPaper Tiger and aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination for the short-livedQuibi dark comedy seriesImmoral Compass (2021). In 2017,Rolling Stone ranked him 17th on its list of the "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time".[1]
Burr created, co-wrote, and voiced the lead character in theNetflix animated sitcomF Is for Family (2015–2021). His other notable roles include various characters inChappelle's Show (2004),Patrick Kuby in theAMC crime drama seriesBreaking Bad (2011–2013),Migs Mayfeld inThe Mandalorian (2019–present), andJohn F. Kennedy in the filmUnfrosted (2024). He made his feature-lengthdirectorial debut as the co-writer, director, and star of the comedy filmOld Dads (2023) and has had supporting roles inDaddy's Home (2015),Daddy's Home 2 (2017), andThe King of Staten Island (2020). He made hisBroadway debut in the 2025 revival of theDavid Mamet playGlengarry Glen Ross.
William Frederick Burr[2] was born inCanton, Massachusetts,[3] on June 10, 1968,[4] the son of nurse Linda Ann and dentist Robert Burr.[5] He is of German and Irish descent, and was raisedCatholic.[6][7] He graduated fromCanton High School in 1987.[8][9] After attendingNorth Carolina State University for two semesters,[10] he graduated fromEmerson College inBoston in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in communications.[11][12] He worked in warehouses before starting his comedy career, later stating that he enjoyed the freedom of the job: "If my boss gave me a rough time, I could just get on a forklift and just, like, drive away."[13]
Burr first performed stand-up comedy at the age of 23 on March 2, 1992.[14][time needed][15][time needed] He moved to New York City in 1994.[16] He started to appear in numerous shows performing standup such asShowtime at the Apollo in 2000,Comedy Central Presents in 2003,Just for Laughs in 2004,One Night Stand in 2005, andLive at Gotham in 2006. Also during this time, he co-starred in the TV seriesTownies in 1996, appeared inTwo Guys and a Girl in 1998 andLaw & Order: Criminal Intent in 2002. He gained prominence as a regular onDave Chappelle's popularsketch comedy seriesChappelle's Show in 2004 onComedy Central.
On September 9, 2006, Burr performed at theTweeter Center inCamden, New Jersey, across theDelaware River fromPhiladelphia, as part ofOpie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour. After the crowd booed several comedians before him, Burr took the stage, also receiving boos. Forgoing the rest of his planned material, Burr unleashed a 12-minute expletive-laden rant in which he repeatedly attacked the crowd and the city of Philadelphia, especially its sports teams.[17][18] "I was just annoyed because I was sitting there going like, this is one of the greatest comedy line-ups, as far as up-and-coming guys, that I've been around," Burr said. "And these fucking people are treating everyone like shit. And, you know, I'm a defensive, fucking angry dude anyways, so it was just the perfect storm."[19] By the rant's end, Burr managed to win over the majority of the crowd and received a standing ovation. In 2017, Burr expressed some regret over the incident, saying, "I wasn't a professional. What I should have done was I should have kept my head in the game to survive it."[19]The Huffington Post called the rant a "watershed moment in the history of comedy".[17]
Since May 2007, Burr has recorded a weekly one-hour podcast,Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast, in which he speaks about his experiences, current events, going on tour, and sports, and offers advice to questions submitted by the listeners. The podcast is available on Burr's website,Spotify,YouTube, and on the All Things Comedy network he co-founded in 2012. He is sometimes joined by his wife Nia Hill and has featured guests and interviews with other comedians.[citation needed] In the 2008 video gameGrand Theft Auto IV, Burr voicedJason Michaels of the biker gang The Lost MC in the mission "No Love Lost". In 2009, he reprised his role in the game's expansion packThe Lost and Damned.
Burr also appears as a guest on radio shows and other comedians' podcasts, such asOpie and Anthony,You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes,The Adam Carolla Show,[20]The Joe Rogan Experience,[21][22]WTF with Marc Maron,[23]The Nerdist Podcast,[24]The Adam Buxton Podcast, andNobody Likes Onions.[25][26] Burr was also the first guest onTom Green's podcast. Burr's first hour-long special,Why Do I Do This? (2008), was filmed in New York.[27]
Burr's specialLet it Go was recorded atThe Fillmore in San Francisco and premiered onComedy Central on September 18, 2010. That same year Burr appeared in the comedy filmDate Night as Detective Walsh. On April 18, 2011, he guest hosted theHollywood Babble-On podcast alongsideRalph Garman.[28] He also appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons ofAMC'sBreaking Bad asPatrick Kuby from 2011 to 2013.[29] A later special,You People Are All the Same, premiered in 2012 as aNetflix exclusive.[30] Burr's stand-up specialYou People Are All the Same (2012) was the first to premiere exclusively on Netflix. He played Mark Mullins in the 2013buddy cop filmThe Heat. In 2014, Burr filmed his fourth hour-long specialI'm Sorry You Feel That Way at theTabernacle Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Unusual for modern comedy specials, the film was shot inblack and white.
