Brian Regan

Known for his clean act that delves into the simple but comical aspects of human behavior, both adult and child, Brian Regan the comedian almost never was. Regan, the fourth of eight children, majored in accounting Heidelberg College in Ohio. His football coach, of all people, recommended Regan try the theater and an acting coach suggested he try stand-up comedy. In 1981, Regan began working as a short order cook and host at the Comic Strip in his homeland of South Florida. Soon he became the club's MC and spent two and a half years on its stage before hitting the road. Drawing on inspiration from Steve Martin, Regan spent the mid-'80s entertaining crowds across the U.S. before settling down in New York City in 1986 (where, he would later say, he lived in an apartment that was so small, he kept his goldfish in a shot glass). Two years later, he won the Miller Lite Funniest Person in New York award, good for 10,000 dollars. After toiling underground for a decade, Regan's television-friendly act paid off in the '90s. He appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and recorded Something's Wrong With That Regan Boy on Showtime. He teamed up with his comedic brother Dennis on Showtime's A Pair of Jokers and hosted Comedy Central's Short Attention Span Theater. Regular appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien followed. Regan won the American Comedy Awards' Best Club Comedian in 1996 and recorded Brian Regan Live the following year. He made his debut in the film world by co-writing 102 Dalmatians in 2000. ~ Ron DePasquale

, All Music Guide