Comic actor Rannazzisi spent several years at the famed Los Angeles Groundlings School studying improvisation---which came in handy when he landed a gig as one of Ashton Kutcher's prankster cohorts on MTV's
Punk'd. In addition to his celebrity-duping duties, this Long Island native has worked the stand-up circuit, snagged a handful of TV guest spots and showed off his vocal chops in a number of stage musicals. He landed a part on the 2006 wedding sitcom
Big Day as the show's best man, but the series proved to be short-lived. His next role as a series regular was on
The League, a semi-scripted FX comedy about the members of a fantasy football league. When not working on TV, Rannazzisi appears in comedy features like
Paul Blart: Mall Cop and
Imagine That and continues to travel doing stand-up.
Stephen Rannazzisi Fast Facts:
- Started acting in high school when, after being injured while playing sports, he auditioned for a play just to have something to do.
- After college, briefly had an office job at the World Trade Center.
- Has appeared in numerous theatrical productions, including A Christmas Carol, Damn Yankees, Pippin and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- Worked as a doorman at Los Angeles' The Comedy Store club, where he eventually began performing stand-up.
- Studied improvisational acting at the Groundlings School in Los Angeles for several years.
- Appeared in several episodes of Ashton Kutcher's MTV hidden-camera series Punk'd.
- Was a fantasy football player prior to starring on The League, and started an off-camera league with the show's cast and crew.
- Has said he probably would have become a police officer in New York if he hadn't gone into acting.
- College:
- State University of New York, Purchase, NY (Theater)