David Steinberg
CM
Steinberg in 2009
Born (1942-08-09) August 9, 1942
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
MediumStand-up, television, film, books
Years active1964–present
GenresObservational comedy, satire
Subject(s)Religion, self-deprecation, everyday life
Spouse
Judy Marcione
​
​
(m. 1973; div. 1997)​
    Robyn Todd
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2005)​
    Websitethedavidsteinberg.com

    David Steinberg CM (born August 9, 1942) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and mid 1970s, he was one of the best-known comics in the United States. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more than 130 times (second only to Bob Hope in number of appearances) and served as guest host 12 times, the youngest person ever to guest-host.[1] Steinberg directed several films and episodes of television situation comedies, including Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Golden Girls, and Designing Women. Steinberg also hosted the interview program Inside Comedy on the Showtime network.

    Early life

    Steinberg was born on August 9, 1942, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His family is Jewish. He is the son of Rabbi Yasha Steinberg (1896-1966), a strict, Romanian-born rabbi, and Ruth Steinberg (c. 1904 – 1989). He is the youngest of four children and has three older siblings: two older brothers, Hymie Steinberg (1925-1944) and Fishy Steinberg, and one older sister, Tammy Lazer (née Steinberg).[2][3] His elder brother Hymie served during World War II and was killed in action when he was 19.[4] David initially studied theology in Israel.[1][5] Later, while studying English Literature at the University of Chicago, he decided to become a comedian after seeing Lenny Bruce perform.[1] He finished school and was discovered by one of the founders of The Second City in Chicago, which he joined in 1964. There he performed with Robert Klein, Fred Willard, Peter Boyle, and Joe Flaherty. He remained with the group for six years.[1] In 1972, Steinberg was best man at the wedding of his friend, the gangster Crazy Joe Gallo.[6]

    Career

    One of Steinberg's most notorious performances was in October 1968 on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he gave satirical sermons. The sketch caused CBS to receive a record number of complaints, and, as a result, the network instituted a policy of providing local stations with a closed-circuit telecast of each episode ahead of time so they could choose whether or not to air it.[7] The Smothers Brothers were told by the network that they could have Steinberg on the show again on the condition that he would not repeat the sermons.[8] Nevertheless, Tommy Smothers asked Steinberg to do it again, and he gave a sermon in which he said "The Old Testament scholars say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The Gentiles, the New Testament scholars say, 'Hold it, Jews, no.' They literally grabbed the Jews by the Old Testament." This incident contributed to the cancellation of the show. The Jonah sketch was never aired by CBS.[9]

    Steinberg appeared in two Broadway flops, Little Murders and Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights, which both closed within one week in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

    Steinberg was the most frequent host of the pop and rock music ABC television show, The Music Scene, 1969–1970. The show featured performances by Joe Cocker and CSN&Y. In 1972, Steinberg wrote and starred in The David Steinberg Show in the United States as a five-week summer replacement sketch comedy show.[10] Around the same time, TV Guide labelled Steinberg "offbeat, racy, outrageous, and establishment-baiting – all of which makes him a particular favorite among the young and disenchanted."[1]

    In 1975 Steinberg hosted Noonday, a short-lived half-hour midday talk show on NBC.

    In 1976, Steinberg returned to Canada to produce a second show called The David Steinberg Show. This series was a hybrid sitcom/variety show, modelled loosely on The Jack Benny Program in that the plots centred on the star (Steinberg) and his cast trying to put together another instalment of their variety show. Amongst the regular cast were future SCTV stars Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Dave Thomas, and Martin Short. SCTV's Andrea Martin also appeared on the show, but not as a regular. SCTV premiered the same week as The David Steinberg Show, and ran for six seasons; The David Steinberg Show lasted only one season.

    Steinberg performed some notable stand-up comedy during the 1960s and '70s. He released four comedy LPs, including The Incredible Shrinking God (LP MCA 73013, 1968), which contains ten of his comedic sermons and mini-sermons recorded live during his stand-up routine at Second City. He also hosted the 1977 Juno Awards show.[11] He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2003.[12]

    More recently (2005–2007), Steinberg hosted Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, an informal, interview-style show in which he talks with famous comedians and comic actors, for two seasons on TV Land in the U.S.[13] The first season featured Mike Myers, Larry David, Jon Lovitz, Martin Short, Bob Newhart, and George Lopez. The second season featured Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr, Jon Stewart, Garry Shandling and Ray Romano. The program was filmed before an audience at UCLA.[14]

    His first book, The Book of David (ISBN 0743272323), was published in June 2007 by Simon & Schuster.

