Judah Friedlander (born
March 16,
1969) is an American comedian and actor, known for his trademark
trucker's hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in most of his screen roles.
[February 22 Interview]
Life and career
Friedlander was born in
Gaithersburg, Maryland; his mother, a native of
Pittsburgh, is
Croatian American, and his father is of
Russian
Jewish descent.
[Judah Friedlander Thinks Manhattan Pizza Has ‘Gone Downhill’] Friedlander started in show business as a soundman on
Chris Rock's short
Who is Chris Rock?. Ten years later, Friedlander began working in front of the
camera, with appearances on
Lateline and roles in numerous feature film
comedies including
Meet the Parents,
Zoolander and
Full Grown Men. Friedlander's most noted movie role to date was in the film
American Splendor, as
Toby Radloff.
[Biography at StarPulse.com] His first exposure to many was as "The Hug Guy" from the
Dave Matthews Band 2001 video "
Everyday".
He was also a series regular on
VH1's
Best Week Ever and currently on
NBC's
30 Rock, on which he plays
Frank Rossitano, one of the writers of
TGS with Tracy Jordan, a spoof of
Saturday Night Live. In every episode, Friedlander can be seen wearing a different slogan on his trademark hat, which he designs himself.
