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Kevin Dorff
Kevin Dorff
Kevin Dorff
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Kevin Dorff (born August 2, 1966) is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a writer and sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, the former of which he won a Primetime Emmy for in 2007.[1] Dorff co-starred as "Mike the Federal Agent" on the first season of the Adult Swim series Delocated with his former Late Night colleague Jon Glaser. His character was written off the show at the start of season two, as Dorff was in Los Angeles writing for The Tonight Show at the time, while Delocated is filmed in New York City.[2] Dorff returned to work on Delocated as a writer in season three. He has recently been a writer for Review and has made one appearance on the show.

Key Information

Dorff has made guest appearances on television programs such as TV Funhouse, Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, Important Things with Demetri Martin, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Detroiters, Arrested Development,[3] and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 2019, he portrayed Bill O'Reilly in the film Bombshell.[4]

Dorff rose to prominence as a main stage cast member of the famed Second City improv troupe in Chicago during the mid-to-late '90s. He was part of the "Paradigm Lost" revue alongside Scott Adsit, Rachel Dratch, and Tina Fey. The cast was featured in a documentary about the show's production, Second To None, produced by WTTW.[5][6]

Recurring characters on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

[edit]
  • Coked-up Werewolf
  • Jesus Christ
  • Mansy the half-man/half-pansy
  • Joe's Bartender
  • Todd the Tiny Guy
  • Crazy Chainsaw Murderer Guy

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Kevin Dorff

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Kevin Dorff (born August 2, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, and television writer recognized for his improvisational performances and contributions to late-night comedy. Originating from Chicago, he honed his skills in the city's improv community, performing with The Second City troupe and iO Theater before transitioning to writing and on-screen roles in New York-based productions. Dorff gained prominence as a writer and sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2007. His acting credits include supporting roles in television series such as The Mandalorian as an Imperial deck officer, The Office, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, alongside voice work in Star Trek: Lower Decks. In recent years, Dorff has ventured into music with his debut album Silent Reply, exploring themes of mortality inspired by literary and artistic influences.

Early life

Childhood and education in Chicago

Kevin Dorff was born on August 2, 1966, in , . Originally from , his childhood unfolded in this Midwestern city, a longstanding center for American theater and emerging improvisational forms. Details on Dorff's formal education remain undocumented in public records, though his early years in positioned him amid institutions that pioneered modern improv comedy, such as those predating his professional entry into the field. No specific pre-professional training in theater or performance is detailed in available biographical accounts.

Career beginnings

Improvisational comedy and Second City involvement

Kevin Dorff entered professional improvisational comedy in Chicago during the early 1990s, performing at the ImprovOlympic (later renamed ), where he was among the theater's earliest ensemble members. This marked his progression from training exercises to structured troupe performances, emphasizing long-form techniques pioneered by founder and . His work at iO laid the groundwork for collaborative scene-building and character-driven spontaneity, skills he later credited with shaping his approach to ensemble comedy. From iO, Dorff auditioned successfully for The Second City's touring company in the mid-1990s, advancing to the Mainstage ensemble by the latter half of the decade. He gained prominence in the 1997 revue Paradigm Lost, Second City's 82nd Mainstage production, alongside performers including , , and . The revue, documented in a television special, showcased Dorff's contributions to sketch-based , blending satirical commentary with rapid audience-suggested scenarios. Dorff's Second City tenure refined his expertise in short-form and sketch improvisation, distinct from iO's emphasis on extended narratives, fostering a versatile style that prioritized truthful "yes, and" responses and over solo invention. Performances in subsequent revues, such as those featuring sports-themed sketches around 1999, highlighted his adeptness at and character escalation within ensemble formats. This period solidified his reputation as a core improviser in Chicago's comedy ecosystem, independent of later scripted endeavors.

