Louis Szekely, known professionally as Louis
C.K., is a Mexican-American comedian, screenwriter,
producer, film director, actor, voice actor,
and film editor.
He is the creator, star, writer, director,
and—until February 2012—editor of the
FX comedy series Louie.
C.K. is noteworthy for innovating direct-to-fan
purchases of reasonably priced tickets to
his stand-up shows and DRM-free video concert
downloads via his website.
Over the course of his career, he has been
nominated for 25 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
for his stand up special, Oh My God, in 2013.
Early life
Family background
C.K. was born in Washington, D.C., the son
of Mary Louise Szekely, a software engineer,
and Luis Székely, an economist.
C.K.'s parents met at Harvard University,
where his mother was completing her degree
in a summer-school program.
They were married at St. Francis Church in
Traverse City, Michigan.
He has three sisters.
C.K.'s mother, an American of Irish Catholic
ancestry, was originally from a farm in Michigan.
She graduated from Owosso High School in Owosso,
Michigan.
She attended University of Michigan and graduated
from Ohio State University Phi Beta Kappa.
C.K.'s maternal grandparents were M. Louise
Davis and Alfred C. Davis.
C.K.'s father was born in Mexico and is a
Mexican citizen.
C.K.'s father has a degree from the University
of Mexico and Harvard University's School
of Economics.
C.K.'s paternal grandfather, Dr. Geza Székely
Schweiger, was a surgeon.
Székely Schweiger was a Hungarian Jew whose
family emigrated to Mexico, where he met C.K.'s
paternal grandmother, Rosario Sánchez Morales.
Sánchez Morales was a Catholic Mexican of
Spanish and Indigenous Mexican ancestry, whose
European-born family had been in Mexico since
the mid-1800s.
C.K.'s grandfather agreed to have his children
raised Catholic, but was "quietly Jewish."
C.K.'s father converted from Catholicism later
in life; he remarried a Jewish woman, converted
to Judaism, and is an Orthodox Jew.
C.K. has said that his father's whole family
still lives in Mexico.
Of note, C.K.'s paternal uncle, Dr. Francisco
Székely, is an academic and an international
consultant on environmental affairs who served
as Mexico's Deputy Minister of Environment.
Early years
Although C.K. was born in Washington, D.C.
he only lived there until the age of one,
when his family moved to Mexico City.
The family lived in Mexico City until C.K.
was seven.
His first language is Spanish; C.K. has said
that it was not until after the move to the
U.S. that he began to learn English -- and
he still retains Mexican citizenship.
Upon moving from Mexico to suburban Boston,
C.K. decided he wanted to become a writer
and comedian, citing Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor,
Steve Martin, and George Carlin as some of
his influences.
When he was 10 years old, his parents divorced.
C.K. said that his father was around but he
did not see him much.
C.K. and his three siblings were raised by
their single mother in Newton, Massachusetts.
The fact that his mother had only "bad" TV
shows to view upon returning home from work
inspired him to work on television.
In April 2005, he told The Observer "I remember
thinking in fifth grade, 'I have to get inside
that box and make this shit better'.
Because she deserves this.
It made me mad that the shows were so bad."
C.K. said he was raised Catholic, as his mother
wanted them to have a religious framework
and understanding, and they went to after-school
Catholic class until they completed Communion.
C.K. described himself as a depressive kid.
In junior high he took to drugs, 'closing
myself off from feelings,' he says.
'Eighth and ninth grade were two solid years
of dropping acid, snorting coke when somebody
had it, quaaludes, an alarming amount of pot,
mescaline, drinking.
By the time I got to high school, I was a
recovered drug addict.'
C.K. ran for a time with a bad crowd, breaking
into cars and snatching valuables within."
The "In The Woods" pair of episodes in his
TV series Louie are a loose dramatization
of this period of his youth.
After graduating from Newton North High School,
C.K. worked as an auto mechanic and at a public
access TV cable station in Boston, while "summoning
the courage to try stand-up."
Among other jobs he worked, C.K. "cleaned
pools, fixed cars and spent a year as a Kentucky
Fried Chicken cook; he brought home KFC turkey
dinners two Thanksgivings in a row.
After that, he clerked at a video store."
C.K. has said that working in public access
TV gave him the tools and technical knowledge
to make his short films and later his television
shows.
"Learning is my favorite thing," he has said.
Career
Stand-up
C.K.'s stage name is derived from an approximate
English pronunciation of his Hungarian surname,
Székely.
His first attempt at stand-up was in 1984
at an open-mic night at a comedy club in Boston,
Massachusetts, during the apex of the comedy
boom.
He was given five minutes of time, but had
only two minutes of material.
He was so discouraged by the experience that
he did not perform again for two years.
He and Marc Maron later reminisced about their
early careers and friendship on Maron's WTF
Podcast.
