H. Jon Benjamin

Harry Jon Benjamin[1] (born May 23, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician.[2] He is known for his voice roles in adult animated series, including Sterling Archer in Archer, Bob Belcher in Bob's Burgers, Ben in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Kevin in O'Grady, Satan in Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil, and Coach McGuirk and Jason Penopolis in Home Movies. Benjamin was named 2014's male comedy performer of the year at Vulture's TV Awards for his work in Bob's Burgers and Archer. He also appeared in the 2001 satirical comedy film Wet Hot American Summer; its subsequent 2015 television series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp; and the final installment of the franchise, the 2017 mini series Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later.[3]
== Early life[edit] ==
Benjamin was born on May 23, 1966, to a Jewish family in Worcester, Massachusetts.[4][5] His father, Howard, was CEO of an electric company, and his mother, Shirley, was a former ballet dancer who taught dance at a studio.[6] He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1984 and Connecticut College in 1988.[7]
== Career[edit] ==
Benjamin's comedy career began in Boston, where he was in a comedy duo with Sam Seder, then a member of Cross Comedy, a comedy team led by David Cross. For the first seven years of his career, Benjamin almost exclusively worked in groups rather than independently. Afterward, his independent work remained more experimental, rejecting traditional styles of stand-up comedy.
Benjamin's live projects include the Midnight Pajama Jam, a show performed in New York City with Jon Glaser and Tinkle, a show combining stand-up comedy and live music, co-hosted by Todd Barry and David Cross. A Midnight Pajama Jam DVD is currently[when?] in production. Benjamin and Cross appear together on the album Invite Them Up.
He was the guest on Space Ghost Coast to Coast in its eighty-first episode, "King Dead" on December 17, 1999, where Zorak and Moltar kidnapped him. He has appeared in the television show Cheap Seats, on ESPN Classic, as "Gene Stapleton" and "Rabbi Marc Shalowitz". He co-starred in Todd Barry's short film Borrowing Saffron and portrayed a talking can of vegetables with a shameful habit of autofellatio in the film Wet Hot American Summer. He made short cameos in Not Another Teen Movie as the football trainer and on the FX Network comedy drama Rescue Me as the pimp "F-bomb" in season two. He can be seen in Turbocharge-the Unauthorized Story of the Cars, a comedy biopic about the '80s rock band The Cars, playing the role of Cars' manager Elliot Roberts in his usual deadpan comedic delivery.[8]
Benjamin has done extensive voice work in animated TV shows. His credits include starring roles in several Soup2Nuts cartoon shows, such as Science Court, Home Movies, O'Grady, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Assy McGee. He co-created Freak Show with David Cross. Benjamin starred as the Devil and multiple other roles in Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil, which ran for one season on Adult Swim beginning September 9, 2007. Benjamin plays a recurring character on the PBS Kids series WordGirl and is the announcer for The Sam Seder Show and The Majority Report. He did the voice of "Shelly," Sam Seder's accountant, on Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder.
Benjamin has made guest appearances in several animated shows. He was in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes "Bus of the Undead" and "The Last One" as Mothmonsterman, in "Broodwich" as Mr. Sticks, in "Bible Fruit" as Mortimer Mango and played the live-action role of Master Shake in "Last Last One Forever and Ever," credited as Capt. Turd Mahoy. He made a cameo appearance as a government agent in the film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters alongside frequent collaborator Jon Glaser. He has appeared in Family Guy as Carl, a movie trivia obsessed convenience store clerk who portrayed Yoda in the Star Wars parody episode "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side."
Other appearances include The Venture Bros., in the episodes "Escape to the House of Mummies Part II," "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" and "The Better Man," in which he played Dr. Orpheus's master—who appears in the form of Cerberus, Catherine the Great's horse and, in "The Better Man," both Dr. Orpheus's ex-wife and a future Dean Venture, respectively. He appeared in the Stella short "Bar," which can be found as an easter egg on the Season 1 DVD. Benjamin appeared on the Comedy Central sketch/variety show Important Things with Demetri Martin.
In 2009, Benjamin and David Cross created and wrote for Paid Programming, a live-action pilot for Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim. Paid Programming was not picked up for a full series and Benjamin referred to it as an "abject failure".[9]
Benjamin was featured in a Super Bowl XLIII Bud Light commercial with Conan O'Brien[10] and was responsible for the McCain Girls[11] videos on YouTube.[12] He voices Sterling Archer, a secret agent in the FX series Archer that first aired January 14, 2010.[13] He has appeared in several segments of the television show Human Giant and had a cameo in the American Dad! episode "License to Till" as a talking head of cabbage.
