Shakes the Clown

Background:

Making his screen debut as the deranged Cadet Zed in the “Police Academy” movies (1985, 1986 and 1987), abrasive stand-up comedian Bobcat Goldthwait, most widely known for his nasally high voice, has starred in several cable TV comedy specials including "Bob Goldthwait--Don't Watch This Show" (1986), "Bob Goldthwait--Share The Warmth" (1987), "Bob Goldthwait: Is He Like That All the Time?” (1988) and "I Don't Want To Insult You, But You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait" (2003). He provided the voice for Mr. Floppy on the long-running WB sitcom "Unhappily Ever After" (1995-1999).

Goldthwait made his feature debut as a screenwriter-director with the dark comedy "Shakes the Clown" (1991) and has since directed episodes of the TV series "The Man Show" (1999), "Strip Mall" (2000) and "Crank Yankers" (2002). He has directed such hit shows as "Chappelle's Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and recently wrote and directed the dark romantic comedy feature "Stay" (2006; aka "Sleeping Dogs Lie").

On a more personal note, 5' 7" Bob was married to film producer Ann Luly from 1986 to 1998. He was engaged to actress Nikki Cox from 1999 to 2005 and is currently dating Sarah de sa Rego, a costume designer and co-producer of his film “Sleeping Dogs Lie” (2006).

Robert Francis

Childhood and Family:

On May 26, 1962, Robert Francis Goldthwait, nicknamed “The Bobcat” or “Bobscratch Goldfarb,” was born in Syracuse, New York, to Tom and Kathleen Goldthwait (died in 1999). He attended Bishop Grimes High School, in Syracuse, New York, and graduated with voice actor Tom Kenny, who is best known for his work on "SpongeBob SquarePants" (1999). Goldthwait & Kenny were in the class of 1980.

“I met him [Tom Kenny] in first grade. Legend has it and I think I remember that a teacher kicked me out of class. Then they put me in another class because they couldn't handle me anymore because the teacher was crying. Tommy introduced himself to me at lunch because he was impressed that I made a nun cry.”

On August 31, 1986, at age 24, Goldthwait married film producer Ann Luly. They have two children, Tasha Tilton Goldthwait (born on January 4, 1987) and Taylor John Roberts (born in May 1982; Luly's son adopted by Goldthwait). They divorced in May 1998.

That same year in July, Goldthwait met actress Nikki Cox (born June 2, 1978) on the set of the series “Unhappily Ever After.” They began a relationship in summer 1998 and announced their engagement in June 1999. They parted ways in early 2005 after a 6-year relationship and five years of engagement. Goldthwait is now reportedly dating his longtime friend, Sarah de sa Rego, a costume designer and co-producer of his film “Sleeping Dogs Lie” (2006).

"I do live a very Hugh Beaumont existence. I'm up every morning taking my kids to school and all that, which obviously does interest me. But then it's taking meetings with goofballs and auditioning for crap, and then I spend a lot of time on the road. There isn't really an average day." Bobcat Goldthwait

I Don't Want To Insult You, But You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait

Career:

Performing with a punk rock band called “The Dead Ducks” since age 13, Bobcat Goldthwait was thrown out of the band at age 15 and soon began performing comedy at local bars and clubs. Afterward, he partnered with childhood friend Tom Kenny and the two billed themselves as “Bobcat and Tomcat” and founded a local comedy group, “The Generic Comics,” alongside Kenny and political satirist Barry Crimmins, going by the stage names of "Bobcat, Bearcat and Tomcat."

"My early stand-up was me trying to make fun of stand-up comics. I would do stuff like the fish or read a ‘Dear John’ letter and cry. Up until then, I only had to do 20 minute sets. Then I started getting work after I was on ‘David Letterman,’ but people hired me to do actual monologues at clubs so I kind of became the very thing I was making fun of." Bobcat Goldthwait

Following his first appearance on “Late Night with David Letterman” at age 20, Goldthwait made his feature film acting debut as an obnoxious gang leader named Zed in "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment" (1985). He later reprised his role in its next sequels, "Police Academy 3: Back in Training" (1986) and "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" (1987).

Goldthwait starred in the Cinemax Comedy Experiment special, "Bob Goldthwait--Don't Watch This Show" (1986) and the HBO comedy special "Bob Goldthwait--Share The Warmth" (1987) and wrote, directed and starred in HBO’s On Location special, "Bob Goldthwait: Is He Like That All the Time?” (1988). Unfortunately, he was also nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor for his performance as a struggling investment broker in Michael Dinner's comedy movie “Hot to Trot” (1988). That same year, he released his first comedy album titled “Meat Bob.”

