Peter Gwinn

Peter Gwinn is an American comedy writer and improviser from Evanston, Illinois. He attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He was a member of The Second City Touring Company from 1997 to 2000.[1] He has taught at both the I.O. and Upright Citizens Brigade theaters and is the founder of the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy.[2] He is the author of the 2003 book, Group Improvisation: The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games.[3] Gwinn was a staff writer for the TV political satire The Colbert Report until 2012-06-14. He has made several on-screen appearances, as Jimmy the director,[4] as a singer in a "Formula 401" sperm commercial[5] and as a barbecue attendee.[6] He has also written and appeared on the 2013 TV series Alpha House, produced by Amazon Studios.[7]

Colbert announced in the final segment of his 2012-06-14 show that Gwinn was leaving the staff, giving no reason, but playing a clip package that ended with a stuffed effigy of Gwinn being thrown off the roof of the studio building, bouncing off a car into the street, and being run over by a minivan which backed up over the doll, twice, then drove away.

Gwinn currently writes for Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!

  1. ^ OV Guide
  2. ^ Fult, Josh (November 15, 2006). Improv Interviews: Peter Gwinn. Accessed on 2007-12-08.
  3. ^ Amazon.com: Group Improvisation: The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games: Books: Peter Gwinn,Charna Halpern
  4. ^ Video: Gwinn as Jimmy the Director. Comedy Central. Accessed on 2007-12-08.
  5. ^ Video: Gwinn in "Formula 401" commercial. Comedy Central. Accessed on 2007-12-08.
  6. ^ Video: Gwinn as a barbecue attendee. Comedy Central. Accessed on 2007-12-08.
  7. ^ Lazarus, Susanna (May 29, 2013). "John Goodman's Alpha House given full series by Amazon's new pilot scheme". Radio Times. Retrieved November 8, 2013.