Matt Besser

Raised a proud Razorback in Little Rock, Arkansas, Matt Besser attended Amherst College where he learned how to collect CDs. After graduating, Matt toured the Midwest doing stand-up, while taking improvisation direction from Del Close at Chicago’s Improv Olympic Theater.

In Chicago in 1991, he became a founding member of the sketch group Upright Citizens Brigade, and with them he has performed and written stage productions including “Virtual Reality”, “Conference on the Future of Happiness”, “Thunderball”, “Bucket of Truth”, “Big Dirty Hands”, “Punch Your Friend in the Face”, “The Real Real World”, and “Saigon Suicide Squad” (winner of Best Sketch at 1996 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen). He has directed stage productions including “Feature Feature”, “Immortal Combat”, “Sidecarrin’” (1998 U.S.C.A.F), and Todd Barry in “Icky” (2001 U.S.C.A.F). Besser’s one-man shows include: “How Much I Lied”, “May I Help You Dumbass?”, “Don’t Be A Dick”, and “RUhi?”. As a stand-up, he participated in the first USCAF. His most recent one-man show is called “Woo Pig Sooie!” and concerns his battles with God. As an improviser he was a member of Chicago’s “The Family” and is forever a member of “Asssscat” the longest running and greatest improv show in the history of the world. In 1996 the UCB moved to NYC and produced their sketch show “Upright Citizens Brigade” for three seasons (’98 – 2000) on Comedy Central. In fall of 2005 the UCB premiered their improv show “Asssscat: Improv” on Bravo. With the success of the tv show, the UCB opened their own comedy theater and improv school which operates two theaters in NYC, and one in LA.

After the UCB tv show , Matt teamed up with Method Man & Redman to create and perform in a hidden camera show on MTV called “Stung”. He was a co-creator and star of “Crossballs” which ran 23 episodes on Comedy Central; “This Show Will Get You High” on Comedy Central; and also created and starred in “The Very Funny Show” for TBS.com. Besser has guest starred on, “The New Girl”, “Raising Hope”, “Modern Family”, “Parks & Rec”, “Children’s Hospital”; “Happy Endings”, “The Life & Times of Tim”, “How I Met Your Mother”, “Warren the Ape”, “Players”, “Sarah Silverman Show”, “Reno 911″, “Mighty B”, “Word Girl”, “Pilot Season”, “Bernie Mac Show”, “Frasier”, “Late Friday”; and featured in the movies: “Freak Dance”, “Bad Teacher”, “Year One”, “Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story”, “Drill Bit Taylor”; “The TV Set”, Sundance Film Festival favorite “Junebug”; and zombie western “Wanted: Undead or Alive”.

He currently hosts the improvisation-based podcast Improv4humans on the Earwolf podcasting network.