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Theo Von

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Theo Von
Von in 2016
Birth nameTheodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III
Born (1980-03-19) March 19, 1980 (age 44)
Covington, Louisiana, U.S.
MediumStand-up, podcast, television, film
EducationUniversity of New Orleans (BA)
Years active2000–present
GenresObservational comedy, surreal humor
Subject(s)Human behavior, human sexuality, American politics

Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III (born March 19, 1980), known professionally as Theo Von, is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, and former reality television personality. He is the host of the This Past Weekend podcast.[1]

Early life

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Kurnatowski was born on March 19, 1980, in Covington, Louisiana, to Gina Capitani and Roland Theodor Achilles von Kurnatowski (1912–1996).[2][3][4] His mother was born and raised in Wyoming, Illinois, where Theo spent part of his childhood.[2][5] His father was a native of Bluefields, Nicaragua, who later settled in New Orleans.[6][7] His grandfather was a Polish missionary who settled in Cabo Gracias a Dios; he is descended from the Kurnatowski szlachta in Poland.[3][8][9][6] Von describes himself as Polish-Nicaraguan.[10]

Von's father was 67 when he was born (Von rounds the age to 70 years for his comedic material); he died of cancer in 1996 when Von was 16.[11] He grew up in Covington, Louisiana, with his older brother and two younger sisters and was legally emancipated at 14.[12][3] He grew up in circumstances he describes as "low-income", stating that most of his "frame of reference" came from "poor people".[13][14]

Von later moved to Mandeville, Louisiana and graduated from Mandeville High School.[15] He attended Louisiana State University for a time, where he wrote for The Reveille.[14][16] He also attended the Loyola University New Orleans, University of Arizona, College of Charleston, and Santa Monica College.[17] Von received his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning in 2011 from the University of New Orleans.[18][19][20]

Career

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Television and film

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2000–2008: Reality television

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Von appeared on MTV's Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour in 2000 at age nineteen. He was recruited to the show while studying at Louisiana State University.[21]

Von was on four seasons of MTV's reality game show The Challenge (formerly known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge), a combined spinoff of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules. He was a part of the cast of Battle of the Seasons (2002), The Gauntlet (2003–2004), Battle of the Sexes II (2004–2005), and Fresh Meat (2006). Von was runner-up in 2002, and was the winner of the following two seasons.[22]

In 2006, Von competed on season 4 of Last Comic Standing, winning the online competition.[23]

In mid-2008, Von was a member of the Comedy Central sketch/competition show Reality Bites Back. He won the show, beating fellow comedians, including Amy Schumer, Bert Kreischer, and Tiffany Haddish.

2012–present: game show host and acting

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Beginning in 2011, Von took over as host of the Yahoo! online TV recap show Primetime in No Time.[24][25] He hosted the TBS hidden camera show Deal With It (executive produced by Howie Mandel) for its run of three seasons (2013–2014).[26] During this period, Von began appearing in cameo acting roles on select television shows, including Inside Amy Schumer and Why? with Hannibal Buress. He has said that he was not more interested in acting earlier on — despite having opportunities to do pilots and sitcoms — because he was not very enthused about the projects offered at the time and because they often conflicted with his touring and podcasting schedules.[27]

In the spring of 2018, Von's three-episode scripted comedy show Man Up was released on Comedy Central, in which he attempted to improve the 'spiraling' lives of male comics.[28] In August 2019, Von announced that he had been cast in the big-budget film The Tomorrow War (at the time known as Ghost Draft), and had been recruited for the project by its lead actor, Chris Pratt; a few weeks later, Von announced on his podcast that he had dropped out of the movie due to the time commitment required.[27][29]

Stand-up

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Von began performing stand-up comedy in Louisiana. At age 23, after his tenure on MTV, he decided to move to Los Angeles and professionally pursue a career in comedy.[30][31] According to Von, he had difficulty as an entertainer in Hollywood, as talent agents viewed him as a former reality TV star and were thus skeptical about giving him work as a comedian.[32] He has since related that it has taken years to shake this image and establish himself as a comedian.[33]

