How Todd Stashwick Went From Improvisational Theaters To Hollywood

Todd Stashwick – born October 16, 1968, is 55 years old.

Todd Stashwick is one American comedian whose career has grown in leaps and bounds since he started off in the local improvisational theater. The actor, writer, and comedian later moved into scripted roles, appearing on both the small and big screens. He became quite prolific with time, recording a plethora of movie and series credits.

Another interesting aspect of the Hollywood comedian’s life is his marriage which has endured for over 23 years and still going strong. Stashwick is a father to two children who live with him and his wife in their Los Angeles California home.

Todd Stashwick started his career performing at local improvisational theaters

Born in Chicago and raised in the city’s suburbs, Todd Stashwick spent his formative years making people laugh. His aspirations as a growing child have always been to perform at The Second City in Chicago. Thus, after acquiring a degree in theatre from Illinois State University, he decided to start his career with improvisational theaters. The talented entertainer would go on to put up notable performances at several improvisational theaters in his locality. He got an inch closer to achieving his dreams after he was hired to join The Second City national tour in 1992.

He decided to move on to New York after concluding productions at both The Second City Detroit and The Second City Northwest. On getting there, the Chicago native created his own company of improvisers who went to work immediately, enacting the underground Burn Manhattan that was critically acclaimed all over the city. His achievements were facilitated by performers, including Jeremy Piven, Kate Walsh, and Spencer Kayden.
Todd Stashwick’s improvisational theatre gig was just one end of his early achievements, he was with the popular television show Late Night With Conan O’Brien for many years from 1997 to 2000. The late-night show has its own rotating stable of comedians which Stashwick became a part of.

His career was boosted by the move from New York to Los Angeles

Like every actor who wishes to make it big in the entertainment scene, Todd Stashwick was soon drawn to Los Angeles, the global headquarters of the movie world. There, he wasted no time in scoring roles in pilots, movies, as well as TV series.

Some of his known on-screen works include the series M.D.s where the comedian did some recurring work, he was part of American Dreams, Rodney, and was also featured in Still Standing. In addition, the Chicago-born actor has recorded a lot of guest-starring roles in several TV shows, his role on the set of The Riches was a significant supporting one until it was canceled in September 2008.

An announcement surfaced in May 2018 that Todd Stashwick would be joining the cast of Kim Possible – the Disney Channel original movie where he depicted the character of Dr. Drakken. The movie which is based on the anime series had its premiere run on the 15th of February 2019.

Despite his success, the comedian chose to uphold his improvisational roots

As he scored more on-screen roles and achieved fame in the Hollywood movie scene, one would expect Todd Stashwick to perhaps slow down on improvisational theatre. However, the reverse was the case as the comedian chose to remain true to the art as it was in fact his roots. To date, he has continued to perform, produce, and tutor in improvisational theatre. He even took it a notch higher by co-founding his own improvisational theatre “The Hothouse” in North Hollywood; Stashwick works there as a teacher.

In addition to that, he collaborates with The Doubtful Guests – the Macabre improv cabaret in their yearly performance. The comedian has gone international, teaching and performing his exclusive technique of avant-garde improvisation on a global scale. He takes the credit for directing a Liverpool show Hoof!  The show is still relevant, touring throughout Europe.

Todd Stashwick also enjoys the power of the pen as a writer

Devil Inside, the online webcomic launched at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010 has Stashwick as its co-creator; a feat he shares with Dennis Calero – a DC and Marvel artist. These were great comedians whose paths crossed after Dennis drew Todd Stashwick’s character from Heroes into an online comic that was based on the series. The comic duo later came to an agreement to join efforts in creating their own title and self-publish it in conventional serialized strip form on a weekly basis on Todd’s personal website, free of charge.

Devil Inside is centered on the major character Jack Springheel. Also known as The Devil; in the plot, Jack was going through a crisis of conscience. Blasting out of hell, he found himself in the Nevada desert and decided to quit and remain there. However, several forces went into a conspiracy in a bid to return him to hell, and thus, the battle line was drawn.

