David Cross
David Cross (born April 4, 1964)[1] is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013–2019).
| David Cross | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg.webp) Cross in 2019 | |
| Born | April 4, 1964 Roswell, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Emerson College (no degree) |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Genres | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Notable works and roles | |
Cross created, wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (2010–2016); developed and had a prominent role in Freak Show (2006); appeared on Modern Family (2011–2012); and portrayed Ian Hawke in the first three live-action/CGI Alvin and the Chipmunks films (2007–2011). Cross has also done voice work for the sitcom Oliver Beene (2003–2004), and has had lead voice-over roles in Curious George (2006), Battle for Terra (2007), the Kung Fu Panda film franchise (2008–present), Megamind (2010) and Next Gen (2018).
In 1993, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on The Ben Stiller Show. For Mr. Show, he gained three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and for Arrested Development, Cross was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series, and, along with his cast, for three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. For his stand-up specials, he was nominated for several Grammy Awards.
Early life
Cross was born in Roswell, Georgia, to a Jewish family.[2][3][1] His parents are Barry, who emigrated from Leeds, England, and Susi Cross.[4]
Six months after his birth, Cross's family moved to Florida. After additional moves to New York and Connecticut, the family re-settled in Roswell, where Cross remained for nearly a decade. He is the oldest of three children and has two younger sisters, Juli and Wendy.[5]
The family had little money. Cross recalled they were evicted from their home and that he spent some time living in motels and at friends' homes in his youth.[6] Barry left the family when Cross was 10 years old; the two have not spoken since he was 19, though they both primarily resided in New York City until Cross sold his home there in 2011.[7]
Career
Stand-up
At age 17, Cross began performing stand-up comedy. The day after he graduated from Northside High School in Atlanta, Cross relocated to New York City. Lacking a plan, he drifted, working briefly for a lawn care company on Long Island. Later, he enrolled at Emerson College in Boston. He would drop out after a semester, but during his time there, Cross joined This is Pathetic, a college sketch group, where he met John Ennis. Aspiring towards an acting career, the two took a road trip to Los Angeles in the summer of 1985, although this did not significantly further their acting careers. In Boston, Cross began to perform stand-up more regularly. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Boston had a booming comedy scene, although Cross did not fit the types of acts being booked most of the time. He recalls that it was "a loud, dumb, pandering, racist, homophobic-type scene".[8]
In 1990, a new comedy scene began to emerge at the comedy club chain Catch a Rising Star. Alongside Janeane Garofalo, Louis C.K., and other comics, Cross appeared regularly several nights a week. Cross formed the sketch comedy group "Cross Comedy" with 12 other performers, and they put on a new show every week. They were known for playing tricks on the audience, such as introducing fake comics or planting fake hecklers. Cross became increasingly focused on his comedy work.[8]
Cross later performed at the alternative comedy club Un-Cabaret in Los Angeles, where radio artist Joe Frank heard him, and hired him to appear in Frank's 1994 radio programs, "A Hearing" and "The Last Run" (in 1997 combined to become "The OJ Chronicles"),[9] where Cross appears as OJ's valet. Cross also starred in the Joe Frank program "Jam", produced in 1999,[10] and worked with Frank on radio shows for KCRW's Unfictional: "A Conversation" (2013)[11] and "Downfall" (2015).[12]
Cross's stand-up comedy blends political commentary and satire.[13] In 1999, he performed a one-hour comedy special, The Pride Is Back, on HBO. In 2003, he released his first tour film, Let America Laugh, and was named #85 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. He has released five comedy albums: 2002's Shut Up You Fucking Baby!, 2004's It's Not Funny, 2010's Bigger and Blackerer, 2016's Making America Great Again/...America... Great..., and 2019's Oh, Come On. He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album twice, in 2003 for Shut Up You Fucking Baby! and in 2016 for ...America... Great....[14]
Cross's first three records were released on CD by indie-rock label Sub Pop, and on vinyl by comedy label Stand Up! Records for Shut Up and It's Not Funny. He self-released 2016's ...America... Great... on CD, with Stand Up! again releasing a vinyl version. Oh, Come On was released by Comedy Dynamics.[15][16][17][18] Cross tends to release his albums in overlapping audio and video formats which each contain material not found on the other. This is the case on Bigger and Blackerer, Oh, Come On, and perhaps most obviously the 2016 companion set Making America Great Again (a Netflix film) and ...America... Great... (CD/vinyl audio), which have different titles.[19][20] Oh, Come On's video and audio versions were recorded at two different shows on the same tour.[21]
Cross's stand-up material was featured in Comedy Central's 2004 animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. He appears on several Un-Cabaret compilation albums, including Freak Weather Feels Different and The Good, the Bad and the Drugly.
