Rob Riggle | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Riggle in 2025 | |
| Born | Robert Allen Riggle Jr.[1] (1970-04-21)April 21, 1970 (age 55) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Education | University of Kansas (BA) Webster University (MPA) |
| Occupations | Actor, comedian, retired U.S. marine officer |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | |
| Service years | 1990–2013 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Conflicts | |
| Website | www |
Robert Allen Riggle Jr.[2] (born April 21, 1970) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and retiredUnited States Marine officer. He was born inLouisville, Kentucky, joining the Marines in 1990 and later attaining the rank oflieutenant colonel.
Riggle is known for his work as acorrespondent onComedy Central'sThe Daily Show from 2006 to 2008; as a cast member on theNBCsketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Live from 2004 to 2005; as the recurring character Gil Thorpe on the20th Television sitcomModern Family from 2013 to 2019; and for his comedic roles in films such asStep Brothers (2008),The Hangover (2009),Killers (2010),The Internship (2013),Let's Be Cops (2014),My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), andHow to Be a Latin Lover (2017). He has also co-starred in theAdult Swim comedy-action seriesNTSF:SD:SUV::. In 2012, he replacedFrank Caliendo for the comedy skit and prognostication portions ofFox NFL Sunday. Riggle co-hosted the miniature golf game show seriesHoley Moley withJoe Tessitore onABC from 2019 to 2022.
Robert Allen Riggle Jr. was born on April 21, 1970, inLouisville, Kentucky, the son of Sandra and Robert Allen Riggle Sr., who worked in insurance.[3] His family moved toOverland Park, Kansas when he was two.[3][4][5] He attendedShawnee Mission South High School, where he was involved in the school's radio and TV stations. He was voted the most humorous in high school and graduated in 1988.[3] He later attended theUniversity of Kansas, where he was a member of thePhi Gamma Delta fraternity, attained his pilot's license, and graduated with aBachelor of Arts inTheater andFilm in 1992.[4] He went on to earn aMaster of Public Administration degree fromWebster University in 1997.
Riggle joined the Marines in 1990 after getting his pilot's license, intending to become anaval aviator, but left flight school to pursue a comedy career.[6] Riggle was a member of theUnited States Marine Corps Reserve and often referred to his military experiences onThe Daily Show, including acting as the show's "military analyst" and joking that he could kill any other member of the show.[7] In his capacity as a Reserve officer, Riggle assisted with recovery efforts in the aftermath of theSeptember 11 attacks atGround Zero in Lower Manhattan, and wasdeployed to Afghanistan twice, in 2001 and 2002.[8]
In August 2007, he went toIraq to report forThe Daily Show and to entertain troops under the purview of theUSO.[9]
Riggle was a public affairs officer with a New York City-based unit; he served inLiberia,Kosovo,Albania, andAfghanistan.[3] He attained the rank oflieutenant colonel[10] and received theMeritorious Service Medal (2);Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal;Joint Service Achievement Medal;Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2);Combat Action Ribbon (earned during his tour in Kosovo[11]);National Defense Service Medal (2);Kosovo Campaign Medal;Afghanistan Campaign Medal;Global War on Terrorism Service Medal;Humanitarian Service Medal;Armed Forces Reserve Medal; andNATO Medal.[12][13]
On January 1, 2013, he retired from the Marine Corps Reserve after 23 years of service.[14]
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| 1st row | Meritorious Service Medal w/ 1 goldaward star | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | Joint Service Achievement Medal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd row | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 gold award star | Combat Action Ribbon | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1service star | ||||||
| 3rd row | Kosovo Campaign Medal w/ 1campaign star | Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 1 campaign star | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | ||||||
| 4th row | Humanitarian Service Medal | Armed Forces Reserve Medal | NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia | ||||||
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Riggle has a long-standing comedic partnership with comedianRob Huebel, with whom he frequently appears at theUpright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCBT) and in their former improvisational sketch comedy troupeRespecto Montalban. Perhaps the duo's best known creation was their long running two-man showKung Fu Grip which they performed at UCBT and other comedy venues for many years, and in the 2004 HBO Comedy Arts Festival. Around this time, they began appearing together in several ofComedy Central andVH1's "talking head" commentary programs such asBest Week Ever andA2Z. They also appeared inBravo network's100 Scariest Movie Moments special in 2004. These appearances got the duo their first exposure to television viewers and made them favorites among VH1 viewers. Riggle, Huebel and most of their castmates fromRespecto Montalban also performed in sketches onLate Night with Conan O'Brien through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The duo's growing popularity landed them an audition onSaturday Night Live in the summer of 2004. They auditioned together, though only Riggle ended up making the cut. After spending one season onSaturday Night Live from 2004 to 2005, Riggle soon joined Huebel and many of his otherRespecto Montalban castmates inLos Angeles to work on new projects. Soon after, the two landed a holding deal atNBC in early 2006 to develop a half-hour comedy program, though it never reached production.
