Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson (born January 12, 1984) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He played Richard Splett in the series Veep and co-starred in Detroiters opposite Tim Robinson. In 2019, he portrayed Alf in the YouTube Premium series Champaign ILL.

Richardson was born and raised in Detroit. His father is African American and his mother is from Ghana. Once or twice a year, the family would travel to Ghana, where Richardson’s grandfather, W. A. Wiafe, was a chief and local political leader. Richardson graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in 2002 and studied theater at Wayne State University. Early in his career, Richardson performed at the Second City sketch theatre group in Detroit and then in Chicago. At Second City, Richardson was known for his range of characters, from sight gags to impressions of public figures.

Following a move to Los Angeles, he received parts on television appearing on six episodes, including the series finale of The Office and a season 4 episode of Arrested Development. He has also appeared on episodes of Drunk History, New Girl, The Teachers, and six episodes of Harder Than It Looks. Richardson played the role of Richard Splett on the HBO comedy Veep, first appearing in four episodes during season 3 as the handler for Selina Meyer during her Iowa book tour. During season 4, Richardson was made a regular cast member of the show, after his character received a job offer in President Meyer's administration as an assistant to the character Jonah. He has also appeared in films including We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses 2, Spy, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and Ghostbusters.

Detroiters

In 2015, Comedy Central ordered a pilot for the series Detroiters, created by Richardson and Tim Robinson. The show stars Richardson and Robinson, who also co-wrote and co-executive produced the series with others. Comedy Central then ordered ten episodes of the series, which began shooting in the Detroit area in 2016. According to Detroit Free Press, "In the series, Richardson and Robinson play struggling advertising men in Detroit who make local TV commercials. The plot was inspired partly by the classic Detroit ads they grew up watching, including the Mel Farr Superstar and Gordy from ABC Warehouse campaigns." Detroiters ran for two seasons before its cancellation by Comedy Central in 2018.

In 2016, Richardson was nominated for the Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) award at the Canadian Screen Awards for his work on The Second City Project. He was also nominated for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work on Veep, winning in 2018.