Artie Lange

Also known as: Art, Baby Gorilla, Artie Quitter

Arthur Steven Lange Jr. was born on October 11, 1967, in Livingston, New Jersey, and raised in Union Township. His father, a general contractor, became a quadriplegic after falling off a ladder in 1985 and died in 1990. To support his family, Lange worked as a longshoreman at Port Newark and a taxi driver in New York City while developing his stand-up act on the club circuit starting in 1992. In 1995, Lange was selected from 8,000 candidates to join the cast of MADtv on Fox. His cocaine addiction spiraled during the show, leading to his first suicide attempt in November 1995 after running out of cocaine. He completed rehab and returned for more episodes, but was arrested for cocaine possession during the second season and left the show in late 1996. Norm Macdonald, who had seen him on MADtv, cast him as the co-lead in Dirty Work (1998), giving Lange the nickname 'Baby Gorilla' courtesy of Don Rickles on set. This led to roles in Mystery Men, The Bachelor, and Macdonald's sitcom The Norm Show (1999-2001). When Jackie Martling left The Howard Stern Show in 2001, Lange auditioned and won the seat, becoming Stern's full-time sidekick. He was an instant hit with listeners thanks to his everyman persona and brutally honest storytelling. During his Stern years, Lange hit career peaks: he co-wrote, produced, and starred in Beer League (2006), sold out Carnegie Hall, and published Too Fat to Fish (2008) with co-author Anthony Bozza, which debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. At his height he earned roughly $700,000 from Stern and $3 million annually from sta

Profile updated .

Artie Lange highlights

  • MADtv and Early Hollywood (1995-2001): Selected from 8,000 candidates for Fox's MADtv at age 27. Cocaine addiction led to first suicide attempt (1995), arrest, and departure from the show. Norm Macdonald rescued his career by casting him in Dirty Work (1998), leading to roles in Mystery Men, The Norm Show, and other films.
  • Howard Stern Sidekick Era (2001-2009): Won Jackie Martling's vacated seat and became one of the most beloved figures in radio history. Sold out Carnegie Hall, co-wrote and starred in Beer League (2006), and published the number-one bestseller Too Fat to Fish (2008). Earned nearly $4 million annually at his peak between Stern salary and stand-up.
  • Second Suicide Attempt and Aftermath (2010-2014): Stabbed himself nine times on January 2, 2010, found by his mother during a planned intervention. Stern chose not to bring him back. Rebuilt with The Nick and Artie Show (2011-2013) and published Crash and Burn (2013), his unflinching account of the attempt and recovery.
  • Compound Media and Collapse (2017-2019): Co-hosted The Artie and Anthony Show on Compound Media (September 2017 to May 2018). Arrested for 81 bags of heroin (December 2017), nose visibly collapsed from years of drug abuse, sentenced to four years probation (June 2018), jailed for violations in 2019, worked at a gas station during drug court.
  • Sobriety and Quiet Recovery (2020-Present): Announced one year clean in January 2020. Briefly launched the Halfway House podcast before stepping back. Entered extended hiatus in February 2022, reported sober and focusing on health. Three published memoirs (Too Fat to Fish, Crash and Burn, Wanna Bet?) chronicle his extraordinary rise and fall.

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