Dane Cook

Dane Cook

Active - 1997 - 2018  |   Born - Mar 18, 1972 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Drama, Action

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Biography by AllMovie

A stand-up comic whose rock & roll sensibility and unwavering loyalty to his fan base have propelled him to become one of the most popular comedians of his generation, Dane Cook hit it big on the comedy circuit before breaking into feature films with bit parts in such movies as Buddy and Mystery Men in the late '90s. Born in Cambridge, MA, and raised in Arlington, Cook was an introverted child whose shy exterior betrayed a hyperactive and intensely creative imagination. By the time Cook was able to find his voice as a comic he was also able to recognize that his unique approach was an ideal blend of his mother's manic energy and his father's sarcastic swagger, and in 1990 it was time to take the stage for his debut stand-up performance. Having found enough success on stage to say goodbye to his day job just three short years later, Cook was finally prepared to make his bid for the big time. If his early screen roles weren't necessarily substantial enough to gain him notice on the big screen, it was his early short film Spiral that showed the promise needed for his career in front of the camera to continue gaining momentum. Back in the realm of stand-up comedy, Cook's debut release Harmful if Swallowed went certified gold after selling more than 450,000 copies in less than two years.

It was around this time that the rising star first realized the career-boosting potential of the Internet, an epiphany that soon resulted in the creation of his popular personal website, danecook.com. Though the site did indeed provide the comic with a notable means to staying in touch with his rapidly growing fan base, it was Cook's subsequent MySpace page that would truly serve to show the humble comic's progressive mind for innovation. Appearances on such popular television comedy programs as The Man Show, Crank Yankers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live found success coming at a clip, and he was soon garnering roles in such features as Torque, Waiting, Employee of the Month, Dan in Real Life, My Best Friend's Girl, and Answers to Nothing. Cook would also continute to perform stand-up, releasing comedy albums and on his own stand up specials.

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Factsheet

  • First became interested in comedy as a child after he received a toy tape recorder and microphone from his father.
  • Wildly dedicated to his fans known as the "The Dane Train," and says he makes an effort to answer every e-mail sent to his Web site.
  • His album Retaliation debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 4 in August 2005; no comedy album had cracked the Top 5 since Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy in 1979.
  • Created, directed and starred in the 2006 HBO documentary Dane Cook's Tourgasm, which followed Cook and three other comics on a cross-country comedy tour.
  • In October 2010, his half-brother, Darryl McCauley, was found guilty of embezzling millions of dollars from Cook between 2004 and 2008.