Dan Oster
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Dan" Oster is an American comedic actor and improv artist. He is most famous for being a member of Boom Chicago
and a member of the MADtv
cast.
. Prior to his comedy career, Oster was a Universal Studios
tour guide and a karaoke jockey. He first discovered his love for improv during his senior year of high school, when his girlfriend at the time took him to see his first live improv show. Upon learning the troupe responsible for the show, Ultimate Improv
, was offering paid workshops to foot the bill for their theater space, Dan decided to take the plunge and sign-up. This led to an impressive five year tenure with the Ultimate Improv, which ended when Oster joined Boom Chicago
in July 2005.
and Cobra Commander
from G.I. Joe
. Outside the Boom theater, one of Dan's most noteworthy pre-MADtv gigs came in the form of a 30-minute mockumentary-style television program entitled "The Digital Difference".
, Josh Meyers
, Nicole Parker
and Jordan Peele
.
Boom Chicago
Boom Chicago is a creative group, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that writes and performs sketch and improvisational comedy at the Leidseplein Theater...
and a member of the MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
cast.
Early years
Oster was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Prior to his comedy career, Oster was a Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
tour guide and a karaoke jockey. He first discovered his love for improv during his senior year of high school, when his girlfriend at the time took him to see his first live improv show. Upon learning the troupe responsible for the show, Ultimate Improv
Ultimate Improv
Ultimate Improv is an improvisational theater located in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Founded by J.D. Walsh, the theatre is home to a talented group of young improvisers, focusing on the artistic side of improvisational theatre.Many actors who have started or currently perform with...
, was offering paid workshops to foot the bill for their theater space, Dan decided to take the plunge and sign-up. This led to an impressive five year tenure with the Ultimate Improv, which ended when Oster joined Boom Chicago
Boom Chicago
Boom Chicago is a creative group, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that writes and performs sketch and improvisational comedy at the Leidseplein Theater...
in July 2005.
Boom Chicago
During his time with Boom Chicago, Dan co-wrote and performed in one of the troupe's biggest hit shows to date: "Me, MySpace and iPod". This send-up of the digital age was hailed by many critics as "the best Boom Chicago show ever" in addition to becoming the longest-running show in the theater's 15 year history. Between major productions, Oster found himself trying a bit of everything by way of his fearless stage persona, from jokingly discussing penile inadequacy to performing freestyle raps as obscure pop culture icons like Paul ReiserPaul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
and Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...
from G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
. Outside the Boom theater, one of Dan's most noteworthy pre-MADtv gigs came in the form of a 30-minute mockumentary-style television program entitled "The Digital Difference".
MADtv
Oster joined the cast of MADtv in 2007, as a featured performer, for the thirteenth season. He made his debut on the show on November 24, 2007. Oster is also the fifth MADtv cast member to have been a member of Boom Chicago. Other Boom Chicago alumni include: Ike BarinholtzIke Barinholtz
Isaac "Ike" Barinholtz is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. Barinholtz is most notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv from 2002-2007.-Early life:...
, Josh Meyers
Josh Meyers
Joshua Dylan "Josh" Meyers is an American actor, known for being a cast member of the sketch comedy MADtv and playing Randy Pearson in the eighth and final season of That '70s Show...
, Nicole Parker
Nicole Parker
Nicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
and Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is an American actor and comedian known as a cast member on MADtv from 2003–2008 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Brian on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
.
Impressions (on MADtv)
- Kiefer SutherlandKiefer SutherlandKiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
(as his character, Jack BauerJack BauerJack Bauer is the main protagonist of the American television series 24. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C...
, from the FOX thriller, 2424 (TV series)24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
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- Eric Violette (the guitar-playing spokesman for the FreeCreditReport.com commercials)
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- Jamie Spears (Britney and Jamie Lynn's father)
Impressions (on Oster's YouTube character reels and sketches)
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- Joe BidenJoe BidenJoseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
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- James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
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- Fred SchneiderFred SchneiderFrederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
- PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
- Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
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- Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
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- Paul ReiserPaul ReiserPaul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
- Dane CookDane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
- Josh HartnettJosh HartnettJoshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
- Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
- Seth RogenSeth RogenSeth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
- George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
- Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
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Titled Sketch Project
In September 2010, Oster launched the sketch comedy website "Titled Sketch Project", featuring independent material created by writers and actors from MADtv, the Groundlings, and Boom Chicago. The cast includes Oster himself as well as Jen Burton, Laurel Coppock, Lauren Flans, Will Maier, and Bobby Mort. This same team also performs live comedy shows in Los Angeles as "Jerk Circus".Impressions (on Titled Sketch Project)
- Michael Hogan (as his character, Saul TighSaul TighSaul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. The character was named Paul Tigh in early scripts, and was renamed due to legal issues, according to producer Ronald D. Moore. He is one of the main characters of the show.-Overview and personality:Saul Tigh is a...
, from the Syfy series, Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
) - Philip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
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- Patrick StewartPatrick StewartSir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...