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Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century.[1] In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was one of the influences on modern improvisational theater. Close was co-founder of the ImprovOlympic (iO).

Key Information

Life and career

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Early life

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Close was born on March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas.[2] He ran away from home at the age of 17 to work in a traveling side show, but returned to attend Kansas State University. At age 19 he performed in summer stock with the Belfry Players at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.[3] At age 23 he became a member of the Compass Players in St. Louis.[4] When most of the cast—including Mike Nichols and Elaine May—moved to New York City, Close followed. He developed a stand-up comedy act, starred as the Yogi in the Broadway musical revue The Nervous Set,[5] and performed briefly with an improv company in Greenwich Village with fellow Compass alumni Mark and Barbara Gordon. Close also worked with John Brent to record the classic Beatnik satire album How to Speak Hip, a parody of language-learning tools that purported to teach listeners the secret language of the "hipster".[6]

Chicago years

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In 1960 Close moved to Chicago, his home base for much of the rest of his life, to perform and direct at Second City, but was fired due to substance abuse. He spent the latter half of the 1960s in San Francisco where he was the house director of improv ensemble The Committee, featuring performers such as Gary Goodrow, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Bonerz, Howard Hesseman and Larry Hankin. He toured with the Merry Pranksters, and he created light images for Grateful Dead shows.

In 1972, he returned to Chicago and to Second City. He also directed and performed for Second City's troupe in Toronto in 1977. Over the next decade he coached many popular comedians. In the early 1980s he served as "house metaphysician" at Saturday Night Live; for many years, a significant percentage of the show's cast were Close protégés. He spent the mid-to-late 1980s and 1990s teaching improv, collaborating with Charna Halpern at Yes And Productions and the ImprovOlympic Theater with Compass Players producer, David Shepherd.[7]

In 1987, Close mounted his first scripted show, Honor Finnegan vs. the Brain of the Galaxy, created by members of Close and Halpern's Improv Olympics from a scenario by Close, at CrossCurrents in Chicago.[8] Running concurrently at the same theater was The TV Dinner Hour, written by Richard O'Donnell of New Age Vaudeville, featuring Close's running routine as The Rev. Thing of the First Generic Church of What's-his-name.[8]

During this period, Close also appeared in several movies; he portrayed corrupt alderman John O'Shay in The Untouchables[9] and an English teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He co-authored the graphic horror anthology Wasteland for DC Comics with John Ostrander,[10] and co-wrote several installments of the "Munden's Bar" backup feature for Ostrander's Grimjack. Close performed in the 1993 world premiere of Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.[citation needed]

Personal life

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An obituary published in the Manhattan Mercury said that Close's father died in Manhattan, Kansas, on December 16, 1954, after being found unconscious in his jewelry store and that the cause of death was "self-inflicted."[11] Close would have been 20 years old and, according to Kim "Howard" Johnson, a biographer in the documentary For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close, Close was in New York at the time, over a thousand miles away from where his father died.[12][citation needed]

Close had told many varied and dramatic accounts of his father's suicide, with the general story being that his father did it right in front of him when he was a child (accounts vary in age between 6–17 years old) by drinking a caustic liquid (various accounts on which type of caustic liquid).[11]

Regardless of when or how the suicide of Close's father occurred, many of his friends believed it had a profound effect on him. Close would frequently bring it up in conversation with friends and even on stage. In the 2020 documentary For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close, he is filmed on stage saying to the improv actors and audience, "My father was a spectacular suicide. He drank a quart of sulphuric acid, slashed his wrists. And they kept him alive for two days longer than Jesus hung on the cross, and I used to use that death to get sympathy and to get laid with."[13][citation needed] Then Close wanted to do an improv scene where he would play himself and another actor, Dave Thomas, would play the doctor who would tell Close that his father had just died from the suicide that Close had described. Thomas refused, saying in the documentary that he didn't think it would be a good joke and that there was an obligation to the audience to create laughs—not just to make them gasp. Close replied, "Now perhaps you're not used to this particular kind of horrifying honesty, but I expect the same thing from you and nothing less."[13][citation needed]

