Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. (born October 11, 1967) is an American comedian, actor, author, and radio and podcast host, best known for his tenures on The Howard Stern Show and the sketch comedy series Mad TV. Born and raised in New Jersey, Lange first worked as a longshoreman and taxi driver to help support his family following the death of his quadriplegic father. In 1987, he made his debut as a stand up comic and took up the profession full-time in the early 1990s, performing in clubs and improv shows in around New York City.In 1995, Lange moved to Los Angeles to star in the first season of Mad TV. His arrest for cocaine possession during the second season led to his departure and subsequent rehabilitation. In 1997, Norm Macdonald chose Lange to co-star in his comedy film Dirty Work (1998), which secured Lange several film and television roles including Macdonald's sitcom, The Norm Show. In 2001, Lange returned to New Jersey and became a member of The Howard Stern Show until December 2009. He pursued various projects during this time; he released two comedy albums, co-wrote, produced, and starred in his feature film, Artie Lange's Beer League (2006), and released his first book, Too Fat to Fish (2008), which entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number one.
In 2011, Lange completed rehabilitation and resumed his career. He returned to stand up and co-hosted The Nick & Artie Show with Nick Di Paolo until Di Paolo's departure in 2013; the show was renamed The Artie Lange Show and lasted until 2014. During this time, Lange released his second book, Crash and Burn (2013). He launched The Artie Quitter Podcast in 2015 and continues to perform stand up and act. His third book is set for release in 2017.
