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Craig Robinson
Robinson at Wondercon 2013
Born
Craig Phillip Robinson

(1971-10-25) October 25, 1971 (age 52)
Education
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • musician
Years active2001–present

Craig Phillip Robinson (born October 25, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for portraying Darryl Philbin on The Office (2005–2013). He also portrayed Ray Heyworth on Mr. Robot (2016), LeVar "Freight Train" Brown on The Cleveland Show (2009–2013), and Doug "the Pontiac Bandit" Judy on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021). He also frequently collaborates with Seth Rogen, including the films Pineapple Express (2008), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), This Is the End (2013), and Sausage Party (2016). Robinson has appeared in numerous other television shows and films, including Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), Get On Up (2014), An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (2018), and Dolemite Is My Name (2019), as well as voicing characters in films such as Shrek Forever After (2010) and The Bad Guys (2022). He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film Morris from America.

From 2020 to 2021, Robinson hosted the reality dancing show The Masked Dancer. He also has appeared in commercials for Pizza Hut, Dietz & Watson, Walmart, Dodge Motors, and Gain detergent. Since 2022, Robinson stars in and executive produces the Peacock series Killing It.

Early life

Robinson was born on October 25, 1971, [1] [2] in Chicago, Illinois, to a music teacher mother and an attorney father. [3] [4] He was raised on the South Side of Chicago, and was brought up Methodist. [5] He attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in 1994, and his Master of Education from Saint Xavier University. He was a music teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School in Chicago, and Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Hammond, Indiana and East Chicago Central High School in East Chicago, Indiana. [6]

Career

Acting and comedy

Robinson began doing stand-up and taking classes in improv and acting at The Second City in Chicago while still in college. [7] He was on Def Comedy Jam season 7, episode 2. After doing open-mic sessions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere and winning regional comedy competitions, he began to get spots on late night TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live. [7] 2004 saw him cast in bit parts, including episodes of Friends, The Bernie Mac Show, LAX and Arrested Development. [7] Those led to small film roles in Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Beginning in 2005, he portrayed Darryl Philbin on the American version of The Office, appearing first in "The Alliance", the fourth episode of the first season. Robinson was promoted to a starring role in the fourth season and continued until the show ended in 2013.

In 2010, he hosted season seven of Last Comic Standing with judges Greg Giraldo, Natasha Leggero, and Andy Kindler.

He has appeared on other television shows, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Lucky, Halfway Home, and Reno 911!. He appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song " Hump de Bump". He voiced Cookie in Shrek Forever After (2010) and played Reg Mackworthy on the HBO hit series Eastbound & Down (2009–2012).

Robinson is a frequent collaborator with Seth Rogen, starring alongside Rogen in the films Knocked Up (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), as well as the miniseries Santa Inc. (2021).

Robinson performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in 2008. [6]

Robinson in 2009

In addition to Shrek Forever After and Sausage Party, Robinson has also provided his voice for the films Escape from Planet Earth (2013), Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013), Henchmen (2018), and Dolittle (2020).

He also appeared in the Korean film D-War (Korean: 디워), released in North America as Dragon Wars: D-War in 2007.

Around 2014, Robinson portrayed a farmer in commercials for the mobile game Hay Day.

Making a departure from his comedy background, Robinson portrayed saxophonist Maceo Parker in the James Brown biopic Get On Up (2014). In December 2015, he appeared in several Wal-Mart commercials promoting their credit card while singing and playing the piano at the store. [8] He received rave reviews for the A24 drama Morris from America (2016), [9] earning a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He also played the role of Ray Hayworth in the second season of the drama series Mr. Robot. In 2018 he had a lead role playing the title character in the crime comedy film An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn.

In 2019 Robinson became the spokesman for the Philadelphia-area meat producer Dietz & Watson, appearing in several commercials for the company's line of deli meats. The first of these commercials aired in January 2019, featuring Robinson and his brother Chris promoting the snack Dietz Nuts with Robinson playing up the double entendre in the name of the product. [10]

In June 2020, Robinson was reportedly confirmed to be starring in the pandemic-themed thriller produced by Michael Bay Songbird alongside Demi Moore, Peter Stormare and Paul Walter Hauser. [11]

Robinson was a guest judge in season four of The Masked Singer where he also performed Gloria Gaynor's " I Will Survive" as a "Mystery Piano Man" during his introduction.