Benjamin starred in the Comedy Central series Jon Benjamin Has a Van, which he co-created with comedian Leo Allen.[14] The series debuted on May 14, 2011; a total of 10 episodes aired, the last on August 10, 2011.
Beginning in 2013, Benjamin's voice can be heard as the narrator of a series of TV commercials for Coke Zero, including some with tie-ins to ESPN's College Game Day program.[citation needed]
In 2014, Benjamin was named as the year's best male comedy performer for his work on Bob's Burgers and Archer by the Vulture TV Awards, a digital expansion of New York magazine.[15]
In 2015, despite not knowing how to play any instrument, Benjamin released his first jazz album, Well, I Should Have....[16] Benjamin "played" piano and was joined by Scott Kreitzer on sax, David Finck on bass, and Jonathan Preitz on drums.[17]
Benjamin wrote a comedic autobiography, Failure is an Option: An Attempted Memoir, which was published by Penguin Random House in May 2018.[1] He also narrated the audiobook.
Benjamin began appearing in commercials for Arby's restaurant chain in 2018 as their new spokesman.[18]
In March 2020, Benjamin was the voice of Saddam Hussein in Blowback, a podcast about the Iraq War created and hosted by Brendan James and Noah Kulwin.[19]
In 2024, Benjamin appears as the voice of a pigeon in the new Progressive Insurance commercials.
== Personal life[edit] ==
Benjamin was named "Harry" after his paternal grandfather, but his family has always called him by his middle name "Jon";[1] in his early years, he was unaware of his actual first name.[20] He has said that the inclusion of his first initial in the credits on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was done without his consent by co-star Laura Silverman "just to make fun of me."[20]
Benjamin's longtime partner is set decorator Amy Beth Silver. They have a son and live in Brooklyn.[6]
Benjamin is an amateur ornithologist.[21]
In January 2020, Benjamin endorsed Bernie Sanders for president and narrated a series of videos on Sanders's health care proposals.[22] In September 2020, Benjamin voiced an animated version of himself to promote the launch video for the Gravel Institute's YouTube channel.[23]
== Filmography[edit] ==
=== Film[edit] ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1997	Who's the Caboose? 	Ken Fold 	
1998	Next Stop Wonderland 	Eric 	
2000	Happy Accidents 	Reveler #1 	
2001	Wet Hot American Summer 	Can of Vegetables (voice)	
2001	Not Another Teen Movie 	Trainer 	
2002	Martin & Orloff 	Keith 	
2002	Borrowing Saffron 	Ron 	Short film
2003	Temptation 	Kevin 	
2004	New York Minute 	Vendor 	
2007	Puberty: The Movie 	The Torah / Uncle Irving 	
2007	Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters	CIA Agent #1 (voice) 	
2007	The Ten 	Lying Rhyno (voice) 	
2008	The Toe Tactic 	Police Officer 	
2008	A Bad Situationist 	Isaiah 	
2008	Turbocharge: The Unauthorized Story of the Cars 	Dance Instructor 	
2014	22 Jump Street 	MCS Coach 	Uncredited[24]
2014	Jason Nash Is Married 	Dennis 	
2015	Creative Control 	Gary Gass 	
2015	Limbo 	Jim 	Short film
2015	Hell and Back 	The Tree (voice) 	
2022	The Bob's Burgers Movie 	Bob Belcher (voice) 	
2024	Boy Kills World 	Boy’s Inner Voice (voice)	
=== Television[edit] ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1994 	Understanding 	Quark 	Episode: "Uncertainty"
1995–1999;
2002	Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist 	Ben, Various Voices 	80 episodes
Also writer
1997 	The Chris Rock Show 	Extra 	1 episode
1997 	The Jenny McCarthy Show 	Various 	6 episodes
1997–2000 	Science Court 	Prof. Nick Parsons (voice) 	29 episodes
1998 	Sex and the City 	Jeff 	Episode: "Bay of Married Pigs"
1998 	Upright Citizens Brigade 	Various 	10 episodes
1999 	Dick and Paula Celebrity Special 	Various 	2 episodes
Also writer
1999–2004 	Home Movies 	Coach John McGuirk, Jason Penopolis, Various Voices 	52 episodes