Close was addicted to heroin and cocaine but decided to change his lifestyle when his student John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982, although he continued to smoke weed. Close had recently read the book A Witch's Guide to Psychic Healing by Yvonne Frost, which argues that the modern Pagan religion Wicca can provide spiritual healing. He joined a Wiccan coven in Toronto and fought his drug habit together with Wiccan priests who performed a banishing ritual. He stopped using drugs and remained an active Pagan.[14][15]

Death and legacy

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Close died of emphysema on March 4, 1999, at the Illinois Masonic Hospital (now the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center) in Chicago, five days before his 65th birthday.[1] He bequeathed his skull to Chicago's Goodman Theatre to be used in its productions of Hamlet, and specified that he be duly credited in the program as portraying Yorick. Charna Halpern, Close's long-time professional partner and the executor of his will, conveyed a skull that she claimed was his in a high-profile televised ceremony on July 1, 1999.[16]

A front-page article in the Chicago Tribune in July 2006 questioned the authenticity of the skull, however, citing the presence of teeth (Close was edentulous — toothless — at the time of his death) as well as showing the presence of autopsy marks (Close was never autopsied) among other problems.[17] The Goodman's artistic director, Robert Falls, who had directed Del Close as Polonius, held out the skull in his right hand, and spoke: “Alas, poor Del, I knew him, Horatio. A man of infinite jest.” [18] Halpern stood by her story at the time but admitted three months later, in a The New Yorker interview, that she had purchased the skull from a local medical supply company.[19][20]

Bill Murray organized an early 65th birthday party and wake, shortly before Del's anticipated death as he lay on his deathbed in a Chicago hospital, memorialized in a two-part video.[21]

Following Close's death, his former students in the Upright Citizens Brigade founded the annual Del Close Marathon, three days of continuous improvisation by hundreds of performers at various venues in New York City.[22]

Notable students

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The Delmonic Interviews

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In 2002, Cesar Jaime and Jeff Pacocha produced and directed a film composed of interviews with former students, friends, and collaborators of Del Close. The film documented not only Del's life and history, but the impact he had on the people in his life and the art form he helped to create. It is not sold on DVD and was made as a thank you and a tribute to Del, "as a way to allow those that never got to meet or study with him, a chance to understand what he was like."[23]

The Delmonic Interviews includes interviews with: Charna Halpern (co-founder of Chicago's iO Theater), Matt Besser (iO's The Family; Upright Citizens Brigade), Rachel Dratch (iO; Second City; Saturday Night Live), Neil Flynn (iO's The Family; NBC's Scrubs), Susan Messing (iO; Second City; Annoyance Productions), Amy Poehler (Upright Citizens Brigade, Saturday Night Live), and Miles Stroth (iO's The Family; Del's "Warchief"). The film was shown at several national improv festivals, including the 2004 Chicago Improv Festival, the 2004 Phoenix Improv Festival, the 2002 Del Close Marathon in New York City, and the 2006 LA Improv Festival.

In print

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Close is featured in an extensive interview in Something Wonderful Right Away, a book about the members of the Compass Players and Second City written by Jeffrey Sweet. Originally published in 1978 by Avon, it is currently available from Limelight Editions.

From 1984 to 1988, Del Close wrote comic book stories in First Comics' Grimjack. With regular writer John Ostrander, Close co-wrote Munden's Bar stories in Grimjack issues #3, 4, 8, 10, 17, 22, 25, 28, 35, and 42.[24] (Close knew Ostrander from the Chicago theater scene.)[25] From 1987 to 1989, also with Ostrander, Close wrote anthology-style horror stories in the DC Comics title Wasteland. Several of the stories are allegedly autobiographical;[26][25] one recounts Close's experiences while filming Beware! The Blob (1972), and another recalls an encounter with writer L. Ron Hubbard, author of horror and science fiction, and founder of Scientology.[27] Eric Spitznagel wrote about when he heard Close recount his alleged meeting with L.Ron Hubbard, in which Close claimed to have suggested to Hubbard, "Well, if you're worried about taxes, you should just turn Scientology into a religion" (an anecdote that Spitznagel claimed many others have heard Close recount also).[11] In the 2020 documentary, For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close, one of the interviewees, Charna Halpern, recounts that she had heard Close say the same anecdote about himself and Hubbard.[28] There have been a number of different individuals that have claimed for themselves, or been attributed with, giving Hubbard the suggestion of turning Scientology into a religion in order to make a lot of money.[29]