Television, film and voice roles
Cross began his professional television career as a writer on The Ben Stiller Show. The series hired him toward the end of its run, and he occasionally made brief appearances in the sketches. He had a speaking role in "The Legend of T.J. O'Pootertoot", a sketch written almost entirely by Cross. It was during this period that he first met Bob Odenkirk, with whom he would later co-create the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show in 1995. Cross won an Emmy for his work on The Ben Stiller Show in 1993.[22] In 1997 he played Newton, an employee of the NYC Morgue in Men in Black, and reprised the character, now as an owner of a video rental store, in Men in Black II in 2002.
Cross later co-starred as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development, originally intended to be only a minor role.[23] He also played smaller roles on programs such as Just Shoot Me!, The Drew Carey Show, NewsRadio, Strangers with Candy, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. From October 2005, Cross regularly appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report as Stephen Colbert's nemesis Russ Lieber, a fictional liberal radio talk show host from Madison, Wisconsin.[24] Cross developed an animated series for Comedy Central called Freak Show, which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin and was cancelled due to low ratings.[25] He has appeared several times on Wonder Showzen.
Cross teamed up with Mr. Show director and producer Troy Miller and Odenkirk to produce a feature film Run Ronnie Run, based on one of their Mr. Show characters. The film satirized the reality television craze, and featured cameos from many stars; however, Odenkirk got into conflict with the studio New Line Cinema, and they released it direct-to-video. In 1994 and again in 1999, Cross was a guest voice actor on Joe Frank's radio show, featured in the episodes "The Last Run", "A Hearing", "The O.J. Chronicles", and "Jam". In 2013, he returned, making an appearance in an episode of Frank's radio show, entitled "A Conversation".[26]
In 2004, Cross provided voices for a Marine in Halo 2 and a store clerk named Zero in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[27] He was also the voice of the "Happy-Time Harry" doll and Bert Banana in Aqua Teen Hunger Force (although the part was credited as Sir Willups Brightslymoore). Cross has made guest appearances in Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! He directed the music video for The Black Keys' song "10 A.M. Automatic", a spoof of public-access television. Paste Magazine ranked it number 24 on their list of the 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade (2000–2009).[28]
Cross appeared in The Strokes' music video for "Juicebox" as a bad local "morning zoo" radio DJ. He also appeared in The New Pornographers' video for "Use It", in Superchunk's video for "Watery Hands" (along with Janeane Garofalo), and in Yo La Tengo's video for "Sugarcube" (along with Bob Odenkirk and John Ennis). Cross contributes to Vice magazine, writing a column, My America. In 2005, he contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" and appeared in one of PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaigns.[29]
In the Beastie Boys' 2006 concert film Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!, Cross portrays Nathaniel Hörnblowér in the fictional segment "A Day in the Life of Nathaniel Hörnblowér". In I'm Not There, Cross portrays Allen Ginsberg. Both Bill Lawrence and Zach Braff of the TV series Scrubs were eager to have Cross make a cameo appearance on the series as Tobias Fünke, but due to the series' cancellation, the plan never came to fruition.[30][31]
Cross provided commentary on the Vicarious music video DVD for Tool. He has previously performed comedy as an opening act for the band and its members appeared on Mr. Show several times. He portrayed Ian Hawke in Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and voiced Crane in the Kung Fu Panda film franchise.
Cross starred in David's Situation, a pilot for HBO. It filmed in May 2008 and included many Mr. Show alumni at the taping. On August 6, 2008, Bob Odenkirk announced on bobanddavid.com that David's Situation would not be produced.[32]
Cross's black comedy series The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, in which he stars and co-writes with Shaun Pye, has run on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and IFC in the United States since October 2010,[33] for a total 18 episodes. On March 29, 2010, his first comedy special in six years, Bigger and Blackerer, was streamed on Epix HD. A CD with "slightly different content" was released on May 25, 2010.[34]
In 2009, Cross released his first book I Drink for a Reason. The book features memoirs, satirical fictional memoirs, and material from Cross that originally appeared in other publications.[35] In September 2009, Cross performed at his own comedy stage at the ATP New York 2009 music festival, for which he picked Eugene Mirman, H. Jon Benjamin, Jon Glaser, and Derrick Brown & The Navy Gravy to join him. In the same year, Cross and Benjamin created and wrote for Paid Programming on Adult Swim. Paid Programming was not picked up for a full series and Benjamin referred to it as an "abject failure".[36]
Cross starred alongside Julia Stiles and America Ferrera in It's a Disaster, which premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival. Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired US distribution rights to the film, releasing it in select theaters beginning April 13, 2013.[37]
Cross's directorial debut film Hits premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.[38][39] Instead of selling the film rights to distributors, Cross instead opted to sell the movie over Bit Torrent through their "bundles" program,[40] which BitTorrent launched to help "legitimize" the platform.[40] According to The Verge, it was the first feature film to be distributed in such a format.[40] At the same time, Cross launched a Kickstarter campaign for the movie's general release which would then distribute the movie using a pay what you want methodology.[40]
In April 2015, episodes were ordered for a new sketch comedy show starring Cross and Odenkirk called W/ Bob & David.[41] It premiered in November 2015 on Netflix. Cross and Odenkirk write, star in, and produce the show.