Also writer and producer
1999 	Space Ghost Coast to Coast 	Himself 	Episode: "King Dead"
2001–2009 	Aqua Teen Hunger Force 	Various Voices 	5 episodes
2002 	Saddle Rash 	Gummy, Tommy Morgan (voices) 	Pilot
Also writer
2003 	Hey Monie! 	Self-defense instructor 	1 episode
2004 	Pilot Season 	Ken Fold 	2 episodes
2004–2006 	Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker 	Rabbi Marc Shalowitz, Gene Stapleton 	4 episodes
2004–2006 	O'Grady 	Kevin Harnisch, Iris, Philip (voices) 	19 episodes
2005 	Rescue Me 	Gary 	Episode: "Rebirth"
2005–2006 	Sunday Pants 	Bob the Log 	Travel Logs shorts
2005–2007 	Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil 	Satan, Special Father #1 (voices) 	11 episodes
Also writer
2006 	Freak Show 	Tuck, Various Voices 	7 episodes
Also co-creator, writer and executive producer
2006–2012 	The Venture Bros. 	The Master (voice) 	4 episodes
2006–present	Family Guy 	Carl Graves, Bob Belcher, Various Voices 	27 episodes
2006–2008 	Assy McGee 	The Mayor, Various Voices 	19 episodes
Also writer and consulting producer
2007–2015 	WordGirl 	Reginald the Jewelry Store Clerk, InvisiBill, Additional Voices	31 episodes
2007–2008 	Human Giant 	Various 	4 episodes
Also consultant writer
2009 	Michael and Michael Have Issues 	Larry 	Episode: "Frog Box"
2009 	Paid Programming 	Various 	Pilot
Co-creator, writer and executive producer
2009 	Parks and Recreation 	Scott Braddock 	Episode: "Kaboom"
2009 	Titan Maximum 	Tap Banister (voice) 	Episode: "Dirty Lansbury"
2009–2023 	Archer 	Sterling Archer (voice) 	145 episodes
2009–2010 	Important Things with Demetri Martin 	Various 	7 episodes
Also writer and co-producer
2011 	Jon Benjamin Has a Van 	Host 	10 episodes
Also co-creator, writer and executive producer
2011 	Soul Quest Overdrive 	Mortimer (voice) 	6 episodes
Also co-creator and co-writer
2011–present	Bob's Burgers 	Bob Belcher, Jimmy Pesto Jr., Various Voices 	Main role
2011 	American Dad! 	Talking Cabbage (voice) 	Episode: "License to Till"
2012 	Suburgatory 	Tabitha 	Episode: "Ryan's Song"
2012 	Ugly Americans 	Dick Maggotbone (voice) 	Episode: "Mark Loves Dick"
2013 	Nathan for You 	Himself 	Episode: "Yogurt Shop/Pizzeria"
2014–2021 	Last Week Tonight with John Oliver 	Ben, Scientist, Defendant, Blank Void 	4 episodes
2015 	Conan 	Sterling Archer (voice) 	Episode: "677"
2015 	Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp	Can of Vegetables, Mitch 	4 episodes
2015 	The Jim Gaffigan Show 	Kevin 	Episode: "The Bible Story"
2015 	The Adventures of Puss in Boots 	Baltasar (voice) 	Episode: "Luck"
2015–2017 	Master of None 	Benjamin 	4 episodes
2015 	All Hail King Julien 	Fred (voice) 	5 episodes
2016–2017 	People of Earth 	Officer Glimmer 	8 episodes
2017 	Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later 	Can of Vegetables, Mitch 	5 episodes
2017 	Difficult People 	Brian 	Episode: "Fuzz Buddies"
2018 	The Who Was? Show 	Narrator (voice) 	13 episodes
2018 	The Simpsons 	Bob Belcher (voice) 	Episode: "My Way or the Highway to Heaven"
2019 	Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas 	Batman 	Episode: "Inequality Problems"
2019 	Star Trek: Short Treks 	Edward Larkin 	Episode: "The Trouble with Edward"
2020–2022 	Central Park 	Mayor Whitney Whitebottom (voice) 	7 episodes
2021–2023 	Teenage Euthanasia 	Various Voices 	Episode: "Adventures in Beetle Sitting"
=== Video games[edit] ===
Year	Title 	Role
2017	Destiny 2 	Radio voice, Scabretti
2022	Destiny 2: The Witch Queen	Scabretti
== References[edit] ==
Notes
# ^ Jump up to:a b c 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ Jump up to:a b 
# ^ "Class Notes" Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine The Worcester Academy Hilltopper (Spring 2011) p.28
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ Jump up to:a b 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^ 
# ^