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Scott Capurro
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Scott Allen Capurro (born December 10, 1962) is an American comedian, writer and actor based in San Francisco.[1] His comedy material is deliberately provocative, referring often to gay life and culture, politics, race and racism, and popular culture.
Key Information
Career
[edit]In 1994, Capurro was awarded the Perrier Award for best newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival.
In 1999, Capurro played the voice of Beed Annodue along with actor, comedian, and friend Greg Proops in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
In 2001, Capurro appeared on Australian show Rove Live and shocked the host, Rove McManus, with an explicit routine. McManus apologized immediately after the performance.[2]
In 2002, Capurro presented a light-hearted documentary on the UK's Channel 4 called The Truth About Gay Animals which examined the subject of homosexuality in animals. Capurro visited various collections of captive animals to observe animals which had been reported to exhibit homosexual behaviour, and interviewed the staff about this. The show also included an interview with anti-gay rights campaigner and politician, Janet Young, where Capurro showed Young a video of a variety of male-male intercourse and female-female mating attempts in various animal species, and then asked her to comment on whether this influenced her views about its "unnaturalness".[3]
Capurro has been a frequent guest on the Sarah & Vinnie's Morning Show of Radio Alice 97.3FM KLLC San Francisco.[4] He was also a regular panelist on the topical discussion series The Wright Stuff, hosted by his friend Matthew Wright.
Capurro is managed by comedy agency The Comedy Bar.
From May to June 2008, Capurro acted the role of Sammy in Joe DiPietro's play Fucking Men in London, England.[5]
On the reaction to his work, Capurro said:
"I don't give a shit about those who don't like my work. I'm never going to win them over anyway, so why bother? My work is for a discerning audience who don't have knee-jerk responses."
— Interview with Veronica Lee, The Evening Standard, November 6, 2000[6]
Film
[edit]| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire | Jack |
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Beed Annodue (voice) |
Television
[edit]| Year | Programme | Role | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | We're Funny That Way! | Self | |
| 1998–1999 | Nash Bridges | Larry, pageant coordinator (2 episodes, High Society and Cuda Grace) | Carlton Cuse Productions |
| 2001–2002 | That Gay Show | Presenter | BBC |
| 2002 | The Truth About Gay Animals | Presenter | Channel 4 |
Stage
[edit]| Year | Play | Role | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Boys in the Band | Emory | Theater Rhinoceros[7] |
| 1995–1996 | Risk-Gay | (one-man show) | Melbourne,[8] London,[9] San Francisco |
| 1996 | Love and Affection | (one-man show)[8] | |
| 2001 | Fucking Our Fathers | (one-man show) | Edinburgh Festival[10] |
| 2004 | Loaded | Scott Capurro | Pleasance Courtyard[11] |
| 2007 | Summer Fruit | (one-man show) | Throckmorton Theatre (California)[12] |
| 2008 | Fucking Men | Sammy (screenwriter) | Finborough, London[13] |
Personal life
[edit]Capurro and his husband live in San Francisco.[14] He tours consistently, spending most of his time abroad in England.[15]
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ Malcolm Hay (January 24, 2007). "Comedy – Shocking all over the world". Time Out. p. 47.
Audiences from Edinburgh to Australia have taken umbrage at Scott Capurro's gags. 'I think it was the masturbatory gesture while staring at Christ on the cross'
- ^ Mike Edmonds (March 28, 2001). "Rove sorry for comic's 'filth'; Outrage over Christ jokes". Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia). p. 2.
- ^ John Preston (April 28, 2002). "Animals Who Love Too Much". The Sunday Telegraph. p. 12.
- ^ Joe Brown (June 12, 2005). "CD Reviews". The San Francisco Chronicle. p. 56. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012.
