Andrew Dice Clay | |
|---|---|
 Clay in 2012 | |
| Born | Andrew Clay Silverstein (1957-09-29)September 29, 1957 (age 68) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, television, film |
| Genres | Character comedy,observational comedy,improvisational comedy,political satire,blue comedy,shock humour,anti-humour |
Andrew Dice Clay (bornAndrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957)[1] is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the first stand-up comedian to sell outMadison Square Garden for two consecutive nights.[2] That same year, he played the lead role in thecomedy-mystery filmThe Adventures of Ford Fairlane.
Clay has appeared in several films and television shows, including critically acclaimed supporting roles inWoody Allen'sBlue Jasmine (2013) and the 2018 remake ofA Star Is Born, the latter of which earned him aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination. He continues his acting career while also touring and performing stand-up. The television showDice aired on Showtime for two seasons. He also launched a podcast,I'm Ova Hea' Now, in September 2018.
Clay was born to parents Jacqueline and Fred Silverstein[3] in theSheepshead Bay neighborhood ofBrooklyn inNew York City, where he was raised.[4][5][6] He isJewish.[7] He has one sister.[8] Clay's father was a boxer and real estate agent.[9][10][11]
At age five, Clay was entertaining his family withimpressions, and by seven he was playing drums, inspired by the sounds ofbig band music.[12][13] Clay attendedJames Madison High School in Brooklyn and as a teenager worked as a drummer on theCatskill Mountains circuit in the 1970s, playingbar mitzvahs and weddings under the name Clay Silvers.[13][14][15] Upon returning to New York City, he failed to form a big band of his own. He pursued higher education but dropped out to become a full-time comedian.[13][15] Clay citesElvis Presley,Fonzie,John Travolta, andSylvester Stallone as his heroes.[14]
Clay began his stand-up career in 1978 when he auditioned at Pips comedy club in Sheepshead Bay, which turned into a headline spot at the venue the next week, billed as Andrew Clay.[14] His act was mainly impressions, including a character named "The Diceman", based onJerry Lewis asBuddy Love fromThe Nutty Professor, which transformed intoJohn Travolta inGrease.[15] It took him three weeks to prepare the act.[13] A picture of him on stage during his early sets at Pips was described: "In a baggy white shirt, pants rolled up to his knees and a pair of thick glasses", with a black leather jacket underneath the shirt so he could seamlessly switch to his Travolta character when the lights went out.[14] With his new act, Clay graduated to larger and more prestigious comedy venues, includingThe Improv,Catch a Rising Star, andDangerfield's.[15] He recalled his father being supportive of his act during one performance at Dangerfield's. "He knew it was different right off the bat [...] He saw it worked". The persona was more of a shock to his mother, but she got used to it and he recalled her laughing at his jokes.[14]
By 1980, Clay had moved to Los Angeles and landed work at theComedy Store, owned byMitzi Shore.[14][15] His sets were not an instant hit, and because of his dirty act and her unwillingness to have other comics follow him, Shore had Clay perform at late hours, making him "wait and perform for ten drunks".[14] In 1982, Clay landed his first film role, inWacko.[15] In 1983, Clay added the "Diceman" moniker to his name and no longer relied on impressions, instead creating an alter ego based on his heroes.[14][15] He first used the act at the Comedy Store after he was asked to fill in for a comic who canceled their spot. He said: "I didn't have my Jerry Lewis stuff with me, so I just winged it, saying whatever popped in my head".[16]
His performances at the venue led to his first sitcom roles, with appearances onM*A*S*H andDiff'rent Strokes, and feature-length films, includingMaking the Grade (1984),Pretty in Pink (1986), andCasual Sex? (1988). A review byLos Angeles Times critic Michael Wilmington described Clay's character as "a macho bozo fromJersey".[14][15] From 1986 to 1988, he had a regular role as Max Goldman onCrime Story.[17] His act included a drum solo as a tribute toBuddy Rich.[13] Clay then pursued stand-up comedy full-time as the Dice character.
