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{{short description|American stand-up comedian (1968–2005)}}
[[Image:Mitch_Hedberg.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Mitch Hedberg]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
'''Mitch Hedberg''' ([[February 24]], [[1968]] – [[March 30]], [[2005]]) was a [[stand-up comedian]] known for his odd subject matter, unique delivery, and routines that frequently jumped from one subject to another very quickly and without transition. His bits were usually very short and often consisted of a single [[One-liner|one-line]] [[non sequitur]]s.
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Mitch Hedberg
| image = Mitch Hedberg.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = Mitchell Lee Hedberg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1968|2|24}}
| birth_place = [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|3|30|1968|2|24}}
| death_place = [[Livingston, New Jersey]], U.S.<ref name="Today.com">{{cite web|work=Today |via=The Associated Press |title=Report: Mitch Hedberg died of drug overdose |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/report-mitch-hedberg-died-drug-overdose-1C9482109 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |date=December 27, 2005}}</ref>
<!-- Infobox comedian does not support the following parameter:
| death_cause = [[Drug Overdose]]<ref name="Today.com" />
| death_manner = [[Accidental|Accident]]<ref name="Today.com" />
-->


| spouse = {{marriage|Lynn Shawcroft|1999}}
==Discography==
| signature =
* ''[[Mitch All Together]]'' ([[2003]])
| footnotes =
* ''[[Strategic Grill Locations]]'' ([[1999]])
| website = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/20170816044418/http://mitchhedberg.net:80/|mitchhedberg.net}}
| active = 1989–2005
| genre = {{Hlist|[[Observational comedy]]|[[surreal humor]]|[[word play]]|[[Non sequitur (literary device)|non sequitur]]|[[One-line joke|one-liner]]|[[deadpan]]}}
| subject = {{Hlist | [[Recreational drug use]] | Everyday life | [[American culture]] | [[Self-deprecation]] | [[Drinking culture]] | Food }}
| influenced =
| notable_work = ''[[Strategic Grill Locations]]''<br />''[[Mitch All Together]]''<br />''[[Do You Believe in Gosh?]]''
| medium = [[Stand up comedian|Stand-up]]
| pseudonym =
}}


'''Mitchell Lee Hedberg''' (February 24, 1968 – March 30, 2005)<ref name="nndb" /> was an American [[stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]] known for his [[surreal humour|surreal humor]] and [[deadpan]] delivery.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/1999-02-19/521182/ |title=Dude, It's Mitch Hedberg! |last=Shakespeare |first=J. C. |work=[[The Austin Chronicle]] |date=February 19, 1999 |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref> His comedy typically featured short, sometimes [[one-line joke]]s<ref name="comedy">{{cite web |title=Mitch Hedberg |url=http://www.cc.com/comedians/mitch-hedberg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528175452/http://www.cc.com/comedians/mitch-hedberg |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 28, 2014 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |website=Comedy Central}}</ref> mixed with absurd elements and [[Non sequitur (literary device)|non sequiturs]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mitch Hedberg, 37, Dies; Offbeat Stand-Up Comedian |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23956-2005Apr3.html |access-date=December 23, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 4, 2005}}</ref>
==Filmography==
* ''[[Almost Famous]]'' ([[2000]]) (Eagles Road Manager)
* ''[[Los Enchiladas!]]'' ([[1999]]) (Lee)
* ''[[International Partyers]]''


Hedberg's comedy and onstage persona gained him a [[cult following]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Kolowich |first=Steve |title=Cult comedian Mitch Hedberg dies on tour |url=http://bowdoinorient.com/bonus/article/850 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |date=April 1, 2005 |work=[[The Bowdoin Orient]]}}</ref> with audience members sometimes shouting out the punchlines to his jokes before he could finish them.<ref name="Fierman">{{cite magazine |last=Fierman |first=Daniel |title=The rise and fall of comedy's Kurt Cobain |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/07/08/rise-and-fall-comedys-kurt-cobain/ |access-date=December 23, 2018 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=July 8, 2005}}</ref>
==Quotes==
"I got an ant farm. Them fellas didn't grow shit."


