Lenny Schmidt
Who Lenny Schmidt is
Lenny Schmidt is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster who first stepped on stage in the late 1980s and built his act on real-life storytelling. After years between the Los Angeles comedy scene and the road he studied improvisation in Chicago with Neil Flynn, Adam McKay and Del Close, writing, directing and producing live comedy shows there, before moving back to Hollywood in 1999.
On screen he appeared in the films Joe Dirt and The Ugly Truth and in Castle, True Blood, Big Love, ER and Desperate Housewives, and played Terry on MTV's The Inbetweeners. His albums Don't Hate Stupid (2019) and Secret Daddy (2020) came out on 800 Pound Gorilla Records and Fire Sign! (2024) on Bad Password Records; he tours comedy clubs and cruise lines and hosts the podcast Total Schmidt Show. His track Irish Mom, from Don't Hate Stupid, was played on SiriusXM's Raw Dog Comedy channel in February 2021.
At a glance
- Stand-up specials
- Fire Sign!
- Albums
- Don't Hate Stupid, Secret Daddy and Fire Sign!
- Podcasts
- Total Schmidt Show
- On screen
- The Inbetweeners, Big Love, True Blood and 5 more
- Official site
- mrlennyschmidt.com ↗
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: mrlennyschmidt.com ↗.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Fire Sign! 2024
Albums
- Don't Hate Stupid 800 Pound Gorilla Records, 2019
- Secret Daddy 800 Pound Gorilla Records, 2020
- Fire Sign! Bad Password Records, 2024
On screen
- The Inbetweeners Terry, MTV
- Big Love HBO
- True Blood HBO
- Castle
- ER
- Desperate Housewives
- Joe Dirt film
- The Ugly Truth film
Podcasts
- Total Schmidt Show host
Comedians like Lenny Schmidt
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Bob Newhart also in Desperate Housewives
- David Spade also in Joe Dirt
- Eric Bana also in The Castle
- Joe Torry also in ER
- John Caponera also in ER
- Kevin Nealon also in Joe Dirt
Career timeline
- 2019Don't Hate Stupid (800 Pound Gorilla Records, 2019) Album
- 2020Secret Daddy (800 Pound Gorilla Records, 2020) Album
- 2024Fire Sign! (2024) Special
- 2024Fire Sign! (Bad Password Records, 2024) Album
Questions and answers
Where is Lenny Schmidt performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: mrlennyschmidt.com ↗.
What stand-up specials have they released?
Fire Sign!.
What podcast do they host?
Total Schmidt Show.
What TV shows and films are they in?
The Inbetweeners, Big Love, True Blood, Castle, ER and Desperate Housewives, among 8 credits.
Who are some comedians like them?
Bob Newhart (also in Desperate Housewives), David Spade (also in Joe Dirt), Eric Bana (also in The Castle), Joe Torry (also in ER) and John Caponera (also in ER).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Official site (Bio) ↗ First stepped on stage in the late nineteen-eighties; real stories every night; bouncing between the L.A. comedy scene and the road; studied improv in…
- Official site (home) ↗ Comedian, actor, podcaster, writer; almost forty years in the entertainment business; touring the cruise line and comedy club circuit every week; four comedy…
- Apple Music catalogue ↗ Don't Hate Stupid (19 February 2019) and Secret Daddy (30 June 2020), (P) 800 Pound Gorilla Records; Fire Sign! (16 July 2024), (P) Bad Password Records;…
- xmplaylist - Raw Dog Comedy recent plays (Internet Archive capture, 25 February 2021) ↗ Irish Mom, Lenny Schmidt, played on Raw Dog Comedy on 25 February 2021 (06:57 UTC), linked there to Apple's album Don't Hate Stupid (as of 8 October 2026)
Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026