- ^ Joe DiPietro To Open Newest Play In UK 5/16, Broadwayworld, May 15, 2008
- ^ Veronica Lee (November 6, 2000). "Just when you thought he was cute and harmless; Like his hero Lenny Bruce, comedian Scott Capurro isn't losing sleep over the prospect of upsetting another city. As Veronica Lee discovers, his attitude is: 'I'm funny, that's a given. If you're offended, then leave'". The Evening Standard. pp. 66–67.
- ^ Bernard Weiner (January 17, 1990). "The 'Boys' Are Back in Town, Controversial Gay Play in SF Revival". The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ a b Daniel Taylor (April 19, 1996). "Single and standing up to hate it". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). p. 13.
- ^ William Cook (August 16, 1994). "Scott Capurro: Risk Gay". The Guardian. p. T5.
San Franciscan Scott Capurro may be best known as Robin Williams' make-up man in the movie Mrs Doubtfire, but he's also a stand-up comedian of considerable stature. Capurro dovetails these two disciplines in an enthralling solo show, which charts his timid passage from the closet to the Californian comedy circuit, and the liberating effect that this has had on his life and art.
- ^ Oliver Duff (August 11, 2004). "Edinburgh Festival: A Shocking History". The Independent.
- ^ Jeremy Austin (August 19, 2004). "Loaded by Scott Capurro; Edinburgh Review". The Stage. p. 22.
- ^ "Plays & musicals". Marin Independent Journal (California). July 5, 2007.
- ^ Tim Teeman (May 29, 2008). "F***ing Men". The Times. p. 18.
- ^ Scott (May 10, 2016). "This just in! About my travels and work". Scott Capurro. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "scottcapurro.com". Retrieved December 27, 2016.
References
[edit]- Scott Capurro (2000). Fowl Play. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-6228-4.
External links
[edit]Scott Capurro
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Childhood and Upbringing
Scott Capurro was born on December 10, 1962, in San Francisco, California.[7][8] His parents married as practical strangers, with his mother having loved another man prior to the union; his father subsequently became possessive and treated her akin to a maid.[8] Capurro's mother, Donna, maintained a close bond with him throughout his life, serving as his best friend and providing unconditional support, including affirming his identity without pressure to change; she passed away in May 2009 from respiratory disease after a period of illness.[9] He has a sister, Liz, who has a daughter named Olivia, and a brother, Steven.[9] Capurro grew up in a household filled with animals, including raccoons and a pet owl named Barney, where he spent time bottle-feeding wildlife rather than engaging in typical childhood indulgences like consuming sugar.[8] At age eight, he attempted to run away with a neighbor, leading them to a local hill where they were located that night by a police helicopter's searchlight.[8] As a child, Capurro was a loner at school, finding companionship primarily in books, and demonstrated aptitude in mathematics and accountancy.[8]Initial Interests in Entertainment
Capurro, born in San Francisco on December 10, 1962, and reared in Daly City, California, pursued formal training in acting as his entry point into entertainment.[7][10] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama from the University of California, Irvine, where he honed skills in performance and theater.[2][11] Following his undergraduate studies, Capurro continued acting development through postgraduate training at Birmingham University in the UK, focusing on dramatic arts.[2] This educational foundation led to early professional engagements in San Francisco's theater scene, including work with the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) and The Magic Theatre.[2] These initial pursuits in acting, rather than stand-up comedy, positioned Capurro for later film roles such as in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), reflecting a deliberate path toward stage and screen performance before transitioning to comedic material.[12][2]Comedy Career
Stand-up Development
