Biography
Comic performer Blake Anderson parlayed his slightly addled, impressively coiffured presence into a popular comedy troupe, Mail Order Comedy, which led to his first television series, the slacker comedy "Workaholics" (Comedy Central, 2011-17). Born March 2, 1984 in Sacramento County, California, Anderson attended Valley High School in Concord, California before attending Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. There, he met Adam Devine, with whom he would have a lengthy creative partnership. After moving to Los Angeles, Anderson studied improvisational comedy with such acclaimed troupes and the Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade before forming his own sketch comedy group, Mail Order Comedy, with Devine, Anders Holm and Kyle Newacheck in 2006. Though primarily a live act, Mail Order Comedy built a substantial following through social media sites like Myspace, as well as YouTube. Executives at Comedy Central discovered the group through the latter site, which led to a pilot for "Workaholics" in 2010. A subsequent series, written, produced and created by all four members of Mail Order Comedy, was launched in 2011; the show followed the adolescent misadventures of three college friends (Anderson, Devine and Holm) as they navigate adulthood and dead-end jobs at a telemarketing company. The show's combination of juvenile humor and improv sensibilities made it a popular program among younger viewers and pop culture-minded critics. In addition to "Workaholics," Anderson was a frequent guest star on other comedy series, including guest appearances on Entourage" (HBO, 2004-2011) and the revived "Arrested Development" (Netflix, 2013), as well as a recurring role on "Parks and Recreation" (NBC, 2009-2015) as the laidback head of a tech start-up company. After landing minor roles in independent features, he made his debut in a major studio feature by providing the voice of a malevolent creature in the Fox/Blue Sky animated film "Epic" (2013). The following year, he made a brief appearance in the Seth Rogen comedy "Neighbors" (2014). A supporting role in indie comedy-drama "Dope" (2015) was quickly followed by an appearance in horror comedy "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" (2015). As "Workaholics" entered its final season, Anderson also appeared in an episode of hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS 2007- ) and co-starred in "The Jellies" (Adult Swim 2017- ), an animated series co-created by Tyler the Creator.