On the January 10, 2016, broadcast of the National Public Radio-syndicated quiz show Ask Me Another, Cross appeared as a celebrity guest and performed well enough that at the audience's request the show's producers took the unusual step of allowing him to advance to the show's final, championship round; he then won that round and became that episode's overall champion, winning a prize package that included a pair of denim cutoff shorts that he himself had autographed.
He created the eight-episode black comedy series Bliss, which was released by the BritBox streaming service in 2018. It stars Stephen Mangan as Andrew, a fraudulent travel writer, who is struggling to maintain long-term relationships with two partners, Kim (Heather Graham) and Denise (Jo Hartley), who are not aware of one another.[42][43] The same year Cross provided the lead character's "white voice" in the science fiction comedy film Sorry to Bother You,[44][45]
Influences
Cross has said his comedic influences include Bill Hicks,[46] Andy Kaufman,[47] Monty Python's Flying Circus,[47] Lou Costello,[47] Steven Wright,[47] Richard Pryor,[47] and Lenny Bruce.[47]
Controversies
In October 2005, Cross was sued by Nashville club manager Thomas Weber, who accused Cross of supposedly taping him without permission for Shut Up You Fucking Baby and Let America Laugh in apparent violation of Weber's privacy rights. In April 2006, the case against Cross was dismissed and the case proceeded with Warner Music, Subpop Records, WEA Corporation, and the Alternative Distribution Alliance.[48][49]
In a 2012 interview with Playboy magazine, Cross revealed that he had done a small amount of cocaine at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Cross spoke on the matter, "It wasn't like I got high... It was just about being able to say that I did it, that I did cocaine in the same room as the president."[50]
In October 2017, Cross apologized to actor-comedian Charlyne Yi for racially insensitive comments that he had made toward Yi in the mid-2000s. In a lengthy response, Cross tweeted, "I am NOT accusing Charlene of lying, and I'm truly sorry if I hurt her, it was never my intention to do that. I do not remember it like she remembers (and clearly we're quite a bit far apart on this) but I reached out to her privately and expressed that and more, including the possibility that perhaps we are both misremembering *exactly* what happened that night."[51][52] Five days later he tweeted, "Charlyne I'm sorry that I hurt you and that this whole thing played out as it did."[53][54]
In August 2018, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints protested against a photo which Cross tweeted of himself wearing "Mormon religious undergarments". The tweet was meant to promote his show at the University of Utah's Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university president issued a statement condemning apparent "bigotry and religious intolerance" and calling the imagery "deeply offensive". Citing the First Amendment, the university said it would not "censor the content of those coming to campus."[55]
Larry the Cable Guy
In April 2005, Cross criticized stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy in a Rolling Stone interview, saying, "It's a lot of anti-gay, racist humor—which people like in America—all couched in 'I'm telling it like it is.' He's in the right place at the right time for that gee-shucks, proud-to-be-a-redneck, I'm-just-a-straight-shooter-multimillionaire-in-cutoff-flannel-selling-ring-tones act. That's where we are as a nation now. We're in a state of vague American values and anti-intellectual pride."
In response, Larry devoted a chapter in his book GIT-R-DONE to Cross and the "PC left", claiming that Cross had supposedly "screwed with my fans, it was time for me to say something". Larry claimed that Rolling Stone was baiting comedians to attack him, and they turned to Cross only after Lewis Black refused, as Larry and Black are good friends.[56] Cross responded with An Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy posted on his website.[57] He continued to mock Larry in his stand-up, satirizing Blue Collar TV during a guest appearance on Wonder Showzen. In December 2005, he ended his performance on Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05 by mockingly yelling Larry's catchphrase, "GIT-R-DONE!", to the audience as he left the stage. He poked fun at Larry's comedy in Freak Show with a character called "Danny the Plumber Guy".
