Quick Facts
Biography
Bob Martin is a writer, actor, and comedian from Toronto, Ontario, Canada born in England in 1962. He has both performed in and written many TV shows.
Career
Theatre
Martin began his career with The Second City in Toronto in 1996.
He starred in the Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone as the "Man in Chair". He also collaborated with Don McKellar on the book. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Man in Chair which he lost to John Lloyd Young for Jersey Boys, and shared the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical with Don McKellar. After reprising his role as the Man in Chair in London's West End production of The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received an Olivier nomination, he starred in the show's North American tour for its first stop in Toronto until October 14, 2007. He was "reliniquishing his chair" to stay in Toronto with his wife and newborn son.
Martin wrote the book for the musical Minsky's, which premiered at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles in 2009.
He is currently adapting the classic film The Sting for Broadway.
Television
Martin has been involved in the award-winning series Slings & Arrows (TMN/Sundance), a TV show about a Canadian theatre company struggling to survive while a crazy genius director haunted by his dead mentor helps the actors find authenticity in their acting. As one of the creators, Martin also serves as a writer (alongside fellow writers Susan Coyne and Mark McKinney) and a creative producer.
He is also a writer of and star in the Canadian television sitcom Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays, which had its debut on CBC Television in fall 2011.
He also provides the voice of Cuddles the comfort doll on the Canadian TV show Puppets Who Kill, aired on The Comedy Network.
Works
Television works
| Year | Series | Credited as | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writer | Actor | Role | Network | ||
| 1998–2001 | Improv Heaven and Hell | Yes | The Comedy Network | ||
| 2002–2006 | Puppets Who Kill | Yes | Cuddles (voice, 34 episodes) | The Comedy Network | |
| 2003–2006 | Slings & Arrows | Yes | Yes | Terry | The Movie Network/Sundance Channel |
| 2011, 2016 | Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays | Yes | Yes | Dr. David Storper | CBC Television |
| 2014-2016 | Sensitive Skin | Yes | Movie Central/The Movie Network | ||
| 2015 | The Second City Project | Yes (also producer) | Yes | Fictional version of self | Global |
Theatre works
- The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) – Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison; book by Martin and Don McKellar; directed by Casey Nicholaw
- Minsky's (2009) – Music by Charles Strouse; lyrics by Susan Birkenhead; book by Martin; directed by Casey Nicholaw
- Elf: The Musical (2010) – Music by Matthew Sklar; lyrics by Chad Beguelin; book by Martin and Thomas Meehan; directed by Casey Nicholaw
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Canadian Comedy Awards | Television - Writing - Episode or Special | Comedy Now! | Nominated |
| 2001 | Television - Pretty Funny Writing - Series | Twitch City | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Made in Canada | Television - Pretty Funny Writing - Series | Nominated | |
| Television - Pretty Funny Writing - Special or Episode (For episode Alan's Ex) | Won | |||
| 2003 | Gemini Awards | Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Slings and Arrows | Nominated | |
| Writers Guild of Canada | Drama Series | Slings and Arrows (For episode Madness in Great Ones) | Nominated | |
| Slings and Arrows (For episode Geoffrey's Return) | Nominated | |||
| Slings and Arrows (For episode Outrageous Fortune) | Won | |||
| 2005 | Canadian Comedy Awards | Television - Pretty Funny Writing - Series | Slings and Arrows | Won |
| 2006 | Gemini Awards | Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America | Drama Series (One Hour) | Slings and Arrows (For episode Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair) | Nominated | |
| Slings and Arrows (For episode Steeped in Blood) | Won | |||
| Tony Award | Best Book of a Musical | The Drowsy Chaperone | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| New York Drama Critics' Circle | Best Musical | Won | ||
| Theatre World Award | Theatre World Award | Won | ||
| 2007 | Gemini Awards | Best Writing in a Dramatic Series | Slings and Arrows (For episode The Way Madness Lies) | Won |
| Writers Guild of Canada | Drama Series (One Hour) | Won | ||
| 2012 | Canadian Comedy Awards | Best Writing - Television Program or Series | Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays | Nominated |
| Best Performance by a Male - Television | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Comedy Program or Series | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role | Nominated | |||
| Gemini Awards | Bell Media Award for Best Comedy Program or Series | Nominated |