History of Artie Lange in Timeline
Artie Lange is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and radio personality. He is most famous for his roles on Mad TV (1995-1997) and The Howard Stern Show (2001-2009). Prior to his comedy career, Lange worked as a longshoreman and taxi driver to support his family after his father's death. He began performing stand-up comedy in 1987 and became a full-time comedian five years later, honing his skills in New York City comedy clubs.
October 11, 1967: Artie Lange's Birth
On October 11, 1967, Arthur Steven Lange Jr. was born. He is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and radio personality.
August 1985: Arrested for Attempted Bank Robbery
In August 1985, Artie Lange was arrested for attempted bank robbery.
March 1986: Charge Reduced to Disorderly Conduct
In March 1986, Artie Lange's charge for attempted bank robbery was reduced to disorderly conduct, requiring him to pay court fees and complete community service.
June 1987: Completes Broadcasting School
From March to June 1987, as part of his probation, Artie Lange attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.
1987: Debut as a Stand-up Comedian
In 1987, Artie Lange debuted as a stand-up comedian.
February 1991: Longshoreman Job
In February 1991, Artie Lange worked as a longshoreman at Port Newark.
September 1992: Focus on Comedy
In September 1992, Artie Lange quit his longshoreman job to focus on a comedy career and began driving a taxi in New York City.
May 1995: Shooting Mad TV Pilot
In May 1995, Artie Lange flew to Los Angeles to shoot the television pilot for Mad TV.
November 1995: Suicide Attempt
In November 1995, after nine episodes of Mad TV had been shot, Artie Lange attempted suicide and was taken to intensive care.
1995: Mad TV
In 1995, Artie Lange joined the sketch comedy series Mad TV.
January 1996: Returns to Mad TV
In January 1996, Artie Lange returned to Los Angeles to film the remaining episodes of the first season of Mad TV.
August 1996: Filming for Mad TV Season 2
In August 1996, filming for the second season of Mad TV began.
November 1996: Departure from Mad TV
In November 1996, Artie Lange's time on Mad TV ended after an intervention due to his cocaine use.
January 1997: Returns to New Jersey and Enters Psychiatric Hospital
In January 1997, after his jail term, Artie Lange returned to New Jersey and spent a short time in a psychiatric hospital before completing formal rehabilitation.
1997: Resumes Stand-up and Invited to Audition for Sitcoms
In 1997, Artie Lange left rehab, resumed stand-up gigs in New York City, and was invited to audition for two network television sitcoms.
1997: Development Deal with Fox
In late 1997, Artie Lange accepted a $750,000 development deal with Fox.
January 8, 1998: Guest Appearance on The Howard Stern Show
On January 8, 1998, Artie Lange made his debut guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show with Norm Macdonald to promote the film Dirty Work.
April 1998: Co-writes Pilot with Sam Cass
In April 1998, Artie Lange co-wrote a pilot television series with Sam Cass, titled The King of New York.
1998: Dirty Work Film Release
In 1998, Artie Lange co-starred in the comedy film Dirty Work, directed by Bob Saget.
1999: Feature Film Roles and Opening Act
From 1999 to 2000, Artie Lange secured roles in the feature films Mystery Men, The Bachelor, The 4th Floor, and Lost & Found and toured as the opening act to Norm Macdonald's stand-up shows.
1999: Joins The Norm Show
In 1999, Artie Lange joined the cast of Macdonald's sitcom The Norm Show during its second season as Macdonald's half brother, Artie.
2000: Feature Film Roles and Opening Act
From 1999 to 2000, Artie Lange secured roles in the feature films Mystery Men, The Bachelor, The 4th Floor, and Lost & Found and toured as the opening act to Norm Macdonald's stand-up shows.
2001: Cancellation of The Norm Show
In 2001, The Norm Show was cancelled after three seasons, ending Artie Lange's role on the sitcom.
August 2003: Discovering Native American Ancestry
In August 2003, Artie Lange discovered he is approximately twenty-five percent Native American after DNA testing.
2006: Artie Lange's Beer League Film Release
In 2006, Artie Lange co-wrote, produced, and starred in his feature film Artie Lange's Beer League.
