Mitch Hedberg

Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24, 1968 – March 30, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian. He was known for his one-liner comedy, characterized by surreal humor and his distinctive deadpan delivery, as well as his unconventional stage presence.

Hedberg rose to prominence through repeated appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, and was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time. Throughout his career, he recorded three stand-up comedy albums, Strategic Grill Locations (1999), Mitch All Together (2003), and the posthumous Do You Believe in Gosh? (2008). He also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the independent film Los Enchiladas! (1999), making further cameo appearances in Almost Famous (2000) and Lords of Dogtown (2005).

Hedberg struggled with substance abuse throughout his adult life, and died of an accidental overdose on March 30, 2005, at the age of 37. Because news of his death broke just before April Fools' Day, many initially believed reports of Hedberg's death were a hoax. He retained a cult following after his death, with Rolling Stone ranking him No. 20 on its 2017 list of the "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time".

Early life Mitchell Lee Hedberg was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on February 24, 1968, to Mary (née Schimscha; 1943–2012) and Arnold (Arne) Hedberg. Hedberg was born with a congenital heart defect, and experienced chronic heart palpitations. He attended Ames Elementary School from kindergarten through sixth grade, and met lifelong friend and collaborator Tim Schlecht on his first day there.

When I was 18, I was kind of sick of living here, so my friend Tim [Schlecht] and I packed up his Volaré. We moved from Minnesota to Florida. We wanted to move to Texas, but the front-end alignment was bad. — Mitch Hedberg, during a stand-up routine He later stated in an interview that he was a straight-A student until his interest in school dropped around tenth grade. During his teenage years, Hedberg aspired to become a musician, and attempted to form a band with Schlecht, though this never materialized; he graduated from Harding in 1986.

Career Hedberg began his stand-up career in Florida, and after a period of honing his skills, he moved to Seattle and began to tour. He soon appeared on MTV's Comikaze, followed by a 1996 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman that brought him his big break. He won the 1997 grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition. The next year he appeared in an episode of Fox's series That '70s Show.

In 1999, he completed his own independent feature film, Los Enchiladas!, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. He recorded three comedy albums: Strategic Grill Locations, Mitch All Together, and Do You Believe in Gosh?, the last released posthumously. He performed at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal three times: in 1998, 2001, and 2004.

Concurrent with his rising fame in the entertainment industry, Hedberg appeared on Letterman nine more times, signed a half-million-dollar deal with Fox for a television sitcom, and was dubbed "the next Seinfeld" by Time. George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Mike Birbiglia, Norm MacDonald and Lewis Black were among his comedian fans. Comedians Anthony Jeselnik, Bo Burnham and Ron Funches have listed Hedberg as an influence.

On September 9, 2008, Comedy Central Records released the album Do You Believe in Gosh?, which contained material Hedberg recorded at The Improv in Ontario, California, in January 2005. Hedberg's wife Lynn wrote in the introduction that the performance had been in preparation for a year-end CD recording.

Comedic style Hedberg's stand-up comedy was characterized by short, surreal, one-liners and absurd observations about everyday life, delivered in a distinctive low-energy, deadpan drawl. Hedberg suffered from stage fright throughout his career. Shawcroft toured with Hedberg as his opening act.

Hedberg had a history of recreational drug use, including heroin. By the time he met Shawcroft in 1996, he had already tried the drug. spending two and a half days in jail, and six weeks in a hospital. On a March 17, 2005 interview for The Howard Stern Show two weeks before Hedberg's death, Howard Stern, prompted by Hedberg's mention of having his drug use under control, asked him if he knew how to use them responsibly, to which Hedberg replied "Yeah, you know, just for the creative side of it." and he was pronounced dead on the morning of March 30, 2005, at the age of 37. Hedberg's death was first announced by Howard Stern on March 31. The timing of Stern's report led many to believe that the announcement of Hedberg's death was an April Fools' Day joke.

Initial speculation suggested Hedberg's death may have been drug-related, though his mother Mary dismissed these claims, attributing his death to heart failure related to a heart defect. However, in December 2005, the music magazine Spin obtained the official toxicology report from the New Jersey medical examiner's office, which formally ruled his cause of death as "multiple drug toxicity" resulting from an accidental overdose of cocaine and heroin.

Hedberg's funeral was held on April 5 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Woodbury, Minnesota. He was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville, Minnesota, and his mother Mary was buried next to him following her death in 2012.

Released: 1999 Label: Comedy Central Records (2003 re-release) Format: CD, LP

Released: December 9, 2003 Label: Comedy Central Records Format: CD/DVD, LP

Released: September 9, 2008 Label: Comedy Central Records Format: CD, LP

Released: November 4, 2016 Label: Comedy Central Records Format: 4×LP

Filmography Film +Mitch Hedberg film work Year Title Role Notes 1999 Los Enchiladas! Lee Director and writer 2000 Almost Famous Eagles Road Manager 2005 Lords of Dogtown Urethane Wheels Guy Posthumous release

Television +Mitch Hedberg television work Year Title Role Notes 1995 Comedy Product Himself 1998 That '70s Show Frank Episode: "Eric's Buddy" Premium Blend Himself Late Show with David Letterman Himself 10 episodes Comedy Central Presents Himself The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn Himself Home Movies Dr. Fizzel, Eulogist, Mitch, Police Officer 2001 Ed Dave Episode: "Losing Streak" Just for Laughs in Montreal Himself Late Friday Himself 2002 Saddle Rash Voice role Rejected Adult Swim pilot 2003 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself 2 episodes Crank Yankers Himself 2004 Shorties Watchin' Shorties Himself Episode: "Oswalt, Hedberg, Caliendo, Morris"