As Boston's comedy scene grew, C.K. gradually
achieved success, performing alongside acts
such as Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke, and
eventually he moved up to paid gigs, opening
for Jerry Seinfeld and hosting comedy clubs
until he moved to Manhattan in 1989.
He performed his act on many televised programs,
including Evening at the Improv and Star Search.
In 1996 HBO released his first half-hour comedy
special.
C.K. has performed his stand-up frequently
on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Lopez Tonight,
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Jimmy
Kimmel Live!.
In August 2005, C.K. starred in a half-hour
HBO special as part of the stand-up series
One Night Stand.
Inspired by the work ethic of fellow comedian
George Carlin, who had committed to dropping
all of his existing material and starting
over every year, C.K. launched his first hour-long
special, Shameless, in 2007, which aired on
HBO and was later released on DVD.
In March 2008, he recorded a second hour-long
special, Chewed Up, which premiered on Showtime
Network on October 4, 2008, and went on to
be nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding
Writing in a Comedy or Variety Special".
C.K. has said that "failure is the road to
becoming a great comedian."
On April 18, 2009, Louis recorded a concert
film titled Hilarious.
Unlike his previous specials—which had all
been produced for television networks—Hilarious
was produced independently, directed by C.K.
himself, and sold to Epix and Comedy Central
after it was complete.
As a result, it was not released until late
2010.
It was published on DVD and CD in 2011.
It is the first stand-up comedy film to be
accepted into Sundance.
In a 2010 interview, C.K. talked about how,
after his divorce, he thought, "well, there
goes my act."
He alluded to the way that his marriage had
been central to his act and his life, and
he said that it took him approximately a year
to realize "I'm accumulating stories here
that are worth telling."
One element in his preparation for stand-up
was training in the boxing gym, including
with Lowell, Massachusetts fighter Micky Ward,
trying to "learn how to ... do the grunt work
and the boring, constant training so that
you'll be fit enough to take the beating."
On December 10, 2011, Louis C.K. released
his fourth full-length special, Live at the
Beacon Theater.
Like Hilarious, it was produced independently
and directed by C.K.
However, unlike his earlier work, it was distributed
digitally on the comedian's website, forgoing
both physical and broadcast media.
C.K. released the special for $5.00 and without
DRM, hoping that these factors and the direct
relationship between the artist and consumer
would effectively deter piracy.
At the end of the special, the release of
a new album, recorded at Carnegie Hall the
previous year, is mentioned.
As of December 21, 2011, the sales of the
special from C.K.'s website has earned him
over $1 million.
The success of the special prompted other
comedians, including Jim Gaffigan, Joe Rogan,
and Aziz Ansari, to release their own specials
with a similar business model.
On May 11, 2012, C.K. additionally made two
audio-only downloads available for $5.00 each:
WORD – Live at Carnegie Hall, as well as
an audio-only version of Live at the Beacon
Theater.
C.K.'s fifth one-hour special, Oh My God,
was recorded at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix,
Arizona, and premiered on HBO April 13, 2013.
It is also sold and distributed using the
same model as C.K. used for Live at the Beacon
Theater.
Writing
C.K.'s credits as a writer include the Late
Show with David Letterman, Late Night with
Conan O'Brien, The Dana Carvey Show, and The
Chris Rock Show.
He has been quoted as describing his approach
to writing as a "deconstruction" that is both
painful and frightening.
His work for The Chris Rock Show was nominated
for an Emmy Award for writing three times,
winning "Best Writing in a Variety or Comedy
Series" in 1999.
He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for
his work writing for Late Night with Conan
O'Brien C.K. wrote and directed the feature
film Pootie Tang, which was adapted from a
sketch that was featured on The Chris Rock
Show.
The film received largely negative reviews
from critics, but has become a cult classic.
Though C.K. is credited as the director, he
was fired at the end of filming with the film
being re-edited by the studio.
He also wrote and directed the independent
black-and-white film Tomorrow Night, which
premiered at Sundance, and several shorter
films, including six short films for the sketch
comedy show Sunny Skies on the Showtime cable
network.
C.K. self-released Tomorrow Night in 2014.
He was nominated for an Emmy Award for writing
on his 2008 special, Chewed Up.
He won two Emmys in 2011 for the Louie episode
"Pregnant" and for his special Live at the
Beacon Theater.
C.K. has co-written two screenplays with Chris
Rock: Down to Earth and I Think I Love My
Wife.
Acting, writing, and directing
In June 2006, C.K. starred in Lucky Louie,
a sitcom he created.
The series premiered on HBO and was videotaped
in front of a studio audience; it was HBO's
first series in that format.
Lucky Louie is described as a bluntly realistic
portrayal of family life.
HBO canceled the series after its first season.
