Gary Owen (comedian)
| Gary Owen | |
|---|---|
 Owen in 2012 | |
| Born | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1997 – present |
| Spouse(s) | Kenya Duke (2003-present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Website |
garyowen |
Gary Owen is an American actor and stand-up comedian. After being named "Funniest Serviceman In America," his big break came in 1997 on Black Entertainment Television's stand-up showcase Comic View. Owen followed this debut with featured roles in the films Daddy Day Care, Little Man, and College. He has cultivated an African-American following after headlining on cable channel BET and performing at targeted events, such as Shaquille O'Neal's All-Star Comedy Jam Tour.[1]
Career
After a year of doing stand-up, Owen was named "Funniest Serviceman in America". He continued doing stand-up in San Diego and developed a large African-American fan base. He went on to win the "Funniest Black Comedian in San Diego" contest. That led to his first gig at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. In July 1997, he auditioned for BET's Comic View. Two appearances on the multicultural comedy showcase won him his own one-hour Grandstand show. At the end of the season, he was selected from the year's four "Grandstanders" to be the host. Owen was the only white man to have ever hosted Comic View.
In April 2011, Ebony dubbed Owen "Black America's Favorite White Comic".[2] Owen has produced two stand-up DVDs: Breakin' Out The Park, which is now available nationwide, and Urban Legend. He was also one of the headliners on Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up on Starz.
Owen starred in the Screen Gems comedy Think Like a Man — based on Steve Harvey's book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man — with Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union.[3]
Owen has also appeared in such films as Rebound and Hillbilly Highway, and had a recurring role on Tyler Perry's TBS show House of Payne as Zack.
Personal life
Owen was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in a trailer park in Oxford along his 6 siblings. Gary has two sons, Emilio and Austin, and a daughter, Kennedy, with his wife Kenya Duke. He and Kenya were married in the summer of 2003. Gary's brother, Dallas, died of a heroin overdose on May 20, 2015.
Filmography
- Held Up (1999 – Clute)
- Daddy Day Care (2003 – Mr. Carrott)
- Love Chronicles (2003 – K-Dog)
- Rebound (2005 – Vulture Mascot)
- Little Man (2006 – Officer Jankowski)
- Swap Meet (2006 – Jerry Fine)
- Who Made the Potato Salad? (2006 – Police Officer)
- College (2008 – Bearcat)
- House of Payne (2009 – Zach)
- Hillbilly Highway (2012 – Paw Gatsfield)
- Think Like A Man (2012 – Bennett)
- The Real (2013 - himself)
- Ride Along (2014 – Crazy Cody)
- Think Like a Man Too (2014 – Bennett)
- Get Hard (2015 – uncredited)
References
- ↑ Gary Strauss (May 1, 2012). "Laugh Factory: Making humor pay when times are tough". USA Today.
- ↑ Martin, Roland (April 2011). "Why Is This Man Smiling?". Ebony (Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.) lxvi (6): 95.
- ↑ Justin Kroll (May 27, 2011). "Players". Variety.