Capurro began his stand-up career in the early 1990s, starting with performances at Josie's Cabaret and Juice Joint in San Francisco's Castro district, venues central to the local lesbian and gay comedy scene.[13] His initial routines adopted a more closeted approach, avoiding overt personal disclosures amid the era's cultural constraints on such material.[13] This evolved markedly with his transition to bolder content following early acting roles, culminating in the 1994 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Risk-Gay, which featured acerbic personal stand-up blended with intimate anecdotes about his first gay experiences.[14] The performance's unfiltered exploration of identity and sexuality secured the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer, marking a breakthrough that shifted his trajectory from local gigs to international acclaim.[13] Post-1994, Capurro refined a distinctive style emphasizing dark, largely improvised material with heavy audience interaction, often delving into provocative, taboo subjects that elicited strong reactions, such as references to the Holocaust or religious figures.[13] His 1995 Edinburgh follow-up, Love and Affection Tour, earned a nomination for the primary Perrier Award, reinforcing his position as a fringe regular while expanding tours across English-speaking countries.[15] Over time, this approach matured into politically and socially themed routines, prioritizing shock value and intellectual edge over conventional punchlines, as evidenced by sustained Edinburgh appearances and global bookings.[12]Key Awards and Milestones
In 1994, Capurro received the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his debut solo show Risky Gay, marking a breakthrough in his stand-up career and establishing him as a prominent voice in alternative comedy.[16] He also won the Spirit of the Fringe Award that year, recognizing innovative and boundary-pushing performances at the festival.[17] Subsequent milestones include nominations for the Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award in 2014 and the Chortle Awards' Best Club Comic in 2019, reflecting sustained recognition within the UK comedy circuit despite his provocative style.[15] Capurro's annual returns to the Edinburgh Fringe since 1994 have solidified his status as a festival staple, with shows often selling out and drawing international audiences for their unfiltered social commentary.[18]Touring and Live Performances
Capurro has sustained a robust schedule of live stand-up performances, regularly headlining at prominent comedy clubs throughout the English-speaking world, including the Punch Line in San Francisco, the Comedy Store in London, and the Comic Strip Live in New York City.[2] His tours span North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia, with a focus on intimate club settings that allow for direct audience interaction central to his edgy delivery.[19][20] A staple at major festivals, Capurro has appeared multiple times at the Just for Laughs in Montreal and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, leveraging these platforms to refine material and reach broader audiences.[19] In recent years, his international commitments have included a European stand-up tour through summer 2025, followed by headlining spots in the UK, New York City, and Australia in November of that year.[20][21] Domestically, he performed a three-night run at the Punch Line Comedy Club in San Francisco from October 16 to 18, 2025, emphasizing dark and provocative themes in his sets.[22] His ongoing North American engagements in late 2025 include solo shows at Martuni's in San Francisco on November 1, Clandestine Brewing in San Jose on December 6, and the California Theatre in Santa Rosa on December 27, demonstrating continued demand for his unfiltered live act in regional venues.[23] Historical records indicate consistent appearances at Bay Area spots like HopMonk Tavern in 2022 and 2018, underscoring his role as a fixture in local comedy circuits alongside global travels.[24] These performances typically feature hour-long sets blending personal anecdotes, social commentary, and rapid-fire observations, performed without reliance on props or multimedia.[19]Acting Career
Film Roles
Capurro's feature film appearances are sparse, primarily consisting of minor supporting and voice roles in the 1990s.[2] In the 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire, directed by Chris Columbus and produced by 20th Century Fox, Capurro portrayed Aunt Jack, a drag-attired friend of the protagonist who assists in a scheme involving disguise and family reconciliation.[2][25] The film, starring Robin Williams, grossed over $441 million worldwide and earned two Academy Award nominations. That same year, in Heart and Souls, directed by Ron Underwood for Universal Pictures, Capurro appeared as Carl, a character in a small role that included a close-up shot, amid a supernatural comedy narrative involving guardian spirits and redemption.[2] Capurro's most notable film credit came in 1999 with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, directed by George Lucas, where he voiced Beed, the green-headed component of the two-headed podrace announcer during the Boonta Eve race sequence on Tatooine.[2][1] This prequel entry in the Star Wars saga featured extensive visual effects and marked Capurro's involvement in a blockbuster that premiered on May 19, 1999, generating $1.027 billion in global box office revenue.Television Appearances