In September 2006, Riggle joinedThe Daily Show as a regular correspondent. Around the same time, Huebel (along withRespecto Montalban memberPaul Scheer and stand-up comicAziz Ansari) started developingHuman Giant, a sketch show forMTV. Riggle often appeared in the show's sketches, and in its 24-hour live marathon which aired in May 2007. One of Riggle's most memorable appearances was as hired muscle Ham-Bone, who appeared alongsideAziz Ansari in the season one sketch "Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru". Riggle and Huebel can also be seen on stage at the UCBT inDoug Benson's documentarySuper High Me.
A featured player during the 2004–2005 season, Riggle's first appearance as aSNL cast member was on the show's 30th-season premiere on October 2, 2004.[15] He has portrayedLarry the Cable Guy,Howard Dean,Rick Sanchez,Mark McGwire, andToby Keith. He had a one-shot character named Leviticus, a loud, violent street preacher who only appeared on a Weekend Update segment on the Christmas episode hosted by Robert De Niro (though another sketch featuring Leviticus scheduled to air on the episode hosted byHilary Swank was cut after dress rehearsal).
Prior to becoming a cast member, Riggle appeared in a non-speaking role during season 29 in a pre-taped parody ofFear Factor, where he played the father of one of the child contestants during the "Breakfast in Bed" challenge, in which a child must eat themaggots off a plate ofEggs Benedict with the understanding that failing to do so results in thedivorce of his parents.
In September 2006, Riggle joined the cast ofThe Daily Show to replace the departingRob Corddry, and his debut on September 20, 2006.
TV Guide cited Riggle's segment "Marines in Berkeley" where he donned hippie regalia to spoofUniversity of California, Berkeley peace activists protesting a local Marines recruiting station.[16]
During the2008 Olympics, Riggle traveled toChina to tape sketches forThe Daily Show, producing the four-part special feature "Rob Riggle: Chasing the Dragon".[17]
Riggle leftThe Daily Show on December 10, 2008, in his words "to go fight crime"; however, he appeared atBonnaroo 2009—withJohn Oliver andRory Albanese, one of the show'sexecutive producers—in a show entitledAn Evening (or Afternoon) with The Daily Show featuring John Oliver, Rob Riggle & Rory Albanese.
On August 3, 2010, Riggle made a surprise cameo onThe Daily Show during an interview withWill Ferrell.[18] While Ferrell and Stewart began discussing Riggle's "lack of talent" and making other disparaging remarks about him, Riggle suddenly walked onto the set to "surprise" them and asked if they were talking about him. His intimidating presence appeared to make Ferrell and Stewart visibly afraid, continuing the running joke that Stewart is afraid of Riggle.
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Previously, Riggle's live comedy work was mostlyimprovisational and sketch-based. Beginning in 2006, he wanted to try something different and decided to create a stand-up act. After working on it in various comedy clubs in New York City, he toured colleges and other comedy clubs, often performing withJohn Oliver and otherDaily Show writers. He credits Oliver for encouraging him to try stand-up while they shared an office atThe Daily Show.[19]
Riggle hosted an episode ofComedy Central's stand-up seriesLive at Gotham on December 4, 2009, and taped aComedy Central Presents special that aired on March 5, 2010.
Riggle played Eddie Reynolds inBlackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, a 2004 film starring Rob Corddry, and featuring almost all of the Respecto Montalban group. Later that year Riggle was one of the "Flab Four" on theComedy Central mini-seriesStraight Plan for the Gay Man, a parody ofQueer Eye for the Straight Guy that ran for three episodes.
In 2006, Riggle guest-starred as a boat captain named Captain Jack on the "Booze Cruise" episode ofThe Office, and as an anti-euthanasia activist onArrested Development. He was also seen as aNASCAR announcer in the comedy filmTalladega Nights with Will Ferrell.
In late 2007, Riggle began appearing as a spokesman in a series ofBudweiser commercials. In 2008 he signed a talent holding contract withCBS and CBS Paramount Network TV, which included a development deal to create and star in a half-hour comedy series.[20] He also gained a supporting role inStep Brothers, where he plays a rude co-worker of Brennan's (Will Ferrell). He had memorable supporting roles in the 2009 filmsThe Hangover andThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, and supporting roles in the 2010 comediesGoing the Distance,Killers, andThe Other Guys.
In 2009, Riggle started a recurring role on theCBS sitcomGary Unmarried, playing Mitch, Jay Mohr's brother from the Marines.
In 2010, Riggle and comedianPaul Scheer wrote and starred in "Designated Driver", a series of sketches for the first season of theHBO comedy showFunny or Die Presents. Riggle, Scheer, and Rob Huebel also wrote and starred in a series of sketches called "Death Hunt" in the show's second season in 2011.