== Early life ==
"I haven't slept for ten days... because that would be too long."
Hedberg was born on February 24, 1968, in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], the son of Arne and Mary (née Schimscha, 1943–2012) Hedberg.<ref>{{cite web |title=To All of Mitch's Fans |url=http://www.mitchhedberg.net/notes.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028064531/http://www.mitchhedberg.net/notes.html |archive-date=October 28, 2007 |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mary A. Hedberg |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/twincities/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=156164350 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |work=Pioneer Press}}</ref> He was of Finnish-Swedish (from his paternal grandparents), Czech, and German descent. Hedberg attended [[Harding Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)|Harding High School]] in Saint Paul.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} Hedberg said he was a good student, and often ahead of the rest of the class, but got bored and lost interest around 10th grade, when he started cutting classes. He struggled to graduate from high school, and did not attend college.<ref name="Diamonds">{{cite interview |last=Hedberg |first=Mitch |subject-link=Mitch Hedberg |interviewer=[[Barry J. Farber]] |title=Diamonds in the Rough |work= |date= |publisher= |location= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb7LXyY110w |access-date=May 29, 2024}}</ref>


== Career ==
"Last week I helped my friend stay put. It's a lot easier than helping someone move. I just went over to his house and made sure that he did not start to load shit into the back of a truck."
Hedberg began his stand-up career in [[Florida]], and after a period of honing his skills, he moved to [[Seattle]] and began to tour. He soon appeared on [[MTV]]'s ''Comikaze'', followed by a 1996 appearance on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' that brought him his big break.<ref name="Sebesta">{{cite news |last1=Sebesta |first1=Courtney |title=Bittersweet Showing of Comic's Film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111030993/mitch-hedberg-1968-2005/ |work=Austin American-Statesman |date=May 22, 2005 |location=Austin, TX |page=107 |access-date=October 10, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> He won the 1997 grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition. The next year he appeared in an episode of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s series ''[[That '70s Show]]''.


In 1999, he completed his own independent feature film, ''[[Los Enchiladas!]]'', which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in.<ref name="Sebesta"/><ref>{{Cite news|last=McKinley|first=Jesse|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/01/arts/mitch-hedberg-a-comedian-who-performed-surreal-routines-dies-at-37.html|title=Mitch Hedberg, a Comedian Who Performed Surreal Routines, Dies at 37|date=2005-04-01|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-12|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He recorded three comedy albums: ''[[Strategic Grill Locations]]'', ''[[Mitch All Together]]'', and ''[[Do You Believe in Gosh?]]'', the last released posthumously. He performed at the [[Just for Laughs]] comedy festival in [[Montreal]] three times: in 1998, 2001, and 2004.
"I went to the store to buy a candle holder, but they didn't have one. So I bought a cake."


Concurrent with his rising fame in the entertainment industry, Hedberg appeared on ''Letterman'' nine more times, signed a half-million-dollar deal with Fox for a television sitcom, and was dubbed "the next [[Jerry Seinfeld|Seinfeld]]" by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Sam |title=Last Laugh |url=https://slate.com/culture/2005/05/the-death-of-the-next-seinfeld.html |magazine=Slate |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref> [[George Carlin]], [[Dave Chappelle]], [[Mike Birbiglia]], [[Norm Macdonald|Norm MacDonald]] and [[Lewis Black]] were among his comedian fans.<ref name="Fierman" /><ref>{{Citation|title=I Used to Like Mitch Hedberg.|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSdH5NuwIXY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/nSdH5NuwIXY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-10-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Comedians [[Anthony Jeselnik]], [[Bo Burnham]] and [[Ron Funches]] have listed Hedberg as an influence.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/07/talking-to-anthony-jeselnik.html | title=Talking to Anthony Jeselnik About 'The Jeselnik Offensive,' His Career Goals, and What Comedy Central Won't Let Him Say | date=July 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://thecomicscomic.com/2010/10/29/bo-burnham-lists-my-favorite-comedians-and-releases-a-confessional-video-art-is-dead/ | title=Bo Burnham lists "my favorite comedians," and releases a confessional video: "Art is Dead" – the Comic's Comic | date=October 29, 2010 }}</ref><ref>https://archive.today/20200430224739/https://www.startribune.com/cameo-critic-ron-funches-loves-i-love-lucy/303087201/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
"A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer"