After appearing in the 1990 episode "The Ventriloquist's Dummy" of the HBO's horror anthology series "Tales from the Crypt," Goldthwait stepped behind the camera and made his directorial and screen-writing debut with the dark-comedy "Shakes the Clown" (1991), in which he also starred as the title role of an alcoholic birthday-party clown framed for murder. Commenting about the film, which received mixed reviews, Goldthwait said, "REM wrote a song based on a line from 'Shakes' [the Clown] and Martin Scorsese defended it when someone tried to take the piss out of it. So the fact is if Martin Scorsese likes it then hey. I run into people who say, ‘What's the deal with 'Shakes the Clown?' I say it's a dark movie that is trying to make fun of movies and everything about it is sarcastic. It's weird that I make a movie and I end defending it. If you don't like then it's not made for you. I think you're supposed to make big mass broad appeal crappy studio films and when you don't people get offended.”

Goldthwait next played the voice of a former drug-testing lab rat on ABC's animated TV series "Capitol Critters" (1992; with Neil Patrick Harris). He was then spotted as a guest in such shows as Fox's popular sitcom "Married… with Children," the science fiction/horror-themed television series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?," Fox's animated series "Eek! the Cat," NBC’s hit medical drama "ER" and MTV's animated series "Beavis and Butt-Head." He also provided his voice for the title character in "The Moxy Pirate Show" (1994) and "The Moxy Show" (1995).

Meanwhile, on the big screen, he could be seen as Sockhead, who has a sock puppet for a head, in Alex Winter and Tom Stern's comedy "Freaked" (1993). He recalled, “I did a half day on it. I remember going in there and no one told me that Mr. T (who played The Bearded Lady) was crazy. I sat with him at lunch and he started talking to me about the bible and s*** while he's drinking a Colt 45.”

In 1995, Goldthwait lent his voice to Mr. Floppy, a smoking, drinking, and perverted gray stuffed rabbit who lived in the basement, on The WB sitcom "Unhappily Ever After" (1995-1999). He also appeared in a number of made-for-television movies and TV series as well as the films "Sweethearts" (1996; starring Janeane Garofalo and Mitch Rouse), an independent drama/comedy by writer/director Aleks Horvat, and "Hercules" (1997), a Disney animated film in which he provided the voice of Pain, a demon. He also hosted the FX cable game show "Bobcat's Big Ass Show" (1998) and directed episodes of Comedy Central's half hour comedy television show "The Man Show" (1999-2004), starring Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel.

Entering the new millennium, Goldthwait lent his voice to the Disney animated science fiction adventure series "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" (2000-2001). After directing episodes of Comedy Central's sitcom "Strip Mall" (2000) and Comedy Central's show "Crank Yankers" (2002), he directed himself in “Windy City Heat,” a made-for-TV reality film produced by Comedy Central that first aired on October 12, 2003. The film later won a Comedia Award at the Montréal Comedy Festival 'Just for Laughs.'

In September 2003, Goldthwait has a new comedy album on CD titled "I Don't Want To Insult You, But You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait" (aka “The Uninspired Ramblings of a 40 Old Has-Been”), by Comedy Central Records. He then returned to work as a director for Comedy Central's sketch show "Chappelle's Show" (2003-2006). Since the fall season of 2004 until May of 2006, he directed ABC's Emmy-nominated late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live." While he served as the director, ratings for the show increased to over 2 million viewers per night. Although he has since left the show, Goldthwait keeps in contact with Jimmy Kimmel and continues to direct for television and film. He later went back to direct “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in the summer of 2007, this time as a segment director.

Being asked how he decided to become a filmmaker in the first place after having a career as a comedian and actor, Goldthwait explained, “It was mostly out of frustration I had in the process of being in movies. I just kind of fell behind the camera and made my fine alcoholic clown opus 'Shakes the Clown' and then started working for Jimmy Kimmel and directed his TV shows like 'The Man Show' and 'Crank Yankers.' Then I worked 'Dave Chappelle's Show' for a while and then made a movie for Jimmy. I directed Jimmy's TV show for about a year and a half. It was just really the natural progression of things. I know people don't usually believe you when you say that, but I don't really find that much enjoyment out of acting or stand-up comedy. People who like you, if they hear you say that, they almost feel like you're not grateful, but I started doing stand-up when I was 15, and I'm 44. I knew it was all over for me when one night I was on stage and this woman wouldn't shut up in the front row. She wasn't even heckling; she was just talking to her friend the whole time. And I finally said, 'You're bored, lady? I know how these f**king jokes end!' And that was probably the red flag that it was over for me.”

Goldthwait recently wrote and helmed the dark romantic comedy feature “Stay” (2006; aka “Sleeping Dogs Lie”), about a woman (played by Melinda Page Hamilton) whose relationships are destroyed when she reluctantly reveals a past indiscretion with a pet. “Stay” premiered at Sundance in January and moved on to the Toronto Film Festival. It was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and a Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

"I would be really happy if I could keep making small movies, and at the same time, I really have no problem going back to work full-time for a comedian like Jimmy or the way I worked for Dave, because facilitating comics is a blast. Networks and directors usually think comedians are out-of-control or that their ideas are insane or crazy, and I like being the middle guy in helping these guys get their ideas across." Bobcat Goldthwait

Awards:

• Montréal Comedy Festival 'Just for Laughs': Comedia Award, "Windy City Heat" (TV), 2004