Comedy Writer/Producer/Actor
Birthplace: Kenosha, WI
You Know Him For: Writer for The Larry Sanders Show & The Marriage Ref
Jeff Cesario was born into an Italian family in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Growing up, the youngest of three sons, Cesario was a very talented drummer. After graduating from Mary D. Bradford High School class of ’07, Cesario denied a musical scholarship to Northwestern University and decided to attend University of Wisconsin- Madison.
At Madison, Jeff composed for Jazz bands and marching bands. After getting a degree in communications, Cesario tried the competitive career of feature sports writing. Eventually, comedy caught Jeff’s attention and seemed to be the perfect mix of skills he enjoyed!
To prep for his possible comedic career, Cesario kept a folder of jokes quoted from other comedians that he would later spice up and personalize in his own way.
In 1977 while on vacation in Hollywood, Cesario made his first stand up comedy attempt at a hip club there. Cesario commented, “I think I got two laughs in five minutes.” But he lived through it!
Returning back to Kenosha with high spirits, Jeff decided to be a freelancing musician. However, a few years later in 1980, he got the courage, moved to Minneapolis and gave stand up comedy another shot.
After his second try at comedy Cesario became surprisingly successful! He was part of a four-man comedic group called The Allstars. After a year, he became favored out of the group and moved to Las Angeles.
Gaining fans and followers left and right, Cesario swept the comedic nation with appearances on David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson, ESPN’s Sportsleek, Comedy Central and Dennis Miller, where he had been nominated for numerous Emmy awards.
Since all his accomplishments, Jeff has done voiceovers for commercials and Disney movies and has writings posted in Sports Illustrated. Cesario says, “Comedy is Jazz to me. You get up on stage with a few planned things, but then you just start jamming.”