Robinson later became the host of The Masked Dancer which has the same format as The Masked Singer. In 2021, Robinson was featured as a spokesperson for Pizza Hut advertising the return of their Detroit Styled Pizza and Original Stuffed Crust Pizza. Robinson also voiced a singing bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion.[ citation needed]

In 2021, he started doing commercials for Gain detergent, singing a parody of " Maniac" by Michael Sembello.

His next series, Killing It, premiered on Peacock in April 2022 [12] and he voiced Mr. Shark, in the 2022 DreamWorks Animation film The Bad Guys. [13] That year, he also hosted Ri-Karlo Handy's docuseries Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward on CNBC, [14] which received an Emmy nomination. [15]

Music

Robinson performing in 2014

For a number of years, Robinson and comedian Jerry Minor had a comedy act where they performed as musical duo L. Witherspoon & Chucky, with Minor as smooth singing L. Witherspoon and Robinson as Chucky, the keyboard player and back-up singer. They performed the act on HBO's Sketch Pad, several stand-up shows on Comedy Central, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! [16]

He occasionally performs with his band, The Nasty Delicious, alongside his brother and musical director Chris Rob on keyboards, Ethan Farmer on bass, Asa Watkins on drums, David Sampson on guitar, Lakecia Benjamin and Reggie Hines on saxophones, Winston Byrd on trumpet, and Bendji Allonce on percussion. [17] They were featured as his band in an episode of The Office, and on the season finale of the seventh season of Last Comic Standing. He has also performed in character in multiple episodes of The Office, and was featured on the Hot Tub Time Machine soundtrack, singing " Jessie's Girl" and " Let's Get It Started". He was in the film Miss March, playing the role of the hit rapper Phil, also known as Horsedick.MPEG. Robinson produced two songs from that same film.

He has performed with his band in the 2018 stand-up comedy special Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity.

Filmography

Film

Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2005 Year of the Scapegoat Pappy Labourgeneaux Short film
2007 D-War Bruce
2007 Daddy's Little Girls Byron
2007 Knocked Up Club Doorman
2007 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Bobby Shad
2008 Pineapple Express Matheson
2008 Zack and Miri Make a Porno Delaney
2008 Prop 8: The Musical Preacher Short film
2008 The Frequency of Claire Q-pid
2009 Fanboys Skywalker Ranch guard
2009 Miss March Horsedick.MPEG
2009 Memphis Calling Memphis Short film
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Tuskegee Airman Cameo
2009 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard DJ Request
2009 Post Grad Funeral Director
2010 Father of Invention Jerry
2010 Shrek Forever After Cookie Voice
2010 Hot Tub Time Machine Nick Webber-Agnew
2013 Escape from Planet Earth Doc Voice
2013 Peeples Wade Walker Nominated— Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Comedy
2013 This Is the End Himself MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment (shared with Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen and The Backstreet Boys)
2013 Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters George Voice
2013 Rapture-Palooza Earl Gundy / Anti-Christ Also executive producer
2014 Get On Up Maceo Parker
2015 Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Nick Webber
2016 Morris from America Curtis Gentry Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance
Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
2016 Sausage Party Mr. Grits Voice
2017 Table 19 Jerry Kepp
2017 Tragedy Girls Albert "Big Al" Hill Also producer
2017 Austin Found Jebidiah
2018 An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn Beverly Luff Linn
2018 Henchmen Stew Voice
2019 Dolemite Is My Name Ben Taylor
2019 Zeroville Burglar
2019 Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Judge Jerry N. Executioner
2020 Dolittle Kevin Voice
2020 Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made Mr. Jenkins
2020 Songbird Lester
2021 Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon Officer Harold
2022 The Bad Guys Mr. Shark Voice
TBA The Ark and the Aardvark Clyde Voice; Post-production
TBA My Spy: The Eternal City Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Play'd: A Hip Hop Story Cole Television film
2003 Lucky Mutha Rhodes 13 episodes
2004 The Bernie Mac Show Wayne Episode "Hair Jordan"
2004 LAX Wayne Episode: "Abduction"
2004 Friends Clerk Episode: "The One with Princess Consuela"
2005 Arrested Development Studio Guard #1 Episode: "Switch Hitter"
2005 Curb Your Enthusiasm Attendant #1 Episode: "The End"
2005–2013 The Office Darryl Philbin Nominated— NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2011–2013)
Nominated— Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2009–2013)
2007 Halfway Home Mr. Brown Episode: "Halfway Working"
2009–2013 The Cleveland Show LeVar "Freight Train" Brown Voice
2009 James Gunn's PG Porn Havana Bob Episode: "Helpful Bus"
2009 Reno 911! Levon French Episode: "Deputy Dance"
2009, 2012 Eastbound & Down Reggie Mackworthy 4 episodes
2011 Love Bites Bowman 2 episodes
2013 Kroll Show Various Characters Episode: "The Greatest Hits of It"
2014 Comedy Bang! Bang! Himself Episode: "Craig Robinson Wears a Bordeaux Button Down & Dark Jeans"
2014–2021 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Doug Judy (The Pontiac Bandit) 9 episodes
2015 Key & Peele Wisdom Caldwell / Himself Episode: "Super Bowl Special"
2015 Mr. Robinson Craig Robinson 6 episodes; also producer
2016–2019 American Dad! Security Officer / Dirk Turlington / DJ Avalanche / Himself Voice
6 episodes
2016 Mr. Robot Ray Heyworth 7 episodes
2017 Caraoke Showdown Himself (host) 10 episodes
2017–2018 Ghosted Leroy Wright 16 episodes; also executive producer
2017–2018 Big Mouth Various Voice
4 episodes
2018 Dream Corp, LLC Mr. Metzler Episode: "Guys and Dads"
2020 Medical Police Edgar Tooby Episode: "The Lasagna as a Whole"
2020 What We Do in the Shadows Claude 2 episodes
2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride Fezzik Episode: "Chapter Eight: Ultimate Suffering"
2020 Ryan's Mystery Playdate Himself Episode: "Ryan's Jurassic Playdate" [18]
2020 The Masked Singer Guest panelist Episode: "The Semi Finals – The Super Six"
2020–2021 The Masked Dancer Himself Host
2020–present Your Attention Please Himself Host
2021 Nickelodeon's Unfiltered Himself Episode: "This DJ is Bananas!"
2021 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Himself Episode: "Hair"
2021 Muppets Haunted Mansion Singing Bust TV special
2021 Santa Inc. Junior Voice
8 episodes
2022 The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse Snowflake Boss Voice
Episode: "The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse"
2022–present Killing It Craig Foster Main role; also executive producer
2022 Storybots: Answer Time Lost Tourist Episode: "GPS"
2022–present Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward Himself Host; also executive producer
Pending— Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Educational or Informational Program

