Stephen Lynch (Celebrity In Spotlight)

Stephen Andrew Lynch, is an American stand-up comedian, musician and Tony Award-nominated actor. Lynch has released one studio album and two live albums along with a live DVD. He appeared on his own Comedy Central Presents special (with another one to premiere on January 11, 2008) and starred in the Broadway adaptation of The Wedding Singer.

After spending his first year out of college with friends in California, Lynch moved to New York City in 1996 with the intention of becoming an actor.Upon his arrival, a friend at the West Bank Cafe on 42nd Street suggested Lynch play some of the comic songs he had written while attending university for an audience. He soon found great success in comedy clubs and other venues around the city (notably Catch a Rising Star and Caroline's, and became a regular on radio shows such as Opie and Anthony. Lynch spent his early years in New York City doing what he called "totally mindless work" as a temp worker. He quit such temporary jobs permanently, signed with What Are Records? in the year 2000 and the William Morris Agency in 2001.

As a result of the duality of his act, Lynch turned heads in the music industry as well as on the comedy circuit. He attracted extra attention usually not available to comics by playing venues more often suited to music than to comedy (eventually graduating to hugely famous locations such as the House of Blues, The Town Hall and the esteemed Kennedy Center). He gained great national exposure with his Comedy Central Presents special in 2000, one of the highest rated in the network's history. He has made appearances on Comedy Central's Premium Blend, The World Comedy Tour and The World Stands Up. He has also made four appearances on Last Call with Carson Daly, and has performed at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada.

In the summer of 2004, he went on a tour co-headlining with Mitch Hedberg. The tour was such a success that they added an extra leg and ran into 2005. This was the last tour of Hedberg's before his death.He has also appeared in five short films, including The Love Seat in 1999 and The Confetti Brothers in 2001. Both films were written and directed by Kirker Butler. The Confetti Brothers, a satire, screened to packed houses at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.In April 2006, Lynch starred in the title role of Robbie Hart in the Broadway musical The Wedding Singer, which ran on Broadway from April 27, 2006 through December 31, 2006 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. This musical production was based on the 1998 New Line Cinema film The Wedding Singer starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The musical, Lynch's Broadway debut, co-starred two-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti in the role of Julia Sullivan, originated by Barrymore in the film. The April 2006 opening followed a successful preview run in Seattle at The 5th Avenue Theatre which ran from January 31-February 19. His performance has earned him nominations for Drama League and Drama Desk awards,as well as a nomination for the coveted Tony Award.