== Style ==
"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later."
Hedberg's stand-up comedy was distinguished by the [[idiolect|unique manner of speech]] he adopted later in his career, his abrupt delivery, and his unusual stage presence. His act usually consisted of compact one- or two-liners and longer routines, often with each line as a punchline.

Hedberg occasionally added disclaimers to the end of a joke if it was not sufficiently well received, frequently variations on "that joke's dumb, I'm aware of that." During recordings for CDs, he would often say that he would find a way to edit a failed gag to make it seem well-received, for example by "adding laughter" to a failed joke containing arithmetic. Following such a failure on ''[[Strategic Grill Locations]]'', Hedberg suggested, "All right... that joke is going to be good because I'm going to take all the words out and add new words. That joke will be fixed."<ref>{{cite AV media |title=[[Strategic Grill Locations]] |type=CD |last=Hedberg |first=Mitch}}</ref>

[[Comedy Central Records]] released an album, ''[[Do You Believe in Gosh?]]'' on September 9, 2008, that contained material Hedberg recorded at [[The Improv]] in [[Ontario, California]], in January 2005. His wife, Lynn, wrote in the introduction that the performance had been in preparation for a year-end CD recording.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Do You Believe In Gosh?]] |chapter=liner notes |first=Lynn |last=Shawcroft |year=2008}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Hedberg was married to Canadian comedian Lynn Shawcroft from 1999 until his death in 2005.<ref name="nndb">{{cite web |title=Mitch Hedberg |url=http://www.nndb.com/people/816/000093537/ |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Noel |title=Interview: Mitch Hedberg |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |url=https://www.avclub.com/mitch-hedberg-1798208381 |date=September 8, 2004 |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref>

Hedberg was a frequent [[recreational drug use]]r, mentioning it in some of his jokes (e.g., "I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too"). He was interviewed by Jonathan Davis in the December 2001 issue of ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]''. In the interview, published three years before his death, he was asked, "If you could choose, how would you end your life?" He replied, "First, I'd want to get famous, and then I'd overdose. If I overdosed at this stage in my career, I would be lucky if it made the back pages."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Jonathan |title=Stand-Up Guys |magazine=[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]] |page=66 |date=December 2001}}</ref><!-- issue on ebay, pics emailed --><ref>{{cite web |first=Matthew |last=Reine |title=Life and Career of Mitch Hedberg |url=http://culturecrossfire.com/etc/life-and-career-of-mitch-hedburg/ |website=Culture Crossfire |date=April 4, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref> On June 23, 2003, he was arrested in Austin, Texas, for [[heroin]] possession.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hyman |first=Peter |title=Alt Comedy Goes Rock and Roll |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |page=72 |date=January 2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=84sBCxdU9RAC&pg=PA72}}</ref> On October 12, 2004, Hedberg sat in on the news with [[Robin Quivers]] on ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]''. He appeared on the show again on March 17, 2005, this time with Quivers and [[Artie Lange]] present, and briefly discussed his drug use, saying: "Well, you know, I got the drugs under control now." Stern asked, "Do you? You know how to take them responsibly?" Hedberg replied, "Yeah, you know, just for the creative side of it."

