Andy Richter

Biography: A plump comic actor who came to prominence as a quick-with-a-quip sidekick on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Richter initially honed his sense of humor in myriad improv troupes and stage shows. In the early '90s, friend Robert Smigel introduced him to O'Brien, and Richter quickly landed a writing gig on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His noticeable chemistry with O'Brien earned him an on-camera promotion, and for seven seasons, he provided dry support to the wacky carrot-top host. In 2000, Richter struck out on his own. After a slew of small roles on the big screen (in flicks such as 2000's Dr. T and the Women, 2001's Dr. Dolittle 2, and 2002's Big Trouble), he returned to television. In 2002, he headlined the quirky cult sitcom Andy Richter Controls the Universe, which was prematurely axed. Two years later, he went on to helm another unsuccessful sitcom, Quintuplets, which also ended after failing to gain an audience. He then stuck to being a guest star on established showsA plump comic actor who came to prominence as a quick-with-a-quip sidekick on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Richter initially honed his sense of humor in myriad improv troupes and stage shows. In the early '90s, friend Robert Smigel introduced him to O'Brien, and Richter quickly landed a writing gig on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His noticeable chemistry with O'Brien earned him an on-camera promotion, and for seven seasons, he provided dry support to the wacky carrot-top host. In 2000, Richter struck out on his own. After a slew of small roles on the big screen (in flicks such as 2000's Dr. T and the Women, 2001's Dr. Dolittle 2, and 2002's Big Trouble), he returned to television. In 2002, he headlined the quirky cult sitcom Andy Richter Controls the Universe, which was prematurely axed. Two years later, he went on to helm another unsuccessful sitcom, Quintuplets, which also ended after failing to gain an audience. He then stuck to being a guest star on established shows like Will & Grace, Malcolm in the Middle, Monk, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. He also kept busy on the silver screen by taking small roles in a number of offbeat comedies including Elf (2003), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), and Semi-Pro (2008). Another attempt to headline a sitcom, Andy Barker, P.I., managed to charm critics but didn't have staying power and lasted only seven episodes in 2007. He maintained career momentum with guest starring TV roles and a number of small parts in movies. He also did well behind the scenes, voicing a character in the animated features Madagascar (2005)and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), which led to more voice work in the Nickelodeon animated series Penguins of Madagascar and Mighty B. In 2009, he returned to Conan O'Brien's side when The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien launched on NBC. The gig ended when NBC infamously returned The Tonight Show to Jay Leno, and Richter quickly joined O'Brien's subsequent Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television stand-up tour. In his downtime, he enjoys a peaceful home life with his wife and children.… Expand