In 2004, writer/comedian R. O'Donnell wrote "My Summer With Del" for Stop Smiling magazine #17 Comedian Issue.[30] The feature was an account of O'Donnell's visits at Del's Chicago apartment as well as recounting highlights of their time spent at CrossCurrents, the theater that housed both their comedy groups.[30]

In 2005, Jeff Griggs published Guru: My Days with Del Close detailing their friendship during the last two years of Close's life. Due to Close's poor health (in part caused by long-term alcohol and drug use), Halpern suggested that Griggs run errands with Close. Guru gives a particularly detailed and complete picture of Close based on those shared hours. At the beginning of their relationship, Griggs was a student of Del's, and the book includes several chapters in which Griggs depicts Close as a teacher. The book has been adapted into a screenplay, and as of 2006 Harold Ramis was attached to direct the script.[31] Ramis (who died in 2014) wanted Bill Murray to play Close.

Close co-authored the 1994 book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation (with Charna Halpern and Kim "Howard" Johnson),[32] which outlines techniques now common in longform improvisation and describes the overall structure of "Harold", which remains a common frame for longer improvisational scenes.[33]

In 2007, Eric Spitznagel wrote an article in the September issue of The Believer magazine reflecting on Close's life and his propensity for storytelling.[11]

In 2008, Kim "Howard" Johnson published The Funniest One in the Room: The Lives and Legends of Del Close, a full-length biography. Johnson himself was a student of Close; the two remained friends until Close's death.

In 2022, Bob Odenkirk wrote a memoir Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama, which includes excerpts of an interview with Del Close who was influential in the startup of his career.

Filmography

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References

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Del Close

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Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American , , , and pioneering of improvisational theater who profoundly shaped modern comedy through his work at Chicago's and the development of long-form techniques. Born in , as the only child of a jeweler, Close was a second cousin of President and grew up in Kansas City, where he developed an early interest in performance after working in carnivals as a teenager. His career began in the 1950s with experimental theater, later involving light shows including collaborations with the in the late , before he joined the influential San Francisco improv group as its house director in the mid-1960s, where he first devised the "Harold," a groundbreaking long-form structure still widely used today. In 1961, Close joined The Second City in Chicago as an actor, writer, and director, contributing to revues like 20,000 Frozen Grenadiers and serving as a key figure until 1983, while also co-creating the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV), which ran for seven seasons in the 1970s and 1980s. He mentored generations of comedians, including John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, John Candy, Mike Myers, and Chris Farley, and coached performers for the early years of Saturday Night Live. In 1983, he co-founded the ImprovOlympic (now iO Theater) with Charna Halpern, where he refined and taught the "Harold" method, emphasizing collaborative, narrative-driven improvisation, as detailed in their 1994 book Truth in Comedy. Beyond teaching, Close had a notable acting career in film and theater, appearing in movies such as The Untouchables (1987), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), and Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), and performing serious stage roles like Polonius in Hamlet (1985, Wisdom Bridge Theater), Shelley in Buried Child (1995, Steppenwolf Theatre), and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1994, Goodman Theater). He also released comedy albums like How to Speak Hip (1961) and The Do-It-Yourself Psychoanalysis Kit. Close struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life but remained a charismatic, boundary-pushing figure in comedy; he never married and had no immediate survivors. In a final act of theatricality, he held a "living wake" the night before his death from emphysema at age 64 and bequeathed his skull to the Goodman Theater to serve as Yorick's in future productions of Hamlet. His legacy endures through institutions like iO and the Upright Citizens Brigade, which adopted his techniques, solidifying his role as the "guru" of American improv.