== Death ==
[[File:Grave of Mitch Hedberg.png|thumb|right|200px|Hedberg's grave in Roseville, Minnesota]]

On March 30, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in his room at The Westminster Hotel in [[Livingston, New Jersey]].<ref name="Today.com" /> His death was announced by [[Howard Stern]] on March 31, but was largely overlooked. As a result, some people thought it was announced on April 1, and fans believed it was an [[April Fools' Day]] joke.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rusnak |first=Jeff |date=April 2, 2005 |title=Mitch Hedberg, 37, Comedian, Filmmaker |work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2005-04-02-0504010855-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=2022-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630144030/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2005-04-02-0504010855-story.html |archive-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref>

His death was initially believed to be the result of a congenital heart defect,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brownfield |first1=Paul |title=Mitch Hedberg, 37; Comedian Was Known for His Offbeat Musings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111097112/mitch-hedberg-1968-2005/ |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=April 2, 2005 |location=Los Angeles, TCA |page=130 |access-date=October 11, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> but in December 2005, the [[New Jersey]] [[Medical Examiner]]'s office reported that he died accidentally as the result of "multiple drug toxicity", including [[cocaine]] and [[heroin]].<ref name="Today.com" />

Hedberg's funeral was held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in [[Woodbury, Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/TwinCities/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=3361321 |title=Mitch L. Hedberg |website=Legacy.com |date=April 1, 2005 |access-date=December 23, 2018}}</ref> His grave is in Roselawn Cemetery, Roseville, Minnesota.

== Discography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Mitch Hedberg discography
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title
!scope="col"| Label
!scope="col"| Formats
|-
| 1999
|scope="row"| ''[[Strategic Grill Locations]]''
| [[Comedy Central Records]] || CD (self-released), CD (2003/2010), 2xLP (2017)
|-
| 2003
|scope="row"| ''[[Mitch All Together]]''
| Comedy Central Records || CD/DVD, LP (2017)
|-
| 2008
|scope="row"| ''[[Do You Believe in Gosh?]]''
| Comedy Central Records<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/07/14/idUS167641+14-Jul-2008+PRN20080714 |title=COMEDY CENTRAL Records(R) to Release New Mitch Hedberg CD 'Do You Believe in Gosh?' |date=July 14, 2008 |work=Reuters |access-date=December 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226143138/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/07/14/idUS167641+14-Jul-2008+PRN20080714 |archive-date=February 26, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> || CD, LP (2016)
|-
| 2016
|scope="row"| ''The Complete Vinyl Collection''
| Comedy Central Records || 4×LP
|}

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Mitch Hedberg film work
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title
!scope="col"| Role
!scope="col"| Notes
|-
| 1999
|scope="row"| ''[[Los Enchiladas!]]''
| Lee || Writer/Director
|-
| 2000
|scope="row"| ''[[Almost Famous]]''
| Eagles Road Manager ||
|-
| 2005
|scope="row"| ''[[Lords of Dogtown]]''
| Urethane Wheels Guy || Posthumous release
|}

== Television appearances ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Mitch Hedberg television work
|-
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title
!scope="col"| Role/Info
|-
|1995
|scope="row"|''Comedy Product''
|Himself<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8DKsCi3LIo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/e8DKsCi3LIo |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Mitch Hedberg Early T.V. (1995) stand-up|last=Hedberg|first=Mitch|date=1995|website=YouTube|access-date=October 27, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1998
|scope="row"| ''[[That '70s Show]]''
| Season 1, episode 11, as Frank (Chef at the Hub)
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Premium Blend]]''
| Season 2, episode 1, as Himself
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''
| Himself (11 episodes)
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1999
|scope="row"| ''[[Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist]]''
| Himself (2 episodes)
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Comedy Central Presents]]''
| Himself
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn]]''
| Himself
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Home Movies (TV series)|Home Movies]]''
| Several roles (4 episodes)
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2001
| scope="row" | ''[[Ed (television program)|Ed]]''
| Season 1, episode 10, as Dave
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Just for Laughs in Montreal]]''
| Himself
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Late Friday]]''
| Himself
|-
| 2002
| scope="row" | ''Saddle Rash''
| Various voices
|-
| rowspan="2" |2003
| scope="row" | ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''
| Himself (2 episodes)
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Crank Yankers]]''
| Himself
|-
| 2004
|scope="row"| ''[[Shorties Watchin' Shorties]]''
| Season 1, episode 9, as Himself
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name|373136|Mitch Hedberg}}
* [http://www.mitchhedberg.net Official site]

