Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian, and actor. He has released three comedy albums, Harmful If Swallowed, Retaliation, and Rough Around the Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden. Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album in twenty-eight years and went double platinum. Cook performed an HBO special in the Fall of 2006, Vicious Circle, and has made numerous television appearances. As an actor, Cook has appeared in fifteen films since 1997, including Mystery Men, the 2005 film Waiting..., and starred in the 2006 comedy Employee of the Month and the 2007 comedy Good Luck Chuck. He also appeared in the 2007 thriller Mr. Brooks, which was a departure from his standard comedic roles. Cook recently had a supporting role in the 2007 film Dan in Real Life.
Cook's first comedy performance was at an open microphone night at Catch A Rising Star that was M.C'd by David Cross. Originally Cook went to watch the show but when he found out that a man by the name of Ernest Glenn didn't show up for his set, Cook went onstage under the Name Ernest Glenn. Afterwards Cook spent the next several years honing his act in local comedy clubs As well as performing in bars, laundromats, and Chinese restaurants. For the first five years of his career Cook honed his act in Boston while living at home with his parents.
In 1995, Cook moved out of his parent’s basement to New York City and began performing in earnest. He also spent that time working the Comedy Club and College circuits. Two years later, he shuffled 3,000 miles west to Los Angeles, where he still lives today.
Cook's big comedy break came in 1998 when he appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. This started a relationship between Cook and Comedy Central that has lasted many years. In 2000, Cook did a half-hour special on Comedy Central Presents. Since then his special has won the Comedy Central Stand-up showdown twice in a row.
In 2003, Cook released his first CD/DVD entitled Harmful If Swallowed. The success of the album landed him a record contract with Comedy Central Records. The album is certified platinum. He released his second CD/DVD in 2005, entitled Retaliation. This album went double platinum and made Cook the first comic in 29 years to have an album at #4 on the Billboard charts. This earned him a place alongside best-selling comedy vets Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Steve Martin.
The success of the album also landed him a comedy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, and then afterwards he joined Snoop Dogg (who introduced him) in presenting the award for Best New Artist.
On April 15, 2005 Cook performed his first HBO Special entitled Vicious Circle filmed "in the round" at the TD Banknorth Garden. The same year Cook shot two pilot episodes for his own sitcom, Cooked. The sitcom never got picked up and the two pilot episodes were later released on DVD as the Lost Pilot Episodes. That same year he embarked on a 30-day 20-show college tour called Tourgasm with his long time friends Robert Kelly, Gary Gulman, and Jay Davis. The tour was filmed and was later made into a 9-episode documentary on HBO.
On December 3, 2005, Cook hosted Saturday Night Live. He performed the longest monologue in the show's history and it was one of the highest-rated SNLs of the season". He would then go on to host the premiere of season 32 of SNL a year later.
In 2006 Cook headlined for Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour and hosted the 2006 Teen Choice Awards alongside Jessica Simpson. The following year he won the award for Best Comedian. On November 12, Cook became the second comic to sell out Madison Square Garden. He did two sold out shows in one night. The show was filmed and would later be put onto a DVD to be sold on Cook's third comedy album.
Cook won the Big Entertainer Award at the VH1 Big in '06 Awards, and Rolling Stone magazine's Hot Comic of the Year.
On November 13, 2007, Cook released his third CD/DVD entitled Rough around the Edges. The Album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. During that time, he embarked on a tour of the same name. This was Cook's first arena tour, which put his name alongside fellow arena comics Andrew Dice Clay and Steve Martin.
On April 10, 2007, Cook broke The Laugh Factory endurance record (previously held by Richard Pryor) by performing on stage for 3 hours and 50 minutes. Dave Chappelle would break the record five days later. On January 1, 2008, Cook again broke the club's endurance record, by performing on stage for 7 hours.
From May 23, 2008 to May 25, 2008 Cook renuited with Robert Kelly and Al Del Bene for 3 shows at The Coliseum in Caesars Palace. Then, from May 29, 2008 to June 4, 2008, the Trio went to Iraq to perform for the troops. During all of these shows Bene was the Emcee, Kelly was the Feature, and Cook was the Headliner.
