Craig Robinson (actor)

**Craig Phillip Robinson** (born October 25, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, musician and singer. He is best known for his roles as Darryl Philbin on *The Office* (2005–2013) and Doug Judy (the "Pontiac Bandit") on *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013–present). Robinson has appeared in numerous other television shows and films, including *Pineapple Express* (2008), *Zack and Miri Make a Porno* (2008), *Hot Tub Time Machine* (2010), *This Is the End* (2013), *Sausage Party* (2016) and *Dolemite Is My Name* (2019).

## Early life

Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a music teacher mother and an attorney father. He was raised on the South Side of Chicago, and was brought up Methodist. He attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in 1994, and his Master of Education from Saint Xavier University. He was a music teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School in Chicago, and Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Hammond, Indiana.

## Career

### Acting and comedy

Robinson began doing stand-up and taking classes in improv and acting at The Second City in Chicago while still in college. After doing open-mic sessions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere and winning regional comedy competitions, he began to get spots on late night TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live.  2004 saw him cast in bit parts, including episodes of *Friends*, *The Bernie Mac Show*, *LAX* and *Arrested Development*. Those led to small movie roles in *Knocked Up*, *Pineapple Express* and *Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story*.

Beginning in 2005, he portrayed Darryl Philbin on the American version of *The Office*, appearing first in the fourth episode of the first season entitled, "The Alliance".  Robinson was promoted to a starring role in the fourth season and continued until the show ended in 2013.

In 2010, he hosted season seven of *Last Comic Standing* with judges Greg Giraldo, Natasha Leggero, and Andy Kindler.

He has appeared on other television shows, including *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*, *Lucky*, *Halfway Home*, and *Reno 911!*. He appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Hump de Bump". He voiced Cookie in *Shrek Forever After* (2010) and played Reg Mackworthy on the HBO hit series *Eastbound & Down* (2009–2012).

Robinson is a frequent collaborator with Seth Rogen, starring alongside Rogen in the films *Knocked Up* (2007), *Pineapple Express* (2008), *Zack and Miri Make a Porno* (2008), *This Is the End* (2013) and *Sausage Party* (2016).

Robinson performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in 2008.

 File:Craig Robinson 2009.jpg
On top of *Shrek Forever After* and *Sausage Party*, Robinson has also provided his voice for the films *Escape from Planet Earth* (2013), *Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters* (2013) and *Henchmen* (2018).

He also appeared in what was then the highest-grossing Korean film, *D-War* (Korean: 디워, released in North America as *Dragon Wars: D-War*) in 2007.

Making a departure from his comedy background, Robinson portrayed saxophonist Maceo Parker in the James Brown biopic *Get On Up* (2014). In December 2015, he appeared in several Wal-Mart commercials promoting their credit card while singing and playing the piano at the store. He received rave reviews for the A24 drama *Morris from America* (2016), earning a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He also played the role of Ray Hayworth in the second season of the drama series *Mr. Robot*.

### Music

 File:Craig Robinson 141001-A-QR427-487 (cropped).jpg
For a number of years, Robinson and comedian Jerry Minor had a comedy act where they performed as musical duo L. Witherspoon & Chucky, with Minor as smooth singing L. Witherspoon and Robinson as Chucky, the keyboard player and back-up singer. They performed the act on HBO's *Sketch Pad*, several stand-up shows on Comedy Central, *Real Time with Bill Maher*, and *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*

He occasionally performs with his band, The Nasty Delicious, alongside his brother Chris Rob. They were featured as his band in an episode of *The Office*, and on the season finale of the seventh season of *Last Comic Standing*. He has also performed in character in multiple episodes of *The Office*, and was featured on the *Hot Tub Time Machine* soundtrack, singing "Jessie's Girl" and "Let's Get It Started." He was also in the film *Miss March*, playing the role of the hit rapper Phil, also known as Horsedick.MPEG. Robinson produced two songs from that same film.

He has also performed with his band in the 2018 stand-up comedy special Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity.

## References

1. ↑ "5 questions for Craig Robinson", *Chicago Tribune* (11 March 2009).
2. ↑ "Craig Robinson on The Office | Interview". Timeoutchicago.com. 2011-04-26. http://www.timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/movies-on-demand/14733133/craig-robinson-on-the-office-interview. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
3. ↑ "Apocalypse and The Office: Craig Robinson ends the world. Twice". Dailynews.com. http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci\_23404916/apocalypse-and-office-craig-robinson-ends-world-twice. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Illinois State Alumni Magazine". Illinois State University. p. 29. http://advancement.illinoisstate.edu/news/downloads/Illinois-State-Alumni-Magazine-vol10no3.pdf.
5. ↑ https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2013/05/office-star-craig-robinson-got-hollywood-start-at-isu/
6. ↑ https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2013/05/office-star-craig-robinson-got-hollywood-start-at-isu/
7. ↑ https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2013/05/office-star-craig-robinson-got-hollywood-start-at-isu/
8. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0664523/?ref\_=ttep\_ep4
9. ↑ "Walmart Credit Card TV Commercial, 'Satchel' Featuring Craig Robinson". https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AA9G/walmart-credit-card-satchel-featuring-craig-robinson.
10. ↑ "Morris From America (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/morris\_from\_america/. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
11. ↑ "L. Witherspoon & Chucky on Real Time". YouTube.com. 2007-05-24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty8BrKtk\_u0. Retrieved 2015-01-29.

## External links

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* Craig Robinson at TV.com

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