George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic. He was known for his black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. He and his "seven dirty words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Courtcase F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves. Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential American stand-up comics of all time, Carlin was dubbed by one newspaper to be "the dean of counterculture comedians".[1]
The first of Carlin's 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977. From the late 1980s, Carlin's routines focused on sociocultural criticism of American society. He often commented on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture. He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Showduring the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975.
Carlin's final HBO special, It's Bad for Ya, was filmed less than four months before his death from cardiac arrest. In 2008, he was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him second (behind Richard Pryor) on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.[2] In 2004, he placed second on the Comedy Central list of "Top 10 Comedians of US Audiences".[3]
Carlin's acting work in his debut film, With Six You Got Eggroll in 1968, he plays Frank Madras in Outrageous Fortune, Rufus in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, as well as the animated television series, George O'Grady in The George Carlin Show, Mr. Conductor in Shining Time Station, Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales and Storytime with Thomas, Ralph Sawatzky in Working Tra$h, Eddie Detreville in The Prince of Tides, Cardinal Ignatius Glick in Dogma, Hitchhiker in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Architect in Scary Movie 3 and Bart Trinké in Jersey Girl. Carlin's voiceover work include Rufus in the Bill and Ted animated series, the narrator in the US dub for Thomas and Friends, Munchie in The Simpsons, Zugor in Tarzan II and Filmore in Cars until his death in 2008, as well as the narrator in Americathon.
Category:Voice Actors
Category:Live-action Actors