| Emo Philips | |||
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1956 | ||
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||
| Years Active: | 1976–present[1] | ||
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Emo Philips (born Philip Soltanec, February 7, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His stand-up comedy persona makes use of paraprosdokians spoken in a wandering falsetto tone of voice.[2]
The character of Emo Philips appears as a fidgety, possibly mentally disturbed, nervous but highly intelligent individual.[3] Philips constantly moves throughout the routine, often shifting from sitting to standing positions, wandering from end to end on stage, playing with his hair or clothing, or going as far as to partially undress as he delivers punchlines. His comedy, which is largely self-deprecating, is often delivered in a modulated falsetto. His look (occasionally described as geeky, disco and vaudeville-inspired), particularly his hair—a 1970s-style bob with straight-lined front fringe—has been a signature part of his appearance and act for most of his career.
Philips has recorded three comedy albums. His album E=mo², recorded live at Caroline's in Manhattan, New York City won the 1985 New Music Award for best comedy album. It was later re-released along with his Live at the Hasty Pudding Theatre album on a single CD. He also released an album called Emo in 2001. A joke of his was voted funniest religious joke ever in a 2005 online poll.[4] In 2006, he appeared at the Newbury Comedy Festival. He was included in the top 50 of E4s 100 Greatest Comedians, and also appeared number 54 on Channel 4's top 100 greatest standups.
Aside from Philips's long career as a standup comic, he has been featured in acting roles on television series such as Miami Vice and The Weird Al Show. In 2006, he appeared on British television, as a guest on the panel game 8 Out of 10 Cats. Philips has several voiceover credits in animation, including the animated improv series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist; improvised sitcom Home Movies; talk show parody Space Ghost Coast to Coast; scripted fantasy series Adventure Time as Cuber the mysterious storyteller; and the voice of Dooper in the animated series Slacker Cats.[5] he has also appeared on four episodes of @midnight, in February 2015, April 8, 2016, a 1990s themed episode on September 26, 2016, and the finale episode on August 4, 2017.
He has appeared in feature films including 1989's UHF (as Joe Earley, a rather clumsy school shop teacher who accidentally saws his thumb off) and Desperation Boulevard in 1998. Additionally, he appeared in the original 1992 version of Meet the Parents (also executive producer) and was an associate producer of the 2000 remake.[6]
Around 2001, Philips began to appear more often after a hiatus in the 1990s.
"Weird Al" Yankovic and Philips toured together throughout the US in 2018, in Yankovic's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour,[7] and again in the 2022 iteration.On November 5, 2011, Emo married actress and screenwriter Kipleigh Brown.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Journey to the Center of the Earth | Nimrod | Film debut role |
| 1989 | UHF | Joe Earley | |
| 1992 | Meet the Parents | Video Store Employee | Independent film Also executive producer and writer of title theme song |
| 1992 | The Can Man | The Can Man | Short film |
| 1995 | The Fan | Screenwriter Direct-to-video | |
| 1998 | Desperation Boulevard | ||
| 2000 | Meet the Parents | Associate producer Remake of the 1992 film | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Himself | Documentary |
| 2006 | Relative Strangers | Guest at Hoedown | |
| 2008 | The Seventh Python | Himself | Documentary |
| 2014 | Rise of the Kitchen Appliances | Blender | Voice role Short film |
| 2015 | American Dirtbags | Gundealer's Brother-in-Law | |
| 2017 | Dying Laughing | Himself | Documentary |
| 2020 | Meeks Servant | Voice role | |
| 2022 | Salvador Dalí | ||
| Himself | Post-Production | ||
| Himself | Post-Production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984—89 | Late Night with David Letterman | Himself | Episode: "Dated 25 September 1984" | |
| 1985 | Miami Vice | Rat Race Contestant | Episode: "Phil the Shill" | |
| 1986 | The Bob Monkhouse Show | Himself | Episode: "#3.6" | |
| 1987 | Emo Philips Live | at the Hasty Pudding Theatre | Himself | Television special |
| 1987 | Stand-Up America | Himself | 1 episode | |
| 1987 | The Max Headroom Show | Himself | Episode: "#1.5" | |
| 1987 | The Secret Policeman's Third Ball | Himself | Television special | |
| 1987 | Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "#1.7" | |
| 1988 | Saturday Live (British TV programme) | Himself | Episode: "#3.5" | |
| 1988 | Howard Stern's Negligeé and Underpants Party | Himself | Television film | |
| 1988 | 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards | Himself | Television special | |
| 1989 | The Hippodrome Show | Himself | Episode: "#1.5" | |
| 1989—90 | The Arsenio Hall Show | Himself | Episode: "9 February 1990" | |
| 1990 | The Lowdown | Himself | Episode: "Making People Laugh" | |
| 1990 | Emo Philips: Comedian and Mammal | Himself | Television special | |
| 1991 | Molson Canadian Comedy Releaf | Himself | Television special | |
| 1991 | Amnesty International's Big 30 | Himself | Television special | |
| 1995—96 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Emo | Voice role 2 episodes | |
| 1997 | The Weird Al Show | Dr. Philips / The Slawmeister | 2 episodes | |
| 1998 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Curses" | |
| 1999 | Behind the Music | Himself | Episode: "Weird Al Yankovic" | |
| 1999—2004 | Home Movies | Shannon | Voice role 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | Late Show with David Letterman | Himself | Episode: "October 5, 2001" | |
| 2002 | Late Friday | Himself | Episode: "#2.12" | |
| 2004 | The World Stands Up | Himself | Episode: "#1.2" | |
| 2004—05 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2005 | Just for Laughs | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2006 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Himself | Episode: "#3.7" | |
| 2007 | Scott Bateman Presents | Himself | Episode: "One" | |
| 2007 | 100 Greatest Stand-Ups | Himself | Television special | |
| 2007—09 | Slacker Cats | Dooper | Voice role 10 episodes | |
| 2010 | Iron Core Talk | Himself | 1 episode | |
| 2012—16 | Adventure Time | Cuber / Flour Demon | Voice role 6 episodes | |
| 2014 | Review | Georgie | Episode: "Revenge; Getting Rich; Aching" | |
| 2014 | TripTank | Karl | Voice role | |
| 2016 | Funny as Hell | Himself | Episode: "#6.6" | |
| 2016—17 | @midnight | Himself | 3 episodes | |
| 2017 | Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom | Writer Episode: "Welcome to Ben's Palace" | ||
| 2017 | SXSW Comedy with Natasha Leggero: Part 2 | Himself | Television special | |
| 2017—19 | Welcome to the Wayne | Dennis O'Bannon | Voice role 6 episodes | |
| 2018 | Hunky Boys Go Ding-Dong | Cecil | Television film | |
| 2019 | Le Lineup du Bordel | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | Crashing | Himself | Episode: "The Viewing Party" | |
| 2019 | Vendors | Len | Television film |