Jay Johnston Biography

Fast Facts

• Studied acting and comedy at Columbia College Chicago
• Met Dino Stamatopouos, Scott Adsit and Eric Hoffman in college before collaborating with them on "Mr․ Show․"
• Discovered Monty Python as a child and was so fascinated with it that he decided he wanted to pursue comedy himself
• After moving to Los Angeles, he supported himself by doing house maintenance
• Quote: "I think physical comedy is something that's been ingrained in me since I was pretty young․"
• Best known for his work on the "Mr․ Show" sketch comedy series as a writer and cast member, often relying more on universal themes than political or social commentary and frequently incorporating physical comedy
• Joined the Second City touring company in Chicago and performed at the Annoyance Theater
• Frequently collaborates with "Mr․ Show" alumni on other comedy projects, including "Moral Orel" and "Mary Shelley's Frankenhole․"
• Grew a real mustache for the first season of "The Sarah Silverman Program," but wore a fake one from then on because he didn't like how differently people treated him when he had a mustache
• As an adolescent, was once mistakenly arrested for attempted murder after hanging out with his friends in the woods