    In 2010, he directed and produced the Canadian cable comedy series Living in Your Car.[15]

    Personal life

    Steinberg has been married twice. He married Judy Marcione in 1973 and they had two daughters. They divorced in 1997 after 24 years of marriage.[16] Steinberg married Robyn Todd in 2005.[17]

    Discography

    • The Incredible Shrinking God (UNI LP, UNI-73013, 1968)
    • Disguised As A Normal Person (Elektra Records LP, EKS-74065, 1970).
    • Booga! Booga! (Columbia LP, 1974)
    • Goodbye to the '70s (Columbia LP, PC 33399, 1975)

    Awards

    Steinberg has received five Emmy Award nominations, winning two as one of the writers of Academy Awards programs in 1991 and 1992. He received a CableACE Award in 1992 for his stand-up comedy Cats, Cops and Stuff. He has been nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award (for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series) twice: first in 1991 for the Seinfeld episode, The Tape, and again in 1996 for the Mad About You episode, The Finale: Parts II and III, and has been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award (2000) and a Gemini (2001), as well.[18] His parody of the novel Ragtime won him a Playboy Humor Award.[1] In 2003, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

    In December 2016, Steinberg was named a Member of the Order of Canada.[19]

    Film

    YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerActorRoleNotes
    1967 Fearless Frank Yes The Rat
    1969 The Lost Man Yes Photographer
    1978 The End Yes Marty Lieberman
    1979 Something Short of Paradise Yes Harris Sloane
    1980 Nothing Personal Yes Talk Show Host
    1981 Paternity Yes
    1983 Going Berserk Yes Yes
    1996 Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy Yes
    1997 The Wrong Guy Yes Yes Outpatient in Neck Brace
    1999 Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story Yes
    2000 The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave Yes Yes
    2003 This Thing of Ours Yes
    2005 The Greatest Game Ever Played Yes
    2013 When Jews Were Funny Himself Documentary
    2015 Being Canadian Himself Documentary

