Tom Green

One of the most polarizing figures in comedy during the late 1990s and early 21st century, Tom Green performed jaw-dropping acts of bad taste that alternately delighted and repelled viewers of his Canadian variety series, "The Tom Green Show" (Rogers Television 22/The Comedy Network/MTV, 1994-2000). Green's brand of humor was assaultive, extremely surreal and frequently repulsive, with dead animals, deranged verbal tirades and childish outbursts among his stock in trade. The show's no-holds-barred content made him a star in his native Canada before MTV picked it up for broadcast. Green enjoyed a brief tenure at the top of the Hollywood lists before the buzz petered out after a 2000 bout with testicular cancer ended his series and his 2001 feature "Freddy Got Fingered" was demolished by critics. After also famously marrying and divorcing actress Drew Barrymore, Green retreated to hosting his own talk shows online, where his humor was tempered by genuine interviews with other celebrities. More importantly, the format and media gave him complete creative control, which he wielded with frequently amusing results for his diminished yet loyal fan base.