Dave Foley Biography

David Scott "Dave" Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, Celebrity Poker Showdown and Dan Vs.. He also frequently appears on The Late Late Show on CBS.

Early life

Foley, the third of four children, was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, the son of Mary, a homemaker, and Michael Foley, a steam-fitter.

Acting career

The Kids in the Hall

After dropping out of high school, Foley pursued standup comedy for about a year in the Toronto Second City Training Centre where he began taking improv classes. There, he met Kevin McDonald. McDonald got Foley a job with him as an usher at a local art house movie theatre. Together, they formed the original The Kids in the Hall.

In October 1989, The Kids in the Hall debuted on TV, with a cast of Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Some of Foley's famous characters include Hecubus, one of the Sizzler sisters, the A. T. & Love boss, Bruno Puntz Jones, Mr. Heavyfoot, Jocelyn, and Lex. The show ended in April 1994.

The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy

Initially involved with The Kids in the Hall film Brain Candy project, he left the troupe in the middle of the writing, dissatisfied with the internal strife and the quality of the script, and joined the NewsRadio cast instead. As the remaining Kids still hadn't signed any contract with the studio, Foley agreed to sign a deal, which would allow the rest of the troupe to get paid for the script, though he was convinced that it would never be shot. When it was greenlighted, Foley did the film because he was contractually obligated. He is the only member of the group who is not credited as a writer.

Foley rejoined the troupe in 2000 and has been an integral part of their various reformations. He appeared in the Kids in the Hall 2010 reunion project Death Comes to Town.

NewsRadio

Paul Simms, creator of NewsRadio (1995-99), happened to be a huge fan of Foley's work, and wrote the role of Dave Nelson specifically for him.

Much of Foley's character on the show was based on his own personality quirks, including his coffee addiction and his love of the sitcom Green Acres.

He was recently reunited with NewsRadio writer Joe Furey, when he recorded the special featurette Working with Joe Furey, an add-on to Furey's comedy Love and Support.

Robson Arms

Foley starred in the third season of Robson Arms on CTV.

Movie appearances

Foley co-wrote and starred in the comedy The Wrong Guy, in which he played Nelson Hibbert, an office worker who finds his boss murdered, mistakenly believes he will be blamed for the crime and runs off as a fugitive. He also starred in High Stakes, in which he played Bo Baker, a day dreaming 'star reporter' looking for the perfect story. He voiced Flik, an ant who is trying to gain respect for his colony, in Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life, a role he reprised for brief cameos in Toy Story 2 and Cars, along with the voices for the Baldwin brothers in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Foley's other movies include Monkeybone, Blast from the Past, Swindle, and Sky High. He also played one of the office workers in My Boss's Daughter. In 2001, he played the boss of 'N Sync singer Lance Bass in the film On the Line. In 2007, he appeared, nude, in Uwe Boll's film adaptation of the controversial PC game Postal. Foley's other credits include Anne of Avonlea as Lewis Allen, California Dreaming (along with NewsRadio co-star Vicki Lewis), and Broken Lizard's Freeloaders. His next film is the comedy, Last Call. Foley voiced Terry Perry in the 2013 Disney/Pixar film Monsters University.

Appearing as a guest actor on television shows

Foley has been a guest on many television series. These include Becker, Carpoolers, Comedy Central Presents, Committed, Desperate Housewives, Dinner for Five, Father of the Pride, Grounded for Life, Hot Properties, I Love the '70s, I'm with Her, In Plain Sight, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Joey, Just Shoot Me!, L.A. Blues, Las Vegas, Less Than Kind, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Lovespring International, MADtv, Mr. Show, Odd Job Jack, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Sketch Pad, South Park, Testing Bob, The King of Queens, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Prodigious Hickey, Stargate Atlantis, The Tick, Tom Goes to the Mayor, What's Up Peter Fuddy?, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Brothers & Sisters, Will & Grace, Hot in Cleveland, True Jackson VP, Eureka, Leverage and Maron.

He delivered a portrayal of astronaut Alan Bean in the seventh episode of the television mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. In 1987 he danced with Anne Shirley in the TV mini-series Anne of Avonlea.