March 2008: LIFEbeat Refuses Donations
In March 2008, LIFEbeat refused further donations from Artie Lange's cupcake sales after he used anti-gay epithets on-air, though they later reached an amicable truce.
2008: Too Fat to Fish Book Release
In 2008, Artie Lange released his first book, Too Fat to Fish, which became a New York Times Best Seller.
2010: Suicide Attempt and Rehabilitation
In early 2010, Artie Lange attempted suicide and subsequently completed rehabilitation.
2011: The Nick & Artie Show
From 2011 to 2013, Artie Lange co-hosted The Nick & Artie Show with Nick Di Paolo.
2013: Crash and Burn Book Release
In 2013, Artie Lange released his second book, Crash and Burn.
October 18, 2014: The Stench of Failure Comedy Central special
On October 18, 2014, Artie Lange's one-hour comedy special, titled "The Stench of Failure," aired on Comedy Central.
November 4, 2014: Offensive Tweets
On November 4, 2014, Artie Lange posted a series of offensive tweets about a sexual fantasy involving himself as Thomas Jefferson and ESPN sportscaster Cari Champion as a slave. The controversial tweets led to a lifetime ban from ESPN and the cancellation of a scheduled appearance on Comedy Central.
2014: The Artie Lange Show
Artie Lange hosted The Artie Lange Show until 2014.
2014: More Stand-up
During a 2014 interview with Marc Maron, Lange said that creative frustration from the Norm Show drove him to perform more stand-up comedy as he came into his own as a comedian.
2014: Breakup with Adrienne Ockrymiek
In 2014, Artie Lange broke up with his fiancée, Adrienne Ockrymiek.
January 5, 2015: The Artie Quitter Podcast Launch
On January 5, 2015, Artie Lange launched his uncensored, subscription-based podcast titled "The Artie Quitter Podcast".
November 2015: Filming of Crashing
Filming for the HBO comedy series "Crashing" began in November 2015, with Artie Lange in a recurring role, playing a loose version of himself.
December 2015: Third Book Proposal
In December 2015, Artie Lange began writing his third book, "The Gambler: A Degenerate's Guide to Living on the Edge" with Bozza. The publisher required a 25-page proposal before offering a contract, which was well received and led to a deal.
2015: The Artie Quitter Podcast
From 2015 to 2017, Artie Lange hosted The Artie Quitter Podcast.
2016: Inability to Vote
During a 2016 interview from Maxim, Artie Lange said that he couldn't vote due to being a convicted felon.
2016: Sale of Summer Home
In 2016, Artie Lange's summer home in Toms River, New Jersey, was sold for $1.35 million.
2016: Continuation of Filming Crashing and guest appearance on The Jim Gaffigan Show
Throughout 2016, Artie Lange continued to film episodes of the TV show "Crashing" and made a guest appearance on "The Jim Gaffigan Show".
February 2017: Premiere of Crashing
In February 2017, "Crashing" premiered. Artie Lange promoted the show with a stand-up and media tour alongside Pete Holmes and Judd Apatow.
March 12, 2017: Arrest on Drug Possession Charges
On March 12, 2017, Artie Lange was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia in the parking garage of his apartment complex.
April 5, 2017: Charges Downgraded
On April 5, 2017, Artie Lange's original drug charges were downgraded to three "disorderly persons" offenses. However, he failed to appear in court, leading to a bench warrant for his arrest.
May 2017: Announcement of The Artie Quitter Podcast Ending
In May 2017, Artie Lange announced that "The Artie Quitter Podcast" would end after 400 episodes. He wanted to focus on comedy, filming "Crashing", and writing his third book.
July 7, 2017: Emergency surgery
On July 7, 2017, Artie Lange was rushed to a hospital and underwent emergency chest surgery after collapsing following a stand-up performance in Chicago.
September 5, 2017: Debut of The Artie and Anthony Show
On September 5, 2017, Artie Lange began co-hosting "The Artie and Anthony Show" with Anthony Cumia on Cumia's Compound Media network.