Other roles C.K. has played include a security
guard in Role Models and a potential love
interest for Amy Poehler's character in a
multi-episode story arc on NBC's Parks and
Recreation.
C.K. has also appeared in the films Welcome
Home Roscoe Jenkins, Diminished Capacity,
and The Invention of Lying.
In 2013, C.K. had supporting roles in the
critically acclaimed films Blue Jasmine and
American Hustle.
In August 2009, FX picked up his new series,
Louie, which C.K. stars in, writes, directs,
and edits.
The show features his stand-up routines blended
with segments which are based to some extent
on his offstage experiences.
The show premiered on June 29, 2010.
Each season of Louie contains 13 episodes.
The show addresses life as a divorced, aging
father.
In season three, episodes dealt with a date
with an unstable bookshop clerk, a doomed
attempt to replace a retiring David Letterman,
an aborted visit to C.K.'s father, and a dream-reality
New Year's Eve episode in which C.K. ends
up in China.
All of these made critic Matt Zoller Seitz's
list of his favourite 25 comedy episodes of
2012.
According to Seitz, the episode "New Year's
Eve" was "truly audacious".
C.K. has been nominated three times for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead
Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in Louie.
The show was renewed for a fourth season;
however, C.K. took a 19-month hiatus before
season 4, during which time he had roles in
David O. Russell's American Hustle and Woody
Allen's Blue Jasmine.
In January 2014, it was announced that C.K.
is producing and co-writing a Zach Galifianakis-created
comedy pilot for FX Networks.
Other work
As a voice actor, C.K. portrayed Brendon Small's
estranged father, Andrew Small, in Home Movies,
and appeared several times on Dr. Katz, Professional
Therapist.
C.K. is a frequent guest on The Opie & Anthony
Show, which also features his Lucky Louie
co-star Jim Norton.
C.K. was also a part of Opie and Anthony's
Traveling Virus Comedy Tour with other comedians
in 2007.
He has appeared on on Sirius XM'sRaw Dog Comedy
show, and in 2007 hosted a three-hour phone-in
show on the service at the request of Opie
& Anthony, during which he advised callers
on their relationship troubles.
As of May 2011, Louis has hosted over 107
hours of radio with Opie & Anthony.
In the Louie episode "Barney / Never", Opie,
Anthony, and Norton play the on-air talent
of a stereotypical wacky morning radio program
into which C.K.'s character is calling to
promote a nearby gig.
During an interview with Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld on The Opie & Anthony Show,
C.K. repeatedly asked Rumsfeld whether he
is in fact a reptilian space alien who "eats
the poor".
Rumsfeld declined to comment.
The video has since gone viral.
C.K. has been an occasional guest on The Bob
& Tom Show, a showcase for comedians.
He also works with Robert Smigel on TV Funhouse
shorts exclusively for Saturday Night Live,
with topics ranging from politics to surrealism.
C.K. hosted Saturday Night Live on November
3, 2012 and was subsequently Emmy nominated
for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
He returned to host the show for a second
time on March 29, 2014.
Commercial innovation
C.K. was an early adopter/innovator in distributing
both his work and others' via his website
in a direct-to-consumer, DRM-free format.
He has sold reasonably priced tickets for
tours of his stand-up show via his website,
circumventing the big ticket companies, creatively
playing venues that aren't part of their system.
Because C.K. feels companies have created
barriers to consumers obtaining products,
he states his website is easy to use and has
"closed the gap between how easy it was to
steal it [versus] how easy it was to buy it."
Personal life
C.K. and artist/painter Alix Bailey married
in 1995 and divorced in 2008.
Together, they had two daughters, with both
C.K. and Bailey having joint custody.
While C.K. was raised Catholic, he pokes fun
at religion in his comedy and says he has
"zero idea how everything got here".
C.K. has also been quoted as saying, "if I
were to make a list of possibilities, God
would be pretty far down.
But if I were to make a list of people that
know what the fuck they are talking about,
I would be really far down."
Although he infrequently discusses his political
views, C.K. has defended same-sex marriage
in his stand-up and has spoken negatively
about capitalism.
As for political partisanship, C.K. states,
"Some things I think are very conservative,
or very liberal.
I think when someone falls into one category
for everything, I'm very suspicious.
It doesn't make sense to me that you'd have
the same solution to every issue."
Discography
2000: The Short Films of Louis C.K.
2001: Live in Houston
2005: One Night Stand
2007: Shameless
2008: Chewed Up
2010/2011: Hilarious
2011: Live at the Beacon Theater
2012: WORD: Live at Carnegie Hall
2013: Louis C.K.: Oh My God – Phoenix, AZ
Filmography
Non-performance credits
References
External links
Official website
Louis C.K. at the Internet Movie Database
Louis C.K.'s channel on YouTube
Louis C.K. on Twitter