Clay's breakthrough came in 1988 when he performed at an all-male Big Brother Association dinner event with "all of Hollywood's royalty [...] dressed in tuxedos, and I show up in a black leather jacket with a flag on the back that said 'Rock and Roll'". The set was a hit; the next day,20th Century Fox offered him a film deal and entered talks with producerJoel Silver.[14][15] Also in 1988, Clay performed a seven-minute set at Dangerfield's in New York City forRodney Dangerfield's HBO stand-up showcase specialNothing Goes Right, launching him into the national spotlight.[15]
In January 1989, Clay's HBO special,The Diceman Cometh, appeared on HBO. It became a top video rental, according toEntertainment Weekly. In March, he released his debut comedy album,Dice, which was certified gold by theRIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S.[18][19] It peaked at No. 89 on theBillboard 200.[20] Clay was named Comedy Act of the Year by readers ofPerformance magazine.[15]
In September 1989, Clay performed a three-minute set to introduceCher, at the1989 MTV Video Music Awards, which includedOtto Petersen's adult versions of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes. The incident led toMTV imposing a lifetime ban on Clay from appearing on the network.[21] The ban was lifted in 2011.[citation needed]
In December 1989, Clay performed two unadvertised, largely improvised sets at Dangerfield's, which were recorded for his second comedy album,The Day the Laughter Died, produced byRick Rubin. Released in March 1990 onGeffen Records, the album sold 250,000 copies in seven weeks,[14][22] peaking at No. 39 on theBillboard 200.[20]
In February 1990, Clay became the first comedian to sell out two consecutive nights atMadison Square Garden in New York City,[15] totaling 38,000 people in attendance.[23]
When Clay was booked to host theSaturday Night Live episode of May 12, 1990, cast memberNora Dunn refused to appear in the episode due to thesexist andhomophobic content in Clay's stand-up act.Sinéad O'Connor also canceled her appearance as the episode's musical guest in protest.[24][25] During Clay's opening monologue, security guards removed protesters from the studio. NBC used a five-second tape delay to cut offensive content from the live broadcast, but one remark escaped removal.[14][26] The episode was the show's fourth-highest-rated episode of the season.
Clay first met his agent, Dennis Arfa, at Dangerfield's, which led to his first HBO special and ultimately his starring role in the 1990 filmThe Adventures of Ford Fairlane;[27] in 1991, he received theGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for his performance in the film.
In 1991, Clay ran his own production company, Fleebin Dabble Productions.[18] He is featured on the front cover of the April 1991 issue ofPenthouse, becoming the second man to front the magazine, afterGeorge Burns.[28] Footage of Clay's shows at Madison Square Garden was used to produce his 1991 stand-up concert filmDice Rules. His controversial act affected the number of venues willing to screen the film; it opened in 40 theatres nationwide.[29] 20th Century Fox was originally to release it, but it dropped out over the controversial material, leaving it to be picked up by Seven Arts.[30] This was followed by the release ofOne Night with Dice, filmed in 1986.[31] A sell-out show at Symphony Hall in Salt Lake City in August 1991 was met with angry protesters outside the venue over his perceived homophobia and hateful material, during which police were called.[32]
In 1993, ABC dropped a proposed one-hour television drama that was to feature Clay after management deemed him too controversial. Clay had signed a one-year deal with ABC that kept him from working with other networks.[30] In July 1993, Clay releasedNo Apologies, the first stand-up concert pay-per-view special.[33] It was purchased by over 250,000 homes and was the highest-grossing non-sports pay-per-view event of the year.[21] It was to featureJoey Buttafuoco, but the plan was dropped on his attorney's advice after the publicity it attracted.[30] Clay followed it with a second pay TV special,The Valentine's Day Massacre, which aired in around 100,000 homes.[21] In 1994, Clay accepted more TV roles.[21]
In 1995, he signed a development deal withCBS and producerBruce Helford, resulting in his starring role on the sitcomBless This House.[34] In mid-1995, Clay explained that the Diceman character had "sort of gone out of hand", which he felt happy about because it allowed him to pursue more television and film work. The situation led to a change in his stand-up act, focusing more on being a husband and a father, yet still with an "edge".[34]
In 1996, Clay released an HBO special,Assume the Position, returning to his Diceman character.[35]
In 1998, Clay released the triple albumFilth through his website. Later in 1998, he began appearing on the New York City-based radio showOpie and Anthony. His opening act at the time,Jim Norton, became the show's co-host in late 2000.
