Notable alumni of the Groundlings improv troupe
Officially formed in 1974 by Gary Austin, The Groundlings (named after an audience member relegated to the pit of Elizabethean theatres) are one of America's leading improv groups, launching countless comic legends to fame and better pay. Famous alumni have starred in TV series like "Saturday Night Live" and "MADtv," and in some of the most successful comedy films produced over the last 40 years.
Run out of a theatre on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, The Groundlings Theatre & School is comprised of two working corps of comedy artists (the main company and Sunday company) who write and perform. Improv classes and workshops are also offered.
Click through our gallery to check out some of the well-known performers who got their comedy start at The Groundlings.
Laraine Newman
A founding member of The Groundlings, Laraine Newman was in the cast of "The Lily Tomlin Special" in 1975, before launching "Saturday Night Live," where she spent five years as an original cast member.
Newman's other credits include "American Hot Wax," "Tunnel Vision," "Wholly Moses," "Invaders From Mars," "Problem Child 2," "Coneheads," "Histeria!," "7th Heaven," and voice work in such movies as "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius," "Monsters, Inc.," "Wall-E" and "The Boxtrolls."
Paul Reubens
Renowned for his ageless character Pee-Wee Herman, the child-man host of a kids' TV show developed during his time at The Groundlings, Paul Reubens earned 19 Emmy nominations for both performing and behind-the-scenes roles of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and other Pee-Wee TV specials. He received another acting Emmy nod for a guest appearance on "Murphy Brown."
Ruebens' other film and TV roles includes appearances in "The Blues Brothers," "Faerie Tale Theatre," "Batman Returns," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Matilda," "Mystery Men," "Blow," "Area 57," "Life During Wartime," "The Smurfs," "The Blacklist," and "Star Wars Rebels."
John Paragon
John Paragon joined fellow Groundling Paul Reubens in the original "Pee Wee Herman Show" production, and the subsequent series "Pee Wee's Playhouse," as Jambi the Genie and Pterri the Pterodactyl. His other appearances include "Eating Raoul," "The Paragon of Comedy," "Seinfeld," "Echo Park," "The Frog Prince," "UHF," "and "Elvira's Movie Macabre."
Jon Lovitz
A five-year veteran of "Saturday Night Live" (1985 to 1990), Jon Lovitz also appeared in the films "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Three Amigos," "Big," "A League of Their Own," "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold," "Happiness," "Small Time Crooks" and "The Producers. He also starred in the animated series "The Critic," and provided the voice of Radio in "The Brave Little Toaster."
Conan O'Brien
A writer for "Not Necessarily the News" and "Saturday Night Live," Conan O'Brien produced and wrote "The Simpsons" for two seasons before succeeding David Letterman as the host of "Late Night," a gig he held onto for 16 years. After temporarily hosting "The Tonight Show," O'Brien debuted a new late-night talk show, "Conan," on the TNT cable channel.
Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman starred on "Saturday Night Live" for eight years, during which he won a writing Emmy. He also co-wrote "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."
Hartman later starred in the series "NewsRadio." His film credits included "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie," "Blind Date," "Sgt. Bilko," and "Jingle All the Way."
Stewart & Hartman
Lynne Marie Stewart (left, with Phil Hartman) has played Pee-Wee Herman's friend, Miss Yvonne ("the Most Beautiful Woman in Puppet Land"), since Groundlings days.
Her credits include "American Graffiti," "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union," "Bridesmaids," and the TV series "MASH," "Husbands, Wives & Lovers," "On the Television," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
Edie McClurg
After making her film debut in "Carrie," Edie McClurg appeared in "The Richard Pryor Show," "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie," "The Pee-Wee Herman Show," "Harper Valley PTA," "Eating Raoul," "Mr. Mom," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Back to School," "Small Wonder," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles," "Curly Sue," "A River Runs Through It," "Natural Born Killers," "Melrose Place," "Flubber," "Life With Louie," "Ted," "Caroline in the City," "Cars," "7th Heaven," "Wreck-It Ralph," "Frozen," and "A Long Way Off."
Jan Hooks
Jan Hooks starred for five years on "Saturday Night Live." Her other credits included the HBO series "Not Necessarily the News," "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," "Wildcats," "Funland," "Batman Returns," "Designing Women," "Coneheads," "The Martin Short Show," "3rd Rock From the Sun," "The Simpsons," and "30 Rock."
Lisa Kudrow & Patrick Bristow
A biologist by training, Lisa Kudrow took improv classes at The Groundlings when she was 22. A small recurring role on "Mad About You" led to her starring role in the long-running hit "Friends," for which she won an Emmy in 1998. She also starred in the series "Web Therapy" and "The Comeback," and in the films, "Analyze This" (and "Analyze That"),"The Opposite of Sex," "Clockwatchers," "P.S. I Love You," and "Neighbors." She is also executive producer of the reality series, "Who Do You Think You Are?"
