Quick Facts
Biography
John Lutz (born April 23, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, and for his work as a writer on the NBC series Saturday Night Live for seven seasons. In 2014, he joined the writing staff of the NBC late-night talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Early life
Lutz was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, the son of a Lutheran minister. He grew up in suburban Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan. He has two brothers: Jeremy, a math teacher in North Carolina; Joel; and a sister, Jamie. He attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, majoring in psychology and minoring in business. He performed in university theatre productions during his last three semesters on campus.
Career
Lutz began his professional career as a writer-performer with Chicago's ImprovOlympic and The Second City theaters. He was hired at NBC's Saturday Night Live in February 2004 after spending three years touring with Second City. NBC flew him in first-class to New York for a face-to-face interview with Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of the sketch comedy show.
During this time, he has also appeared in small roles on SNL. Lutz played the role of J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock until the series completion in January 2013. His character was a sketch comedy writer for the show-within-a-show.
Lutz makes frequent appearances in the long-running hit improv show ASSSSCAT 3000 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City.
Starting in November 2010, Lutz has been performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York with fellow 30 Rock star Scott Adsit in the two-man improv show John and Scott. He and Scott perform long-form improv with a single suggestion from an audience member. The show has been very successful and is still running as of January 2015.
On October 17, 2011, he appeared in an episode of The Good Wife.
Personal life
Lutz is married to Saturday Night Live contributor and 30 Rock co-star Sue Galloway.
Filmography
Acting
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2010 | Saturday Night Live | Occasional roles | 19 episodes |
| 2006-2013 | 30 Rock | J.D. Lutz | 77 episodes |
| 2008 | Stick it in Detroit | Justin Rose | |
| 2008 | Human Giant | Detective Joseph DeCarlo | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Mystery Team | Frank | |
| 2009 | Splinterheads | Guinness Man | |
| 2011 | Friends with Kids | Jason's Colleague at Work | |
| 2011, 2012 | The Good Wife | Lawyer | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Sleepwalk with Me | Chip | |
| 2016 | Odd Squad: The Movie | Weird Team Member |
Writing
| Year(s) | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003-2010 | Saturday Night Live | |
| 2008-2009 | Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday | |
| 2014–Present | Late Night with Seth Meyers |