Denis Leary

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1957, the blunt comedian Denis Leary enrolled at Emerson College in Boston, where he joined the Comedy Workshop as a founding participant and later instructed students there for five years after completing his studies. Following early recognition for his stand-up performances and writing, he headed to London in 1990 with his wife Ann, then pregnant, to fulfill a BBC engagement. Their child arrived unexpectedly while abroad, stretching a short trip into an extended residence. To occupy the extra time, Leary drafted his breakthrough solo show No Cure for Cancer, which opened in Scotland, earned strong notices throughout Britain, and reached the United States the next year.

Showtime recorded the piece in 1992, after which an album and printed version appeared, presenting a sharp attack on smoking restrictions and diminishing individual liberties. Around the same period Leary created a run of caustic MTV promotional spots that raised his profile, moving him from minor film parts to the lead in the 1994 black comedy The Ref. The 1996 romantic comedy Two If by Sea, which he co-wrote, met with both critical and commercial disappointment, yet he recovered promptly through further movie roles, television work, and development of a sequel to No Cure for Cancer. The 1997 album Lock 'N Load included a contribution from Janeane Garofalo.