A veteran of the national comedy scene, this amusing Midwesterner honed his humor on big-city stages, training with Chicago's famed Second City, touring the country in the improv outfit Slotnick, Katz and Lehr, and mounting his one-man show
The Lehr Curse: A Series of Comedic Lectures off-Broadway. In 1993, he went to Los Angeles and began penning pilots (few of which came to fruition) and landing TV guest spots as well as small film parts. Although Lehr was constantly working, a one-year stint as the title character's brother on the short-lived sitcom
Jesse and hosting duties on
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! were his highest-profile gigs to date — until he cocreated his own starring vehicle, the semi-improvised comedy
10 Items or Less about the wacky high jinks at an authentic, functioning grocery store.
John Lehr Fast Facts:
- Starred in a number of Chicago theatrical productions after graduating college, including The Filmdome, ED and The Chris Hogan Show.
- The improvised comedy Memron — which Lehr starred in and associate-produced — won the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival's Audience Choice Award.
- Played the caveman in a series of Geico commercials.
- John Lehr Relationships:
- Jennifer Lehr - Wife
- Jules Walker Lehr - Daughter
- Kris Cheatum - Mother
- Raymond Lehr - Father
- Steve Lehr - Brother
- College:
- Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (BA in Theatre, 1988)