In 2000, Clay releasedI'm Over Here Now andBanned for Life.[36][37] Later in 2000, he releasedFace Down, Ass Up. He supported these with a nationwide tour that included a headline show at Madison Square Garden, ten years after his two sold-out performances.[38]
In 2005, Clay signed a deal withSirius Satellite Radio to broadcast his own show,Out of the Cage.
In 2007, he attempted a comeback with the reality TV seriesDice: Undisputed onVH1, which lasted seven episodes.[39]
He appeared as a part ofNBC'sThe Celebrity Apprentice 2 and was the first celebrity to be fired after he openly entertained the idea of quitting inDonald Trump's presence and called him "Donny Trump". OnThe Howard Stern Show, Clay said the show was edited to exclude situations where Trump treated Clay poorly, based on his comic treatment of women rather than his accomplishments.[40] Throughout the season, each celebrity was raising money for a charity of their choice; Clay had selectedStandUp For Kids.[41]
In 2011, Clay was featured in the eighth and final season ofEntourage as Johnny Drama's co-star in the fictional programJohnny's Bananas.[42] Clay also appeared as himself in theEntourage film. He appeared in an episode ofRaising Hope as himself, which aired on November 29, 2011.
In May 2012, Clay appeared onThe Joe Rogan Experience podcast and also did a set atThe Bamboozle festival inAsbury Park. In December 2012, he had a stand-up comedy special onShowtime titledIndestructible.
In May 2013, Clay began a podcast with Michael Wheels namedRollin' with Dice and Wheels...The Podcast. It ran for 46 episodes, the last of which was released in December 2015.[43]
Clay appeared withCate Blanchett inWoody Allen'sBlue Jasmine, which opened on July 26, 2013.[44] In an interview withGood Day L.A., Clay said that, as he had not been in a movie in 12 years, "It was a thrill to do something dramatic, something I've always wanted to do."[45] His performance was critically praised.[46]
In July 2013, Clay signed a book deal withSimon & Schuster for a memoir to be co-authored with David Ritz.[47] In November 2014, Clay released his bookThe Filthy Truth.[48]
In 2015, Clay hostedThe Blue Show, showcasing some of his favoriteblue comics, which was released on Showtime.
In 2016, Clay had a guest role as a record executive in theMartin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-produced television seriesVinyl forHBO.
In 2017, Clay competed in and won, with his wife Valerie Silverstein, theFox reality cooking seriesMy Kitchen Rules.[49]
In September 2018, Clay launched his podcastI'm Ova Hea' Now on the GaS Digital Network.[50] Later that year, he appeared as Lorenzo in the musical drama filmA Star is Born, alongsideLady Gaga andBradley Cooper, playing Gaga's character's father. Clay beat out several high-profile actors for the part, includingRobert De Niro andRay Liotta, and his performance received positive reviews, as did the film.[51]
Clay has married three times. From 1984 to 1986, he was married to Kathy Swanson and from 1992 to 2002 to Kathleen "Trini" Monica.[10][52] He had two sons with Monica,[10][53][54] one of whom, Max, has followed his father into stand-up comedy[55] and occasionally opens for him on tour.[56] Clay's third marriage was to hairstylist Valerie Vasquez from 2010 to 2014.[57][58] Clay was in an eight-year relationship with his ex-fiancée, comedian Eleanor Kerrigan.[59]
In 2017, Clay had astent placed in a partially blocked artery.[60]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | An Evening at the Improv | Himself | |
| 1984 | Dirty Dirty Jokes | Himself | Stand-up showcase hosted byRedd Foxx |
| 1986 | Andrew Dice Clay: One Night with Dice | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 1987 | Nothin' Goes Right | Himself | HBO stand-up showcase hosted byRodney Dangerfield |
| 1989 | The Diceman Cometh | Himself | HBO stand-up comedy special |
| 1991 | Dice Rules | Himself | Stand-up concert film |
