Career Timeline of Andy Richter: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Andy Richter, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Andy Richter is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer widely recognized as Conan O'Brien's sidekick on various late-night shows, including Late Night, The Tonight Show, and Conan. Beyond his role alongside O'Brien, Richter starred in the television series Andy Richter Controls the Universe. He has also lent his voice to animated characters like Mort in the Madagascar film series and Ben Higgenbottom in The Mighty B! Since 2019, Richter has hosted his own podcast, The Three Questions with Andy Richter, exploring various topics with diverse guests.
1988: Left Columbia College Chicago
In 1988, Andy Richter left Columbia College Chicago, where he was a film major. He worked as a production assistant on commercial shoots in Chicago.
1993: Became Conan O'Brien's Sidekick
In 1993, Andy Richter became Conan O'Brien's sidekick on Late Night with Conan O'Brien just weeks before the show began airing.
1998: Upright Citizens Brigade Appearance
In 1998, Andy Richter and Sarah Thyre appeared together playing Hansel and Gretel in an episode of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy series on Comedy Central.
May 26, 2000: Departure from Late Night
On May 26, 2000, Andy Richter departed from Late Night with Conan O'Brien after seven years on the show to pursue acting in films and television.
2000: Career Shift to Acting
In 2000, Andy Richter left Late Night to pursue acting, leading to the creation of "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" on Fox, which was canceled after two mid-season runs.
April 2002: Malcolm in the Middle Appearance
In April 2002, Andy Richter appeared in the "Clip Show" episode of the Fox series Malcolm in the Middle, playing a psychiatrist giving therapy to Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey.
October 2005: Will & Grace Appearance
In October 2005, Andy Richter appeared in the "The Old Man and the Sea" episode of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace as an annoying blind date of Grace Adler.
2006: The New Adventures of Old Christine Recurring Role
From 2006, Andy Richter had a recurring role as "Sad Dad" Stan in the TV show The New Adventures of Old Christine.
2006: Arrested Development Appearance
In the 2006 episode "S.O.B.s" of the Fox series Arrested Development, Andy Richter played every member of the Richter quintuplets: Donnie, Chareth, Rocky, Emmett, and himself.
2007: Andy Barker P.I. Series
In 2007, Andy Richter's television series, "Andy Barker P.I.", co-written and executive produced by Conan O'Brien, aired on NBC but was canceled after poor ratings, despite critical acclaim.
2008: Prop 8 — The Musical
In 2008, Andy Richter appeared in composer Marc Shaiman's satirical mini-musical "Prop 8 — The Musical", distributed on the internet at FunnyOrDie.com.
2008: The New Adventures of Old Christine Recurring Role
Through 2008, Andy Richter had a recurring role as "Sad Dad" Stan in the TV show The New Adventures of Old Christine.
February 24, 2009: Rejoined Conan O'Brien
On February 24, 2009, Andy Richter rejoined Conan O'Brien as the announcer for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in Los Angeles, also participating in comedy sketches and as part of the show's writing staff.
December 2009: Joined Conan on the Couch
In December 2009, Andy Richter began joining Conan O'Brien on the couch during celebrity interviews on The Tonight Show, similar to his role on Late Night.
2009: Webby Award and GLAAD Media Award
In 2009, "Prop 8 — The Musical", in which Andy Richter appeared, won the Webby Award for Comedy and a GLAAD Media Award.
2009: Celebrity Jeopardy! Record
In 2009, Andy Richter achieved the highest one-day score on Celebrity Jeopardy!, winning $68,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
June 2010: Hosted Team Coco Presents the Conan Writers Live
In June 2010, Andy Richter hosted the "Team Coco Presents the Conan Writers Live" comedy special for TBS at the Just for Laughs festival in Chicago, filling in for Conan O'Brien.
2010: Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
After the end of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien", in 2010 Andy Richter joined Conan O'Brien on his Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour as announcer and sidekick and made an appearance on The Suite Life on Deck.
2010: Joined Conan on TBS
In 2010, Andy Richter followed Conan O'Brien to TBS and resumed his roles as announcer, writer, sidekick, and participant in comedy sketches on "Conan".
2010: Potential Pyramid Host
In 2010, Andy Richter was considered as a potential host for a revival of the "Pyramid" game show on CBS, although the series was ultimately not picked up.
May 18, 2011: TBS Announces Development of Pyramid Hosted by Richter
On May 18, 2011, TBS announced development of a possible new version of "Pyramid", again to be hosted by Andy Richter.
July 2013: Signed on to host game show Step Up
In July 2013, Andy Richter signed on to host a game show called "Step Up", which was ordered by Fox.
2013: Arrested Development Season 4 Appearance
In 2013, Andy Richter reprised his roles as the Richter quintuplets in several episodes of season 4 of Arrested Development, which aired on Netflix.
2016: Support for Planned Parenthood
In 2016, Andy Richter referenced abortion services provided in 1992 for his then-partner, Sarah Thyre, at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser.
January 2017: Big Fan Host
In January 2017, Andy Richter began hosting the ABC game show Big Fan.
April 15, 2019: Fired Agents as Part of WGA Stand
On April 15, 2019, Andy Richter joined other writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and against film packaging.
June 2019: The Three Questions with Andy Richter Podcast
In June 2019, Andy Richter began hosting his own podcast, "The Three Questions with Andy Richter", on the Earwolf network.
May 2021: Gus and Eddy Podcast Appearance
In May 2021, Andy Richter appeared on the Gus and Eddy Podcast hosted by Gus Johnson and Eddy Burback.
2021: Chicago Party Aunt Voice Role
In 2021, Andy Richter voiced himself in an episode of the Netflix animated sitcom Chicago Party Aunt.
September 2022: Celebrity Jeopardy! Appearance
In September 2022, Andy Richter appeared on the series premiere of Celebrity Jeopardy! and finished in second place, winning $30,000 for The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
2024: The Masked Singer Competition
In 2024, Andy Richter competed in season twelve of The Masked Singer as "Dust Bunny", with Dick Van Dyke as his Mask Ambassador, but was eliminated in the Group B premiere "Sports Night".
November 11, 2025: Dancing with the Stars Elimination
On November 11, 2025, Andy Richter and his partner Emma Slater were eliminated during the quarterfinals of season thirty-four of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in seventh place, despite receiving low scores and having a large fanbase.
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