All Things Comedy was officially launched on October 1, 2012, with a roster of 11 podcasts including Burr's ownMonday Morning Podcast,The Long Shot Podcast byEddie Pepitone, andSkeptic Tank byAri Shaffir.[31][32] By 2014, the network had six dozen members and over 50 podcasts.[33][34] The network was started by comediansAl Madrigal and Bill Burr withThe Daily Show on the All Things Comedy website.[35] The network was established as anartist owned cooperative, which Madrigal and Burr emphasize as an important aspect of the collective.[36]All Things Records was started in March 2014 and released three albums in the months following its creation includingBelieve in Yourself by Sam Tripoli,Live at the Comedy Castle byBrian Scolaro, andThis Will Make an Excellent Horcrux byJackie Kashian.[34] Madrigal sees the network as a way of improving representation of Latin American people in media.[37] For instance, the network hosts Spanish-language podcasts such asLeyendas Legendarias andEl Dollop.[38][39][40]All Things Comedy also partnered withComedy Central to produce a documentary aboutPatrice O'Neal in addition to three comedy specials.[41][42]
Burr voiced lead character Frank Murphy inF Is for Family, which premiered onNetflix on December 18, 2015. The show, ananimated sitcom he created and co-wrote, drew on Burr's stand-up and the absurdity ofpolitical correctness. Season 4 of the series debuted on Netflix on June 12, 2020.[43] Burr writes andexecutive produces the series along withMichael Price.[44] Burr's fifth hour-long special,Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out, debuted on Netflix on January 31, 2017. He appeared in the third episode (titled "Bill Burr") of the second season of the HBO seriesCrashing.[45]
Burr's sixth hour-long special,Paper Tiger, debuted on Netflix on September 10, 2019. He premiered a new podcast co-hosted with fellow comedianBert Kreischer, called theBill Bert Podcast, in October. In December, he playedMigs Mayfeld in two episodes of theDisney+ seriesThe Mandalorian. In 2020, he appeared inJudd Apatow's comedy filmThe King of Staten Island, and promoted the film on October 10 by hostingNBC'sSaturday Night Live for the first time.[46][47][48] In March 2022, it was announced that Burr would co-write, direct, and star in the comedy filmOld Dads, his feature-length directorial debut; it was released on Netflix in 2023 to mixed reviews.[49] A few months later, he received aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nomination for the dark comedy seriesImmoral Compass (2021–present).[50] His seventh stand-up special,Live at Red Rocks, was released on July 12.[51]
On August 21, 2022, Burr became the first comedian to perform atFenway Park, in front of a sold-out crowd of around 35,000 people[52] (although he did not count them himself to confirm[53]). It was also the largest comedy show in the history of Boston.[54] He has had sold-out shows atMadison Square Garden on November 14, 2015, and then again on November 11, 2023,[55][56][57] theRoyal Albert Hall on June 6, 2018,[58] and consecutive shows on March 4 and 5, 2019.[59][60] He holds the record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at Boston'sWilbur Theatre, where he performed 19 sold-out shows in a row, almost doubling the record of 10 set byAziz Ansari.[61] Burr sold out 20,000 seats at theLos Angeles Forum on September 28, 2018.[62][63] In September 2021, he sold outRed Rocks Amphitheatre.[64] In 2023, he performed at the 5,000-seat ancient Roman amphitheater, theOdeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece.[65] In 2024, Bill performed in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 60,000 atGillette Stadium where he followedJay-Z for theTom Brady 's Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony.[66][67]
In 2023, Burr had a cameo role as the voice of pastor Nick Saint Angelo in the episode "the wizard" ofHBO seriesBarry. It was announced that Burr would make hisBroadway debut in the 2025 revival of theDavid Mamet playGlengarry Glen Ross acting oppositeKieran Culkin andBob Odenkirk.[68] Burr was recommended to directorPatrick Marber for the production byNathan Lane. Lane stated he was originally approached for the role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts but stated, the revival had to have an "all star cast and the first person you should cast is Bill Burr" adding, "he's the leading comedian in America, a wonderful actor and sounds like aDavid Mamet-character".[69]
