Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan (born James Christopher Gaffigan, July 7, 1966 in Elgin, Illinois) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations, and he is regarded as a "clean" comic who uses little profanity in his routines. He has released several successful comedy specials, including Mr. Universe, Obsessed, Cinco, and Quality Time, all of which received Grammy nominations.

The youngest of six children, Gaffigan was raised in Chesterton in Northwest Indiana, a region he has stated influenced his comedy because of its authenticity. He attended La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, then Purdue University for one year before transferring to Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where he graduated in 1988 with a degree in finance. Although he "hated" studying finance, he worked briefly as a litigation consultant after graduating.

Gaffigan moved to New York in 1990 to pursue comedy, inspired by his admiration for fellow Hoosier David Letterman. He worked in advertising by day and took acting classes at night before a friend dared him to take a stand-up seminar; he fell in love with the form and began playing comedy clubs nightly. After periodically auditioning for The Late Show with David Letterman for six years, he performed a successful routine on the show in 1999, and his career took off. His style is largely observational, with main topics including laziness, eating and parenthood, and his famous Hot Pocket routine. He often performs soliloquies in a high-pitched "inside voice" he describes as his connection with the audience.

Gaffigan's memoir Dad Is Fat (2013) and book Food: A Love Story (2014) were both published by Crown Publishers. He co-created and starred in the TV Land series The Jim Gaffigan Show, based on his life, and collaborates extensively with his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan, with whom he has five children.