*{{imdb name|id=0373136|name=Mitch Hedberg}}
{{Mitch Hedberg|state=expanded}}
* [http://www.comedycentral.com/standup/central/detail.jhtml?p=/comedians/h/mitch_hedberg.xml Comedy Central Report of his death]
{{Authority control}}
* [http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/breaking_news/11278099.htm "Comedian Mitch Hedberg Dead at 37"] - ''Pioneer Press'' (free registration required)


[[Category:1968 births|Hedberg, Mitch]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedberg, Mitch}}
[[Category:2005 deaths|Hedberg, Mitch]]
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:U.S. comedians|Hedberg, Mitch]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Comedians from Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:Cocaine-related deaths in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Deaths by heroin overdose in the United States]]
[[Category:American people of Finnish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century American comedians]]

Latest revision as of 00:28, 15 October 2024

Mitch Hedberg
Birth nameMitchell Lee Hedberg
Born(1968-02-24)February 24, 1968
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedMarch 30, 2005(2005-03-30) (aged 37)
Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.[1]
MediumStand-up
Years active1989–2005
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
Lynn Shawcroft
​
(m. 1999)​
Notable works and rolesStrategic Grill Locations
Mitch All Together
Do You Believe in Gosh?
Websitemitchhedberg.net

Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24, 1968 – March 30, 2005)[2] was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and deadpan delivery.[3] His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes[4] mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs.[5]

Hedberg's comedy and onstage persona gained him a cult following,[6] with audience members sometimes shouting out the punchlines to his jokes before he could finish them.[7]

Early life

[edit]

Hedberg was born on February 24, 1968, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the son of Arne and Mary (née Schimscha, 1943–2012) Hedberg.[8][9] He was of Finnish-Swedish (from his paternal grandparents), Czech, and German descent. Hedberg attended Harding High School in Saint Paul.[citation needed] Hedberg said he was a good student, and often ahead of the rest of the class, but got bored and lost interest around 10th grade, when he started cutting classes. He struggled to graduate from high school, and did not attend college.[10]

Career

[edit]

Hedberg began his stand-up career in Florida, and after a period of honing his skills, he moved to Seattle and began to tour. He soon appeared on MTV's Comikaze, followed by a 1996 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman that brought him his big break.[11] He won the 1997 grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition. The next year he appeared in an episode of Fox's series That '70s Show.

In 1999, he completed his own independent feature film, Los Enchiladas!, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in.[11][12] He recorded three comedy albums: Strategic Grill Locations, Mitch All Together, and Do You Believe in Gosh?, the last released posthumously. He performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal three times: in 1998, 2001, and 2004.

Concurrent with his rising fame in the entertainment industry, Hedberg appeared on Letterman nine more times, signed a half-million-dollar deal with Fox for a television sitcom, and was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time magazine.[13] George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Mike Birbiglia, Norm MacDonald and Lewis Black were among his comedian fans.[7][14] Comedians Anthony Jeselnik, Bo Burnham and Ron Funches have listed Hedberg as an influence.[15][16][17]

Style

[edit]

Hedberg's stand-up comedy was distinguished by the unique manner of speech he adopted later in his career, his abrupt delivery, and his unusual stage presence. His act usually consisted of compact one- or two-liners and longer routines, often with each line as a punchline.

