Philip Burgers

Doctor Brown is the stage character of Phil Burgers, an American writer, comedian, clown, actor, director, and clown teacher who is perhaps best known under that name. He trained at the French clown school Ecole Philippe Gaulier, where, he said, he "learnt the key to clown-comedy: How to feel comfortable with being an idiot." Dr Brown is a physical character based in an absurd world.

Burgers began his career in 2007 and took shows including Dr. Brown Because and Becaves around the world from 2009 to 2011, performing at the Prague Fringe Festival, Hong Kong Microfest, and in Australia. He developed Befrdfgth at the Adelaide Fringe, performing it at the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won the top awards. He has performed regularly with Australian comedian Sam Simmons, notably in a show titled Ceremony.

On screen, Burgers wrote and starred in his own 30-minute episode of the sketch show Netflix Presents: The Characters in 2016. In 2018, he co-wrote and starred in the silent short film The Passage, directed by Kitao Sakurai, which premiered at Sundance and won Best Short Fiction at the LA Film Festival, Best Comedy at Aspen Shortsfest, and the Grand Jury Prize at the Nashville Film Festival. From 2020 to 2021, he appeared as the recurring character Phil in Mae Martin's sitcom Feel Good. His show Befrdfgth won both the Barry Award for Best Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2012, making him the first comedian to have won both for the same show. He has one child with actress Alia Shawkat.