Von achieved one of his first major comedic accomplishments a few years later, in 2006, when he won the title of Fan Favorite on the online competition aligned with the fourth season of Last Comic Standing.[34] Around this time, Von began touring his set nationally. He also took part in five international tours for the USO (which included performing at Guantanamo Bay).[35][30]

In 2009, Von popularized "prank texting" (sending a text message to random phone numbers to incite conversations), and began his "prank texting" blog, which was picked up as a column by CollegeHumor a year later.[36][37][dead link‍]

On June 1, 2012, Von was the featured comedian in an episode of Comedy Central's The Half Hour, now known as Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents.[30] He also promoted his comedy on The Arsenio Hall Show, Hello Ross, Chelsea Lately, Watch What Happens Live, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening, among other television shows. In 2016, Netflix released Von's debut hour-long comedy special No Offense. The show was taped at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana.[38] In the summer of 2019, Von embarked on a three-month national tour called The Dark Arts Tour.[39]

Podcasting

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As of 2016,[40] Von hosts a podcast, This Past Weekend, and was a former co-host of the podcast King and The Sting (and Wing) with Brendan Schaub and Chris D'elia. He has been a recurring guest on many comedians' podcasts, including The Joe Rogan Experience, Joey Diaz's The Church of What's Happening Now, The Fighter and the Kid, Bobby Lee's TigerBelly,[25] and The Adam Carolla Show.

2011–2015: Early ventures

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In April 2011, Von began his first podcast, The Comedy Sideshow. Taped at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood, Von interviewed comedians and other entertainers. The show had 23 episodes, the last of which premiered in November of that year.[41]

In 2015, Von started a weekly podcast with filmmaker/journalist Matthew Cole Weiss called Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss. The two friends, whose styles and presentation contrasted, competed to see who had better "alleged" tales of celebrities, hilarity, trauma, dating, success, and failure from their years living in Hollywood. The podcast lasted three years and had a total of 123 episodes.[42]

2016–present: This Past Weekend and King and The Sting

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Von began a new podcast in December 2016, This Past Weekend. This long-form video podcast features storytelling, answering fan voicemails, and guest interviews.[43] He released his 200th episode in May 2019.[44]

In December 2018, Von and fellow podcaster/comedian Brendan Schaub started a podcast called King and The Sting. At the podcast's release, it debuted at number 1 on the iTunes Podcast charts in the US and also reached the top charts in the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, and Australia.[45]

In January 2022, Schaub and Von added a third host, Chris D'Elia, to King and The Sting, renaming it King and The Sting and Wing.[46] During this time Von began taking breaks from the podcast, allowing guest-hosts to fill in. On November 4, 2022, King and The Sting and Wing was officially renamed The Golden Hour, with Workaholics actor Erik Griffin replacing Von.[47]

In September 2023, Von publicly accused Kast Media and its CEO Colin Thomson of non-payment, after pro wrestling personality and podcaster Jim Cornette had made similar claims about Kast and Thomson in July. Corresponding accusations were also made by Jason Ellis, Brendan Schaub, Bryan Callen, Whitney Cummings, and Alyx Weiss, each of whom stated they were owed money by Kast Media, including several six-figure and seven-figure shortages. It was reported that Kast Media was in the process of being acquired by PodcastOne and that in lieu of full payment, Thomson offered creators partial compensation combined with stock options. Amid the news, LiveOne and PodcastOne stock dropped considerably and the company no longer planned to officially hire Thomson.[48][49][50][51][52]

In August 2024, Von interviewed U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former U.S. president Donald Trump.[53][54] In October 2024, he interviewed U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance.[55]

Personal life

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Von has lived in Nashville, Tennessee since September 2020, after purchasing the home of former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason.[56] Von had an older half-brother, Roland von Kurnatowski Jr., the owner of Tipitina's and founder of the Tipitina's Foundation; he died in 2019 after an accidental shooting, aged 68.[57] Von also has two younger sisters, Rolanda and Whittier[58] and an older half-sister, Joan, who is an artist.[59]

Appearances in media

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Comedy specials and albums

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  • No Offense (Netflix, 2016)[60]
  • 30lb Bag of Hamster Bones (2017 album) - on March 6 it placed #1 on the iTunes Comedy Album charts and #4 on Billboard.[61]
  • Regular People (Netflix, 2021)

