# Lenny Clarke

Lenny Clarke (born September 16, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his thick Boston accent and as the role of Uncle Teddy on the series Rescue Me.

## Early life

Clarke was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on September 16, 1953. In his early life, he attended Cambridge Latin High School (CLHS), graduating in 1972. He also attended college at the University of Massachusetts Boston, graduating in 1979. Lenny Clarke was a Cambridge City Council candidate in 1975; he also tried to campaign for mayor.

## Career

He was the most famous "saloon comic" in Boston during the 1980s, the heyday of the Boston comedy scene. The DVD release When Standup Stood Out (2006) details Clarke's early career and affiliations with other famous Boston comics, such as Steven Wright and Denis Leary, his good friends. In 1980, Clarke wrote and starred in a local television show Lenny Clarke's Late Show featuring Wright and Leary, in collaboration with Boston comedy writer Martin Olson. Clarke and Olson were roommates, and their apartment, known by comedians as "The Barracks", was a notorious "crash pad" for comics visiting Boston, per the film.
Clarke starred in his own short-lived network sitcom Lenny, and in such TV shows as Contest Searchlight, The Job, The John Larroquette Show and It's All Relative and movies like Monument Ave., Fever Pitch and Southie. From 2004 to 2011, Clarke appeared in the recurring role of Uncle Teddy on the FX comedy drama Rescue Me.
In 2006, Clarke and Leary appeared on television during a Red Sox telecast and, upon realizing that Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis is Jewish, delivered a criticism of Mel Gibson's anti-semitic comments.
In 2007, Clarke played the role of Ron Abbot on the short lived Fox comedy series The Winner. On May 16, 2007, the show was cancelled after six episodes due to low ratings.
Clarke is also an occasional guest on the WEEI radio shows in Boston. It was on this show that he announced he would be a regular on the 2009 Fox sitcom Brothers as the racist neighbor who is married to a black woman. He wound up appearing in three episodes before the series was cancelled. In the 2011-12 TV season, he landed a role as the main character's father on the NBC mid-season replacement sitcom Are You There, Chelsea?.
On the evening of January 19, 2010, Clarke appeared on stage at the victory speech of Republican Senator-elect from Massachusetts Scott Brown, who was elected to the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.
He had appeared on ESPN's 30 for 30 - 4 Days in October alongside ESPN sports and pop culture columnist Bill Simmons as a narrator giving insight on the 2004 ALCS comeback by the Red Sox against the New York Yankees.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1987 | Smart Alex | | Steve Oedekerk | |
| 1988 | The Wrong Guys | Cab Driver | Danny Bilson | |
| 1996 | Two If by Sea | Kelly | Bill Bennett | |
| 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Joey | Peter Baldwin | |
| 1998 | Monument Ave. | Skunk | Ted Demme | |
| 1998 | Southie | Fat Eddie | John Shea | |
| 1998 | Getting Personal | L.J. | Ron Burrus | |
| 1998 | There's Something About Mary | Fireman | Peter and Bobby Farrelly | |
| 1998 | Rounders | Savino | John Dahl | |
| 2000 | Me, Myself & Irene | Barber Shop Car Owner | Peter and Bobby Farrelly | |
| 2000 | Massholes | Cop | John Chase | |
| 2001 | What's the Worst That Could Happen? | Windham | Sam Weisman | |
| 2002 | Moonlight Mile | Gordy | Brad Silberling | |
| 2003 | Stuck on You | Jailhouse Comic | Peter and Bobby Farrelly | |
| 2003 | Just Another Story | Jelly | GQ | |
| 2004 | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Gruff Grocer | Brad Silberling | |
| 2005 | Fever Pitch | Uncle Carl | Peter and Bobby Farrelly | |
| 2007 | Sides | Lenny | Franco Trombino | |
| 2007 | The Child King | Tow Truck Owner | Frank Kerr | |
| 2008 | What Doesn't Kill You | Hogie | Brian Goodman | |
| 2010 | Hosed | Lenny | Marc A. Dole | Short film |
| 2011 | The Restaurant | Mario | Robert Scali | Short film |
| 2012 | Here Comes the Boom | Loud Dietrich Fan | Frank Coraci | |
| 2014 | Lazarus Rising | Father Parsons | John Depew | |
| 2015 | Three Sheets | Lucky | Rufus Chaffee | |
| 2015 | Ted 2 | Cop | Seth MacFarlane | |
| 2016 | Ghostbusters | Coffee House Ghost | Paul Feig | Extended Edition Only |
| 2017 | Stronger | Uncle Bob | David Gordon Green |
| 2021 | Halloween Kills | Phil Dickerson | David Gordon Green |
| 2025 | Methadone Mile | Johnny Hickey | |

### TV series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Lenny | Lenny Callahan | Series Lead (1990–1991) |
| 1991 | The Sunday Comics | Host |
| 1993 | The John Larroquette Show | Officer Adam Hampton | 1993–1996 |
| 1998 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Casey O'Keefe | 1.01 "Smooth Sailing" |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Larry | 6.03 "The Last Day of the Rest of Your Life" |
| 2001 | The Job | Frank Harrigan | 2001–2002 |
| 2002 | 7th Heaven | Lenny | 7.06 "Regarding Eric" |
| 2003 | It's All Relative | Mace O'Neil | 2003–2004 |
| 2004 | Rescue Me | Uncle Teddy | 2004–2011 |
| 2007 | The Winner | Ron Abbott | |
| 2009 | Brothers | Lenny | 1.05 "Lenny"; 1.06 "Commercial/Coach DMV"; 1.11 "Christmas" |
| 2010 | 'Til Death | Mr. Donnelly | 4.23 "Joy's Mom" |
| 2011 | Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe | Rawlins | Television film |
| 2012 | Are You There, Chelsea? | Melvin Newman | |
| 2013 | Clear History | Poker Buddy | Television film |
| 2013 | DECo. | Jim Zimmer | 1.01 "Pilot"; 1.04 "The Visit" |
| 2014 | Sirens | Johnny's Father | 1.04 "Famous Last Words"; 1.06 "The Finger"; 1.10 "Shotgun Wedding" |
| 2014 | Wicked Bites | Himself | 1.22 "Pitching in for Kids with the Boston Red Sox" |
| 2019 | SMILF | Zaggy | 2.01 "Sh*t Man, I've Literally Failed" |
| 2020 | Defending Jacob | Food Truck Guy | |
| 2024 | Extended Family | Bobby Kearney | Recurring Role |

### Producer/executive producer

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2002 | Contest Searchlight | |

### Writer

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1985 | Nothin' Goes Right | Uncredited |
| 1991 | The Sunday Comics | |
| 2002 | Comedy Central Presents | 6.05 "Lenny Clarke" |