Demetri Martin

Biography

Growing up in New Jersey to a strong Greek family, Demetri Martin was a dutiful son. He excelled in school, bused tables at the family restaurant and was an altar boy.

His studies first brought him to Yale University and later, New York University School of Law. Despite attending the law school on a full scholarship, Martin quit with only one year left to completing his degree. He had found something he enjoyed - stand-up comedy. (Part of the strain of law school showed when Martin attended class in a gorilla suit one day.)

Though his family reluctantly accepted his decision, it did put the strain on the relationship with his wife (who was his high school sweatheart). Martin shared the difficulties in his marriage and the subsequent divorce in his second one man show "Assembly Rooms."

Now he travels to places where people speak English so that he can tell his jokes to them. He had a job as a writer at Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents Demetri Martin, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and some of the other television shows that have comedians.

Sometimes he gets to appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as their resident trendspotter. Also, they allow him to have free food from their offices.

Demetri won trophies for comedy. One of them was the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in 2003.

The magazine Entertainment Weekly put him on the list of the 25 funniest people in America. He was number 21.

Demetri has brown hair. He is allergic to peanuts. He loves making things. And he knows at least 20 people who are funnier than he is (in America).

Martin is especially well known for his somewhat methodical approach to his work and his life. He is an inveterate puzzle solver and it often influences how he approached the construction of his jokes, the testing of his capacities and, occasionally, the numerical measurement of his life.