Early life

Childhood and family background

Del Close was born on March 9, 1934, in , a small town of about 15,000 residents, to Del Close Sr., a local jeweler, and Mildred Close, a homemaker. Close was the only child and a second cousin of President . The family resided in modest circumstances amid the economic challenges of the rural Midwest following the . Close's early years were shaped by his father's inattentiveness and . A pivotal event involved the suicide of his father on December 16, 1954, when Close was 20; he described handing his father a salt shaker filled with battery , an act that left him burdened with guilt and profoundly affected his emotional development. However, Close recounted various dramatic versions of this event, often placing it earlier in his childhood, and the specific details appear to have been embellished. In his mid-teens, Close ran away from home at age 17 to join a , where he toured the Midwest performing stunts like fire-eating and handling odd jobs, an immersion in performance that foreshadowed his lifelong career in entertainment.

Education and early influences

Close attended in , where he actively participated in drama activities that ignited his passion for performance and theater. He graduated in December 1951, completing high school a year ahead of schedule. This early engagement with dramatic arts laid the foundation for his lifelong commitment to and , distinguishing him from his peers in the small environment. Following his high school graduation in 1952, Close briefly enrolled at , then officially named Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. His time there as a was short-lived, as he soon left to explore broader artistic avenues beyond formal education. During his adolescence in the early , Close drew initial inspirations for performance from traditions and radio comedy broadcasts, which captivated him amid the cultural shifts of postwar America. These mediums, blending humor, timing, and spontaneity, shaped his early comedic sensibilities before his professional entry into theater. Additionally, exposure to emerging culture and scenes in the Midwest influenced his developing countercultural perspective, emphasizing and rebellion against convention.

Professional career

New York beginnings

After leaving college in the mid-1950s, Del Close moved to around 1957 at the age of 23, taking on odd jobs such as waiting tables and other menial work to support himself while persistently auditioning for roles in the competitive theater scene. This period marked his determined entry into professional theater, building on his early dramatic interests from high school productions that had sparked his passion for performance. Prior to New York, he had joined the company of in 1957 as an actor and director, contributing to the improvisational troupe's spontaneous, audience-driven sketches. Close's New York tenure also saw him venture into recording, culminating in 1961 with the satirical album How to Speak Hip, co-created with John Brent and released by . The album humorously dissected and parodied jargon and lingo through a mock language-instruction format, capturing the era's hipster ethos and earning cult status for its sharp social commentary.

Chicago improvisation era

In 1960, Del Close relocated to , drawing on his foundational experiences in New York to immerse himself in the city's burgeoning comedy scene. He joined as a cast member in 1961, performing alongside notable ensembles and contributing as an actor, writer, and director during his initial tenure until 1965. His multifaceted role helped shape the troupe's satirical style, emphasizing spontaneous, character-driven sketches that satirized contemporary American life. In 1965, Close moved to , where he co-founded the improvisational group The Committee and served as its director. During this period, he experimented with long-form improvisation, devising "The Harold" structure around 1967, with its first performance by The Committee. The Harold fostered interconnected scenes from a single audience suggestion, contrasting short-form games and allowing narrative depth over extended performances, often lasting 30 minutes or more. Close also collaborated with the on light shows, billed as the "optical percussionist." He returned to in 1972. Back in Chicago, Close resumed work at The Second City as resident director from 1973 to 1982, training performers and staging revues that blended humor with social commentary. During this time, he co-created the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV), serving as head writer and director for its early seasons from 1976 to 1980. He directed numerous productions, refining ensemble dynamics and pushing boundaries in venues across , including collaborations with the Free Theatre, where he helmed experimental works like the 1970s production The Night They Shot Harry Lindd at the Body Politic Theatre. These efforts solidified his reputation as a pivotal figure in elevating Chicago's improv from club entertainment to a sophisticated theatrical form. In 1982, Close partnered with Charna Halpern at the ImprovOlympic (founded by Halpern and David Shepherd in 1981; now ), becoming a key teacher and director. Initially building on competitive short-form tournaments, it quickly pivoted to prioritize long-form improvisation, including revivals and expansions of "The Harold." Under their leadership, the venue became a hub for extended narrative improv, attracting ensembles that performed interwoven scene structures to create cohesive, audience-inspired stories, thereby expanding Chicago's improv ecosystem beyond Second City's model.