James Lipton
Cross has criticized Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton on a Mr. Show sketch and in his stand-up performance The Pride Is Back, calling him "pretentious".[58] Lipton, who thought that Cross's impression of him was not good-natured, would later appear alongside Cross in Arrested Development, in the recurring role of Prison Warden Stefan Gentiles. During filming, Cross was impressed with Lipton's acting and comedic ability, and the two became good friends.[59] On one commentary track for season four of Mr. Show, Cross discussed the encounter, complimenting Lipton for his professionalism and performance, saying that he liked Lipton personally but still "didn't care for" Inside The Actors Studio.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Responding to critics of his decision to appear in the critically panned, but commercially successful, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Cross said the film paid for a summer cottage and more than "all my other projects combined: book, TV show, the two pilots, Year One, yeah."[60][61] Although he has admitted to taking the role primarily for the money, Cross has said that he does not regret doing so or consider it to be "selling out," as he has nothing against entertainment designed for children that does not send a bad message to the public.[62] Cross reprised his Chipmunks role in two of the film's sequels, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
Cross described Chipwrecked as "literally without question, the most unpleasant experience I've ever had in my professional life".[63] He accused an unidentified producer of antisemitism and of mistreating him. Cross was also "forced at legal gunpoint" to spend a week shooting footage on a Carnival Cruise, which Cross argued was pointless since he had no lines and was unrecognizable in a pelican suit. That cost Cross a $150,000 bonus for violating his non-disparagement clause by discussing his grievances publicly.[63]
Scott Stapp
Cross has been critical of several pop music acts in his stand-up comedy, notably Creed and its lead singer Scott Stapp. On his 2004 album It's Not Funny, Cross referred to Creed as "the third-worst band in history", and joked that Stapp hung around "10th grade girls' locker rooms" to find inspiration for his song lyrics.[64] Cross then related an anecdote about Stapp being a last-minute replacement for another celebrity at a taping of Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2003. Cross became concerned that a confrontation would take place since he had "said the most awful shit about [Stapp] on stage and in print."[65] Cross said that as the taping was preparing to commence, he approached Stapp and extended his hand, introducing himself, and that Stapp shook his hand and sarcastically intoned, "Thanks for the words", to which Cross eloquently replied, "Well, you know..."[66]
Personal life
In August 2011, after four years of dating, Cross became engaged to Amber Tamblyn. They married in 2012.[67] On February 21, 2017, Tamblyn announced that she and Cross have a daughter.[68][69][70]
Cross, who was raised with Judaism, has described himself as an atheist.[2][3] He describes his political philosophy as "definitely more socialist Democrat than centrist politician".[71] In an interview in 2016, Cross praised Senator Bernie Sanders and said he admired Sanders "way before he ran for President".[72] In 2021, Cross featured on a video produced by the Gravel Institute, a progressive think tank.[73]
On September 26, 2013, Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler revealed that Cross was the first investor in the crowdfunding platform. Strickler included Cross among the "friends and family" who first financed Kickstarter in 2006.[74]
Cross is a fan of and friends with the musical group Beastie Boys. He is sampled on the beginning of the group's single "Ch-Check It Out" from their album To the 5 Boroughs. One of the group's members, Mike D, did not believe that this was Cross's voice in the sample, and Cross says he had to perform the voice in front of Diamond to prove it was actually him. Cross revealed this while hosting the Beastie Boys SiriusXM channel.[75] Cross also appeared in the group's music video for "Make Some Noise" which was nominated for Video of The Year at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.[76] In Spike Jonze documentary Beastie Boys Story, Cross has a post-credit scene in which he interrupts the group's theater performance to poke fun at the commercial failure of their second album, Paul's Boutique.[77]
Discography
Comedy albums
| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Pride Is Back | HBO | Special[78] |
| 2002 | Shut Up You Fucking Baby! | Sub Pop (CD); Stand Up! Records (vinyl)[15][16] | Album |
| 2004 | It's Not Funny | Sub Pop (CD); Stand Up! Records (vinyl)[16][15] | Album |
| 2010 | Bigger and Blackerer | Sub Pop[15][19] | Special and album[19] |
| 2016 | Making America Great Again | Netflix (special) | Special, and album...America...Great...[20] |
| 2019 | Oh, Come On | Comedy Dynamics[21] | Special and album[21] |
| 2022 | I'm from the Future | Self-released | Special |
Compilation appearances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Two Drink Minimum | Showcase |
| 1996 | HBO Comedy Half-Hour | |
| 2004 | Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 | Compilation |
| 2005 | Invite Them Up | |
| 2007 | Comedy Death-Ray | |
| 2008 | Awesome Record, Great Songs! Volume One |
Awards
Shut Up You Fucking Baby!
- Nominated–Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (2003)[14]
...America...Great...
