ROBERT KLEIN Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa
HONORARY DEGREES ROBERT KLEIN Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa
Presented by Trustee Alfred L. Ferguson
A self-described amorous busboy and child of the 1950s, award-winning comedian and actor Robert Klein is a pioneer of observational humor. His razor-sharp routines helped define what we know today as stand-up comedy. And, Klein continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy on Broadway, on television, and in film.
In his memoir, The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue, he unravels an affectionate tale of growing up before embarking on a show business career. With wry wit and frank honesty, Klein recounts the journey from his parents’ small Bronx apartment, to developing his comedic talent in Chicago with the famed Second City troupe, as well as the beginning of his show business stardom.
According to Klein, while writing the book, he was surprised at how unsure he was of himself when he was younger—how afraid he was of risk and rejection, how intensely he felt things, both large and small. Klein claims this intensity is one of the mixed blessings of youth. “Mellowing, it seems, is one of the meager compensatory blessing of being old,” he said.
Fortunately for his audiences, Klein was not a mellow young man. It is difficult to overestimate how fresh and unexpected Klein’s comedy was when he first appeared on television. Brash, intelligent, and edgy without being confrontational, Klein provided a role model for a generation of comedians that followed him including: Richard Belzer, Billy Crystal, Richard Lewis, and Jerry Seinfeld. Klein’s first album, Child of the 50’s, became a handbook of sorts for the comedically inclined who were following in his footsteps.
Robert Klein attended one year of graduate school at the Yale School of Drama (1962–1963), but left because he thought he could make it as an actor in theater in New York City. That did not happen quite so quickly, but he then successfully auditioned for Second City and spent fourteen crucial months learning and performing in Chicago, before returning to New York and a role in Mike Nichol’s musical, The Apple Tree.
After the curtain fell on Broadway each night, Klein would rush to the Improvisation, the pioneering comedy club on West 44th Street, where he would absorb the master class in comedy being conducted there by Rodney Dangerfield. Dangerfield saw potential in the young Klein and took the eager would-be comic under his wing, helping to find him management and to launch his career with a Tonight Show appearance in 1968.
By 1975, when the first of Klein’s many HBO concerts aired, Robert Klein was a comic king. He appeared on variety and talk shows, found acclaim as an actor, and recorded many comedy albums. Klein’s first HBO appearance was also a first for HBO: its first live comedy concert, which set new benchmarks for audacity and language, demonstrating that the sparks that are struck during live performance can be felt through the medium of television.
Robert Klein was nominated twice for Grammy Awards for best comedy album of the year for his albums Child of the 50’s and Mind Over Matter.
He received a Tony Award nomination for best actor and won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his performance in the hit Neil Simon musical, They’re Playing Our Song. In 1993, Klein won an Obie and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in Wendy Wasserstein’s, The Sisters Rosensweig.
Klein has had many starring roles in television. He co-starred in the hit NBC series, Sisters, and regularly appears on talk-shows, making more than 100 appearances on The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Robert Klein has also appeared in many notable films including, Hooper, The Owl and the Pussycat, Primary Colors, People I Know, Two Weeks Notice, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science in 1962 from Alfred University and also received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Alfred University in 1979.
According to Jerry Seinfeld, “Robert Klein has always been the funniest, most intelligent, coolest comedian. If he would also like to be known as an amorous busboy, who am I to stand in his way?”
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