Acting and media roles

Close's acting career extended beyond the stage into film and television, where he frequently played supporting character roles that highlighted his distinctive, offbeat presence shaped by years of training. In Brian De Palma's 1987 crime drama The Untouchables, Close portrayed the corrupt John O'Shay, a minor but memorable figure in the story of Eliot Ness's battle against . His background in improv contributed to the nuanced, improvisational flair he brought to such scripted parts. Close appeared as the droning English teacher in John Hughes's 1986 teen comedy , delivering a hypnotic lecture on European history that underscores the film's satirical take on . He also took on the role of Reverend Meeker in the 1988 horror remake The Blob, providing a touch of eccentric authority to the film's cast of townsfolk facing the extraterrestrial menace. Earlier in his career, Close had an uncredited role as a man at the bar in George Lucas's 1973 coming-of-age film , marking one of his initial forays into Hollywood productions. In the 1980s, he contributed to television as an acting coach on , influencing the show's comedic style through his mentorship rather than on-screen appearances. Additionally, Close lent his voice to various commercials, showcasing his versatile baritone in broadcast media.

Teaching and mentorship

Improv teaching methods

Del Close's improv teaching methods emphasized intuitive, collaborative exploration over scripted performance, fostering an environment where performers could discover authentic narratives through structured yet flexible exercises. Central to his was the of "follow the ," which encouraged actors to deliberately pursue choices that evoked discomfort, as these often led to the most genuine and innovative scene work. Close believed that avoiding resulted in predictable, inauthentic , and he instructed students to use it as a guide, stating that “If we treat each other as if we are geniuses, poets and artists, we have a better chance of becoming that on stage.” In the , Close began developing long-form improv structures to move beyond isolated sketches, creating the Harold—a format involving an opening group game, interconnected scenes, and recurring themes based on an audience suggestion—which he first developed and performed with The Committee in toward the end of the 1960s, before refining it at the ImprovOlympic (iO). He also devised The Game, a technique where performers identify and heighten unusual behaviors or "tilts" within scenes to build escalating patterns, promoting narrative depth over punchlines. These structures were taught through iterative practice, with Close rejecting rote memorization in favor of spontaneous adaptation to audience prompts, such as transforming everyday scenarios like a laundromat into thematic explorations. Close placed significant emphasis on the "yes, and" principle, instructing performers from the onward to accept and build upon each other's ideas without negation, which cultivated trust and momentum in ensemble work. Complementing this was his focus on "group mind," a collective intuition where improvisers listen deeply and synchronize as "one mind, many bodies," enabling seamless and emergent . He urged students to prioritize support and agreement, viewing denial as a barrier to creativity, and integrated these concepts into training sessions to develop heightened awareness and mutual reliance. Disillusioned with the superficiality of short-form improv, which relied on quick games and audience participation for laughs, Close rejected it in favor of narrative-driven long-form exercises that allowed for character development and thematic complexity. He argued that short-form stifled deeper artistic potential, instead channeling his classes toward extended formats like the Harold to illuminate broader human truths through unscripted play.

Notable students and protégés

Del Close's influence extended to pioneering improvisers during his time with in the mid-1950s, where he collaborated closely with and , contributing to the group's innovative short-form improv style that laid the groundwork for their acclaimed duo act and subsequent film directing and writing careers. In the 1970s, as a director and teacher at in , Close mentored a generation of performers including , , and , whose training under him honed their skills in long-form improvisation and directly propelled their breakthroughs as original cast members on , where they helped define the show's sketch comedy format. During the 1990s at (formerly ImprovOlympic), which Close co-founded in 1981, he provided guidance to emerging talents such as , , and through his advanced classes emphasizing experimental forms like "The Harold," fostering their development into key contributors—Fey as head writer and performer, Poehler and Dratch as cast members—who later shaped modern . Close's broader impact is evident in his training of at iO, where Besser studied under him in the early 1990s and absorbed principles of artful, narrative-driven improv that informed the founding of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 1996 by Besser and collaborators, extending Close's methods to New York City's improv scene and influencing a new wave of comedians through UCB's training programs and performances.