References

  1. ^ "Craig Robinson". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Milestones: October 25". Brooklyn Eagle. October 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "5 questions for Craig Robinson". Chicago Tribune. March 11, 2009.
  4. ^ "Craig Robinson on The Office | Interview". Timeoutchicago.com. April 26, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  5. ^ "Apocalypse and The Office: Craig Robinson ends the world. Twice". Dailynews.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Illinois State Alumni Magazine" (PDF). Illinois State University. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c "Office star Craig Robinson got Hollywood start at ISU". May 10, 2013.
  8. ^ "Walmart Credit Card TV Commercial, 'Satchel' Featuring Craig Robinson". iSpot.tv.
  9. ^ "Morris From America (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  10. ^ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/29/1706731/0/en/Dietz-Watson-Launches-Dietz-Nuts-the-First-Ever-Meat-Nut-Snack-in-Time-for-Super-Bowl[ dead link]
  11. ^ "Demi Moore, Craig Robinson Board Michael Bay-Produced Pandemic Thriller 'Songbird'". The Hollywood Reporter. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Oddo, Marco Vitto (February 2, 2022). "'Killing It' Trailer Reveals Craig Robinson's Snake-Hunting Comedy Series on Peacock". Collider. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  13. ^ Serben, Brandy Lynn (December 14, 2021). "The Bad Guys Trailer Shows Just How Hard Being Good Can Be". MovieWeb. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  14. ^ Bell, BreAnna (February 17, 2023). "'Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward' Showrunner Ri-Karlo Handy Signs With A3 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "The 50th Annual Daytime Emmys".
  16. ^ "L. Witherspoon & Chucky on Real Time". YouTube.com. May 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  17. ^ Greenough, Jason (April 3, 2018). "Craig Robinson gives us the Nasty Delicious experience we deserve". Vanyaland. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Nick Jr. (June 24, 2020). "Catch @mrcraigrobinson in a new episode of @ryansmysteryplaydate Friday at 12:30p/11:30c". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.

External links