Television writing and performing

Work on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Kevin Dorff joined the writing staff of during its run from 1993 to 2009, where he also performed in sketches as a member of the show's ensemble. His contributions helped earn the program a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 2007, shared among the writing team including Dorff. Dorff's dual role emphasized the show's blend of scripted absurdity and live performance, with his input shaping remote segments that extended beyond the studio. One of Dorff's notable creations was the "Old Timey Baseball" remote, inspired by a 19th-century newspaper clipping he discovered depicting early baseball games. First aired during the Late Night era, the segment featured Conan O'Brien and performers in vintage uniforms playing baseball with exaggerated, period-inaccurate antics, such as using outdated equipment and adhering to fictional "old timey" rules like no stealing bases without permission. This bit became a fan favorite for its visual humor and historical parody, highlighting Dorff's ability to mine archival sources for comedic premises. As a performer, Dorff embodied several recurring characters, including the Coked-Up in multiple 2003 sketches depicting a hyperactive, cocaine-fueled monster rubbing its snout in exaggerated frenzy. He also appeared as a in various bits, alongside roles like Mansy (a half-man, half-pansy hybrid) and Christ in satirical tableaus. These portrayals underscored the show's penchant for and character-driven absurdity, with Dorff's improvisational background enabling seamless integration into live segments. Dorff extended his influence to special events, co-developing Conan's 2006 bit involving , where O'Brien repeatedly interrupted the comedian in a deadpan gag riffing on Newhart's style. Performed live on August 27, 2006, the sketch leveraged Dorff's writing to amplify O'Brien's hosting through escalating, understated interruptions. This collaboration demonstrated Dorff's behind-the-scenes role in adapting Late Night's irreverent tone to high-profile broadcasts.

Contributions to other sketch and scripted shows

Dorff served as a writer for the third season of the mockumentary series , which aired from January to March 2013, providing teleplay contributions amid the show's ensemble writing team. This marked his return to the production after earlier acting involvement, focusing on scripted elements that advanced the series' absurd witness-protection narrative. In the scripted comedy (2014–2015), Dorff contributed to the writing room, co-authoring the season 2 episode "Cult, Perfect Body," which aired on March 5, 2015, and explored themes of obsessive self-improvement through the show's review-based format. His work aligned with collaborators like Jeffrey Blitz and , emphasizing satirical takes on lifestyle excesses. Dorff also wrote for the sketch comedy series (2016–2019), penning three episodes in seasons 3 and 4, including contributions to segments parodying consumerist hobbies and absurd gear endorsements. These efforts highlighted his adaptability across sketch formats, building on collaborative rooms that produced short-form, character-driven humor.

Acting roles

Guest appearances in sitcoms

Dorff appeared as a guy buying hot dogs in a street scene during the pilot episode of , which aired on October 11, 2006. In , he portrayed Aaron Grandy, a client of who confronts the Scranton branch over a misdelivered , in the Season 4 episode "," aired November 1, 2007. Dorff guest-starred as , a Pawnee resident participating in a who expresses doubts about candidate Leslie Knope's authenticity, in the episode "Bowling for Votes" from Season 4, aired October 6, 2011. His most extensive sitcom guest work came in , where he recurred as Hank, the bartender at Shaw's Bar—a neutral venue for precinct socializing—across six episodes from Seasons 1 to 6, beginning with "" on November 26, 2013, and including "Halloween II," "Captain Peralta," "," and "The Last Ride."

Film and voice acting credits

Dorff portrayed Bill O'Reilly, the prominent host, in the 2019 satirical drama Bombshell, directed by and focusing on the network's scandals involving ; his performance captured O'Reilly's bombastic on-air persona in key scenes involving internal power struggles. In the 2013 road-trip comedy , he appeared as Border Guard #1, a minor role aiding the film's border-crossing hijinks amid a fake 's drug-smuggling scheme. He also took on the part of Dennis in the 2016 dramedy Other People, which depicts a comedian's struggles during his mother's illness. Additional film work includes the role of Male Grocery Manager in the 2021 coming-of-age film , centered on high school girls launching a feminist . In , Dorff provided the voice for Starbase 80 Officer 1 in the season three episode "Trusted Sources," which aired on October 27, 2022, contributing to the animated series' comedic take on bureaucracy through a hapless supporting character. His improvisational background from has aligned with these roles' demands for nuanced, reactive performances in ensemble-driven narratives, though specific casting anecdotes remain unverified in primary production records.