Personal life

Relationships and personal beliefs

Del Close maintained several significant romantic relationships throughout his adult life, primarily with fellow performers in the comedy and theater scenes. In the late 1950s, during his time with in and subsequent move to New York, Close developed a passionate but ultimately tragic romance with , his co-performer and improv partner, which influenced his early career trajectory amid the group's dissolution. Later, in New York and , he had brief romantic involvements with other women in the , though he never formally married. His most enduring personal partnership was with , the actress and improv teacher with whom he co-founded the ImprovOlympic (now iO) in 1983; their tumultuous 19-year professional collaboration evolved into a deep, non-marital bond that lasted until his death, marked by mutual support in both personal and creative endeavors. Close's social circle included close friendships with figures, reflecting his affinity for countercultural nonconformity. He formed a strong bond with comedian in New York during the early , admiring Bruce's fearless stage presence and viewing comedy as a form of social protest; the two shared a kindred spirit in challenging societal norms through performance. These connections, rooted in the scene, provided Close with intellectual stimulation and reinforced his rejection of conventional lifestyles, echoing the lingering emotional impacts of his early family trauma. In terms of personal beliefs, Close developed a profound interest in the during the countercultural movements of the mid-20th century, drawing inspiration from Aleister Crowley's writings and exploring chaotic as a framework for personal and artistic exploration. In the , Close converted to during a pilgrimage to , where a local aided him in overcoming his through rituals performed by Wiccan ; he later became a in a Chicago-based Wiccan group, integrating these practices into his daily life for spiritual healing and self-reflection. Close incorporated Wiccan elements, such as invocations and archetypal symbolism, into his personal routines and even select improv exercises, viewing them as tools for confronting fear and unlocking deeper truths. At his living wake on March 3, 1999, a pagan priest and priestess performed a brief ceremony, underscoring the centrality of these beliefs to his worldview.

Health struggles and recovery

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Del Close struggled with severe addictions to and , which profoundly impacted his professional life. His led to his dismissal from in the mid-1960s, prompting a move to where he served as house director for the improv troupe The Committee, marking a temporary hiatus from his Chicago-based career. These addictions exacerbated periods of instability, including near-lethal overdoses possibly intended as attempts and institutionalization for emotional issues. Close underwent at Schick Shadel Hospital in 1978 to address , though he continued using marijuana and occasional hallucinogens, which he viewed as beneficial. Following the 1982 overdose death of his student , who had used Close's apartment for drug use, Close successfully overcame his . This sobriety enabled a career resurgence, as he co-founded the ImprovOlympic (now ) with in 1983, focusing on teaching long-form improvisation and mentoring a new generation of performers. Halpern provided crucial support during his recovery, serving as his professional and personal partner for over 15 years. In the 1990s, Close developed due to his lifelong heavy , with the condition diagnosed in the late decade and progressively worsening his health. This illness compounded earlier challenges stemming from his father's in 1954, when Close was 20; his father ingested , an event that Close frequently recounted and that contributed to his own bouts of depression and self-destructive tendencies. Despite these struggles, Close's path to in the allowed him to sustain his influential role in improv education until his emphysema advanced.

Death and legacy

Final years and passing

In the late 1990s, despite his worsening , Del Close continued to teach classes at the ImprovOlympic (iO) in until 1998, where he co-developed the long-form "Harold" technique with . His declining health limited his activities, but he remained committed to mentoring young performers, often incorporating themes of mortality into his workshops and productions. Close died on March 4, 1999, at the age of 64 from complications of at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in . The night before his death, friends organized a raucous farewell party—described as an early 65th birthday celebration and living wake—in his hospital room, with serving as master of ceremonies; Close enjoyed a chocolate martini, his first drink in nearly two decades, before requesting a of . In his will, Close bequeathed his skull to the Goodman Theatre for use as Yorick's in future productions of Hamlet, fulfilling his desire to continue performing posthumously. However, a 2006 investigation revealed that the skull donated in his name was not Close's but a clinical teaching specimen, as he had been cremated shortly after death, raising questions about the fulfillment of his unconventional request.

