J. Elvis Weinstein
| Josh "J. Elvis" Weinstein | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joshua Stuart Weinstein |
| Born |
May 21, 1971 United States |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Influences | Joel Hodgson |
| Notable works and roles | Mystery Science Theater 3000 |
| Website | http://www.stinkburger.com |
Joshua Stuart "Josh" Weinstein (born May 21, 1971),[1] known professionally as J. Elvis Weinstein, is an American writer and performer, best known for his roles as Dr. Laurence Erhardt and the original puppeteer and voice for Tom Servo and Gypsy on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Weinstein was one of the founding writers/performers of the show in 1988 at the age of 17. Weinstein worked on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during its original appearance on Minneapolis UHF station KTMA-TV from 1988 to 1989, and its first season on Comedy Central (then called the Comedy Channel) from 1989 to 1990. However, a significant age gap existed between him and the other cast members; he was only 17 when he joined the show, having been recruited by Joel from his "Creative Stand-Up and Smartology" comedy classes. This ultimately led to Weinstein feeling unhappy with the more professional approach to the show the move to the Comedy Channel demanded, and caused him to leave the show.[2]
Work after MST3K
After leaving Mystery Science Theater 3000, he went on to become a writer for The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, Malcolm and Eddie, and he wrote and produced the critically acclaimed NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks. He changed his professional name from "Josh" to "J. Elvis" to avoid confusion with former Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein.[3][4][5][6] He has also been the head writer for NBC's late night show Later with Greg Kinnear, and America's Funniest Home Videos.[5][6][7]
Weinstein has an extensive background in stand-up comedy; he has performed over a thousand shows as a stand-up comedian, and has also written material for Garry Shandling, Dennis Miller, Roseanne Barr, Louie Anderson and other comedians. He is currently the president of Stinkburger Inc.[6]
He also appeared in the 2010 science fiction computer game DARKSTAR - The Interactive Movie as Captain Cedrick Stone of the Galactic Discovery II.[8]
Cinematic Titanic
On October 30, 2007, Joel Hodgson announced he was starting a new show with the same "riffing on bad movies" premise as MST3K called Cinematic Titanic, together with former MST3K cast and crew members Weinstein, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff and Mary Jo Pehl.[9]
Weinstein continued to tour with Cinematic Titanic starting from November 2012 until the show's indefinite hiatus in December 2013.
Awards
On July 18, 2015 Weinstein was awarded the Melvyn Douglass 'Best in Show' Award at the Macon Film Festival for the film Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be, which he directed.[10]
References
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JElvisWeinstein/status/337050096359321600
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/v/I3tP8bxfV-s
- ↑ Hoevel, Ann (September 6, 2010). "Cinematic Titanic's struggle with 'Weisenheimer's'". CNN. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ↑ "Biography for J. Elvis Weinstein". Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- 1 2 "Brain Scan: Where Are They Now?". The Satellite News. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-06-18. External link in
|work=(help) - 1 2 3 "Who is J. Elvis?". Stinkburger Inc. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- ↑ "J. Elvis Weinstein". IMDb. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- ↑ DARKSTAR on Satellite News
- ↑ Cinematic Titanic - Homepage of MST3K alumni Joel Hodgson, Frank Conniff, Josh Weinstein, Trace Beaulieu and Mary Jo Pehl Archived December 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ 2015 Macon Film Festival Awards