    Television

    YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerActorRoleNotes
    1968–1969 The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Yes Yes Himself
    1968–1992 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Himself / Guest host
    1969 NBC Experiment in Television Yes Episode: "This Is Sholom Aleichem"
    1969–1970 The Music Scene Yes Host 14 episodes
    1970 The Return of the Smothers Brothers Yes Yes Himself Television special
    1971 The Odd Couple Yes Himself Episode: "The Odd Couple Meet Their Host"
    1972,1976–1977 The David Steinberg Show Yes Host 26 episodes
    1973 ABC's Wide World of Entertainment Yes Paul Episode: "Night Train to Terror"
    1975 The Smothers Brothers Show Yes Himself Episode: "A Boarding House Is Not A Home"
    1985 The Twilight Zone Yes Segment: "The Uncle Devil Show"
    1986 The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion Yes Television special
    1986 Robin Williams: Live at the Met Yes Stand-up special
    1986 Tall Tales & Legends Yes Episode: "Casey at the Bat"
    1986 Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started Yes Television special
    1986 The Ellen Burstyn Show Yes Episode: "Reading Between the Lines"
    1986 The Golden Girls Yes Episode: "Big Daddy's Little Lady"
    1986–1987 One Big Family Yes 5 episodes
    1986–1990 Newhart Yes 15 episodes
    1987 The Popcorn Kid Yes 2 episodes
    1987 Duet Yes 3 episodes
    1987–1991 Designing Women Yes Yes Yes
    1988 Eisenhower and Lutz Yes Episode: "Bud Junior, Junior: Part 1"
    1988 Family Man Yes 5 episodes
    1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Yes Episode: "Baby on Board"
    1989 Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow Yes Television special
    1989 I, Martin Short, Goes Home Yes Television special
    1988 Annie McGuire Yes 6 episodes
    1989 It's Garry Shandling's Show Yes 2 episodes
    1990 The Earth Day Special Yes Television special
    1990 The Fanelli Boys Yes Episode: "Pursued"
    1990 Get a Life Yes Episode: "The Sitting"
    1990–1991 Good Grief Yes 13 episodes
    1990–1991 Evening Shade Yes Yes 8 episodes
    1991 63rd Academy Awards Yes Television special
    1991–1998 Seinfeld Yes 3 episodes
    1992 64th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    1993 Rick Reynolds: Only the Truth Is Funny Yes Television special
    1993 65th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    1993 It Had to Be You Yes Yes 4 episodes
    1993 Daddy Dearest Yes 2 episodes
    1994–1999 Mad About You Yes Yes Director / Bad Eulogizer 50 episodes
    1995–1996 The Parent 'Hood Yes 5 episodes
    1996 Carver's Gate Yes Television film
    1997 Lost on Earth Yes 6 episodes
    1997 69th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    1997 Ink Yes Episode: "Logan's Run"
    1998 Friends Yes Episode: "The One with Phoebe's Uterus"
    1998 70th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    1998 Living in Captivity Yes 2 episodes
    1999 The Wonderful World of Disney Yes Episode: "Switching Goals"
    2000 72nd Academy Awards Yes Television special
    2000–2001 Big Sound Yes Yes Yes Yes Gabe Moss Also creator
    2000–2001 Even Stevens Yes 2 episodes
    2000–2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm Yes 8 episodes
    2002 Robin Williams: Live on Broadway Yes Stand-up special
    2004 Good Girls Don't Yes Episode: "The Big O"
    2004 76th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    2005 Wild Card Yes Episode: "A Whisper from Zoe's Sister"
    2005 The Comeback Yes 2 episodes
    2005–2007 Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg Yes Yes Host Also creator
    2006 Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached Yes Stand-up special
    2006 Campus Ladies Yes 3 episodes
    2006 Sons & Daughters Yes 2 episodes
    2006 Help Me Help You Yes Episode: "Perseverance"
    2007 Jim Norton: Monster Rain Yes Stand-up special
    2008 Weeds Yes Episode: "The Whole Blah Damn Thing"
    2008 Down and Dirty with Jim Norton Yes 4 episodes
    2008 Little Britain USA Yes 6 episodes
    2009 Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction Yes Stand-up special
    2010 Living in Your Car Yes Yes 4 episodes
    2011 Norm Macdonald: Me Doing Stand-Up Yes Stand-up special
    2011 Single White Spenny Yes Episode: "Circumcision"
    2012 84th Academy Awards Yes Television special
    2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Yes Party Guest Episode: "Wonderland Story"
    2012–2015 Inside Comedy Yes Yes Host 36 episodes
    2015 The Comedians Yes Billy's Agent (voice) Episode: "Go for Gad"

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "David Steinberg – Northern Stars". 2002. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
    2. ↑ "David Steinberg speaks fondly of his Winnipeg roots in autobiography". www.jewishpostandnews.ca. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
    3. ↑ "Canadian king of comedy David Steinberg's insider stories fill out his new book 'Inside Comedy' — get an". The Toronto Star. July 10, 2021. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
    4. ↑ "Canadian king of comedy David Steinberg's insider stories fill out his new book 'Inside Comedy' — get an". The Toronto Star. July 10, 2021. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
    5. ↑ "David Steinberg Biography". Retrieved January 12, 2010.
    6. ↑ Steinberg, David (June 12, 2007). Book of David. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416545569 – via Google Books.
    7. ↑ Bianculli, David (December 1, 2009). Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". Touchstone. ISBN 978-1-4391-0116-2.
    8. ↑ "David Steinberg Just Wants to Talk Comedy". CBSNews.com. March 11, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
    9. ↑ "The Book of David: Paging Mr. Steinberg". npr.org. August 20, 2007. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
    10. ↑ "The David Steinberg Show at IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
    11. ↑ Martin Melhuish (April 23, 1977). "Juno 1977". Billboard. pp. 76–. ISSN 0006-2510.
    12. ↑ "Canada's Walk of Fame: David Steinberg: actor, comedian, director". 2003. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
    13. ↑ "Sit Down with David Steinberg". Archived from the original on May 29, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
    14. ↑ "Sit Down Comedy With David Steinberg (2007)". 2007. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
    15. ↑ "HBO Canada presents Living in Your Car, one man's karmic fall from the high life to the highway". Canada NewsWire, April 6, 2010.
    16. ↑ "About Judy". Archived from the original on March 21, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
    17. ↑ "Robyn Todd". May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
    18. ↑ Awards for David Steinberg. IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
    19. ↑ "Order of Canada's newest appointees include Paralympian, Supreme Court judge and astrophysicist". CBC News, December 30, 2016.
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