Profile of Mitch Hedberg on Famous Like Me

Mitch Hedberg (February 24, 1968 – March 30, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian known for his odd subject matter, subdued delivery and memorable routines that often consisted of a string of one-line non sequiturs.

Career

Hedberg was born on February 24, 1968 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He began his career playing open microphone nights in south Florida. Two years later, in 1991, he moved to Seattle and began doing the same there, where his popularity increased. It took him more than a few years to come up with a good deal of material, and he also needed to conquer his stage fright, which was so intense it left a mark on him all through his career (he would sometimes perform with his eyes closed.) He first began achieving national exposure with a special on Comedy Central. Hedberg appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman 10 times, and became one of the most successful American comedians. His on-stage persona, though slightly nervous, was always quite endearing and he would happily joke with the audience if they hadn't reacted particularly well to a joke (see unedited version of his Comedy Central Special). What was also likeable was his happiness to criticise his own weaker jokes, 'that joke was just a carbon copy of the last joke'. His jokes ranged from compact one or two liners ("I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.") to slightly longer material in which he would take everyday ideas or situations and pick out certain aspects of them to make them seem hilarious (the Dufresnes joke is a very good example of this) As well as the fact that he loved telling this sort of joke that made everyday situations seem hilarious.

Mitch Hedberg was known to be a drug user. In May 2003 he was arrested in Austin, Texas for possession of heroin. In 2004, Hedberg's drug use seemed to spiral out of control. At a performance in Phoenix, Arizona on September 23, Hedberg appeared on stage intoxicated, nearly collapsed and asked the audience for drugs, which he then orally ingested in front of the crowd. At several other performances he openly asked the audience for "any drugs" they might have, including Xanax and other prescription drugs.

Early in the morning on March 30, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in a New Jersey hotel room, reportedly from heart failure. He was 37 years old. His death was first announced by Howard Stern on his morning talk show and later confirmed by the Saint Paul Pioneer Press from his home town of St. Paul, Minnesota. Hedberg had reportedly been preparing for his first HBO special.

The specific cause of his heart failure remains unknown. He was born with a heart defect for which he received extensive treatment as a child, and the effect of drugs on this condition has been cited as a possible cause of death.

Mitch could be heard as the voice of Jimmy John's radio advertisements during the months leading up to and after his death. (Since his name was never used in the ads, the company probably felt there was no need to pull the ads after he died.) Every performance of Dave Attell's Insomniac tour featured a toast to Hedberg at the very end.

Discography

• Mitch All Together (2003)
• Strategic Grill Locations (1999)

Filmography

• Lords of Dogtown (2005) (Urethane Wheels Guy)
• Almost Famous (2000) (Eagles Road Manager)
• Los Enchiladas! (1999) (Lee)
• International Partyers

TV appearances

• Comedy Central Presents (Himself)
• Late Friday (2001) ep.124 (Himself)
• Premium Blend ep. 2002 (Himself)
• Ed (2001) ep.110 (Dave)
• That '70s Show (1998) ep.111 (Frank)
• Home Movies (1999) ep.105, 111, 113 as Mitch, Cop, and Anger Management Counselor, respectively.
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (Himself)

Quotes

"If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit."

"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You would never see an 'Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order' sign, just 'Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'"

"Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Damn it Otto, you're an alcoholic. Damn it Otto, you have Lupus... one of those two doesn't sound right."

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