- Nominated–Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (2016)[14]
Bibliography
| Year | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | I Drink for a Reason | Grand Central Publishing, New York (ISBN 978-0-446-57948-3) |
| 2013 | Hollywood Said No! |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Destiny Turns on the Radio | Ralph Dellaposa | |
| 1996 | The Truth About Cats & Dogs | Male Radio Caller / Bookstore Man | |
| The Cable Guy | Sales Manager | ||
| Waiting for Guffman | UFO Expert | ||
| 1997 | Who's the Caboose? | Jaded Guy | |
| Men in Black | Newton, Morgue Attendant | ||
| 1998 | Small Soldiers | Irwin Wayfair | |
| The Thin Pink Line | Tommy Dantsbury | ||
| 1999 | Can't Stop Dancing | Chapman | |
| 2000 | Chain of Fools | Andy | |
| 2001 | Ghost World | Gerrold | |
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Dog #2 | Voice | |
| Pootie Tang | Pootie Tang Impostor | ||
| Scary Movie 2 | Dwight Hartman | ||
| One Day... | The Turd | Short film | |
| 2002 | Life Without Dick | Rex | |
| Men in Black II | Newton | ||
| Martin & Orloff | Dan Wasserman | ||
| Run Ronnie Run | Ronnie Dobbs / Pootie T / Chow Chow's voice | Also writer | |
| 2003 | Melvin Goes to Dinner | Seminar Leader | |
| Let America Laugh | Himself | Also writer | |
| 2004 | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Rob Eakin | |
| 2006 | Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! | Nathaniel Hörnblowér | |
| She's the Man | Principal Gold | ||
| Curious George | Junior Bloomsberry | Voice | |
| School for Scoundrels | Ian Winsky | ||
| 2007 | Crashing | Man In Space | |
| The Grand | Larry Schwartzman | ||
| I'm Not There | Allen Ginsberg | ||
| Battle for Terra | Giddy | Voice | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks | Ian Hawke | ||
| 2008 | The Toe Tactic | Timmy | Voice |
| Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs | Yivo | Voice Direct-To-DVD | |
| Kung Fu Panda | Crane | Voice | |
| Secrets of the Furious Five | Voice Short film | ||
| The Legend of Secret Pass | Loo | Voice | |
| 2009 | Meltdown | Ham Sandwich | Short Film |
| Year One | Cain | ||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Ian Hawke | ||
| Community | Hank Hickey | ||
| 2010 | Megamind | Minion | Voice |
| 2011 | Fight For Your Right Revisited | Nathaniel Hörnblowér | Short film |
| Megamind: The Button of Doom | Minion | Voice Short film | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | Ian Hawke | ||
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | Crane | Voice | |
| Demoted | Ken Castro | ||
| 2012 | It's a Disaster | Glenn Randolph | |
| 2013 | Kill Your Darlings | Louis Ginsberg | |
| The Gynotician | Gynotician | Short film Also co-writer | |
| 2014 | Hits | Director and writer | |
| Obvious Child | Sam | ||
| 2015 | The Wolfpack Project | Documentary Executive producer | |
| Pitch Perfect 2 | Riff-Off Host | Credited as Sir Willups Brightslymoore | |
| 2016 | Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll | Crane | Voice Short film |
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | Voice | ||
| Folk Hero & Funny Guy | Chris DeRose | ||
| 2017 | The Post | Howard Simons | |
| 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Cash's white voice | Voice |
| Next Gen | Dr. Rice / Q-Bots | Voice | |
| 2020 | Beastie Boys Story | Himself | Documentary |
| The Dark Divide[79] | Robert Michael Pyle | ||
| 2021 | 8-Bit Christmas | Dealer | |
| 2023 | You Hurt My Feelings | Jonathan | |
| 2024 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | Crane | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1993 | The Ben Stiller Show | Stage Manager / Boyfriend | 2 episodes Also writer Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (1993) |
| 1995 | A Bucket of Blood | Charlie | Television film |
| 1995–1998 | Mr. Show with Bob and David | Various roles | 30 episodes Also co-creator, writer and executive producer Nominated–Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (1998–1999) Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics (1998) |
| 1996–1997 | The Drew Carey Show | Earl | 2 episodes |
| 1996–1998 | NewsRadio | David / Theo | 2 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | David (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2000 | Tenacious D | Comic Dressed as Nun | Episode: "Angel in Disguise" Also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
| 1997 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Gallagher" |
| 1998 | Hercules | Fear (voice) | Episode: "Hercules and the Owl of Athens" |
| 1999–2003 | Just Shoot Me! | Donnie DiMauro | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Strangers with Candy | Dr. Trepanning | Episode: "Is My Daddy Crazy?" |
| 2001 | Night of the Living Doo | Himself (voice) | Television film |
| Home Movies | Guy in Grocery Store (voice) | Episode: "Brendon's Choice" | |
| 2002–2008 | Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Happy Time Harry / Bert Banana (voices) | 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Himself | American version,panel game show, 1 episode |
| 2003–2004 | Oliver Beene | Future Oliver David Beene (voice) | 23 episodes |
| 2003 | King of the Hill | Ward Rackley (voice) | Episode: "Witches of East Arlen" |