Patrick Bristow has appeared in such series as "Mad About You," "Head Over Heels," "Ellen," and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." His films include "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," "So I Married an Axe Murderer," "The Longest Yard," "Showgirls," "Pain & Gain," and "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
The Crew
Pictured with Lisa Kudrow (far left) and Patrick Bristow (second from right) are:
Tim Bagley's credits include the TV series "Will & Grace," "The King of Queens," and "Web Therapy," and the films "The Mask," "Happy, Texas," "Knocked Up," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," and "The Day After Tomorrow."
Kathy Griffin won two Emmys for her reality series, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," and won a 2014 Grammy for her comedy album, "Calm Down Gurrl." She has appeared in "Pulp Fiction," "Suddenly Susan," "Shakes the Clown," and "The Cable Guy."
Cathy Shambley has taught at The Groundlings for more than two decades. Her film and TV appearances include "On the Television," "Pizza Man" and "United States of Tara."
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge's credits include "A Night at the Roxbury," the "American Pie" series, "Best in Show," "Legally Blonde," "Zoolander" and "2 Broke Girls."
Jim Wise
Jim Wise (pictured with Jennifer Coolidge) was a writer for "MADtv," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and "The Arsenio Hall Show." He's also appeared in "Dilbert," "The Drew Carey Show," and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."
Mindy Sterling
Mindy Sterling is best known as Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers films. Her other credits include "Desperate Housewives," "Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil," "iCarly" and "Legit."
Julia Sweeney
While working as an accountant, Julia Sweeney took improve classes at The Groundlings, where she created characters that would later appear on "Saturday Night Live."
Her film and TV credits include "Gremlins 2: The New Batch," "Honey I Blew Up the Kid," "Pulp Fiction," "It's Pat," "Stuart Saves His Family," "Whatever It Takes," "Stuart Little," "Clock-Stoppers,' " "Maybe It's Me," "The Goode Family," and "Monsters University." She also wrote and starred in the monologues "God Said Ha!" (winner of the Audience Award at the New York Comedy Festival), "In the Family Way" and "Letting Go of God."
Mike McDonald & Mike Loprete
Michael McDonald worked as a loan officer before he quit banking to enroll in the Groundling's improv classes. His credits include "MADtv," "Scrubs," and "The Heat."
Mike Loprete was a writer and segment director for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Ana Gasteyer & Michael Hitchcock
Ana Gasteyer was a "Saturday Night Live" cast member for six seasons. Her credits include the films "Meet the Deedles," "Dick," "What Women Want," "Mean Girls," "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical," "The Women," "Fully Loaded," and the TV series "Suburgatory" and "The Good Wife."
Michael Hitchcock has appeared in Christopher Guest's "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," and "For Your Consideration," in addition to "Bridesmaids," "Super 8," "Wild Hogs," "Happy, Texas," and "Serenity." Hitchcock is also a writer and producer for the series "MADtv" and "Glee," and has appeared in "Grosse Pointe," "Men of a Certain Age," "United States of Tara" and "The New Normal."
Chris Kattan
As a boy Chris Kattan, son of Kip King, a founding member of The Groundlings, watched his father perform improve. Kattan would later join the group himself.
Kattan spent eight years on "Saturday Night Live," and later "The Middle." His film credits include "A Night at the Roxbury," "Monkeybone," "Corky Romano," "Crazy Enough," and "Slightly Single in L.A."
Jimmy Fallon
A six-year veteran of "Saturday Night Live," Jimmy Fallon won two Emmys for performing on the show. He later took over late-night hosting duties on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (for which he won a third Emmy), and ultimately succeeded Jay Leno as host of "The Tonight Show." He was also co-creator and writer for the series "Guys With Kids."
Fallon's film credits include "Almost Famous," "Anything Else," "The $cheme," "Taxi," "Factory Girl," "Fever Pitch," "Arthur and the Invisibles," and "Whip It." He won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for "Blow Your Pants Off."
Will Farrell & Cheri Oteri
Will Ferrell starred on "Saturday Night Live" for seven years. His film credits include the "Austin Powers" films, "A Night at the Roxbury," "Zoolander," "Old School," "Elf," "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," "Melinda and Melinda," "Kicking & Screaming," "Bewitched," " The Producers," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," "Stranger Than Fiction," "Blades of Glory," "Step Brothers," "Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W Bush," "Land of the Lost," "The Other Guys," "Everything Must Go," "Casa de mi Padre," "The Campaign," and "The Lego Movie."