In 2002, Foley hosted the CBC Christmas Special, The True Meaning of Christmas Specials, in which Foley, a Mexican Elvis, Elvis Stojko, and Dick Dale travel to Canada in search of the true meaning of Christmas specials. In 2004, Foley became host of Celebrity Poker Showdown on Bravo. Foley made a guest appearance in the 2007 special, Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary.

In 2007, Foley became the judge for the US version of Thank God You're Here.

Foley portrayed a middle management employee (who happens to be a vampire) in the undead office comedy Netherbeast Incorporated (2007). He lends his voice to the disgruntled elf Wayne in the 2009 Disney-produced holiday specials "Prep and Landing", "Prep and Landing: Operation Secret Santa", and "Prep and Landing: Naughty vs Nice"

In 2010, he appeared as a high school principal in two season 6 episodes of the comedy It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. In 2011, he appeared in How I Met Your Mother as Marshall's possible future boss, Mr. Bloom.

In October 2012 and January 2013, Foley guest-starred on The Middle as Dr. Fulton (Brick's school therapist) in episodes "Bunny Therapy" (2012) and "Life Skills" (2013). During "Life Skills", Foley's character refers to Brick's (Atticus Shaffer) classmates as "the kids in the hall" (following an awkward pause and glance by both characters) and mentioned their behavior similar to those of comedy sketches from The Kids in the Hall.

The Sensible Traveler with Bobby Fargo

In 2009 Foley was hired by 49 North Inc./Fuel Industries, a multi-national branded content and entertainment company, to star in a web series titled The Sensible Traveler. Six episodes are written by TV writer Stephen Hibbert and directed by a number of people, including Leslie Iwerks and Chris Roach. To date, The Sensible Traveler is one of 49 North Inc./Fuel Industries' most successful web series at well over 20,000 hits since the beginning of 2010. No word has yet been released as to a second season being filmed.

Music video appearances

In 1993, Foley appeared in a music video for the Vancouver, BC band Odds, alongside fellow The Kids in the Hall members Mark McKinney and Kevin McDonald. In the video for "Heterosexual Man" the three comedians play stereotypical macho jocks in the audience of a small bar where Odds are playing until Foley inexplicably turns into a woman.

In 2008 he appeared in Hollerado's original music video for their song 'Americanarama' where he portrays a sexually promiscuous boss/ underwear model, in the band's parody to American Apparel.

In 2010, Foley appeared in a music video for the Los Angeles, CA band Black Robot. The song is a cover of the JJ Cale classic "Cocaine". The video was released on May 5, 2010 exclusively on top rated gaming website IGN.com and was filmed at the legendary burlesque club Jumbo's Clown Room.

Dave Foley starred in Neva Dinova's video for the song "Yellow Datsun" from their album Hate Yourself Change released on Side Cho Records.

In 2012, Foley starred in Off!'s music video for their song Borrow and Bomb, playing a "professional educator" by the name of Dale Antwerp who hosts a public access talk show entitled Teen Talk.

Voice acting

Dave Foley provided the voice-acting for the robot character Yes Man in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas. He is also playing the character Chris on The Hub's new show Dan vs. He also voiced Agent Rick on Pound Puppies. In the 2013 Pixar film Monsters University, he voiced Terry Perry, part of a monster with two heads. He also starred in the 1998 Pixar film A Bug's Life, where he voiced the main character Flik.

Songwriter

Foley is listed as a co-writer of the Stripper's Union single "Give Up and Go Away", a song originally written for his former wife Crissy.

Personal life

He married his first wife, writer Tabatha Southey, on December 31, 1991, in Canada. They divorced in 1997 after six years of marriage. Together they had two children, Edmund "Ned" (born in 1991) and Basil (born in 1995).

He resides in Los Angeles. On August 1, 2002, he married Crissy Guerrero. Their daughter, Alina Chiara (born April 16, 2003), portrays Ellie on FX's The League and has appeared as Claire Brady on the soap opera Days of Our Lives from January 3 to March 24, 2008, and also starred in the Jackie Chan movie, The Spy Next Door, released on January 15, 2010. Foley and Guerrero divorced in 2008.