Brad Garrett(I)
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Garrett grew up in Woodland Hills
outside of Los Angeles. His father was a hearing aid specialist working
in geriatrics and his mother was a housewife. Garrett spent a whopping
six weeks at UCLA before going into stand-up comedy full time. He began
performing his act at various Los Angeles comedy clubs, getting his
start at the Ice House in Pasadena and the Improv in Hollywood. In
1984, he became the first $100,000 grand champion winner in the comedy
category of Star Search (1983).
This led to his first appearance, at age 23, on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962),
making him one of the youngest comedians ever to perform on the show.
In 1986, Garrett told a joke the talent booker warned him against and
he hasn't been on the show since. Following his "Tonight Show"
appearance, Garrett's career took off, garnering him headlining gigs at
several national venues as well as opening spots for legends including
Diana Ross and
Liza Minnelli. He has headlined at Bally's
Park Place and co-headlined with
The Temptations at Trump Plaza.
He has also worked at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with
Frank Sinatra, Caesar's Palace with
David Copperfield, and
Smokey Robinson, Harrah's with
Sammy Davis Jr. and
The Beach Boys, and Radio City Music Hall
with Julio Iglesias. In 1989, the
Las Vegas Review Journal named him the Best Comedian working on the
strip. Changing gears, he made his way into the world of television. He
struck gold with
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996).
Apart from his supporting role in sitcoms, he has also done voice-overs
and appeared in a few films. In 1998, Garrett made a real-life proposal
to his then real-life girlfriend, Jill Diven, on the set of
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996).
Garrett currently resides in Hollywood, California with his two
Labradors Retrievers, Gus and Mabel.