For the 2010–2011NFLfootball season, Riggle recorded aMonday Night Football introduction and several short comedy bits for theKansas City Chiefs to be played atArrowhead Stadium inKansas City, Missouri. He played the lead in the 2011CBS sitcom pilotHome Game, executive produced byMark Wahlberg.
Riggle is seen in stadium monitors atQwest Field duringSeattle Seahawks games, encouraging fans to cheer.
In May 2011, Riggle appeared in a two-minute short onfunnyordie.com as theU.S. Navy SEAL whokilled Osama bin Laden.[21] He plays a humbleUS NavyLieutenant (though the insignia on his uniform displays three solid gold bands, indicating the O-5 rank of a USN commander) who, upon being awarded theDistinguished Service Cross, pledges absolute discretion, then gets intoxicated at a local bar and boasts unreservedly to a large crowd that he was bin Laden's assassin.
From 2011 to 2013, Riggle co-starred as the President of the Navy in theAdult Swim comedy-action seriesNTSF:SD:SUV::. On July 11, 2012, he hosted the 2012ESPY Awards.
In 2012, Riggle had a recurring role as Kevin Jesquire in season two of theFX comedy seriesWilfred. He also began the recurring role of Gil Thorpe, the real-estate rival of Phil Dunphy (played byTy Burrell), on the comedy seriesModern Family, which continued through the show's 11th and final season in 2020.
In October 2013, he played Satan in the music video forSteel Panther's "Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World".
In 2014, he was expected to star withRob Lowe in thepilot for thesingle-cameracomedyThe Pro as Bobby Welch, a former professionaltennis player.[22] but the series was not picked up. Riggle appeared asFrank West in the 2015 filmDead Rising: Watchtower.[23]
In August 2016, Riggle appeared at theComedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe.
From September 2016, Riggle took over the role ofColonel Sanders in theKFC ad campaigns, following other comedians includingNorm Macdonald andDarrell Hammond.[24]
From 2019 to 2021, Riggle co-hosted the miniature golf game showHoley Moley withStephen Curry andJoe Tessitore.
In 2023, Riggle voiced Glorlox, an alienbounty hunter and recurring character inMy Dad the Bounty Hunter.[25]
Beginning with the 19th-season premiere of theFox NFL Sunday pre-game show on September 9, 2012, Riggle took over the comedy skit and prognosticator portions previously performed byFrank Caliendo from 2003 to 2011.[26] Riggle did not return to the Fox NFL pre-game show in 2020.
Riggle married his wife Tiffany on April 13, 1999, and they have two children. They filed for divorce in October 2020.[27]
In June 2021, Riggle publicly claimed that his estranged wife had hacked his personal Apple account, had stolen money from his home, and was somehow spying on him. Later that month, Riggle was granted a temporaryrestraining order against her after finding a hidden camera, disguised as a smoke detector, in his home with more than 10,000 videos stored in it — some of which support his claims.[28] A second hearing was scheduled for July 2021 at Riggle's request for a forensic expert to go through the footage obtained through the hidden camera.[29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2004 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Various Characters | |
| 1998–2000 | Upright Citizens Brigade | Various Characters | 5 episodes |
| 2004 | Straight Plan for the Gay Man | Rob: Culture Guy | 3 episodes |
| Chappelle's Show | Debt Consolidation Pop-Up | ||
| 2004–05 | Saturday Night Live | Cast Member | 20 episodes |
| 2005–06 | Love, Inc. | Major Curtis | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Office | Captain Jack | Episode: "Booze Cruise" |
| Arrested Development | Congressman John Van Huesen | ||
| 2006–07 | Campus Ladies | Glen | 2 episodes |
| 2006–08 | The Daily Show | Correspondent | 86 episodes |
| 2007 | Family Values | Theo Gladdings | Sitcom Pilot |
| 2007–08 | Human Giant | Various Characters | 6 episodes |
| Bronx World Travelers | Coach | 2 episodes | |
| 2009–10 | Gary Unmarried | Mitch | 7 episodes |
| 2009–22 | American Dad! | Various Voices | 7 episodes |
| 2010 | Chuck | Jim Rye | |
| 2010–12 | The Cleveland Show | Chet Butler (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Comedy Central Presents | Himself | |
| Glenn Martin DDS | Duke | ||
| Team Spitz | Jeff Spitz | CBS Sitcom Pilot | |
| 2010–11 | Funny or Die Presents | Various Characters | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | 30 Rock | Reggie | Episode: "I Heart Connecticut" |
