Jimmy Tingle was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The social,
political and economic diversity of that city laid the groundwork for his
development as a performer and satirist. He started performing in 1980 during
the early stand up comedy scene in Boston and quickly rose through the ranks
from open-mike performer to paid engagements, headlining at comedy clubs,
theaters and colleges nationwide. He is now regarded as one of the top social
commentators and humorists in the country.
Jimmy just completed two seasons with 60 Minutes II on CBS as the humorist /
commentator in the Andy Rooney spot. He worked as a contributor and satirist
for MSNBC and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Larry King Weekend, The Late
Show with Conan O'Brien, The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, The American
Comedy Awards, as well as his own HBO comedy special.
Tingle recently appeared as a television talk show host in Chris Rock's new
film, Head Of State. Other film credits include the role of the neighborhood
bartender in Next Stop Wonderland, a priest in Boondock Saints, and a
restaurant owner in By The Sea. Jimmy also starred in the Emmy Award-winning
documentary on art censorship, "Damned in the USA" produced by Channel Four in
England in partnership with Channel Thirteen in New York.
He co-starred in the PBS "Travels" series special "America with the Top
Down" and appeared in "But Seriously" and "But seriously 94", Showtime
documentaries featuring prominent social satirists from Lenny Bruce to the
present.
Jimmy's theatrical credits include writing and starring in his own one man
show "Jimmy Tingle's Uncommon Sense, The Education of an American Comic".
Directed by Larry Arrick, the play received stellar reviews during a nine-week
engagement at the American Place Theater in New York City and continued to
succeed brilliantly at the Hasty Pudding Theater in Cambridge, MA becoming the
longest running one person show in that theater's history.
Jimmy Tingle's Uncommon Sense made its Los Angeles debut at the Coast
Playhouse in 1998 and was nominated by The L.A. Weekly for "best male solo
performance" for their 20th Annual Theater Awards. His latest one-man show,
Jimmy Tingle In The Promised Land, debuted at the Regent Theater in Arlington,
MA in December of 2001 and is currently on tour.
Jimmy's latest venture is that of theater mogul. He recently opened Jimmy
Tingle's Off Broadway Theater in Somerville, MA, where he presents a wide
variety of entertainment programming.
