Silly, adorable comedian Michael Showalter was born in New Jersey and attended Brown University in Rhode Island. During the late '80s, he joined a New York-based comedy troupe which formed the basis for a hilarious sketch-comedy show called The State. Although many episodes were created, only 26 aired on MTV. After the show ended, he joined up with co-stars David Wain and Michael Ian Black to form a new comedy troupe named Stella. Originally only a stage show in New York City, Stella has broadened to include short films, tours, and other such creative projects. Also on-stage, he wrote the play Sex, a.k.a. Wieners and Boobs, which has been produced in both New York and L.A. Showalter made his film debut in 1998 with small roles in the comedies Safe Men and Chocolate for Breakfast, but he may be best known as one of the brains behind the summer camp spoof Wet Hot American Summer. Showalter co-wrote the script and played both the lovable main character Coop and the old-timer emcee Alan Shemper. Starring many folks from The State, the film developed a healthy life on home video despite a meager theatrical release. After a few short-lived TV projects, he played small film roles in Kissing Jessica Stein, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, and Operation Midnight Climax. He was also be seen in an episodes of HBO's Sex and the City and VH1's I Love the 80s. Projects for 2004 include voice work on Bill Plympton's animated feature Hair High.