Posthumous recognition and tributes

Following Del Close's death in 1999, his former students at the founded the annual Del Close Marathon, a three-day festival of nonstop that began in 1999 and has grown into one of the largest improv events in the world, drawing thousands of performers and audiences from across the globe; as of 2025, it continues annually, having relocated to in 2019 before announcing a return to in 2026. In 2002, directors Cesar Jaime and Jeff Pacocha released The Delmonic Interviews, a documentary tribute featuring archival interviews with Close himself alongside reflections from his peers and students on his influence in improv comedy. The 2016 documentary Thank You, Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon, directed by Todd Bieber, chronicles the festival's evolution while honoring Close's legacy through footage of performances and interviews with participants, premiering at . Heather Ross's 2020 hybrid documentary For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close further explores his life and impact, blending interviews with comedians like and , reenactments, and archival material; it premiered at the Mammoth Film Festival and later screened at other events. Biographical works have also contributed to Close's enduring recognition, including Kim Howard Johnson's 2008 book The Funniest One in the Room: The Lives and Legends of Del Close, which draws on accounts from over 80 of his associates to detail his career and eccentricities. Bob Odenkirk's 2022 memoir Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama includes personal anecdotes about Close's mentorship, crediting him with shaping Odenkirk's early comedy path at . Close's posthumous notoriety extended to the macabre interest surrounding his bequest to the Goodman Theatre, where a substitute skull was used in several productions such as Arcadia, Pericles, and I Am My Own Wife; following the 2006 revelation of its inauthenticity, it remains on display in the artistic director's office. Close's lifetime students, including figures like and , continue to perpetuate his improv techniques through their own teaching and performances.

Works

Publications and writings

Del Close co-authored Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation in 1994 with and Kim Howard Johnson, published by Meriwether Publishing. The book serves as a foundational guide to improvisational theater, detailing the "Harold" technique—a long-form structure Close developed that involves six to seven performers creating interconnected scenes, monologues, and games to explore patterns and subvert expectations for comedic effect. It emphasizes collaborative "group mind" principles, influencing improv training worldwide and aiding performers like Mike Myers and in their careers. In the 1980s, Close contributed and horror stories to comic books, often blending speculative elements with personal anecdotes. He co-wrote the DC Comics anthology Wasteland (1987–1989) with , producing semi-autobiographical tales in nearly every issue of the 18-issue series, such as encounters with and vengeful witches, frequently noted as "mostly true." Close also scripted backup stories like "Munden's Bar" in for , collaborating with Ostrander on issues including #3 (1984). Throughout the 1970s and 1990s, Close wrote articles on improvisational philosophy for theater magazines, advocating for long-form techniques as an artistic form rooted in ensemble trust and spontaneity. These pieces explored his views on as rather than scripted jokes. Posthumously, Close's writings and spoken insights were compiled in Guru: My Days with Del Close (2005) by Jeff Griggs, which incorporates excerpts from their conversations during Close's final years, illustrating his teachings through anecdotes and directives.

Recordings and performances

Del Close's early recording career in New York produced two notable spoken-word comedy albums that satirized mid-20th-century cultural trends. His debut, The "Do It Yourself" Psychoanalysis Kit, released in 1959 on Hanover Records, featured Close as a mock psychoanalyst guiding listeners through absurd self-therapy sessions, complete with diagnostic tools and therapeutic exercises delivered in a deadpan style. The album's tracks, such as "General Diagnosis" and "Therapy," parodied the era's growing interest in Freudian analysis, blending humor with instructional parody. In 1961, Close collaborated with John Brent on How to Speak Hip, issued by , a satirical "language course" teaching slang and hipster lingo through lessons on vocabulary, riffs, and "bopping." Brent portrayed the straight-laced instructor, while Close embodied the cool "hipster," delivering lines like "It's not really square—it's just sort of ... unhip" in a format mimicking Berlitz language records. The album captured the countercultural vibe of the early 1960s and remains a cult classic for its witty dissection of emerging youth subcultures. Close's live performances emphasized improvisational theater, particularly during his tenure at from 1961 through the 1980s, where he directed and performed in revues like offshoots and original sketches that honed long-form improv techniques. These shows, often unscripted and responsive to audience suggestions, were occasionally captured in audio for internal review and training, preserving Close's innovative approach to ensemble dynamics. At , co-founded with in 1983, Close directed and performed in experimental long-form pieces throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including ensemble-driven formats that expanded on his "Harold" structure. Audio recordings of these performances, such as select iO revues, are archived at the theater for educational purposes, offering insights into Close's emphasis on "yes, and" collaboration and narrative emergence in live settings. His uncredited advisory role extended to coaching casts in the 1980s, influencing their improvisational sketches, though specific audio contributions remain undocumented in public records.