Burr has been referred to as a "comedian's comedian" by observers of the American stand-up comedy circuit.[70][71]Rolling Stone magazine called him "the undisputed heavyweight champ of rage-fueled humor".[72] Burr often portrays himself as "that loud guy in the bar" with "uninformed logic".[73] In an interview withThe Boston Globe, he stated, "I'm the 'dude, bro' guy."[3] According to theMontreal Gazette, he is "a cynic and a contrarian who has never paid any heed topolitical correctness".[74]The New York Times in 2013 called him "one of the funniest, most distinctive voices in the country for years".[75] In 2022,The Hollywood Reporter described the variety and effectiveness of Burr's comedy and referred to his "mastery of the medium".[76]
In 2013, Burr listedRichard Pryor,George Carlin,Bill Cosby,Sam Kinison, andPatrice O'Neal as the five greatest stand-up comedians of all time.[77]
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Burr's political statements have often garnered widespread attention. He supportsgun control[78][79] andabortion rights,[80] though he stated in his 2022 stand-up specialLive at Red Rocks that he has a "weird take" on the latter: "Pro-choice always made sense to me because I don't like people telling me what to do. And I always was just like, 'It's your body. Who the fuck am I to tell you what to do with your body?' [...] However, I still think you're killing a baby. That's where it gets weird."[81]
Burr has said that he believespolitical correctness fails to effectively address the problems it aims to fix, such asracism, because it only focuses on the words people use rather than changing their attitudes.[82] He has also said that political correctness has no answer for, or impact on, other major sociopolitical issues such as the power held by bankers andpharmaceutical executives.[83][84][85][86][87]
Burr voted forGreen Party candidateRalph Nader in the2000 presidential election.[88] He did not vote for eitherHillary Clinton orDonald Trump in the2016 presidential election as he had a negative opinion of both.[89] In 2021, he criticized Florida'sRepublican governorRon DeSantis forremoving mask requirements in the state during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[90]
Burr is an outspoken critic of billionaires andhealth insurance companies. He garnered attention for praisingLuigi Mangione, who was charged forthe December 2024 assassination ofUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.[91] Clips of him shouting "free Luigi" during his January 2025 appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live! and March 2025 appearance onComplex Networks'Sneaker Shopping both wentviral,[92] as did an audio clip of him stating that billionaires should be "put down like rabid dogs" during a February 2025 episode of hisMonday Morning Podcast.[93]
Burr is married to Nia Renee Hill,[73][94] who sometimes appears as a guest on his podcast.[4] They reside inLos Angeles[6][75] and have two children: a daughter born in 2017[95] and a son born in 2020.[96]
Burr is a drummer[97] and licensed helicopter pilot.[98] He has namedJohn Bonham,Dave Lombardo, andNicko McBrain as his favorite drummers. He is a fan ofrock andheavy metal bands such asAC/DC,Gojira,[99]Karnivool,Iron Maiden,[100]Meshuggah,Metallica,Ministry,Pantera,Slayer,[101]Tool,The Mars Volta, andLed Zeppelin. He enjoys smokingcigars.[102] He has beensober since 2018.[76]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Perfect Fit | Doorman | |
2002 | Passionada | Blackjack Player | |
2006 | Thirteen or Bust | Himself | |
2010 | Date Night | Detective Walsh | |
2011 | Cheat | Billy | Short |
Give It Up for Greg Giraldo | Himself | Documentary | |
2012 | Stand Up Guys | Larry | |
2013 | The Heat | Mark Mullins | |
2014 | Zombeavers | Joseph | |
Walk of Shame | Officer Walter | ||
Black or White | Rick Reynolds | ||
2015 | Daddy's Home | Jerry | |
2017 | Daddy's Home 2 | ||
2017 | Gilbert | Himself | Documentary |
2018 | The Front Runner | Pete Murphy | |
2020 | The King of Staten Island | Ray Bishop | |
The Opening Act | Barry | ||
2021 | The Guilty | Nightclub Caller (voice) | |
Back Home Again | Officer Quill (voice) | Short | |
2022 | Dog | Officer O'Shaughnessy | |
2023 | Old Dads | Jack Kelly | Also director and co-writer |
Leo | Squirtle (voice) | [103] | |
Steve-O's Bucket List | Himself (guest) | ||
2024 | Drugstore June | Dr. Weisman | |
Unfrosted | John F. Kennedy |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Townies | Ryan Callahan | Main cast |
1998 | Two Guys and a Girl | Fitzey | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Party" |
