Steven Wright
Who Steven Wright is
Steven Wright is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer from the Boston area known for his lethargic voice and deadpan, surreal one-liners. After his 1982 Tonight Show debut, his Grammy-nominated album I Have a Pony (1985) led to the HBO special A Steven Wright Special, and he won an Academy Award for the short film The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988). He later released When the Leaves Blow Away (2006) on Comedy Central, was a producer of Louie and published the novel Harold (2023).
At a glance
- Born
- 1955
- Style
- Surreal one-liners, One-liners
- Came up through
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Stand-up specials
- A Steven Wright Special, Wicker Chairs and Gravity and When the Leaves Blow Away
- Albums
- I Have a Pony and I Still Have a Pony
- Podcasts
- Harold
- On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Mad About You, The Larry Sanders Show and 13 more
- Official site
- stevenwright.com ↗
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: stevenwright.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
- A Steven Wright Special 1985, HBO
- Wicker Chairs and Gravity 1990, HBO
- When the Leaves Blow Away 2006, Comedy Central
Albums
- I Have a Pony 1985
- I Still Have a Pony 2007
On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson stand-up debut, 1982
- Mad About You Warren Mermelman, 1993
- The Larry Sanders Show himself, 1993–1998
- Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Steven, voice, 1995 and 1997
- Louie Comic Strip MC / himself; producer, 2011–2015
- Horace and Pete Leon, 2016
- Reservoir Dogs K-Billy DJ, voice, 1992
- The Appointments of Dennis Jennings Dennis Jennings; also writer and producer, 1988
- Desperately Seeking Susan Larry Stillman D.D.S., 1985
- So I Married an Axe Murderer the pilot, 1993
- Natural Born Killers Dr. Emil Reingold, 1994
- The Swan Princess Speed, voice, 1994
- Babe: Pig in the City Bob, voice, 1998
- Coffee and Cigarettes Steven, 1986, 2003
- The Emoji Movie Mel, voice, 2017
- Son of the Mask Daniel Moss, 2005
Podcasts
- Harold novel, 2023
Where they got their start
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson stand-up debut, 1982
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson:
Comedians like Steven Wright
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.
- Rodney Dangerfield also in Natural Born Killers
- Louis C.K. also in Louie
- Nick DiPaolo also in Louie
- Garry Shandling also in The Larry Sanders Show
- Mark Normand also in Horace and Pete
- Mitch Hedberg also in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
- Andy Kaufman also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Bill Engvall also came through The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Career timeline
- 1955Born
- 1982The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (stand-up debut, 1982) On screen
- 1985A Steven Wright Special (1985, HBO) Special
- 1985Desperately Seeking Susan (Larry Stillman D.D.S., 1985) On screen
- 1985I Have a Pony (1985) Album
- 1986Coffee and Cigarettes (Steven, 1986, 2003) On screen
- 1988The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (Dennis Jennings; also writer and producer, 1988) On screen
- 1990Wicker Chairs and Gravity (1990, HBO) Special
- 1992Reservoir Dogs (K-Billy DJ, voice, 1992) On screen
- 1993Mad About You (Warren Mermelman, 1993) On screen
- 1993The Larry Sanders Show (himself, 1993–1998) On screen
- 1993So I Married an Axe Murderer (the pilot, 1993) On screen
- 1994Natural Born Killers (Dr. Emil Reingold, 1994) On screen
- 1994The Swan Princess (Speed, voice, 1994) On screen
- 1995Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (Steven, voice, 1995 and 1997) On screen
- 1998Babe: Pig in the City (Bob, voice, 1998) On screen
- 2005Son of the Mask (Daniel Moss, 2005) On screen
- 2006When the Leaves Blow Away (2006, Comedy Central) Special
- 2007I Still Have a Pony (2007) Album
- 2011Louie (Comic Strip MC / himself; producer, 2011–2015) On screen
- 2016Horace and Pete (Leon, 2016) On screen
- 2017The Emoji Movie (Mel, voice, 2017) On screen
- 2023Harold (novel, 2023) Book
Questions about Steven Wright
Where is Steven Wright performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: stevenwright.com ↗.
What stand-up specials have they released?
A Steven Wright Special, Wicker Chairs and Gravity and When the Leaves Blow Away.
What podcast do they host?
Harold.
What TV shows and films are they in?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Mad About You, The Larry Sanders Show, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Louie and Horace and Pete, among 16 credits.
Where did they get their start?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (stand-up debut).
When were they born?
In 1955.
Who are some comedians like them?
Rodney Dangerfield (also in Natural Born Killers), Louis C.K. (also in Louie), Nick DiPaolo (also in Louie), Garry Shandling (also in The Larry Sanders Show) and Mark Normand (also in Horace and Pete).
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
- Wikipedia — Steven Wright ↗ Birth year, Cambridge MA, Tonight Show 1982, albums, specials, Academy Award, TV roles, Louie producer, Harold
- Steven Wright — official site ↗ Official site (Harold; © 2026)
- Steven Wright — Appearances ↗ Official appearances page
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026