Film and television

Del Close's screen career encompassed a range of supporting roles in films and television, where his distinctive gravelly voice, imposing stature, and improvisational timing often lent eccentricity and depth to authority figures, criminals, and oddballs. Beginning in the early 1960s, his film work frequently intersected with Chicago's independent and cult cinema scenes before expanding into Hollywood productions in the 1980s and 1990s. His earliest notable film role was in the experimental Chicago-made Goldstein (1964), an improvisational drama inspired by the Talmud, where Close appeared as a disciple alongside co-stars including Patinkin and Taylor Mead. In the 1970s, he contributed to horror and drama genres with parts like the hobo wearing an eyepatch in the sci-fi remake Beware! The Blob (1972), the promoter Hawk in the music drama Gold (1972), and the man at the bar in George Lucas's coming-of-age classic American Graffiti (1973). These early roles showcased Close's ability to infuse brief appearances with memorable quirkiness, drawing from his theater roots. By the 1980s, he gained wider recognition in mainstream films, including the mechanic in Michael Mann's crime thriller Thief (1981), the English teacher delivering the iconic "Life moves pretty fast" lecture in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), the corrupt alderman John O'Shay in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987), and the reverend in the 1988 remake of The Blob. Later credits included the police commissioner in The Big Town (1987), the gang leader in Next of Kin (1989), a scientist in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), the con artist Eddie Farrell in Opportunity Knocks (1990), a baseball owner in A League of Their Own (1992), and the detective H.R. Rineman in The Public Eye (1992).
YearTitleRoleNotes
1964GoldsteinDiscipleIndependent improvisational film; early Chicago collaboration.
1972Beware! The BlobHobo with EyepatchCult horror remake.
1972GoldHawkDrama about a rock promoter.
1973American GraffitiMan at BarBrief but iconic in ensemble cast.
1976The Last AffairSupporting roleLesser-known drama.
1981ThiefMechanic #1Crime thriller with .
1986Ferris Bueller's Day OffEnglish TeacherMemorable classroom scene.
1987The UntouchablesAlderman John O'ShayProhibition-era drama.
1987The Big TownPolice CommissionerGambling noir with .
1988The BlobReverend MeekerHorror remake.
1989Next of KinGabbyAction film with .
1989Fat Man and Little BoyScientistHistorical drama on the .
1990Opportunity KnocksEddie FarrellComedy with .
1992A League of Their OwnBaseball OwnerSports comedy.
1992The Public EyeH.R. RinemanNoir thriller.
Close's television appearances were more sporadic but spanned genres from sitcoms to dramas, often as guest stars in the 1960s and TV movies later on. In the mid-1960s, he guest-starred on classic series, including as the CONTROL scientist Dr. Minelli in the episode "Aboard the " (1965), a role that highlighted his delivery during an infamous audition anecdote recalled by co-creator . He also appeared in The Double Life of Henry Phyfe (1966) and (1966), comedies that benefited from his improvisational flair. In the 1980s, Close took on roles in made-for-TV films like the zoologist in First Steps (1985 drama about a child with ) and the doctor in Dream Breakers (1989 ABC movie). Close's most extensive television involvement came in the late 1990s with the series (1998–2000), where he provided the opening narration voiceover for all 30 episodes, a recurring credit created by his former improv students , , Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. This role, recorded prior to his death in 1999, extended his influence into the show's later seasons posthumously. Following his passing, archival footage of Close appeared in productions examining improvisational comedy's evolution, preserving his on-screen legacy. Throughout his film and television work, Close's improvisational training from and iO allowed him to deliver nuanced, spontaneous performances in ensemble casts, often elevating minor roles into standout moments without dominating the narrative.

References

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