Simon Rich | |
|---|---|
 Rich in 2009 | |
| Born | (1984-06-05)June 5, 1984 (age 40) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Frank Rich |
| Relatives | Nathaniel Rich (brother) |
Simon Rich (born June 5, 1984) is an Americanhumorist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has published two novels and six collections of humor pieces, several of which appeared inThe New Yorker. His novels andshort stories have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Rich was one of the youngest writers ever hired onSaturday Night Live, and served as a staff writer forPixar.[1] On January 14, 2015,Man Seeking Woman, a television comedy series created by Rich (and based on his short story collectionThe Last Girlfriend on Earth), premiered on the cable channelFXX.[2]
Rich was born and raised in New York City. His parents are writers. His family isJewish but they were not religious when he was growing up.[3] His mother is Gail Winston while his father is columnistFrank Rich. His older brother is novelistNathaniel Rich. His step-mother, Alex Witchel, is a reporter forThe New York Times.[4]
Rich attended The Town School and theDalton School. After graduating, he enrolled atHarvard University, where he became president of theHarvard Lampoon. He was classmates withFacebook founderMark Zuckerberg.[5]
After graduating from Harvard, Rich wrote forSaturday Night Live for four years (2007-2011).[6] The staff was nominated for theEmmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Series in 2008, 2009, and 2010 and won theWriters Guild of America Award for Comedy/Variety Series in 2009 and 2010. Rich departed to work as a staff writer forPixar.[1] In 2013 and 2014, Rich was named toForbes'30 Under 30 list.[7]
Rich has had pieces published inMcSweeney's,The Believer,[8]GQ,[9]The Observer magazine,[10]Mad magazine,[11]Vanity Fair,[12]UK Glamour,Italian GQ,Italian Granta,[13] NPR.com,[14]NPR's "Selected Shorts,"[15] andThe Barcelona Review,[16] among other publications.
His writing has also been selected for numerous anthologies includingThe Best of McSweeney's,[17] andI Found This Funny, edited byJudd Apatow.[18]
In 2013,Sony Pictures acquired the film rights to Rich's four-part novellaSell Out, which was originally published byThe New Yorker that same year.[19]
Rich wrote the screenplay for the filmAn American Pickle, which premiered in 2020.Seth Rogen starred in the dual lead roles and served as producer.[20]
Rich is slated to write the script based on the illustrated bookUnicorn Executions, to be produced byUniversal Studios.[21]
As an undergraduate at Harvard University in 2007, Rich received a two-book contract fromRandom House.[22] His first book, a collection of short humor pieces entitledAnt Farm: And Other Desperate Situations, was published in 2007 and was nominated for theThurber Prize for American Humor. His second collection,Free Range Chickens, was published in 2008.
Rich released his third collection of stories,The Last Girlfriend on Earth, in 2013. Reception was favorable, withThe Washington Post praising the book as "hilarious," declaring, "it just might be the best one-night stand you'll ever have."[23]
The Last Girlfriend on Earth was given a pilot order by FX within a week of its publishing asMan Seeking Woman.[24] The show was officially ordered by FXX with the leading cast of Jay Baruchel, Eric Andre, Britt Lower and Maya Erskine, with Rich as show-runner and executive producer, making him one of the youngest creators in TV history.[25] The show was produced by Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video and ran on FXX for three seasons.[26]
Rich's fourth story collection,Spoiled Brats, was published in 2014.The Guardian described it as "simply the funniest book of the year," adding, "there are sometimes three laugh-out-loud moments within the same paragraph."[27]The Evening Standard also praised the book, calling Rich "aThurber, even aWodehouse, for today. Who could ask for more? You can give his books to people and just watch them laugh."[28]
A fifth collection,Hits and Misses, was published in July 2018.NPR said that "with this book, Rich has come into his own as one of the most talented writers of comedic fiction working today."[29] In 2019, Rich won the Thurber Prize for American Humor forHits and Misses.[30]
Rich's sixth story collection,New Teeth, was published in July 2021.[31]
His seventh short story collection,Glory Daze, was published in July 2024.
Rich's third book and first novel,Elliot Allagash, was released in May 2010.[32] In June that year,Jason Reitman optioned the movie rights to the novel.[33]
In 2012, Rich published his second novel,What in God's Name, whichThe New York Times Book Review compared toDouglas Adams'sThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[34] In 2019, the novel was adapted for the first season of the TV seriesMiracle Workers. The same year,Back Bay Books reissued the novel under the titleMiracle Workers. Subsequently, Rich's short story "Revolution" inspired the second season of the series.
Rich's first play,All In: Comedy About Love by Simon Rich, which is based on some of his short stories, was set to premiere on Broadway on December 11, 2024. Scheduled for a 10-week run at theHudson Theatre, the production features a rotating cast of four performers at a time, which initially includedJohn Mulaney,Fred Armisen,Renée Elise Goldsberry andRichard Kind for the first five weeks of performances,[35] andLin-Manuel Miranda,Chloe Fineman,Andrew Rannells,Aidy Bryant,Sam Richardson and others in subsequent weeks.[36]
Simon Rich has calledWoody Allen his hero, specifically citing his short-story collections as major influences. He has also citedRoald Dahl andMel Brooks as influences.[37][38]
Rich lives inLos Angeles with his wife, author Kathleen Hale.[39][40] They have two daughters.[39]
Regarding his religious beliefs, he previously called himself an atheist. However, in a 2019 interview, he said, "To call yourself an atheist means you are certain about something, and I am not sure about anything."[3]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Inside Out | Additional story material |
| 2016 | The Secret Life of Pets | Additional characters |
| 2020 | An American Pickle | Writer and producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2011 | Saturday Night Live | Writer, actor | 78 episodes |
| 2009 | CH Live: NYC | Himself | |
| 2014 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | Himself | Episode: "Episode 121" |
| 2015–2017 | Man Seeking Woman | Creator, writer, executive producer | 30 episodes |
| 2017 | The Simpsons | Writer | Episode: "A Father's Watch" |
| 2019–2023 | Miracle Workers | Creator, writer, executive producer | 37 episodes |
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