Louie Anderson

Artist bio

Louie Perry Anderson (born March 24, 1953) is an American stand-up comedian. Anderson created the cartoon series Life with Louie, has written three books, and was the initial host of the second revival of the game show Family Feud, from 1999 to 2002.

Early life
Louie Anderson was the second-youngest of 11 children in his family. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has said that his first audience was his family and that many of his early experiences are the cornerstone of his comedy act. His material involves his relationship with his parents and other life experiences. A 1985 marriage to his high-school sweetheart lasted only four weeks.

Television
In 1986, Anderson was cast as Larry Appleton alongside Bronson Pinchot on the pilot episode of Perfect Strangers for ABC. When the show was picked up Anderson was replaced by Mark Linn-Baker in the role of Appleton, as the producers didn't think the chemistry between Anderson and Pinchot was quite right. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC.

In 1995, Anderson created and produced a Saturday morning series for Fox called Life with Louie. The series was based on Anderson's childhood with 10 siblings, a sweet-hearted mother and a loud, war-crazed father. It also detailed how he was picked on for his weight, and how he used comedy to deal with the teasing. The show was a 3-year hit on Fox, and won two Emmy Awards.

In 1996, Anderson created and starred in The Louie Show for CBS. The show had Anderson playing a psychotherapist in Duluth, Minnesota[4], and lasted six episodes before being cancelled. Anderson later said he was dissatisfied and disappointed with the series, claiming that CBS changed it so much that by the end it wasn't his show anymore.[citation needed]

Louie Anderson guest starred on an episode of Scrubs as himself, the host of Family Feud, where J.D. and others were competing.

Family Feud
In 1999, Anderson landed the role of host of the new version of Family Feud., beating out Dolly Parton. Anderson asked former Feud host Richard Dawson to come on the premiere show to give him his blessing, but Dawson declined. Anderson started off with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but soon looked bored and uninterested with the program, which was once mocked in a MADtv sketch.

Anderson was let go from the show in 2002 and replaced by former Home Improvement star Richard Karn. Somewhat bitter over losing the job, Anderson claimed on E! True Hollywood Story that the show would not last more than one season without him. The show remains on the air, although Karn was replaced by John O'Hurley in 2006, who subsequently was replaced by Steve Harvey in the fall of 2010.

Giving Back
Anderson put together a special 9/11 tournament between the New York Fire Department (FDNY) and the New York Police Department (NYPD), putting up $75,000 of his own money toward both organizations for recovery from the September 11, 2001 attacks.

He has worked with numerous charities. Shortly after 9/11, Anderson did a show in New York City for the NYPD and FDNY Widows' Fund. He is also the co-founder of the H.E.R.O. organization, whose mission is to empower people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless to "attain maximum self-sufficiency." H.E.R.O. works with a variety of local agencies to enroll clients in empowerment training that will allow them to set goals for themselves and create action plans to accomplish these goals.

Recent activities
Anderson has a regularly scheduled performance in Las Vegas at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. For the last three years, he has starred in a New Year's Eve comedy show in Minneapolis, with business acquaintance Scott Hanson.

He has starred in his own comedy specials on Home Box Office and Showtime and frequently appears on late night talk shows. He has made appearances on network television in Scrubs, Grace Under Fire, Touched by an Angel and Chicago Hope. He recently guest starred on the Adult Swim cameo-filled show Tom Goes to the Mayor. He also made an appearance on a 2001 episode of The Weakest Link, winning $31,000.

Anderson played in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. He was eliminated on the first day of play, during which he received a 10-minute penalty for foul language.

Anderson is a frequent guest on the morning show of Minnesota radio station KQRS-FM and is a close friend of its host, Tom Barnard.

Anderson is currently business partners with Kyle Cease in his Stand-Up Comedy Bootcamp. The camp's goal is to teach people to become well rounded comedians. He claims to teach his customers how to get through writing blocks, confidence issues, and meeting top star comedians.

Anderson has authored the following:
* Dear Dad Letters from an Adult Child A collection of letters to his late father.
* Goodbye Jumbo... Hello Cruel World A self-help book for those who struggle with self-esteem issues.
* The F Word How to Survive Your Family 49 family survival tips.
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