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IMDbPro

Ken Shapiro(1942-2017)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Shapiro
A collection of skits that make fun of 1970s television, featuring early appearances by Chevy Chase and Richard Belzer.
Play trailer1:36
The Groove Tube (1974)
1 Video
1 Photo
Ken Shapiro was born on 5 June 1942 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Groove Tube (1974), Modern Problems (1981) and Singing Faces (1968). He was married to Kelly Hamilton,. He died on 18 November 2017 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.
BornJune 5, 1942
DiedNovember 18, 2017(75)
BornJune 5, 1942
DiedNovember 18, 2017(75)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
    • 1 nomination total

Known for

The Groove Tube (1974)
The Groove Tube
5.7
  • Ko-ko
  • Boss
  • 'Near You' Singer
  • Robert Elgin
  • Mahetma Yenta
  • Lionel Elgin
  • Dancing Man ('Just You - Just Me')
  • 1974
Chevy Chase, Dabney Coleman, and Patti D'Arbanville in Modern Problems (1981)
Modern Problems
5.0
  • Writer
  • 1981
Ken Shapiro in Singing Faces (1968)
Singing Faces
5.6
Short
  • Actor
  • 1968
Poems Without Words (2024)
Poems Without Words
  • Writer
  • 2024

Credits

IMDbPro

Actor



  • The Discipline of D.E. (1982)
    The Discipline of D.E.
    6.7
    Short
    • Narrator (voice)
    • 1982
  • The Groove Tube (1974)
    The Groove Tube
    5.7
    • Ko-ko
    • Boss
    • 'Near You' Singer ...
    • 1974
  • The Great American Dream Machine (1971)
    The Great American Dream Machine
    7.9
    TV Series
    • 1971–1972
  • Ken Shapiro in Singing Faces (1968)
    Singing Faces
    5.6
    Short
    • 1968
  • A Smell of Honey, a Swallow of Brine (1966)
    A Smell of Honey, a Swallow of Brine
    5.7
    • Police Sergeant (uncredited)
    • 1966
  • Marsha Hunt and John Rodney in Studio One (1948)
    Studio One
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Josh Potter (as Kenny Sharpe)
    • 1955
  • The Milton Berle Show (1948)
    The Milton Berle Show
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Kid
    • 1949

Writer



  • Poems Without Words (2024)
    Poems Without Words
    • Writer
    • 2024
  • Chevy Chase, Dabney Coleman, and Patti D'Arbanville in Modern Problems (1981)
    Modern Problems
    5.0
    • written by
    • 1981
  • The Groove Tube (1974)
    The Groove Tube
    5.7
    • written by
    • 1974
  • Evening News
    Short
    • Writer
    • 1971
  • The One Arm Bandit (1971)
    The One Arm Bandit
    6.9
    Short
    • Writer
    • 1971
  • Sammy Davis Jr. in Playboy After Dark (1969)
    Playboy After Dark
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Writer
    • writer
    • 1970
  • Ken Shapiro in Singing Faces (1968)
    Singing Faces
    5.6
    Short
    • Writer
    • 1968

Director



  • Chevy Chase, Dabney Coleman, and Patti D'Arbanville in Modern Problems (1981)
    Modern Problems
    5.0
    • Director
    • 1981
  • The Groove Tube (1974)
    The Groove Tube
    5.7
    • Director
    • 1974
  • Evening News
    Short
    • Director
    • 1971
  • Ken Shapiro in Singing Faces (1968)
    Singing Faces
    5.6
    Short
    • Director
    • 1968

Videos1

Trailer
Trailer 1:36
Trailer

Personal details

  • Alternative name
    • Kenny Sharpe
  • Born
    • June 5, 1942
    • Newark, New Jersey, USA
  • Died
    • November 18, 2017
    • Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA(complications from cancer)
  • Spouse
    • Kelly Hamilton,? - November 18, 2017 (his death, 3 children)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 1 Article

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Uncomfortable in the corporate structure of studio and TV networks, Shapiro left Hollywood after his film "Modern Problems," eventually settling in Los Cruces, New Mexico. Seminal film writer and director Ken Shapiro passed away quietly at his home on November 18, 2017, after a valiant struggle with cancer. Though the trans-formative impact of his comedic point of view continues to ripple in current culture, life and Ken Shapiro were not friends ... more like worthy adversaries, drawing strength and purpose in combat. It was pretty much a draw, and life misses him already.

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