| 1992 | Andrew Dice Clay: For Ladies Only | Himself | HBO stand-up comedy special |
| 1993 | Andrew Dice Clay: No Apologies | Himself | Pay-per-view stand-up comedy special[61] |
| 1994 | Andrew Dice Clay and His Gang Live! The Valentine's Day Massacre | Himself | Pay-per-view stand-up comedy special[62] |
| 1996 | Andrew Dice Clay: Assume the Position | Himself | HBO stand-up comedy special |
| 2000 | Andrew Dice Clay: I'm Over Here Now | Himself | Pay-per-view stand-up comedy special |
| 2012 | Andrew Dice Clay: Indestructible | Himself | Showtime stand-up comedy special |
| 2015 | Andrew Dice Clay presents The Blue Show | Himself | Showtime stand-up comedy special |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Wacko | Tony Schlongini | |
| 1984 | Making the Grade | "Dice" | |
| Night Patrol | Tony Baroni | ||
| 1985 | Private Resort | Curt | |
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink | Bouncer | |
| Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment | Tough Kid | ||
| 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | Frankie | Segment: "Video Date" |
| 1988 | Casual Sex? | Vinny | |
| 1990 | The Adventures of Ford Fairlane | Ford Fairlane | |
| 1993 | Brainsmasher... A Love Story | Ed "The Brainsmasher" Malloy | Direct-to-video film |
| 1995 | No Contest | Raymond Ulysses Brice / Oz | |
| Jury Duty | Uncle Sal | Uncredited | |
| The Chili Con Carne Club | Voice of The Cooler | Short film | |
| National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins | Richard Spencer | Television film, segment "Anger" | |
| 1997 | The Good Life | Albert | Never released[63] |
| 1998 | Whatever It Takes | Dave Menardi | |
| 1999 | Foolish | Ron "El Dorado Ron" | |
| 2000 | My 5 Wives | Tony Morano | |
| Point Doom | Frankie | ||
| 2001 | One Night at McCool's | Utah / Elmo | As Andrew Silverstein |
| 2012 | JJ Star... How Embarrassing | Himself (voice) | |
| 2013 | Blue Jasmine[64] | Augie | |
| 2015 | Entourage | Himself | |
| 2018 | A Star Is Born | Lorenzo[65] | |
| 2023 | Warrior Strong | Avery Schmidt | |
| 2025 | The Pickup | Clark |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | M*A*S*H | Corporal Hrabosky | Episode: "Trick or Treatment" |
| 1982–1983 | Diff'rent Strokes | Larry "Crazy Larry" | 2 episodes |
| 1986–1988 | Crime Story | Max Goldman | 13 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Bless This House | Burt Clayton | 16 episodes |
| 1997 | Hitz | Jimmy Esposito | 10 episodes |
| 1997 | Rugrats | Plumber (voice) | Episode: "Angelica Nose Best/Pirate Light" |
| 1998 | Dharma and Greg | Himself | Episode: "Unarmed and Dangerous" |
| 2003 | Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn | Himself | Episode 101 |
| 2007 | Dice: Undisputed | Himself | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | Down and Dirty withJim Norton | Himself | Episode 2 |
| 2011 | Entourage | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Raising Hope | Himself | Episode: "Bro-gurt" |
| 2012 | That Metal Show | Himself | Episode: "Herman Rarebell & Andrew Dice Clay" |
| 2013 | The Blacklist | Abraham Maltz | Episode: "General Ludd (No. 109)" |
| Tosh.0 | Himself | ||
| 2015 | TripTank | Grant / Paulie / Frankie / Caller (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Vinyl | Frank "Buck" Rogers | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2016–2017 | Dice | Himself | 13 episodes |
| 2017 | My Kitchen Rules | Himself (winner) | |
| 2018 | Hap and Leonard | Sonny Knox | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | The Comedy Store | Himself | |
| 2021 | Gravesend | Rinaldo | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Pam & Tommy | Louis 'Butchie' Peraino | 2 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actor | The Adventures of Ford Fairlane | Won |
| 1992 | Dice Rules | Nominated | ||
| Worst Screenplay(shared with Lenny Schulman) | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture(shared with the cast) | A Star Is Born | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