| 2003–2004 | Crank Yankers | Benjamin Dubois / Ray Shanty (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019 |
Arrested Development | Dr. Tobias Fünke | 78 episodes Nominated–Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005–2006, 2014) Nominated–Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series (2004) |
| 2004 | Pilot Season | Ben (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Tom Goes to the Mayor | Todd (voice) | Episode: "Calcucorn" |
| 2005–2007 | The Colbert Report | Russ Lieber | 7 episodes |
| 2006 | O'Grady | Randy Harnisch (voice) | Episode: "Big Jerk on Campus" |
| Wonder Showzen | T-Totaled Timbo / Junkyard Jessip / Storytime Hostage | 3 episodes | |
| Freak Show | Benny / Primi / Various voices | 7 episodes Also co-creator, writer, and executive producer | |
| Family Guy | Jerry Kirkwood (voice) | Episode: "Prick Up Your Ears" | |
| 2007–2008 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Pizza Boy / James the Pussy Doodles Artist / Lou | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Ronnie Chase | Episode: "Bombshell" |
| Odd Job Jack | Julius J (voice) | Episode: "King Ho" | |
| 2008 | David's Situation | David | Pilot Also co-creator and writer |
| Human Giant | Peter Burns | 2 episodes | |
| 2009 | Important Things with Demetri Martin | Co-worker | Episode: "Chairs" |
| Paid Programming | Pilot Also co-creator | ||
| 2010 | Kung Fu Panda Holiday | Crane | Voice |
| 2010–2011 | Running Wilde | Dr. Andy Weeks | 7 episodes |
| 2010–2012, 2016 |
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Todd Margaret | 19 episodes Also creator, writer, and associate producer |
| 2011, 2018 | Archer | Noah (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Soul Quest Overdrive | Bert (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Modern Family | Duane Bailey | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Mary Shelley's Frankenhole | Jim Belushi / John Belushi (voices) | Episode: "Robert Louis Stevenson's Belushi" |
| 2012–2013 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself / Chef | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | The Heart, She Holler | Jack | 12 episodes |
| 2014 | Rick and Morty | Prince Nebulon (voice) | Episode: "M. Night Shaym-Aliens!" |
| Community | Hank Hickey | Episode: "Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" | |
| Dead Boss | Derek Bridges | Pilot | |
| Maron | Himself | Episode: "Marc's Family" | |
| Drunk History | Baron von Steuben | Episode: "Philadelphia" | |
| 2015 | Asylum | Juan Pablo | Episode: "Project Siren" |
| TripTank | Jack (voice) | Episode: "Precipice of Yesterday" | |
| W/ Bob & David | Various roles | 4 episodes Also co-creator, writer, and executive producer | |
| 2016–2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Russ Snyder | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | We Bare Bears | Director (voice) | Episode: "The Audition" |
| 2017 | Pig Goat Banana Cricket | Thaddeus D. Actwell (voice) | Episode: "Steak Bus" |
| 2018–2019 | Goliath | Pete "The Broker" Oakland | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Bliss | Creator, writer, and director | |
| Ask the StoryBots | Hippie | Episode: "How Do Flowers Grow?" | |
| The Shivering Truth | Soldier (voice) | Episode: "Ogled Inklings" | |
| 2019–2020 | Big Mouth | Skip Glouberman (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Genius | Jerry Wexler | 7 episodes |
| Teenage Euthanasia | (voice) | Episode: "First Date with the Second Coming" | |
| What We Do in the Shadows | Dominykas the Dreadful | Episode: "A Farewell" | |
| Station Eleven | Gil | 2 episodes | |
| Bubble Guppies | Freezy Dragon (voice) | Episode: "Christmas is Coming!" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Marine (voice) | G-Phoria Award for Best Voice Male Performance |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Zero (voice) | ||
| 2006 | Curious George | Junior (voice) | |
| 2009 | Brütal Legend | Screamwagon's tortured demon (voice) | |
| 2020 | Grand Theft Auto Online | DJ Zachary (voice) | The Cayo Perico Heist DLC |
| 2021 | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition | Zero (voice) | Archival recordings Remaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Watery Hands" by Superchunk | Actor |
| "Sugarcube" by Yo La Tengo | ||
| 2004 | "10 A.M. Automatic" by The Black Keys | Director |
| 2005 | "Juicebox" by The Strokes | Actor |
| "Use It" by The New Pornographers | ||
| 2006 | "Vicarious" DVD by Tool | Commentary |
| 2011 | "Make Some Noise" by Beastie Boys | Actor |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Harmontown | Himself |
| 2016-2017 | Homecoming | Anthony Azam |
| 2016 | Cum Town | Himself |
| 2017 | Chapo Trap House | |
| 2018 | The Official Podcast | Himself |
| 2019 | What a Time to Be Alive | Himself |
| 2020 | Off Menu | Himself [80] |
| Life Is Short With Justin Long | Himself | |
| WTF | ||
| 2021 | Smartless | |
| 2022 | Useful Idiots | |
| Your Mom’s House | ||
| 2023 | Aunty Donna Podcast | Himself |
References
- "David Cross Biography: Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian (1964–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- "Interview: David Cross". The A.V. Club. September 15, 1999. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008.
