Ike Barinholtz

Ike Barinholtz
Barinholtz in 2018
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • writer
  • director
  • producer
Years active2001–present
Spouse
Erica Hanson
(m. 2009)
Children3
RelativesJon Barinholtz (brother)

Ike Barinholtz is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. He is best known for his starring roles in the comedy series MADtv (2002–2007), Eastbound & Down (2012), The Mindy Project (2012–2017), Bless the Harts (2019–2021), The Afterparty (2022), and History of the World, Part II (2023). In February 2023 he won the inaugural primetime season of Celebrity Jeopardy!, winning US$1,000,000 for charity.

His films include Disaster Movie (2008), Neighbors (2014), Sisters (2015), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Snatched (2017), Blockers (2018), Late Night (2019), The Hunt (2020), and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022). He co-wrote the action comedy film Central Intelligence (2016), and directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy film The Oath (2018).

Early life, family, and education

Barinholtz grew up in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, the son of Peggy and Alan Barinholtz, an attorney and actor. His brother Jon Barinholtz is also an actor. Barinholtz has described his parents as "liberal people with great senses of humor," and said that he was raised in a "very funny home." Barinholtz is Jewish.

He attended Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School and then The Latin School of Chicago for high school. He worked at a telemarketing company and as a busboy before starting a career in comedy.

Barinholtz attended Boston University. After dropping out of college, he worked for the Chicago Transit Authority before starting his comedy career. In a 2013 interview, he said he dropped out of school because he hated it and was doing poorly. In a 2012 phone interview, Barinholtz said he was inspired to pursue a career in comedy after attending a comedy show at The Vic Theatre. Thereafter, he took comedy classes at The Second City, ImprovOlympic and Annoyance Theatre. He had planned on becoming a politician but instead decided to move to Los Angeles to be an actor.

Career

Barinholtz at PaleyFest 2013

Barinholtz spent two years in Amsterdam with the famed comedy troupe Boom Chicago along with Jordan Peele, Josh Meyers, and Nicole Parker. Barinholtz hosted the 'Worst of Boom Night' during a 10-year anniversary of the improv troupe Boom Chicago, where they performed their worst material from previous shows.

In 2009, he performed at the Chicago Improv Festival alongside former MADtv cast member Jordan Peele. In 2012, Barinholtz performed at another Chicago Improv Festival event with his brother, Jon.

He is a founding member of The Lindbergh Babies, an improv group directed by Del Close, who worked with John Belushi, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, and Chris Farley. In 2012, Barinholtz joined the cast of the third season of the HBO series Eastbound & Down, playing the role of Ivan Dochenko, Kenny Powers' Russian rival. He starred alongside Seth Rogen in the 2014 comedy Neighbors, as well as its 2016 sequel. Also in 2016, Barinholtz played prison guard Griggs in the DC Comics film Suicide Squad.

He has frequently worked with comedian Dave Stassen, with whom he attended high school. They co-wrote a SPIKE pilot in which Barinholtz also starred, Mega Winner, and the 2016 film Central Intelligence.

Barinholtz appeared in a regular role as nurse Morgan Tookers on the comedy series The Mindy Project. He was also a writer and story editor on the series. He also has a role in Friends from College, a Netflix original. In 2022, Barinholtz was in the main cast of the Apple TV+ mystery comedy series The Afterparty. In the 2022-2023 iteration of Celebrity Jeopardy! on ABC, he outlasted Patton Oswalt and Wil Wheaton to win the championship. He earned $1,000,000 for his charity, Pacific Clinics.

MADtv

Barinholtz officially joined the cast of MADtv in 2002 as a featured performer for the eighth season. He was later promoted to a repertory performer status the following season. Barinholtz often paired up with fellow cast member Josh Meyers in various sketches for the eighth and ninth seasons similar to the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey and Jimmy Fallon/Horatio Sanz duos on Saturday Night Live. Barinholtz also paired up with fellow cast member Bobby Lee in some of his sketches in the later seasons. Some of his famous characters included Abercrombie & Fitch model Dutch and Principal Lankenstein from the Coach Hines sketches.

Barinholtz's celebrity impressions included Alex Trebek, Andy Dick, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ashton Kutcher, Bo Bice, Dane Cook, Felicity Huffman, Fidel Castro, Howard Dean, Howie Long, Kevin Federline, Mark Wahlberg, Clay Aiken, Matt Damon, Nick Lachey, Nick Nolte, Pat Sajak, Ralph Nader, and Rafael Palmeiro.

In 2007, he decided not to renew his contract for the 13th season of MADtv. Barinholtz has commented that he started getting "restless" and did not see eye to eye with some of the MADtv bosses about how decisions were being made.

