Greg Giraldo
Greg Giraldo is one of the top stand-up comedians in New York. Before becoming a comedian, he worked as a lawyer, earning over a 99% on his LSAT. The New York Times praised Giraldo as "a talented comedian with a winning personality." He is known for his distinct delivery and his skill of ranting, never allowing his rhythm to be broken. Giraldo performs regularly at the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan. Giraldo was a regular panelist on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Additionally, he was the star of the short-lived Common Law and also starred in several pilots, including The Greg Giraldo Show and Gone Hollywood for Comedy Central.
Although the series was not picked up in 2005, The Greg Giraldo Show was a similar format to the cancelled Tough Crowd. The regular comics often joked during the run of Tough Crowd that Giraldo would eventually be the host of the show. However, when Giraldo was offered this series, many of the Tough Crowd comedians were rumored to be frustrated that Giraldo was essentially adopting the format used by Colin Quinn. Giraldo has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Howard Stern Show. Giraldo was a panelist on the Comedy Central 100 Greatest Standups of All Time. He also had his own half-hour special on Comedy Central Presents. He has also written segments for Last Call with Carson Daly.
Giraldo, who is married with a child, was known among comedians to drink heavily. However, he confirmed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on July 7, 2005 that he has become sober. Giraldo has recently starred in a series of TV cable commercials. His new series Friday Night Live with Greg Giraldo will begin on Comedy Central in late 2005, with at least 13 episodes guaranteed.