Music and other creative pursuits

Release of "Silent Reply" and musical style

"Silent Reply" is the debut album by Kevin Dorff, released independently on September 16, 2022, via Bandcamp as a digital download and limited-edition 12-inch black vinyl pressing of 300 copies. The seven-track record was written by Dorff, who handled vocals, guitars, piano, cello, and horn arrangements, with production shared alongside Maxim Elrod; engineering occurred at Oversea Recording in Brooklyn, New York, and AMMixes in Des Moines, Iowa, followed by mixing at The Isokon and mastering by Josh Bonati. Supporting musicians included Elrod on bass and guitars, Jason Burger on drums and percussion, Lesley Braver on piano, Stephen Dorff on cello, Rachel Drehmann on French horn, and Ryan Messina on trumpet and flugelhorn. The lead single, "Just Like That," preceded the full release and featured a music video, highlighting Dorff's transition from improvisational comedy and television writing to songwriting as an extension of his performative background in exploring personal narratives. Musically, "Silent Reply" blends , introspection, and folk elements, evoking influences with grunge-tinged alt-rock textures in tracks like the single "Just Like That" and more ballad-oriented compositions elsewhere. Critics have likened its emotional depth and clever lyricism to artists such as , , David Berman, and , while noting an "" sensibility tempered by adult perspectives on and relational complexity, distinct from youth-oriented emo tropes. Dorff drew thematic inspiration from Rachel Cusk's novels, Alice Neel's paintings, and the music of Mark Eitzel with , centering the album on bereavement, missed opportunities, and the enduring internal presence of deceased loved ones through memory and emotional residue. Tracks like "DABDA"—alluding to the Kübler-Ross stages of —and "Ghost Mind" exemplify this focus, rendering personal loss with specificity rather than abstraction, marking a stylistic evolution toward vulnerable, narrative-driven songcraft independent of Dorff's prior comedic outlets.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1016317/
  2. https://www.secondcity.com/people/kevin-dorff
  3. https://www.earwolf.com/person/kevin-dorff/
  4. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/kevin-dorff/umc.cpc.2v1i7lb0rob5v9zg3nbplwawq
  5. https://kevindorff.bandcamp.com/album/silent-reply
  6. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1237238-kevin-dorff
  7. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1016317/news/
  8. https://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/22572/interviews-tim-meadows-scott-adsit-kevin-dorff-at-2013-just-for-laughs
  9. https://jimmycarrane.com/63-kevin-dorff/
  10. https://www.vulture.com/2016/08/take-the-most-honest-driving-test-ever-with-kevin-dorff-and-scott-adsit-at-the-second-city.html
  11. https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/june-2014/inside-the-second-city-circa-1997/
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iY-Y3qgEnA
  13. https://www.vulture.com/2016/08/kevin-dorff-plays-a-faithful-football-player-at-the-second-city-in-1999.html
  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4jwPudwXFQ
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106052/awards/
  16. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kevin_dorff
  17. https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/inside-conan/episodes/kevin-dorff-revisits-old-timey-baseball
  18. https://collider.com/conan-obriens-best-remotes-from-late-night/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106052/characters/nm1016317
  20. https://teamcoco.com/video/inside-conan-with-kevin-dorff
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhSxp9anQqw
  22. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kevin-dorff/credits/3030541955/
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1299729/
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4145844/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6211586/fullcredits/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0849809/
  27. https://trakt.tv/shows/the-office/seasons/4
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2164475/
  29. https://brooklyn99.fandom.com/wiki/Kevin_Dorff
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6394270/characters/nm1016317/
  31. https://www.metacritic.com/person/kevin-dorff/
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15192112/fullcredits/
  33. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Kevin_Dorff
  34. https://x.com/kevin_dorff
  35. https://dustyorgan.com/2022/09/08/emo-songwriter-kevin-dorff-honours-past-lives-with-upcoming-project-silent-reply-shares-just-like-that/
  36. https://rosyoverdrive.com/2022/12/06/rosy-overdrives-top-100-albums-of-2022-25-1/
  37. https://rosyoverdrive.com/2022/11/30/new-playlist-november-2022/
  38. https://kevindorff.bandcamp.com/track/ghost-mind
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