Characters

Character Sketch Notes
Adam Bice QVC: Quacker Factory
Eli The B.S.
Astroman
Duncan Kruskal The Silver Fox
Dutch Abercrombie & Fitch
Jeffrey "Jeff" DeShazer Coach Hines
Marty Knobs
Mitchel "Mitch" Ruffin
Principal Lankenstein Coach Hines He is the principal of St. Francis High and Coach Hines' nemesis.
Roy Schenk Feuding Parents
Steven "Steve" Wellington

Personal life

Barinholtz is married to Erica Hanson, an accountant, with whom he has three daughters.

While shooting the film Blockers, Barinholtz he suffered an accident doing a stunt involving a fall. He suffered two fractured cervical vertebrae in his neck.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Down Assistant Milligan
2006 The Adventures of Big Handsome Guy and His Little Friend Bar Jerk Short film
2007 Bunny Whipped Joe
Twisted Fortune Dave Armstrong
2008 Meet the Spartans Various
Disaster Movie Various
2009 Shrink Steve Uncredited
Lock and Roll Forever Lomax
2010 How to Make Love to a Woman David
Vampires Suck Bobby White Uncredited
For Christ's Sake Buster Chery
2013 The Sidekick Lightning Mike Short film
Inventing Adam Telly
2014 Neighbors Jimmy Blevins
2015 Sisters James
2016 Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Jimmy Blevins
The Angry Birds Movie Tiny Voice
Central Intelligence None Writer
Suicide Squad Griggs
Storks Miscellaneous Stork Voice
2017 Snatched Jeffrey Middleton
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Angelo Lano
The Disaster Artist Himself Cameo
Bright Pollard
2018 Blockers Hunter Lockwood
Song of Back and Neck Nurse
The Oath Chris Montana Also writer, producer, and director
2019 Late Night Daniel Tennant
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Lex Luthor Voice
2020 The Hunt Moses / Staten Island
2021 Moxie Mr. Davies
2022 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Martin Etten
TBA Maximum Truth Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002–2007, 2016 MADtv Various characters 116 episodes
2005 E! Hollywood Hold'em Himself Episode: "Laura Prepon"
2008 Family Guy Dane Cook Voice, episode: "I Dream of Jesus"
2008–2009 Rita Rocks Fly 6 episodes
2010 Weeds Daryl Episode: "Fran Tarkenton"
2010–2015 The League Frank "The Body" Gibiatti 4 episodes
2011 Childrens Hospital Peter Principato Episode: "Newsreaders"
2012 Eastbound & Down Ivan Dochenko 6 episodes
NTSF:SD:SUV Maitre'D Episode: "Sabbath-tage"
Megawinner Cliff Planker Television film; also writer and executive producer
2012–2017 The Mindy Project Morgan Tookers 115 episodes; also writer and executive story editor
2013 Drunk History August Spies Episode: "Chicago"
High School USA! Cyber Bully Voice, episode: "Bullies"
The Soup Himself Episode dated October 23
The Pete Holmes Show Episode: "Ike Barinholtz"
2013–2015 The Awesomes Muscleman Voice, 30 episodes
2014 Kroll Show Zach Sword Episode: "Oh Armond"
Chozen Hunter Voice, 4 episodes
Married Bruce Episode: "The Old Date"
Garfunkel and Oates First Door on the Right Director Episode: "Hair Swap"
@midnight Himself Episode dated January 8
American Dad! DJ Iron Monkey Voice, episode: "Blonde Ambition"
2016 Animals. Alan Voice, episode: "Pigeons."
2017 Friends from College Degrasso 2 episodes
Neo Yokio Jeffrey Voice, episode: "Hamptons Water Magic"
2019 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Gintars Irbe Episode: "Gintars"
The Twilight Zone Mike Episode: "Not All Men"
What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage Himself Episode: "Elevator"
Live in Front of a Studio Audience Michael Stivic Episode: "Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons"
2019–21 Bless the Harts Wayne Edwards Voice, 34 episodes
2020 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Himself Episode: "In The Hot Seat: Anthony Anderson, Ike Baronholtz And Hannibal Buress"
Mapleworth Murders Richard Belt 3 episodes
2021–present Chicago Party Aunt Mark Voice, 15 episodes; also executive producer
2022 The Afterparty Brett 8 episodes
American Auto Landon Payne Episode: "Charity Dinner"
Central Park Voice, episode: "A Hot Dog to Remember"
2022–23 Celebrity Jeopardy! Himself 3 episodes
2023 History of the World, Part II Various 8 episodes; also writer and executive producer
White House Plumbers Jeb Stuart Magruder

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes
2016 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare A.J.

Audio

Year Title Role Author Production Company
2021 Batman: The Audio Adventures Two-Face/Harvey Dent Dennis McNicholas Blue Ribbon Content
2023 White House Plumbers Podcast Himself

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2013 Writers Guild of America Award New Series Shared with Jeremy Bronson, Linwood Boomer, Adam Countee, Harper Dill, Mindy Kaling, Chris McKenna, B. J. Novak, David Stassen, and Matt Warburton The Mindy Project Nominated

This page was last updated at 2024-01-09 05:28 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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