The Man Show

Background:

Comic, radio and television personality Adam Carolla co-hosted the radio show “Loveline” from 1995 to 2005 (and its television incarnation on MTV from 1996 to 2000), co-created and co-starred on Comedy Central's “The Man Show” (1999-2004), and co-created and performed on the Comedy Central cult hit TV program “Crank Yankers” (2002-2005).

He also created and starred in the TLC home improvement show “The Adam Carolla Project” (2005), co-created and starred in the short-lived Comedy Central late night talk show “Too Late with Adam Carolla” (2005), and replaced Howard Stern in the syndicated morning radio program “The Adam Carolla Show” (2006-Present). Carolla, who most recently appeared on the 2008 season of “Dancing with the Stars,” will host an American version of the popular BBC show “Top Gear” to be aired by NBC in the fall of 2008.

Meanwhile, the comedic performer starred, co-wrote and co-produced the independent film “The Hammer” (2007), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released on March 21, 2008.

On a more personal note, 6' 2" Adam has been married since 2002 and is the proud father of a pair of twins.

Italian-Hungarian Blend

Childhood and Family:

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 27, 1964, to a Hungarian-American sex therapist mother and an Italian-American psychologist father named Giacomo "Jim" Carolla (divorced from Adam's mother), Adam Carolla grew up in southern California. He attended Colfax Elementary School, Walter Reed Junior High, and North Hollywood High School, where he was voted class clown and was the captain of his football team.

Living on his own at the age of 18, Carolla briefly attended Los Angeles Valley College, where he was placed on academic probation before dropping out.

Adam briefly attended Los Angeles Valley College, but dropped out to pursue his career. His childhood friends are actress Molly Ringwald and porn star Christy Canyon.

On September 28, 2002, Carolla married his longtime girlfriend Lynette Helen Paradise. They have twins, a daughter named Natalia Carolla and a son named Santino "Sonny" Carolla, both born on June 7, 2006.

Adam Carolla, nicknamed Ace Rockolla, or Ace Man, enjoys Graham Parker and John Hiatt songs. He is also an excellent cook and an avid car enthusiast.

The Adam Carolla Show

Career:

After dropping out of junior college and working a string of odd jobs, Adam Carolla performed with the famous improv troupe The Groundlings, whose alumni includes Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, and Conan O’Brien. He also performed with a sketch comedy group at the Acme Comedy Theater.

In 1994, Carolla, who worked part time as a boxing instructor, got his first break when he was hired as a boxing instructor to train young comic Jimmy Kimmel. The two immediately clicked and Jimmy, as well as the show’s producers who were so impressed with Carolla’s wit, invited him to work with them.

The following year, Carolla was invited to co-host the nationally-syndicated two-hour nightly radio call-in advice program “Loveline” (KROQ) with physician Dr. Drew Pinsky. The show was later picked up for a television version by MTV that ran from 1996 to 2000. It followed the same general format as the radio program but featured a live audience and a female co-host.

During this time, Carolla starred in a radio commercial for Mountain Dew (1998) and appeared in a TV commercial for MCI 1-800-COLLECT (1999). He could also be seen in the music video for Monique Powell’s (as Save Ferris) song "Mistaken" (1999).

Alongside Kimmel, Carolla created and co-hosted “The Man Show,” a half hour comedy television show that aired on Comedy Central from June 16, 1999, to June 19, 2004. He also had a recurring role (as the voice of Death, 2000-2007) on Fox’s animated sitcom “Family Guy” and voiced Commander Nebula (2000) on the Disney animated science fiction adventure series “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command” (ABC/UPN).

In 2002, Carolla and Kimmel created the Comedy Central cult hit, “Crank Yankers,” which features actual crank calls made by show regulars and celebrity guests that are re-enacted on-screen by puppets. The show ran on Comedy Central from 2002 to 2005 and returned to MTV2 on February 9, 2007. It has an impressive line-up of guest prankers, including Dave Chappelle, Sarah Silverman, Denis Leary, and Jack Black, with Carolla as a regular guest.

Carolla also appeared in Burger King BK Value Menu (2002) commercials, radio commercials for Best Buy (2003) and AXE deodorant body spray (2004), as well as in TV commercial for Vermont Teddy Bear Co. (2005). He also voiced Spanky Ham on Comedy Central’s animated television series "Drawn Together" (2004-2008).

2005 saw Carolla in the show “The Adam Carolla Project,” which ran on TLC from October to December. That same year, he launched the short-lived late night talk show “Too Late with Adam Carolla.” The show that features skits, songs and celebrity guests aired on Comedy Central from August to November.

Carolla was next heard on the syndicated morning radio program “The Adam Carolla Show” in 2006, replacing a Sirius-bound Howard Stern. He later commented, “The God's honest truth is that I'm probably funnier, but he's smarter. Here's the thing about Stern… he's really a smart guy. He's nutty. He's outrageous. He's all those things, but he's also a very smart guy.”

In 2007, Carolla made his film debut with the semi-autobiographical comedy film “The Hammer,” in which he starred as Jerry Ferro, a retired amateur boxer. The film, which he also co-wrote and co-produced, premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival in April, 2007 to positive reviews. It was also presented at the Victoria Film Festival in February of 2008 and received the Audience Favorite Award. “The Hammer” opened nationwide in the United States on March 21, 2008.

Afterward, Carolla appeared in the 15-minute short comedy film "Head, Heart and Balls... or Why I Gave Up Smoking Pot" (2007) and the comedy movie "Still Waiting..." (2008). He also joined the star-studded cast of ABC’s reality program “Dancing with the Stars” in 2008 as a contestant and has been selected to host an American version of the popular BBC show “Top Gear” to be aired by NBC in the fall of 2008.

"Figure out what to do, then take a nap." Adam Carolla

Awards:
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