Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo (born January 19, 1974) is an American comedian best known for his impersonations on the FOX Network television series MADtv, and since 2003 has been the in-house prognosticator for FOX NFL Sunday.
Biography
Frank Caliendo was born on January 19, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois. Caliendo was raised in Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb. He majored in broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After college, Caliendo began performing stand-up comedy, taking a job as an emcee at a local comedy club. Within a year he was headlining. He made his network series debut on the sketch comedy series Hype.
Caliendo found his niche performing on the college comedy circuit. Over the past few years, he has performed at over 300 universities and was nominated for College Comedian and Entertainer of the Year by the National Association of Campus Activities. Caliendo has performed stand-up on such series as cable's Premium Blend, The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The View, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His signature 'John Madden' impression is frequently seen on FOX NFL Sunday, The Best Damn Sports Show Period and Mohr Sports. Caliendo has also appeared on Comedy Central, as well as the Opie and Anthony, [The John Boy and Billy Big Show], and Elliot In the Morning radio shows.
In the summer of 2005, Caliendo completed yet another successful national stand-up comedy tour, performing to sell-out crowds in cities across the country. Off the small screen, he has crafted a significant national radio presence on shows across the country where his special brand of humor reaches millions of listeners.
MADtv
Caliendo officially joined the cast of MADtv in 2001 as a repretory performer, for the Seventh season. As of February 2006, Caliendo is still a member of the current cast. During his tenure, he has become well regarded as one of the most talented impersonators in comedy today, and as MADtv's equivalent to Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond. Among his best known impressions are of President George W. Bush, Jack Nicholson, Casey Casem, Jay Leno, William Shatner, Rod Roddy, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, James Brown, Kenny Rogers, Jimmy Johnson, Al Pacino, Andy Rooney, Robin Williams, Regis Philbin, David Letterman, Jim Rome and especially John Madden. He also does almost the whole cast of Seinfeld in an anti-drug episode.
He is also known to breakdance occasionally. He is a self-taught dancer.
Television appearances
- Mind of Mencia (2005) as George W. Bush (voice)
- MADtv (2001- present) as Various Characters
- Hype (2000) as Various Characters
Touring Dates
- July: Addison, TX and St. Louis, MO
- August: Austin, TX , Nashville, TN , Atlanta, GA , and Cincinnati, OH
- September: Irvine, CA , Ontario, CA , and New York City, NY
- October: Chicago, IL
- November: San Jose, CA
External links
- His official website
- Fan site with detailed bio (note: graphics-intensive site)
- Frank Caliendo at IMDb
- Official MADtv site