News / TV
The CW's MADtv revival announces new cast members, premiering in primetime July 2016
by Sean L. McCarthy June 15, 2016 June 15, 2016
The CW's revival of sketch comedy series MADtv has found its cast. And they are…Carlie Craig, Chelsea Davison, Jeremy D. Howard, Amir K, Lyric Lewis, Piotr Michael, Michelle Ortiz and Adam Ray. They're already being pressed into service, as The CW wants to premiere the new version of MADtv — featuring special guests from the original late-night Saturday edition on FOX reprising their popular characters — in primetime, starting Tuesday July 26, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Executive producer/showrunner David E. Salzman said: "MADtv is all about the cast and their characters. We have double-barreled strength — an amazing new cast of eight, plus fan favorites from our original 14 seasons who will also appear on our new series for The CW."
Carlie Craig just participated in this spring's ongoing USA comedy competition, First Impressions with Dana Carvey. Here's a refresher!
Chelsea Davison writes for @Midnight and showcased her talent for characters at 2014's Just For Laughs in Montreal. Here's her latest reel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naNlQ-v_Bm0
Jeremy Howard, 28, is originally from Nashville, studied at Lauren Patrice Nadler Acting Studio in Los Angeles, and took part in the 2016 CBS Diversity Showcase. Conveniently enough, Howard has a brand-new comedy character reel. Roll it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK8pST_S-i0
Amir K (Argo) is a stand-up comedian and regular at the Laugh Factory. Born Amir Kamyab, heis an Iranian-American performer whose work is a combination of storytelling, character work and improvisation shaped by an uncanny range of accents and dialects. He has appeared on "Last Comic Standing" and "Jerks with Cameras." He has also had roles in the Academy Award-winning film "Argo" and recently starred in the film "The Pyramid."
Lyric Lewis (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is in the Main Company of The Groundlings sketch group in Los Angeles, and took part in the 2015 CBS Diversity Showcase as well as the 2015 New Faces Characters in Montreal. Here she is in a spoof of How To Get Away With Murder.
Piotr Michael (Disney Channel's Wander Over Yonder) provides celebrity impersonation voiceovers for Howard Stern. Here's a sample of his voices from last year's Oscars:
Michelle Ortiz studied at the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia and trained as a classical opera singer in Germany. Ortiz participated in the 2014 ABC Diversity Showcase and the 2016 CBS Diversity Showcase. Her television credits include "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," "Life in Pieces," and "Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn." She has a character reel full of impersonations, including Dora the Explorer, Sofia Vergara, Ariana Grande, Aubrey Plaza, Penelope Cruz and Tina Belcher.
Adam Ray's birthday is tomorrow, so early happy birthday, Adam! Ray moved to L.A. from the Seattle suburbs and is a regular in the L.A. comedy clubs. Ray appears right now on the TBS game show Separation Anxiety hosted by Iliza Shlesinger, and co-hosts the About Last Night podcast with Brad Williams. His other screen credits have included Spy, The Heat, 2 Broke Girls and Workaholics.
Here's a new song and animated video Ray just dropped for you high-school graduates to enjoy. Roll it!
CONGRATS! Stay tuned to see what they can do when they combine their comedy forces.
TaggedAdam RayAmir KCarlie CraigChelsea DavisonJeremy D. HowardJeremy HowardLyric LewisMADtvMichelle OrtizPiotr MichaelThe CW
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One thought on "The CW's MADtv revival announces new cast members, premiering in primetime July 2016"
I'll watch it just because of Carlie Craig. I just hope the political side of things isn't so partisan- slanting one way more than the other.