Podcasts

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  • The Comedy Sideshow (2011)
  • Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss (2015–2018)
  • This Past Weekend (2016–present)[62]
  • King and The Sting (and Wing) (with Brendan Schaub (2018–2022)[45]

Filmography

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As himself
Year Title Notes
2000 Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour Contestant
2002 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons Contestant
2003–04 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet Contestant
2004–05 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes 2 Contestant
2005 Battle of the Network Reality Stars Contestant
2006 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Contestant
2006 Last Comic Standing Won the title of "Last Comic Downloaded" (most downloads for online clips)[34]
2008 America's Prom Queen Panelist
2008 Live at Gotham Season 3
2008 Reality f*cks Back Contestant
2012–14 Primetime in No Time Host; replaced former host Frank Nicotero[26]
2012 The Half Hour
2013–14 Deal With It Host
2016 Acting Out Himself
2017 The Joe Rogan Experience #925 Guest
2018 The Joe Rogan Experience #1118 Guest
2018 The Joe Rogan Experience #1141 Guest
2019 Hot Ones Guest
2019 Impaulsive Guest
2019 The Joe Rogan Experience #1225 Guest
2019 Kill Tony #423[63] Guest
2021 The Joe Rogan Experience #1731 Guest
2022 The Joe Rogan Experience #1847 Guest
2022 Kill Tony #569[64] Guest
2023 Full Send Podcast Guest
2023 The Joe Rogan Experience #1994 Guest
2023 Kill Tony #615[65] Guest
2024 Get Down with Sean and Marley #17 Guest
2024 The Joe Rogan Experience #2226 Guest
Acting
Year Title Role Notes
2013 InAPPropriate Comedy Mountain Climber Film[66]
2013 Inside Amy Schumer Director Episode: "A Porn Star Is Born"
2015 Why? with Hannibal Buress Alex
2024 Sweet Dreams Garvey Film

