Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard (born February 7, 1962 as Edward John Izzard) is a British stand-up comedian and actor. He has a very individual style of rambling, surreal monologue. He has turned his attention to acting as well as maintaining his demanding touring schedule.

Professional development

Eddie found some degree of solace in comedy after the death of his mother. He drew particular comfort from the works of Monty Python, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, and the early Benny Hill. He began to toy with stand-up at college and, after being ingloriously kicked out of school, he took his act to the streets. Having spent a great deal of the 1980's working as a street performer in Europe and the United States, Izzard moved his act into the standup comedy venues in Britain, first appearing at The Comedy Store in London in 1987. He refined his material throughout the '80's, and in the early '90s, he finally began earning some measure of recognition, though originally he did not perform in women's clothing. His stand-up work brought him British Comedy Awards in 1993 (for Live at the Ambassadors) and 1996 (for "Definite Article"). After the British leg of the tour, he took "Definite Article" to major cities outside the UK including a successful stint in New York City. However, his US breakthrough did not really come until 1998, when "Dress to Kill", which was shown on American television channel HBO, went on to earn Izzard two Emmy Awards in 2000.

Related Topics:
Monty Python - Steve Martin - Richard Pryor - Benny Hill - College - 1980 - Europe - United States - The Comedy Store - London - 1987 - British Comedy Awards - 1993 - Live at the Ambassadors - 1996 - Definite Article - UK - New York City - 1998 - Dress to Kill - HBO - Emmy Awards - 2000

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