The Comedian List / Comedians / Colin Quinn

Stand-up comedian

Colin Quinn

Colin Quinn (born June 6, 1959, in Park Slope, Brooklyn) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer, often called the quintessential "comic's comic." He started doing stand-up in 1984 and first got famous as the sidekick announcer on MTV's game show Remote Control (from 1987)..

Born
June 6, 1959, Brooklyn
SNL
1995–2000, Weekend Update anchor
Hosted
Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn
One-man shows
7 (as of 2020)
Official site & ticketsWikipedia
Colin Quinn
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
01

Who is Colin Quinn?

Colin Quinn (born June 6, 1959, in Park Slope, Brooklyn) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer, often called the quintessential "comic's comic." He started doing stand-up in 1984 and first got famous as the sidekick announcer on MTV's game show Remote Control (from 1987).

He joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and featured player in 1995 and anchored Weekend Update from January 1998 until he left in 2000. He then hosted Comedy Central's panel show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.

Quinn is known for one-man shows about history and New York: Long Story Short aired on HBO on April 9, 2011, and Unconstitutional, The New York Story and Red State Blue State became Netflix specials. On screen he played Dooey in A Night at the Roxbury, Dickie Bailey in the Grown Ups films and Amy Schumer's father in Trainwreck.

02

Timeline

  1. 1959Born June 6 in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
  2. 1984Starts doing stand-up.
  3. 1987Becomes the announcer on MTV's Remote Control.
  4. 1995Joins SNL as a writer and featured player.
  5. 1998Takes over Weekend Update (January).
  6. 2000Leaves SNL.
  7. 2011Long Story Short airs on HBO (April 9).
  8. 2013Premieres the one-man show Unconstitutional.
  9. 2015Plays Amy Schumer's father in Trainwreck.
  10. 2019Red State Blue State opens at the Minetta Lane Theatre.
03

One-man shows & specials

HBO · 2011Long Story ShortOne-man show
NetflixUnconstitutionalOne-man show
NetflixThe New York StoryOne-man show
Netflix · 2019Red State Blue StateOne-man show
04

Movies & TV

MTV · 1987–Remote ControlAnnouncer
NBC · 1995–2000Saturday Night LiveWeekend Update anchor
Comedy CentralTough Crowd with Colin QuinnHost
Film · 1998A Night at the RoxburyDooey
Film · 2010Grown UpsDickie Bailey
Film · 2015TrainwreckAmy Schumer's father
05

Colin Quinn FAQ

When did Colin Quinn host Weekend Update?

From January 1998, after Norm Macdonald was let go, until he left SNL in 2000.

What are Colin Quinn's one-man shows?

Seven as of 2020: Irish Wake, My Two Cents, Long Story Short, Unconstitutional, The New York Story, Red State Blue State and The Wrong Side of History.

Where is Colin Quinn from?

Park Slope, Brooklyn, where he was born on June 6, 1959.

06

If you like Colin

More comics on the list who share stages and mics with Colin.

Theo VonTheo VonJoe ListJoe ListMark NormandMark NormandNate BargatzeNate BargatzeNorm MacdonaldNorm MacdonaldSam MorrilSam Morril

Photos: Theo Von: Theo Von, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · Joe List: Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Mark Normand: Neal Brennan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Nate Bargatze: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Norm Macdonald: Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Sam Morril: Raph_PH, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Facts checked Oct 30, 2026.

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