I was raised Jewish but I don't believe in God, I'm not Jewish, and I don't hold those beliefs.
- "Stand-up Comic David Cross". Npr.org. February 6, 2003. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- "'While I'm doing Alvin And The Chipmunks, I'm thinking of awful risque things': Interview with David Cross". Chortle.com.uk. October 29, 2010.
- "David Cross". Adam Carolla Show. October 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.
- "Interview: Cross". Adam Carolla Podcast. June 29, 2009 – via Internet Archive.
- "Episode 269 – David Cross" (Podcast). WTF with Marc Maron. April 8, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
- Odenkirk, Naomi. (2002). Mr. Show What Happened?! Beverly Hills, CA: The Management Group. ISBN 0-9713597-8-4
- Malloy, John (December 2, 2011). "O.J. Chronicles, The". JoeFrank.com.
- "Jam". JoeFrank.com.
- "KCRW'S Unfictional". JoeFrank.com.
- "Joe Frank: Downfall". KCRW.com. May 26, 2023.
- "David Cross Biography". Yahoo! Movies. April 4, 1964. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- "GRAMMY Award Results for David Cross". The Recording Academy. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "David Cross". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "David Cross – Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!". Discogs. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "David Cross – It's Not Funny". Discogs. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "David Cross – ...America...Great..." Discogs. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "Bigger and Blackerer". David Cross. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "...America...Great..." David Cross. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- Greenough, Jason (May 10, 2019). "David Cross sticks to his rules and roots on new album 'Oh, Come On'". Vanyaland. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- Deutsch, Ron (October 8, 1999). "Something Completely Different". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
- Clark, Meredith. "Q&A: David Cross on 'Arrested Development,' Cutoff Shorts and Overpowering the Grid". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- Evans, Bradford. "Why 'The Colbert Report' Should Use Correspondents More Often". Splitsider. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- "Comedy Gods David Cross and Jon Benjamin Made A Cartoon!! Comedy Central's FREAK SHOW!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- "Joe Frank: A Conversation". KCRW.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- "Joe Frank: A Conversation". GameSpot. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- Labate, Steve (November 9, 2009). "The 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade 2000–2009)". Paste Magazine. Paste Media Group. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- Nessif, Bruna (May 22, 2013). "Blast from the Past: Funnyman David Cross Wears His Own Fur in Never Nude PETA Ad". EOnline.com.
- Mischalova (September 6, 2006). "Zach Braff on Scrubs, Fletch and Being Goofy". Thehollywoodgossip.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
The one person I want right now is David Cross. I wanted David Cross to come on as Tobias Funke ... I love that character, and the fact that character is over for good, I want him to at least have one more little life.
- "Scrubs: Zach May Come Back & An Arrested Development Guest?". TVSeriesFinale.com. September 9, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
What is for sure is Zach's desire to work with actor David Cross. [...] Zach and Bill both love Cross' character from Development and prompted Zach to say "I want David Cross to come on as Tobias. I'm trying to broker that deal. I think that it would be so funny because I love [that character]. I want him to have at least one more life."
- Evans, Bradford. "The Lost Projects of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross". Splitsider.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- Petski, Denise (October 8, 2015). "'Todd Margaret' Season 3 Gets January Premiere On IFC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- "David Cross- new CD/DVD announced". idiomag.com. Idio Ltd. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
- "I Drink for a Reason". Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- Heisler, Steve (February 4, 2011). "Random Roles H. Jon Benjamin". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- "It's a Disaster". Oscilloscope.net. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- "Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition". January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- "Hits – Director David Cross". Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- Kastrenakes, Jacob (January 7, 2015). "David Cross' new movie will be the first feature film distributed in a BitTorrent Bundle". Theverge.com. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- Whitney, Erin (April 2, 2015). "Bob Odenkirk & David Cross Are Reuniting For A Netflix Series". The Huffington Post. Arianna Huffington. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 26, 2018). "How David Cross' Comedy Crosses The Pond With BritBox's 'Bliss' – TCA". DEadline.como.