Hedberg occasionally added disclaimers to the end of a joke if it was not sufficiently well received, frequently variations on "that joke's dumb, I'm aware of that." During recordings for CDs, he would often say that he would find a way to edit a failed gag to make it seem well-received, for example by "adding laughter" to a failed joke containing arithmetic. Following such a failure on Strategic Grill Locations, Hedberg suggested, "All right... that joke is going to be good because I'm going to take all the words out and add new words. That joke will be fixed."[18]

Comedy Central Records released an album, Do You Believe in Gosh? on September 9, 2008, that contained material Hedberg recorded at The Improv in Ontario, California, in January 2005. His wife, Lynn, wrote in the introduction that the performance had been in preparation for a year-end CD recording.[19]

Personal life

[edit]

Hedberg was married to Canadian comedian Lynn Shawcroft from 1999 until his death in 2005.[2][20]

Hedberg was a frequent recreational drug user, mentioning it in some of his jokes (e.g., "I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too"). He was interviewed by Jonathan Davis in the December 2001 issue of Penthouse. In the interview, published three years before his death, he was asked, "If you could choose, how would you end your life?" He replied, "First, I'd want to get famous, and then I'd overdose. If I overdosed at this stage in my career, I would be lucky if it made the back pages."[21][22] On June 23, 2003, he was arrested in Austin, Texas, for heroin possession.[23] On October 12, 2004, Hedberg sat in on the news with Robin Quivers on The Howard Stern Show. He appeared on the show again on March 17, 2005, this time with Quivers and Artie Lange present, and briefly discussed his drug use, saying: "Well, you know, I got the drugs under control now." Stern asked, "Do you? You know how to take them responsibly?" Hedberg replied, "Yeah, you know, just for the creative side of it."

Death

[edit]
Hedberg's grave in Roseville, Minnesota

On March 30, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in his room at The Westminster Hotel in Livingston, New Jersey.[1] His death was announced by Howard Stern on March 31, but was largely overlooked. As a result, some people thought it was announced on April 1, and fans believed it was an April Fools' Day joke.[24]

His death was initially believed to be the result of a congenital heart defect,[25] but in December 2005, the New Jersey Medical Examiner's office reported that he died accidentally as the result of "multiple drug toxicity", including cocaine and heroin.[1]

Hedberg's funeral was held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Woodbury, Minnesota.[26] His grave is in Roselawn Cemetery, Roseville, Minnesota.

Discography

[edit]
Mitch Hedberg discography
Year Title Label Formats
1999 Strategic Grill Locations Comedy Central Records CD (self-released), CD (2003/2010), 2xLP (2017)
2003 Mitch All Together Comedy Central Records CD/DVD, LP (2017)
2008 Do You Believe in Gosh? Comedy Central Records[27] CD, LP (2016)
2016 The Complete Vinyl Collection Comedy Central Records 4×LP

Filmography

[edit]
Mitch Hedberg film work
Year Title Role Notes
1999 Los Enchiladas! Lee Writer/Director
2000 Almost Famous Eagles Road Manager
2005 Lords of Dogtown Urethane Wheels Guy Posthumous release

Television appearances

[edit]
Mitch Hedberg television work
Year Title Role/Info
1995 Comedy Product Himself[28]
1998 That '70s Show Season 1, episode 11, as Frank (Chef at the Hub)
Premium Blend Season 2, episode 1, as Himself
Late Show with David Letterman Himself (11 episodes)
1999 Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Himself (2 episodes)
Comedy Central Presents Himself
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn Himself
Home Movies Several roles (4 episodes)
2001 Ed Season 1, episode 10, as Dave
Just for Laughs in Montreal Himself
Late Friday Himself
2002 Saddle Rash Various voices
2003 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself (2 episodes)
Crank Yankers Himself
2004 Shorties Watchin' Shorties Season 1, episode 9, as Himself

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Report: Mitch Hedberg died of drug overdose". Today. December 27, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2018 – via The Associated Press.
  2. ^ a b "Mitch Hedberg". Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Shakespeare, J. C. (February 19, 1999). "Dude, It's Mitch Hedberg!". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
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