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See also David A. Steinberg (CEO of InPhonic); David H. Steinberg (screenwriter)

David Steinberg (born August 9, 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, writer and author. He was one of the best-known stand-up comics in the USA during the late 1960s and appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show 140 times. Steinberg also directed episodes of many the most successful television comedies of the last fifteen years, includingSeinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad About You, and Friends.

One of Steinberg's most notorious performances was on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he did satirical sermons. The sketch caused CBS to receive the most complaints they'd ever had. The Smothers Brothers were told by the network that they could have Steinberg on the show again, on the condition that he would not do the sermons again. Nevertheless, Tommy Smothers asked Steinberg to do it again, and he did. This incident, along with several others, led to the premature cancellation of the show.

In the mid-1970s, Steinberg starred in the Canadian-produced The David Steinberg Show. Nearly identical in format to the later The Larry Sanders Show, this series also went backstage at a fictional TV series. This show, which was syndicated in the United States, helped launch the careers of a number of top Canadian comic actors, including Martin Short and John Candy, who were among the regulars.

In the recording world, Steinberg's The Incredible Shrinking God (LP MCA 73013) contains ten of his comedic sermons and mini-sermons, as recorded live during his stand-up routine at Second City. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2003.

Steinberg currently hosts Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg on TV Land in the US, an informal interview-style show that has David Steinberg talking with famous comedians and comic actors. The first season featured Larry David, Jon Lovitz, Martin Short, Bob Newhart, and George Lopez. The second season featured Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr, Jon Stewart, Garry Shandling and Ray Romano. The program is filmed before a live audience at UCLA. [1]

His first book, The Book of David will be published in June 2007 by Simon and Schuster.

• David Steinberg at the Internet Movie Database
• Official site

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