Dave Attell

Dubbed a comedian's comedian by his peers, stand-up comic Dave Attell's sardonic wit and hilarious non-sequiturs made him famous in comedy clubs across the country and in living rooms, thanks to a number of Comedy Central and HBO specials. A New Yorker through and through, Attell rose to fame on the improv stage but hit the big time as host and creator of Comedy Central's "Insomniac with Dave Attell" (2001-03). Once named one of Entertainment Weekly magazine's "25 Funniest People in America," Attell wrote for "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) and appeared as a commentator on "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central, 1999- ). He tried to jumpstart a career in features, but small roles in movies like "Pootie Tang" (2001) and "Scary Movie 4" (2006) did him no favors. Attell did, however, reach the height of his stand-up profession with a coveted one-hour HBO special, "Dave Attell: Captain Miserable" (2007), while maintaining a steady presence on Comedy Central. Though he had yet to achieve superstar status, Attell remained one of the most respected and hardest working comics in the business.