- "Review: One father with two secret families. Life is complicated in the comedy 'Bliss'". Los Angeles Times. August 15, 2018.
- Busch, Anita (June 15, 2017). "Tessa Thompson, Lakeith Stanfield, Steven Yeun To Star In 'Sorry To Bother You'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- Blistein, Jon (May 17, 2018). "Watch Lakeith Stanfield Make Millions With 'White Voice' in Wild 'Sorry to Bother You' Trailer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- Cross, David. In Guildford, Simon (June 21, 2007). "Does Anybody Remember Laughter?". SimonGuildford.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014.
I was definitely influenced by Bill Hicks. Well, maybe less 'influenced' than 'inspired by'. When I first met him, I was doing stuff that I do now, so maybe I wasn't directly influenced by him. But he was certainly inspiring.
- "Profile in Comedy: David Cross – Comedy Writing". NetPlaces.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2011.
- Dylan (August 21, 2006). "Lawsuit Against David Cross, Warner Music Dismissed". Mediabistro.com. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
- Riden, Chad (October 12, 2005). "Thomas Weber (Exit-In dude) sues David Cross". Nashvillestandup.com. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
- Carlson, Erin (February 22, 2012). "David Cross Admits to Snorting Cocaine at the White House Correspondents Dinner". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Fernandez, Matt (October 18, 2017). "David Cross Accused of Racist Behavior by Charlyne Yi". Variety. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- Cross, David [@davidcrosss] (October 17, 2017). "Adressing [sic] the Charlyne Yi tweet below" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
- Wanshel, Elyse (October 23, 2017). "David Cross Apologizes To Charlyne Yi: 'I'm Sorry That I Hurt You'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- Cross, David [@davidcrosss] (October 23, 2017). "Charlyne I'm sorry that I hurt you..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
- Knox, Annie (August 19, 2018). "U. president decries 'deeply offensive' tweet from comedian David Cross". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- Ullman, Ethan (March 24, 2010). "Interview with comedian Lewis Black". Albany Student Press. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
And we totally don't agree on politics, but he's a friend of mine.
- Cross, David (October 2, 2007). "An Open Letter to Larry The Cable Guy". BobandDavid.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
- Cross, David. The Pride is Back, track: "James Lipton"
- "A Couple of Questions with…James Lipton". Premiumhollywood.com.
- Netburn, Deborah (January 3, 2008). "Comedian defends his kid-flick role". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- Sicha, Choire (June 14, 2009). "It's full speed ahead for David Cross". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009.
- "Amplified: David Cross Defends 'Chipmunks'". YouTube. May 31, 2010. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- "David Cross Is Still Pissed About The 'Alvin And The Chipmunks' Movies". UPROXX. December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- Riedel, David (August 18, 2011). "David Cross: Five things to know about him". CBS News.
- "David Cross - Hidden Track (Scott Stapp)". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 18, 2013.
- Modell, Josh (January 6, 2012). "David Cross". The A.V. Club.
- "Exclusive: Amber Tamblyn, 29, Weds David Cross, 48". Us Weekly. October 7, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- Tamblyn, Amber (February 21, 2017). "David and I are proud to announce..." Amber Tamblyn verified Instagram account. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
...the birth of our daughter, Dauphinoise Petunia Brittany Scheherazade Von Funkinstein Mustard Witch RBG Cross Tamblyn-Bey jr.
- Hawkes, Rebecca (February 24, 2017). "Amber Tamblyn announces utterly ridiculous baby name - and people aren't quite sure what to think". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- Mizoguchi, Karen (March 13, 2017). "Amber Tamblyn Reveals Her Daughter's Name Is Marlow Alice — and the Announcement Involves Hillary Clinton". People. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- "David Cross on why his comedy tour pissed off people right and left". The A.V. Club. August 18, 2016. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- "Interview with David Cross". Vanyaland.com. March 23, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
- "Great new video from the Gravel Institute featuring David Cross". Daily Kos.
- Glenn Fleishman (September 26, 2013). "And the Crowdfund Goes Wild". The New Disruptors (Podcast). Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- "SiriusXM on Twitter: "@davidcross reveals the @beastieboys song he's sampled on."". Twitter. August 4, 2020.
- "Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise (Official Video) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- "The Ending of 'Beastie Boys Story' Explained". Film School Rejects. April 24, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- Store, Official David Cross Online. "Recordings". Official David Cross Online Store. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- "The Dark Divide (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Ep 80: David Cross". play.acast.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