Capurro appeared as the pageant coordinator Larry in two episodes of the CBS series Nash Bridges in 1998 ("High Society") and 1999 ("Cuda Grace").[1] He also provided voice work as the character Beed in the animated segments of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which aired in television broadcasts following its 1999 theatrical release.[1] In hosting roles, Capurro presented The Truth About Gay Animals, a 2002 Channel 4 documentary series exploring animal behavior through a comedic lens.[2] He hosted That Gay Show on BBC Choice in 2001–2002, a program featuring discussions on LGBTQ topics.[2] Earlier, he fronted Is That It? on Anglia Television and ITV in 1997, a comedy panel format.[2] Capurro has made numerous guest appearances on UK panel and comedy shows, often as himself. These include multiple episodes of 8 Out of 10 Cats on Channel 4 (2005 series 1 episodes 5 and 9; 2006 series 2 episode 1 and series 4 episode 2; 2008 series 7 episode 1).[15] He was a regular panelist on The Wright Stuff (later The Jeremy Vine Show) on Channel 5 from 2005 to 2018.[2] Other notable UK spots encompass Hot Gossip (2009–2010, series 2 episode 6 and series 3 episode 6), Clive Anderson's Chat Room (2008–2009), Sam Delaney's News Thing (2017–2018), and Ministry of Offence on GB News (2022 episodes 3 and 8).[15] In the US, recent appearances include a guest spot on Gutfeld! on Fox News in 2024.[2] His TV specials, such as Scott Capurro: Islamohomophobia (2013) and Scott Capurro: The Trouble With Scott Capurro (2018), have aired on platforms including British Comedy Guide-affiliated networks.[15]Stage Work
Capurro's stage work encompasses ensemble theater roles and solo performances, often blending acting with his comedic sensibilities, primarily in San Francisco venues and international fringe festivals. Early credits include appearances with prominent companies such as the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), Eureka Theatre, and Magic Theatre in San Francisco, as well as the New Playwrights' Theatre in Washington, D.C.[2] These engagements reflect his training at the University of California, Irvine (B.A.) and the Beverly Hills Playhouse, alongside studies at Birmingham University in the UK.[2] A notable ensemble role came in the 2009–2010 production of She Stoops to Comedy by David Greenspan at San Francisco Playhouse, directed by Mark Rucker, where Capurro performed a memorable monologue amid a gender-bending comedy of romantic entanglements.[26][2] In 2008–2009, he appeared in Joe DiPietro's Fucking Men, an exploration of gay male relationships, first at the Finborough Theatre in London's Earl's Court and later transferring to the Arts Theatre in the West End.[2] Capurro has also developed and toured numerous solo stage shows, frequently at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, combining stand-up elements with theatrical narrative. His debut fringe production, RiskGay (1994) at the Southside Theatre, earned the Perrier Best Newcomer and Spirit of the Fringe awards, with subsequent runs in San Francisco's Josie's Cabaret, New Zealand, and Melbourne.[2] Other key solo works include The Love and Affection Tour (1995, Perrier nominee at The Pleasance), Loaded (2004–2005, at The Pleasance, The Marsh in San Francisco, and New York Fringe), Yankee Dog Pig (2007, Soho Theatre and The Stand), Scott Capurro Goes Deeper (2008–2009, Underbelly and Soho Theatre), and the extended run of Scott Capurro's Position (2009–2015) across San Francisco, Edinburgh, and London.[2] These productions highlight his provocative style, often addressing personal and societal taboos through scripted monologues and improvisation.[27]| Production | Year | Venue(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RiskGay | 1994 | Edinburgh Fringe (Southside), Josie's Cabaret (SF), others | Award-winning solo debut |
| She Stoops to Comedy | 2009–2010 | SF Playhouse | Ensemble role with monologue |
| Fucking Men | 2008–2009 | Finborough/Arts Theatres (London) | Ensemble in relationship drama |
| Scott Capurro's Position | 2009–2015 | Multiple (SF, Edinburgh, London) | Extended solo tour |