2000 | Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Episode #14.8" |
2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jogger | Episode: "Maledictus" |
2003 | Comedy Central Presents | Himself | Episode: "Bill Burr" |
I Love the '80s Strikes Back | Episode: "1980" | ||
2004 | Chappelle's Show | Various Characters | Recurring cast (season 2) |
Shorties Watchin' Shorties | Himself | Recurring cast | |
Just for Laughs | Episode: "Bill Burr" | ||
2005 | One Night Stand | ||
Weekends at the D.L. | Episode #1.15 | ||
2006 | Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapalooza | Episode: "Laffapalooza Volume 7" | |
Live at Gotham | Himself/Host | Episode #1.4 | |
2008 | Down and Dirty with Jim Norton | Himself | Episode #1.3 |
2010 | Just for Laughs | Episode: "Cheech & Chong" | |
2011 | Dave's Old Porn | Episode: "Bill Burr/Nina Hartley" | |
2011–13 | Breaking Bad | Patrick Kuby | Recurring cast (seasons 4–5) |
2012 | Funny as Hell | Himself | Episode #2.3 |
2013 | Inside Joke at Moontower | 2 episodes | |
2013–16 | New Girl | Bobby | Guest cast (season 2 & 5) |
2014 | Maron | Himself | Episode: "The Joke" |
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Episode: "Smoking Past the Band" | ||
Wicked Bites | Episode: "Comics Come Home XX" | ||
2014–15 | Kroll Show | Detective Smart | Recurring cast (season 2–3) |
2015 | The Jim Gaffigan Show | Himself | Episode: "My Friend the Priest" |
The Art of... | Episode: "The Art of Comedy" | ||
2015–21 | F Is for Family | Frank Murphy (voice) | Main cast; also co-creator |
2016 | The Simpsons | Boston Football Fan (voice) | Episode: "The Town" |
2018 | Crashing | Himself | Episode: "Bill Burr" |
Jay Leno's Garage | Episode: "Living the Dream" | ||
2019 | The Chef Show | Episode: "Gwyneth Paltrow/Bill Burr" | |
2019–20 | The Mandalorian | Migs Mayfeld | Guest cast (season 1–2) |
2020 | Jay Leno's Garage | Himself | Episode: "Dare to be Different" |
Saturday Night Live | Himself/Host | Episode: "Bill Burr/Jack White" | |
The Comedy Store | Himself | Main cast | |
2020–22 | Puppy Dog Pals | Butch (voice) | Guest cast (season 3 & 5) |
2021 | Reservation Dogs | Garrett Bobson | Episode: "California Dreamin'" |
30 for 30 | Himself | Episode: "Once Upon a Time in Queens, Part 3 & 4" | |
Immoral Compass | Rick | Main cast | |
2022 | George Carlin's American Dream | Himself | Episode: "Part 1" |
2023 | Barry | Pastor Nick Saint Angelo (voice) | Episode: "the wizard" |
2024 | Saturday Night Live | Himself/Host | Episode: "Bill Burr/Mk.gee" |
Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Dave Moss | Palace Theatre, Broadway | [104] |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2007–present | Monday Morning Podcast | Himself (host) |
2010, 2021 | Your Mom's House | Himself (guest) |
2021–present | Anything Better? | Himself (co-host) |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Jason Michaels (voice) |
2009 | Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned |
Year | Title | Notes | Location |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Emotionally Unavailable | CD release | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Comedy Central Presents | Stand-up half hour | New York City, New York | |
2005 | One Night Stand | New York City, New York | |
2008 | Why Do I Do This? | Image Entertainment | New York City, New York |
2010 | Let It Go | Netflix special | San Francisco, California |
2012 | You People Are All the Same | Netflix special | Washington, D.C. |
2014 | Live At Andrew's House | Limited vinyl release | New York City, New York |
I'm Sorry You Feel That Way | Netflix special | Atlanta, Georgia | |
2017 | Walk Your Way Out | Netflix special | Nashville, Tennessee |
2019 | Paper Tiger | Netflix special | London, UK |
2021 | Live From Madison Square Garden | Vinyl release | New York City, New York |
2022 | Friends Who Kill[51] | Netflix special | Los Angeles, California |
Live at Red Rocks[51] | Netflix special | Morrison, Colorado | |
2025 | Drop Dead Years | Hulu special[105] | Seattle, Washington |
Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Grammy Award | Best Comedy Album | Paper Tiger | Nominated | |
2022 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Actor in a Short form Series | Immoral Compass | Nominated |
His dad, Robert, worked as a dentist and his mom, Linda Ann, was a nurse.
Burr traces his work ethic to Canton, where he grew up in a big German-Irish family.
...Burr majored in Communications with a focus on radio...
...Friday morning [January 20]. At 04:24 added, "She lay on my chest the whole time", confirming gender.