MITCH HEDBERG DOCUMENTARY
WRAPS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Nearly 20 years since Hedberg’s 2005 passing, definitive portrait features talent including Lewis Black, Jim Gaffigan, B.J. Novak, Margaret Cho, Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, Todd Barry, Nick Swardson and more
Download Exclusive talent stills here.
LOS ANGELES, August 6, 2024 — 222-2222 Films, a partnership formed by filmmakers Jeff Siegel and Michael Blieden, today announces the completion of principal photography for a comprehensive documentary chronicling the life of comedian Mitch Hedberg (1968-2005). Deadline announced the news this morning.
Along with close family members, childhood friends, and first-hand industry collaborators, comedian interviewees include Lewis Black, Jim Gaffigan, B.J. Novak, Margaret Cho, Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, Todd Barry, Felicia Michaels, Al Madrigal, Todd Glass, Greg Fitzsimmons, Brendon Small, Gary Gulman, Nick Swardson, plus many more.
A quirky drawl and arsenal of out-there one-liners earned Hedberg 10 appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, memorable guest spots on That ‘70s Show, Dr. Katz, and Almost Famous, and being named “the next Seinfeld” by Time magazine. Even after his death at age 37, Hedberg’s three stand-up albums – including 2003’s Mitch All Together, which was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2021 – continue to stream millions of times a year. Rolling Stone, Spin, George Carlin, Steve Martin, and Chris Rock have all heralded Hedberg among the greatest comedians in history.
“He was the funniest to me,” says author, essayist, and interviewee Chuck Klosterman of Hedberg. “It was, in a weird way, the closest I ever felt to a comedian.”
B.J. Novak recalls the impression Hedberg made early on: “We talked about him as if he was too special for this world. He had this energy that he was from another planet.”
Having lived a short yet hugely impactful life, Hedberg remains one of comedy’s most unique and enigmatic figures.
“A lot of people have had a lot to say for a very long time, but no one to say it to until now,” says director Jeff Siegel, a 2024 Emmy nominee. “It’s taken many years to connect with nearly everyone who was a part of Mitch’s life and piece together his largely unknown story. All that most people know is that he was hilarious and died young, but he was so much more than that.”
For five years, the filmmakers have conducted more than 100 interviews across the country, unearthing a vast trove of unseen archival material and home movies that provide unprecedented access into Hedberg’s life.
The documentary takes viewers into comedy clubs scattered throughout America in the ‘90s. For Hedberg and his peers, “the road” was life and the grind was real. Especially in the days of carving out a career before the internet, and before society learned to better address mental-health needs.
Despite his tragic ending, the story celebrates Hedberg’s enduring legacy and timeless comedy. Hedberg’s sister Angie Anderson says, “Mitch would want us to be laughing. I miss him, but it would be unfair for all of us to be sad, because he wouldn’t want that. Not for one second.”
The project is repped by TFC Management.
Emmy award-winning filmmaker Jeff Siegel (Billy Joel: New York State of Mind, This Is a Robbery) directs, produces, and executive produces.
Executive Producers are Michael Blieden (The Comedians of Comedy, Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion) and Jack Vaughn (founder, Comedy Central Records).
Producers are Julie Seabaugh (Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11) and Becca Kinskey (John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.).
#
Jeff Siegel is an Emmy award-winning film and television director, editor, and producer. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jeff began his career with internships at Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Saturday Night Live. For over a decade, he’s directed and produced dozens of documentaries for ESPN, Major League Baseball, MLS, UFC, and Legendary Pictures, including two ESPN Films “30 For 30” shorts, a music video for James Taylor, two documentaries for Billy Joel, and produced the four-part Netflix Original Documentary Series This Is a Robbery at Barnicle Brothers alongside Tribeca Films’ Jane Rosenthal. He produced, directed, and edited the feature-length documentary Zack Hample vs. The World and was nominated for a 2024 Emmy for his contributions to the CBS special Billy Joel: The 100th - Live at Madison Square Garden.
Michael Blieden is a filmmaker, show runner, and Emmy award-nominated writer. He directed the comedy documentaries The Comedians of Comedy for Netflix and Super High Me and episodes of Clipped and Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll for FX, Brooklyn Nine-Nine for FOX, Broad City for Comedy Central, and Children’s Hospital for Adult Swim. Michael was on the writing staff of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, wrote the feature film Melvin Goes To Dinner (directed by Bob Odenkirk) and served as EP, head writer, and director of Comedy Central’s South Side. He has also produced and directed comedy specials for Zach Galifianakis and Joe Rogan as well as music videos for Fiona Apple and Kanye West. Michael filmed with Hedberg for an unaired pilot presentation for Comedy Central just three months before his passing.
Jack Vaughn is a Grammy award-winning record and television producer and label head. He created and ran Comedy Central Records, Slimstyle Records, and Third World Underground. Vaughn executive produced stand-up specials for comics including Marc Maron, Mike Birbiglia, Doug Stanhope, Todd Barry, Colin Quinn, Demetri Martin, and Ali Wong. Vaughn produced all three of Hedberg’s albums, including Mitch All Together, which was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2021. He executive produced Hope On Top: A Mitch Hedberg Oral History for SiriusXM, where he currently oversees their comedy channels.
As a professional comedy journalist of more than two decades, Julie Seabaugh has contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, GQ, The Village Voice, L.A. Weekly, and numerous other titles. Her coverage of modern roasting culminated in 2018 book Ringside at Roast Battle and her love of Mitch Hedberg led to producing/hosting 2020’s Hope on Top: A Mitch Hedberg Oral History for SiriusXM. With Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nick Scown she co-directed September 2021 feature documentary Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 for Vice. 2022’s 50 Years of the Comedy Store six-LP vinyl box set features her liner notes; her Positive Connections: A Brody Stevens Oral History debuted on SiriusXM in February 2023. The book collection A Tight 20: Two Decades of Comedy Journalism is available now.
Becca Kinskey is an independent creative producer and showrunner who has built a prolific career in comedy for streaming and TV, most recently as Supervising Producer on the headline-making live late-night series John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. for Netflix. She has produced multiple ground-breaking comedy series, including twice running the live New Year’s special The Rose Parade with Cord & Tish starring Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon for Amazon and Funny Or Die, serving as Co-EP on Hulu’s two-time Emmy-nominated I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman, producing four seasons of the Emmy award-winning Children's Hospital for Adult Swim, all three seasons of the Emmy award-winning digital series Burning Love for Yahoo!/E!, and the first season of cult classic-turned-streaming series Wet Hot American Summer for Netflix.
Comments