A five-year veteran of "SNL," Cheri Oteri co-wrote and starred in the TV movie "Loomis." Her credits include "Liar Liar," "Inspector Gadget," "Love & Sex," "Surviving Eden," "Shrek the Third," "Sit Down Shut Up," "Surveillance," "Scary Movie," "Bad Parents," "Grown Ups 2," and "Christmas in Conway."
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig received an Oscar nomination (with Annie Mumolo) for Best Original Screenplay for "Bridesmaids," and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film. Ashe also received seven Emmy nominations for her work on "Saturday Night Live," "The Spoils of Babylon" and "The Looney Tunes Show."
Her other performing credits include "The Joe Schmo Show," "Unaccompanied Minors," "Knocked Up," "Semi-Pro," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Ghost Town," "Whip It," "Date Night," "Friends With Kids," "Arrested Development," "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "How to Train Your Dragon 2," and "The Skeleton Twins."
Rachael Harris
Rachael Harris' TV and film credits include "Showtime," "Kicking & Screaming," "For Your Consideration," "The Soloist," "The Hangover," "Notes From the Underbelly," "Natural Selection," and "New Girl."
Rachael Harris & Maya Rudolph
During her seven years at "Saturday Night Live," Maya Rudolph (right, with Rachael Harris) received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and shared the MTV Movie Awards' "Best Gut-Wrenching Performance" honor with her "Bridesmaids" castmates.
Rudolph's other TV and film credits include "Chicago Hope," "As Good As It Gets," "Chuck & Buck," "City of Angels," "50 First Dates," "Idiocracy," "A Prairie Home Companion," "MacGruber," "Grown Ups," "Away We Go," "Up All Night," "The Way Way Back," "Big Hero 6," and "Inherent Vice" (directed by her partner, Paul Thomas Anderson).
Melissa McCarthy & Ben Falcone
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone met and married as Groundlings.
McCarthy received three Emmy nominations and one award for her starring role in "Mike & Molly," and another three nominations for her guest appearances on "Saturday Night Live." She also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for "Bridesmaids."
Her other credits include "The Gilmore Girls," "The Back-Up Plan," "Identity Thief," "This Is 40," "The Hangover Part III," "The Heat," "Tammy" and "St. Vincent."
Falcone's credits (as an actor and/or writer) include "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," "The Nines," "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "Bridesmaids," "Identity Thief," "Bad Words," "Enough Said," "Tammy," and the series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Joey," "The Looney Tunes Show," and "A to Z."
McLendon-Covey & McCarthy
Wendi McLendon-Covey (left, with Melissa McCarthy) has been featured in "Reno 911!: Miami," "Bridesmaids," "Rules of Engagement," "The Goldbergs" and "Blended."
Mikey Day & Michaela Watkins
Before joining "Saturday Night Live" as a writer in 2012, Mikey Day was a writer-performer on "Robot Chicken."
Michaela Watkins was featured in the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2008-2009, and also starred in "Trophy Wife." Her other appearances include "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "The Back-up Plan," "Enough Said," "Wanderlust" and "In a World..." She is executive producer of the new series, "Blended."
Will Forte
Will Forte earned an Emmy nomination as a writer for "Late Show with David Letterman," as for a guest appearance on "30 Rock." Other writing credits include "3rd Rock From the Sun," "That '70s Show," "The Brothers Solomon," and "MacGruber."
Forte was a writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live" for eight years. His other credits include "Fanboys," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie," "Rock of Ages," "Grown Ups 2," and "The Lego Movie." He recently received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards for his role in Alexander Payne's "Nebraska."
Chris Parnell
Chris Parnell spent eight years on "Saturday Night Live," and has appeared in "30 Rock," "WordGirl," "Miss Guided," "Archer," "Suburgatory" and "Rick and Morty." Film credits include "Jingle All the Way," "The Ladies Man," "21 Jump Street," "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," and "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Cheryl David in Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Her film credits include "RV," "Waitress" and "Think Like a Man Too."
Taran Killam
At age 12 Taran Killam appeared in "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult." His subsequent credits include "MADtv," "Stuck in the Suburbs," "Epic Movie," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Scrubs," "The Heat," "Grown Ups 2," "12 Years a Slave," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Awesomes." He is in his fifth year as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live."
Steve Little & Jim Rash
Steve Little (left) is a writer and actor whose credits include "Camp Lazlo!," "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack," "Reno 911!," "The Ugly Truth," "Identity Thief," "Eastbound & Down," and "Tammy."
Jim Rash (right) won an Academy Award as co-screenwriter of Alexander Payne's "The Descendants." He also co-wrote and co-directed "The Way Way Back," starring Steve Carell.
40 Years And Counting
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By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan