Theo Von
Von in August 2016
Birth nameTheodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III
Born (1980-03-19) March 19, 1980
Covington, Louisiana, U.S.
MediumStand-up, podcast, television, film
EducationUniversity of New Orleans (BA)
Years active2000–present
GenresObservational comedy, surreal humor
Subject(s)Human behavior, human sexuality, American politics
Websitetheovon.com

Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III[1] (born March 19, 1980), known professionally as Theo Von, is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, and former reality television personality. He is the host of the This Past Weekend podcast and former co-host of The King and the Sting podcast with Brendan Schaub.

Early life

Von was born to Gina Capitani and Roland Theodor Achilles von Kurnatowski (1912–1996), who was originally from Bluefields, Nicaragua. Von's father was 67 when he was born; Von rounds the age to 70 years for his comedic material.[2] He died of cancer when Von was 16 years old.[3] Von grew up in Covington, Louisiana, with his older brother and two younger sisters. Von was legally emancipated at 14.[3] Von is of Polish-Nicaraguan descent through his father Roland, and Irish-Italian through his mother Gina.

He graduated from Mandeville High School in Mandeville, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana State University for a time, as well as Loyola University New Orleans, University of Arizona, College of Charleston, and Santa Monica College.[4] Von received his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning in 2011 from the University of New Orleans.[5][6]

Career

Television and film

2000–2008: Reality television

Von began a professional career in entertainment at age nineteen when he starred in MTV's Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour in 2000. He was recruited to the show while studying at Louisiana State University.

Following his season of Road Rules, Von was on four seasons of MTV's reality game show The Challenge, formerly known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge. The show was a spinoff of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules. He was part of the cast of the seasons Battle of the Seasons (2002), The Gauntlet (2003–2004), Battle of the Sexes II (2004–2005), and Fresh Meat (2006). Von was runner-up in 2002 and won the following two seasons.[7]

In 2006, Von competed on season 4 of Last Comic Standing where he won the online competition. [8]

In mid-2008, he was a member of the Comedy Central sketch/competition show Reality Bites Back. He won the show, beating out fellow comedians including Amy Schumer, Bert Kreischer, and Tiffany Haddish.

2012–present: game show host and acting

Beginning in 2011, Von took over as a host of the popular Yahoo online TV recap show Primetime in No Time.[9][10] He hosted the TBS hidden camera show Deal With It, executive produced by Howie Mandel, for its run of three seasons from 2013 to 2014.[11]

During this period, Von began appearing in cameo acting roles in a few television shows including Inside Amy Schumer and Why? with Hannibal Buress. He has said that he was not more interested in acting earlier on, despite having opportunities to do pilots and sitcoms, because he was not excited about particular projects and they often conflicted with his touring and podcasting schedules.[12]

In the spring of 2018, Von's three-episode scripted comedy show Man Up was released on Comedy Central.[13] In August 2019, Von announced that he had been cast in the big-budget film The Tomorrow War (at the time known as Ghost Draft) and had been recruited to the project by its star Chris Pratt. A few weeks later, Von announced on his podcast that he had dropped out of the movie due to the time commitment.[12][14]

Stand-up

Von began performing stand-up comedy in Louisiana and then at age 23, after his tenure on MTV, he decided to move to Los Angeles and professionally pursue stand-up.[15][16] According to Von, he had difficulty as an entertainer in Hollywood as talent agents viewed him as a reality TV star and were skeptical about giving him work as a comedian.[17] He has related that it took years to shake this image and establish himself as a comedian.[18]

Von achieved one of his first major comedic accomplishments a few years later in 2006 when he won the title of Fan Favorite on the online competition aligned with the fourth season of Last Comic Standing.[19] Around this time, Von began touring his set nationally. He also took part in five international tours for the USO which included performing at Guantanamo Bay.[20][15]

In 2009, Von popularized "crank texting" (sending a text message to random phone numbers to incite conversations), and began his "crank texting" blog, which was picked up as a column by CollegeHumor a year later.[21][22]

On June 1, 2012, Von was the featured comedian in an episode of Comedy Central's The Half Hour, now known as Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents.[15] He also promoted his comedy on The Arsenio Hall Show, Hello Ross, Chelsea Lately, Watch What Happens Live, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening, among other television shows. In 2016, Netflix released Von's debut hour-long comedy special No Offense. The show was taped at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana.[23] In the summer of 2019, Von embarked on a three-month national tour called The Dark Arts Tour.[24]

Podcasting

As of 2023, Von hosts a podcast, This Past Weekend, and was a former host of the podcast King and The Sting (and Wing). He has been a recurring guest on many comedians' podcasts, including The Joe Rogan Experience, Joey Diaz's The Church of What’s Happening Now, The Fighter and the Kid, and Bobby Lee's TigerBelly,[10] and Adam Corolla show.

2011–2015: Early ventures

In April 2011, Von began his first podcast, The Comedy Sideshow. Taped at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood, Von would interview comedians and other entertainers. The show had twenty-three episodes, the last of which premiered in November of that year.[25]

In 2015, Von started a weekly podcast with filmmaker/journalist Matthew Cole Weiss called Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss. The two totally opposite friends competed to see who had better "alleged" tales of celebrities, hilarity, trauma, dating, success, and failure from their years living in Hollywood. The podcast lasted three years and had a total of 123 episodes.[26]

2016–present: This Past Weekend and King and The Sting

Von began a new podcast in December 2016, This Past Weekend. This is a long-form video podcast which features Von storytelling, answering fan voicemails, and doing thoughtful guest interviews.[27] He released his 200th episode in May 2019.[28]

In December 2018, Von and fellow podcaster/comedian Brendan Schaub started a new podcast called King and The Sting. At the podcast's release, it debuted at number 1 on the iTunes Podcast charts in the US and also reached the top charts in the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, and Australia.[29]

In January 2022, Schaub and Von added a third host, Chris D'Elia, to King and The Sting, renaming it to King and The Sting and Wing.[30] During this time Von began taking breaks from the podcast, allowing guest-hosts to fill in. On November 4, 2022, King and The Sting and Wing was officially renamed The Golden Hour, with Workaholics actor Erik Griffin replacing Von.[31]

In September 2023, Von publicly accused Kast Media and its CEO Colin Thomson of non-payment, after pro wrestling personality and podcaster Jim Cornette had made similar claims about Kast and Thomson in July. Corresponding accusations were also made by Jason Ellis, Brendan Schaub, Bryan Callen, Whitney Cummings, and Alyx Weiss, who stated they were owed money by Kast Media, including several six-figure and seven-figure shortages. It was reported that Kast Media was in the process of being acquired by PodcastOne and that in lieu of full payment, Thomson offered creators partial compensation combined with stock options. Amid the news, LiveOne and PodcastOne stock dropped considerably and the company no longer planned to officially hire Thomson.[32][33][34][35][36]

Personal life

Von has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, since September 2020, after purchasing the home of former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason.[37]

Von also has an apartment in Los Angeles, California.

He had an older brother, Roland von Kurnatowski Jr. who was born in 1951. He was the owner of Tipitina's and founder of the Tipitina's Foundation and died at the age of 68 in 2019 after an accidental shooting.[38] Von also has an older sister, Joan, who was born in 1941 and is an artist.[39]

Appearances in media

Comedy specials and albums

  • No Offense (Netflix, 2016)[40]
  • 30lb Bag of Hamster Bones (2017 album) - on March 6 it placed #1 on the iTunes Comedy Album charts and #4 on Billboard.[41]
  • Regular People (Netflix, 2021)

Podcasts

  • The Comedy Sideshow (2011)
  • Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss (2015–2018)
  • This Past Weekend (2016–present)[42]
  • King and The Sting (and Wing) (with Brendan Schaub (2018–2022)[29]

Filmography

As himself
Year Title Notes
2000 Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour Contestant
2002 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons Contestant
2003–04 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet Contestant
2004-05 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes 2 Contestant
2005 Battle of the Network Reality Stars Contestant
2006 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Contestant
2006 Last Comic Standing Won the title of "Last Comic Downloaded" (most downloads for online clips)[19]
2008 America's Prom Queen Panelist
2008 Live at Gotham Season 3
2008 Reality f*cks Back Contestant
2012-14 Primetime in No Time Host; replaced former host Frank Nicotero[11]
2012 The Half Hour
2013–14 Deal With It Host
2016 Acting Out Himself
2017 Joe Rogan Experience #925 Guest
2018 Joe Rogan Experience #1118 Guest
2018 Joe Rogan Experience #1141 Guest
2019 Hot Ones Guest
2019 Impaulsive Guest
2019 Joe Rogan Experience #1225 Guest
2021 Joe Rogan Experience #1731 Guest
2022 Joe Rogan Experience #1847 Guest
2023 Joe Rogan Experience #1994 Guest
Acting
Year Title Role Notes
2013 InAPPropriate Comedy Mountain Climber Film[43]
2013 Inside Amy Schumer Director Episode: "A Porn Star Is Born"
2015 Why? with Hannibal Buress Alex

