Craig Gass, (born February 15, 1970) in New York state, is an American stand-up comedian known for his impressions of celebrities.

Biography

Gass has been "performing stand-up comedy since 1993 when he decided to get revenge on a group of comedians who had ridiculed him for attempting to perform at an open mic."

He acquired his peculiar talent of imitating characters and actors by learning to speak as a child from watching television. Both his parents and sister are completely deaf. With his family unable to serve as a model for how to speak, Gass grew up imitating the voices on TV. Gass inherited the ability to hear from his father, a man born with all his hearing but who lost it later in life.

Career

Radio work

Listeners of The Howard Stern Show'The Kidd Chris Show'(Philadelphia) or The Steve Dahl Show'(Chicago)', The Frank Show or The Mikey Show'(San Diego) or "The KQ Morning Show"(Minneapolis) or "Bob Rivers Twisted Radio"(Seattle) or "The Pugs and Kelly Show"(Dallas) or "Toucher and Rich"(Boston)' have probably heard Gass' voice at one time or another, but may not have known it. Familiar characters Gass performs include:

• Tom Arnold
• Morgan Freeman
• Sam Kinison
• Gilbert Gottfried
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Dennis Miller
• Tracy Morgan
• Al Pacino
• Adam Sandler
• Gene Simmons
• Paul Stanley
• Lars Ulrich
• Christopher Walken
• Owen Wilson

A Stern fan favorite is Gass' impersonation of Gary Dell'Abate, also known as Baba Booey.

Television work

In 2002, Gass found work on one episode of HBO's Sex and the City. He claims to have put on over 30 pounds for his role as Tom "Big Boned" in the episode: "Cover Girl". He co-starred with Alec Baldwin on NBC's Las Vegas in early 2005 where he played a comedian, "Richie Phillips", who would begin his act by stirring people's drinks with his penis. Other television highlights include a guest spot on Law & Order as "Mark Grandy", and some commercial work for AT&T and Smirnoff. In 2004, Gass played the new driver in the episode "Entertainment Weakly" of King of Queens. In 2007, Gass competed on the television show The Next Best Thing, performing as an Al Pacino impersonator. While Gass was chosen as a semi-finalist, he was eliminated in the first semi-final round.