September 2017: Planned resumption of The Artie Quitter Podcast
In September 2017, Artie Lange aimed to resume "The Artie Quitter Podcast", either at a cheaper subscription rate or for free with advertisements.
December 15, 2017: Guilty Plea and Rehab
On December 15, 2017, Artie Lange pleaded guilty to possessing 81 bags of heroin and checked himself into rehab.
December 2017: Absence from The Artie and Anthony Show Following Arrest
Following his December 2017 arrest and subsequent time in rehab, Artie Lange was absent from "The Artie and Anthony Show" for six weeks.
2017: Recurring role in Crashing
In 2017, Artie Lange had a recurring role in the HBO series Crashing.
January 2018: Outpatient Rehab Program
In January 2018, Artie Lange left rehab and began an outpatient rehab program, attending five days a week and undergoing regular urine tests.
January 22, 2018: Return to The Artie and Anthony Show
On January 22, 2018, Artie Lange returned full-time to co-hosting "The Artie and Anthony Show" after a six-week absence due to rehab.
May 14, 2018: Departure from The Artie and Anthony Show
On May 14, 2018, Anthony Cumia announced that Artie Lange would be departing "The Artie and Anthony Show" for the foreseeable future due to his ongoing health and legal issues.
June 1, 2018: Probation Sentence
On June 1, 2018, Artie Lange was sentenced to four years of probation. He was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service and further outpatient rehabilitation.
July 2018: Release of Wanna Bet?: A Degenerate Gambler's Guide to Living on the Edge
In July 2018, Artie Lange's book "Wanna Bet?: A Degenerate Gambler's Guide to Living on the Edge", co-authored with Bozza, was released.
November 2018: Inpatient Rehabilitation
In November 2018, Artie Lange entered inpatient rehabilitation with comedian Bob Levy after breaking his probation by testing positive twice for cocaine and opioids.
2018: Wanna Bet? Book Release, Hiatus on Career
In 2018, Artie Lange released his third book Wanna Bet? and put a hiatus on his career following a series of arrests and drug rehabilitation.
2018: Development of new projects
In 2018, Artie Lange was developing a film, a sitcom, and an animated series.
January 30, 2019: Custody and Treatment Center
On January 30, 2019, Artie Lange was taken into custody for possession of a controlled substance and checked into a treatment center.
August 2019: Progress in Rehab
In August 2019, Radar Online reported that Artie Lange was progressing in rehab and would remain there at least through September. He was scheduled to return to court where a jail sentence was possible.
September 10, 2019: Lange Leaves Rehab
On September 10, 2019, Artie Lange left rehab and announced he had been sober for more than seven months.
September 20, 2019: New Podcast Deal
On September 20, 2019, Artie Lange announced he had signed a deal to start a new podcast.
December 2, 2019: Premiere of Artie Lange's Halfway House
On December 2, 2019, Artie Lange's new podcast, "Artie Lange's Halfway House", premiered, featuring comedian Mike Bocchetti as co-host.
January 30, 2020: One Year of Sobriety
On January 30, 2020, Artie Lange announced that he had been sober for one year.
February 7, 2020: Last Episode of Artie Lange's Halfway House
On February 7, 2020, the last episode of "Artie Lange's Halfway House" was released before Artie Lange put his career on hold later that month.
November 2020: Letters to Artie Podcast
In November 2020, Artie Lange resurfaced with a new podcast series, "Letters to Artie", on The Comics Gym network with his manager as co-host, though only one episode was recorded.
October 2021: Resuming Artie Lange's Halfway House Podcast
In October 2021, Artie Lange resumed the "Artie Lange's Halfway House" podcast, recording two episodes a week, and set up a Patreon account.
February 2022: Another Hiatus
In February 2022, Artie Lange entered another hiatus.
February 2022: Hiatus of Artie Lange's Halfway House Podcast
In February 2022, Artie Lange put the "Artie Lange's Halfway House" podcast on hiatus once more to focus on his health.
March 2023: Jimmy Palumbo's Update on Lange's Health
In March 2023, actor and friend Jimmy Palumbo reported that Artie Lange was sober and trying to get healthy.
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