References

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  1. ^ Abbey, Alison (April 27, 2023). "Theo Von Is Taking Over Your TikTok FYP. He'd Rather Not". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Courier, Tammy Wilkinson Of The Star. "Von returns for Wyoming Theater gig". Kewanee Star Courier. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Ettinger, Marlon (August 22, 2024). "'bro what?': Theo Von's viral Trump interview brings comedian's Polish aristocratic background back to light". The Daily Dot. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  4. ^ Von, Theo [@TheoVon] (March 19, 2018). "All i want for my birthday is for you to share one of my favorite clips" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Smith, Gary L. "Are you joking? A stand-up comic in Wyoming?". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Louis Theroux". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Investigative Reporter Nate Halverson". Apple Podcasts (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Houwald, Götz von (1993). Los alemanes en Nicaragua (in Spanish). BANIC.
  9. ^ "Kat Von D". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Abbey, Alison (April 27, 2023). "Theo Von Is Taking Over Your TikTok FYP. He'd Rather Not". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  11. ^ McIntyre, Michael K. (September 13, 2017). "Theo Von brings New Orleans flavor to the Hilarities stage this weekend". www.cleveland.com.
  12. ^ BERTCAST Episode #140 - Theo Von & ME. www.youtube.com.
  13. ^ Walker, Dave (May 31, 2012). "Theo Von gets his own Comedy Central standup showcase". NOLA.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Deffes, Olivia (February 2, 2023). "Comedian Theo Von captivates crowds with Louisiana-style stories about growing up in the South". [225]. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  15. ^ "$uicideboy$". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Kelemen, Matt (July 1, 2024). "Theo Von brings his Southern charm and spontaneous stories to Las Vegas". Las Vegas Magazine. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Theo Von". OC Weekly. June 10, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  18. ^ Walker, Dave. "Theo Von gets his own Comedy Central standup showcase". Times-Picayune. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  19. ^ "Alumni Spotlights - Theo Von". unoalumni.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  20. ^ Tripp, Jaclyn; Lacen, Marlo; Roy, Carolyn (December 12, 2022). "These famous comedians are all from Louisiana". WGNO. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  21. ^ Garner, Vanessa. "Theo Von Net Worth: Career, Life". Skate Insights.
  22. ^ Alvey, Michael (June 16, 2019). "The Greatest Male Players in Challenge History: #13- Theo Vonkurnatowski". Medium. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  23. ^ "Josh Blue wins Last Comic Standing 4; Theo Von wins online competition". reality blurred. August 10, 2006.
  24. ^ Shaw, Lucas (February 17, 2012). "Theo Von Takes Over as 'Prime Time in No Time' Host". TheWrap. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  25. ^ a b "About – Theo Von". Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  26. ^ a b Deadline Hollywood 2013
  27. ^ a b Fifty Cent Sniffs | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #224, retrieved August 22, 2019
  28. ^ "Man Up". Comedy Central. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  29. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 21, 2019). "Chris Pratt's 'Ghost Draft' Adds Comedian Theo Von". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  30. ^ a b c Innovative Artists (2013). "Theo Von biography" (PDF). Innovative Comedy. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  31. ^ Schulte 2018
  32. ^ Lee & Von 2017, p. 41:00
  33. ^ Kozell 2016
  34. ^ a b Dehnart 2006
  35. ^ "Young Hollywood | For a Good Laugh, Call Theo Von". younghollywood.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  36. ^ Von 2010
  37. ^ Donnelly 2011
  38. ^ "Theo Von 'No Offense' Netflix Special Taping". brownpapertickets.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  39. ^ "Theo Von". facebook.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  40. ^ "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von". podcasts.apple.com.
  41. ^ "The Comedy Sideshow with Theo Von". Podcasts.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  42. ^ "Final Episode Allegedly With Matthew Cole Weiss podcast". player.fm. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  43. ^ "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von". stitcher.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  44. ^ Chris Lilley | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #200, retrieved August 23, 2019
  45. ^ a b "iTunesCharts.net: 'King and the Sting' by Brendan Schaub & Theo Von (American Podcasts iTunes Chart)". itunescharts.net. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  46. ^ "King and the Sting". Youtube. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  47. ^ "The New Best Hour of the Week". Youtube. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  48. ^ "Kast Media accused of "not paying creators"". podnews.net. July 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  49. ^ Brooks, Dave (September 9, 2023). "PodcastOne Public Listing Collides With Viral Takedown Video From Comedian Theo Von". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  50. ^ Carman, Ashley (September 14, 2023). "A Fight Over Missing Ad Money Roils the Podcast Industry". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  51. ^ Khalid, Amrita (September 14, 2023). "Why everyone in the podcast world is mad at Kast Media's Colin Thomson". The Verge. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  52. ^ Brooks, Dave (September 28, 2023). "PodcastOne Paid Brendan Schaub $1.6M, While Other Kast Podcasters Were Asked to Accept Pay Cuts". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  53. ^ Romano, Aja (August 23, 2024). "Theo Von and Donald Trump's unlikely podcast bro tour". Vox. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  54. ^ Lewis, Helen (August 23, 2024). "Trump and the Cocaine Owl". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  55. ^ "Sen. JD Vance | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #540". October 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
  56. ^ Nashville (video). This Past Weekend. September 8, 2020. 4:23-8:59 minutes in. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  57. ^ Brooks, Dave (September 6, 2019). "Embattled Former Tipitina's Owner Roland Von Kurnatowski Dies in Hunting Accident". www.billboard.com.
  58. ^ "Theo Von Fosters A Close Bond With His Two Younger Sisters". dwbfilm.com.
  59. ^ "Joan Hooper Feibelman". barnettfineart.com.
  60. ^ Netflix 2018
  61. ^ Billboard 2018
  62. ^ Von 2018
  63. ^ Kill Tony (December 21, 2019). KILL TONY #423 - THEO VON. Retrieved September 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  64. ^ Kill Tony (August 8, 2022). KILL TONY #569 - THEO VON. Retrieved September 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  65. ^ Kill Tony (June 26, 2023). KT #615 - THEO VON. Retrieved September 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  66. ^ "Inappropriate Comedy". IMDB.com. Retrieved September 14, 2013.

Selected work

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