References

  1. ↑ Abbey, Alison (April 27, 2023). "Theo Von Is Taking Over Your TikTok FYP. He'd Rather Not". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  2. ↑ McIntyre, Michael K. (September 13, 2017). "Theo Von brings New Orleans flavor to the Hilarities stage this weekend". cleveland.com.
  3. 1 2 BERTCAST Episode #140 - Theo Von & ME, retrieved March 13, 2023
  4. ↑ "Theo Von". OC Weekly. June 10, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ Walker, Dave. "Theo Von gets his own Comedy Central standup showcase". Times-Picayune. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Alumni Spotlights - Theo Von". unoalumni.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  7. ↑ Alvey, Michael (June 16, 2019). "The Greatest Male Players in Challenge History: #13- Theo Vonkurnatowski". Medium. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  8. ↑ Josh Blue wins Last Comic Standing 4; Theo Von wins online competition, RealityBlurred.com, August 10, 2016
  9. ↑ "Theo Von Takes Over as 'Prime Time in No Time' Host". TheWrap. February 17, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "About – Theo Von". Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Deadline Hollywood 2013
  12. 1 2 Fifty Cent Sniffs | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #224, retrieved August 22, 2019
  13. ↑ "Man Up". Comedy Central. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 21, 2019). "Chris Pratt's 'Ghost Draft' Adds Comedian Theo Von". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 Innovative Artists (2013). "Theo Von biography" (PDF). Innovative Comedy. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  16. ↑ Schulte 2018
  17. ↑ Lee & Von 2017, p. 41:00
  18. ↑ Kozell 2016
  19. 1 2 Dehnart 2006
  20. ↑ "Young Hollywood | For a Good Laugh, Call Theo Von". younghollywood.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  21. ↑ Von 2010
  22. ↑ Donnelly 2011
  23. ↑ "Theo Von 'No Offense' Netflix Special Taping". brownpapertickets.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Theo Von". facebook.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  25. ↑ "The Comedy Sideshow with Theo Von". Podcasts.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Final Episode Allegedly With Matthew Cole Weiss podcast". player.fm. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  27. ↑ "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von". stitcher.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  28. ↑ Chris Lilley | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #200, retrieved August 23, 2019
  29. 1 2 "iTunesCharts.net: 'King and the Sting' by Brendan Schaub & Theo Von (American Podcasts iTunes Chart)". itunescharts.net. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  30. ↑ "King and the Sting". Youtube. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  31. ↑ "The New Best Hour of the Week". Youtube. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Kast Media accused of "not paying creators"". podnews.net. July 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  33. ↑ Brooks, Dave (September 9, 2023). "PodcastOne Public Listing Collides With Viral Takedown Video From Comedian Theo Von". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  34. ↑ Carman, Ashley (September 14, 2023). "A Fight Over Missing Ad Money Roils the Podcast Industry". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  35. ↑ Khalid, Amrita (September 14, 2023). "Why everyone in the podcast world is mad at Kast Media's Colin Thomson". The Verge. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  36. ↑ Brooks, Dave (September 28, 2023). "PodcastOne Paid Brendan Schaub $1.6M, While Other Kast Podcasters Were Asked to Accept Pay Cuts". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  37. ↑ Nashville (video). This Past Weekend. September 8, 2020. 4:23-8:59 minutes in. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Embattled Former Tipitina's Owner Roland Von Kurnatowski Dies in Hunting Accident". Billboard. September 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Joan Hooper Feibelman". Barnett Fine Art. September 6, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  40. ↑ Netflix 2018
  41. ↑ Billboard 2018
  42. ↑ Von 2018
  43. ↑ "Inappropriate Comedy". IMDB.com. Retrieved September 14, 2013.

Selected work

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