Robert Schimmel

The raunchy comedian Robert Schimmel launched his professional journey during a trip to see his sister in Los Angeles. She entered his name, unbeknownst to him, for an open-mike slot at a neighborhood comedy venue; startled when summoned to the stage, he delivered an off-the-cuff set that so won over the proprietor that Schimmel received an open invitation to return whenever he pleased. He promptly sold his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, moved his family to L.A., and discovered the club had burned down during the gap between events. Five years passed before his next major opportunity arrived, when Rodney Dangerfield noticed him and offered a spot on an upcoming HBO special. Schimmel subsequently secured a recurring slot on the Fox showcase The Sunday Comics, mixing stand-up with a series of short films titled “The Schimmel Papers,” and also taped his own Showtime special, Hardcore in the Big Apple. Guilty as Charged came next, along with numerous late-night talk-show appearances. His first LP, Robert Schimmel Comes Clean, appeared in 1997; If You Buy This CD, I Can Get This Car followed the next year, and Unprotected arrived in 1999.