The two great comedians are equally developing and writing the pilot script for Clandestine. The swashbuckling space adventure cum drama is for the Syfy channel which has agreed for them to function as the co-executive producers while the job of the script supervisor goes to John Shiban. Stashwick is also working on a Star Wars video game with Amy Hennig who is his co-writer; the video game is for Visceral Games and Electronic Arts.

Highlights of Todd Stashwick’s movies and TV shows

Films

•  L.A.X. – 2000
• The Rundown – 2003
• Along Came Polly – 2004
• You, Me and Dupree – 2006
• Live! – 2007
• The Air I Breathe – 2007
• Surfer, Dude – 2008
• Friendship! – 2010
• Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz – 2011
• Grassroots – 2012
• Mockingbird – 2014
• Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz- 2016
• The Way Back – 2020
• Think Like a Dog – 2020
• Love, Weddings & Other Disasters – 2020

Television series

• Remember WENN – 1997
• Law & Order – 1998
• Spin City – 1998
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – 1999, 2008
• Angel – 2000
• Diagnosis: Murder – 2000
• Courage the Cowardly Dog – 2000–01
• Titus – 2001
• Providence – 2001
• Will & Grace – 2001
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – 2001
• Dark Angel – 2001
• Dharma & Greg Gunther – 2001
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – 2002
• She Spies – 2002
• MDs – 2002
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent – 2003
• The Guardian – 2003
• Malcolm in the Middle – 2003
• Good Morning, Miami- 2004
• Monk – 2004
• Stuck in the Suburbs – 2004
• Boston Legal – 2004
• Star Trek: Enterprise – 2004
• The Drew Carey Show – 2004
• CSI: Miami – 2004, 2011
• Rodney Kirk – 2005
• CSI: NY Ira Feinstein – 2005
• Out of Practice – 2005
• Still Standing – 2005–06
• Weeds – 2005, 2007
• Crossing Jordan – 2006
• Four Kings – 2006
• How I Met Your Mother – 2006
• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – 2006
• The War at Home – 2006–07
• Reba – 2007
• The Riches – 2007–08
• Burn Notice – 2007, 2011
• The Game – 2008
• The Middleman Mr. White – 2008
• Psych – 2008
• Life – 2008
• Supernatural – 2008
• Ghost Whisperer – 2008
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – 2008
• The Mentalist – 2009
• Kath & Kim – 2009
• Saving Grace – 2009
• Curb Your Enthusiasm – 2009
• Lie to Me – 2009
• Heroes – 2009–10
• The Good Guys – 2010
• Children’s Hospital – 2010
• $h*! My Dad Says – 2010
• Detroit 1-8-7 – 2010–11
• Phineas and Ferb – 2010–12
• Private Practice – 2011
• Better with You Miles – 2011
• The Glades – 2011
• Men of a Certain Age – 2011
• Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension – 2011
• How to Be a Gentleman – 2011
• Supah Ninjas – 2011
• Leverage – 2012
• Justified – 2012
• Franklin & Bash – 2012
• Hawaii Five-0 – 2012
• Revolution – 2012
• The Exes – 2012–13
• Grey’s Anatomy – 2013
• Warehouse 13 – 2013
• Criminal Minds – 2013
• The Originals – 2013–14
• Teen Wolf – 2014–15
• Gotham – 2014–15
• Complications – 2015
• 12 Monkeys – 2015–18
• Strange Angel – 2018
• Kim Possible – 2019
• Mayans M.C. – 2019
• American Horror Story – 2019
• S.W.A.T. – 2019–20
• L.A.’s Finest – 2020

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Todd Stashwick has been married for over two decades

Todd and his family image source

Though we don’t have the details on when and how they met, it is public knowledge that Todd Stashwick has been married to his wife Charity since 1997. Their wedding ceremony was graced by 20 guests, including family and close friends, and was staged right in the middle of Times Square. A celebrity marriage that has endured for 23 years and still counting sure has a lot to teach the present-day stars who see divorce as the solution to every marital issue.

The couple currently lives in LA with their two children, a boy, and a girl. Other members of the Stashwick family include a couple of cats, and two dogs, in addition to a small parrot called a Conure. When asked if he would allow his children to follow his footsteps in entertainment, Todd Stashwick’s answer was that he would give them all the encouragement to follow whatever career path that makes their hearts sing.