David Steinberg
David Steinberg is a Canadian director, producer, and comedian known for his influential contributions to television and theater. Born on August 9, 1942, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, his family relocated to Chicago during his teenage years, where he became involved with The Second City, a prominent comedy troupe. After cofounding a comedy duo while studying at the University of Chicago, he joined The Second City in 1964, performing there for four years before moving to New York.
In New York, Steinberg gained recognition on Broadway and became a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." He also created memorable routines on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," which, despite their popularity, faced backlash and led to the show's cancellation. Throughout his career, Steinberg directed and produced notable television shows, including "Designing Women," "Seinfeld," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He also hosted interviews with comedians on shows like "Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg" and "Inside Comedy." Steinberg's work has earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards, highlighting his impact on the comedy landscape.
David Steinberg
Comedian
- Born: August 9, 1942
- Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Contribution: David Steinberg was a member of the famous Second City comedy troupe in Chicago and appeared in more than 140 episodes of Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show. In the 1980s and 1990s, Steinberg directed a number of episodes for the television shows Newhart, The Golden Girls, Mad about You, and Seinfeld, among others. He also appeared in a number of films and directed three feature films between 1981 and 1997.
Background
David Steinberg was born August 9, 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Chicago, where he first witnessed performances by the city’s comedy company The Second City. While a student at the University of Chicago, he cofounded a comedy duo known as Kadish and Steinberg, and he was invited to join The Second City in 1964 after some of its members saw him perform. Steinberg remained a member of The Second City for four years, before leaving to pursue opportunities in New York.
Post–Second City Career
After he arrived in New York, Steinberg acted in two Broadway productions, Little Murders and Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights. His performances drew accolades from New York Times and eventually earned Steinberg a place on the stage of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he became a frequent guest and performer. Steinberg also worked with the Smothers Brothers on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. In one of his routines he played a rabbi giving satirical “sermons”; though wildly popular with audiences, these bits eventually proved too controversial for network executives, and were said to have contributed to the show getting cancelled in 1969. Soon afterward, Steinberg hosted the ABC show The Music Scene before landing his own short-lived show on CBS, The David Steinberg Show, which launched the careers of a number of other famous Canadian comedians, including John Candy andMartin Short.
TV- and Film-Directing Career
In 1981, Steinberg directed the feature film Paternity, which he followed with the film Going Berserk in 1983. Steinberg’s greatest successes as a director, however, came on television. His first television credit was a 1982 episode of the sitcom Newhart. He also directed a number of pilots throughout the 1980s that were not picked up by major networks. In the 1990s, Steinberg embarked on arguably the most successful period of his career. He became an executive producer of the hit television show Designing Women, while directing a number of episodes of the iconic sitcom Seinfeld. In addition to these successes, Steinberg directed episodes of The Golden Girls, Mad about You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friends, and Weeds, among others.
From 2005 to 2007, the cable channel TV Land aired Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, on which Steinberg interviewed prominent comedians and comic actors such as Larry David, Mike Myers, Jerry Seinfeld, and Robin Williams. In a similar vein, in 2012 he launched Inside Comedy, an interview program airing on Showtime that has featured comedians ranging from Don Rickles and Bob Newhart to Chris Rock and Louis C.K.
Steinberg has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, in 1991 and 1992, for his work as a writer on the Academy Awards in those years. He married his second wife, Robyn Todd, in 2005.
Principal Works
Television
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 1968–69
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1970–85
The David Steinberg Show, 1976–77
Newhart, 1986–1990
Designing Women, 1987–93
Seinfeld, 1991–98
Mad about You, 1994–99
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 2000–11
Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, 2005–07
Inside Comedy, 2012–
Film
Paternity, 1981
Going Berserk, 1983
The Wrong Guy, 1997
Bibliography
“Biography.” David Steinberg. David Steinberg, n.d. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
“Biography for David Steinberg,” IMDb. IMDB.com, 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
“David Steinberg—Biography.” Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo!, 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
Zinoman, Jason. “David Steinberg’s Theory of Unstable Comedians and Funny Canadians.” New York Times. New York Times, 2 Feb. 2012. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.