| Childrens Hospital | Dr. Brock Stryker | ||
| Happy Endings | Drew | Episode: "Full Court Dress" | |
| Home Game | Joe Allen | CBS Sitcom Pilot | |
| Ugly Americans | Drill Sergeant | ||
| 2011–13 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | President of the Navy | 16 episodes |
| 2012 | Victorious | Vice Principal Dickers | Episode: "The Breakfast Bunch" |
| World Series of Dating | Host | 2 episodes | |
| Wilfred | Kevin Jesquire | 4 episodes | |
| Fox NFL Sunday | Self | First appearance on September 9, 2012 | |
| 2012–16 | New Girl | Big Schmidt | 4 episodes |
| 2013–16 | Drunk History | J. Edgar Hoover /Teddy Roosevelt | 2 episodes |
| 2013–19 | Modern Family | Gil Thorpe | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | The Pro | Bobby Welch | NBC Sitcom Pilot |
| Bad Judge | Chet | Episode: "Judge and Jury" | |
| The League | Bethesda | 3 episodes | |
| 2015 | Marry Me | Officer Gary Bric | |
| Golan the Insatiable | Golan the Insatiable (voice) | 6 episodes | |
| Key & Peele | Ron's boss | Episode: "Hollywood Sequel Doctor" | |
| Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Rorg (voice) QT Bot (voice) | Episode: "Rorg: A Hero of a Past" Episode: "Escape From Scrap City" | |
| Playing House | Buck Finch | Episode: "Knotty Pine" | |
| Fresh Off the Boat | Gator Dan | Episode: "Family Business Trip" | |
| 2016 | Teachers | Don Larondasack | Episode: "Picture Day" |
| Wander Over Yonder | Bill (voice) | Episode: "The Family Reunion/The Rival"[30] | |
| Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe | Himself/roaster | Television special | |
| Albert | Cactus Pete | Voice, television film | |
| Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "Rob Riggle vs.Jeff Dye" | |
| Son of Zorn | Headbutt Man (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | The Simpsons | Dr. Fenton Pooltoy (voice) | Episode: "A Father's Watch" |
| Angie Tribeca | Detective Zachary Fontaine | 4 episodes | |
| Bob's Burgers | Austin (voice) | Episode: "Into the Mild"[30] | |
| 2018 | Big Hero 6: The Series | Greg Jack (voice) | Episode: "The Impatient Patient"[30] |
| The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants | Theodore "Ted" Murdsly (voice) | Episode: "Captain Underpants and the Flustering Mindless Woe of the Memory Wipes"[30] | |
| 2018–22 | Fancy Nancy | Doug Clancy (voice) | 52 episodes[30] |
| 2018 | Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy | Rob Riggle | 8 episodes |
| 2019 | Schooled | Alan Buccholz | Episode: "Tamagotchis and Bells" |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Rob Dulubnik | Episode: "A Tale of Two Bandits" | |
| Big Mouth | Sgt. Adderall (voice) | Episode: "The ASSes" | |
| Archibald's Next Big Thing | Sea Captain (voice) | Episode: "The Oath of the Compass/Garbage Fruit" | |
| 2019-20 | Rob Riggle: Global Investigator | Rob Riggle | 6 episodes |
| 2019–22 | Holey Moley | Color commentator | |
| 2020 | Hoops | Barry Hopkins (voice) | 7 episodes |
| Bless the Harts | Coach Fowler (voice) | Episode: "The McEntire Truth" | |
| 2020–21 | The Unicorn | Trey | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Holey Moley Australia | Commentator | [31] |
| Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Himself | Episode: "Rob Riggle, Joe Tessitore & Jeannie Mai" | |
| Big City Greens | Community Dan (voice) | Episode: "Bat Girl" | |
| Adam Carolla: Truth Yeller | Himself | ||
| 2022 | Jellystone! | Blue Falcon (voice) | Episode: "Heroes and Capes"[30] |
| The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Get In" | |
| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Narrator (voice) | Episode: "Trucks" | |
| Impractical Jokers | Himself | Episode: "Rob Riggle" | |
| 2023 | My Dad the Bounty Hunter | Glorlox | Voice; recurring role |
| Krapopolis | Sportscaster #2 (voice) | Episode: "The Stuperbowl" | |
| Barmageddon | Himself | Episode: "Rob Riggle vs.Chris Hardwick" | |
| 2023-present | The Loud House | Lance Loud (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Hobie Turner | Episode: "Disgruntled" |
| Mr. Birchum | Gunderson (voice) | ||
| Elsbeth | Neal Dorsey | Episode: "The Wrong Stuff" | |
| 2025 | Krapopolis | King Chadalus (voice) | Episode: "Society of Swords" |
| Lego Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails | Juggernaut / Cain Marko (voice) | Disney + television film[30] |
Some of the names here will be familiar only to die-hard fans; others, like Murphy, defined what was funny for generations of viewers.
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