Stephen Rannazzisi


Stephen Rannazzisi is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He acted in the FXX comedy series The League as Kevin MacArthur.

Career

Rannazzisi's comedy career began in 2001 after he moved from New York to Los Angeles. In 2003, he became a cast member on the MTV show Punk'd where he appeared alongside creator and host Ashton Kutcher.
Following the success of Punk'D, Rannazzisi starred in the 2006 TV series Big Day. He appeared in the 2009 blockbuster comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop before getting his big break as Kevin MacArthur in The League, which aired on FXX from October 2009 to December 2015.
He appeared as a contestant on Roast Battles in 2016 and that same year was on an episode of New Girl as Todd Ploons. His most recent acting role was in 2020, when he appeared twice on Brews Brothers.

Personal life

Rannazzisi, born in Smithtown, New York, on July 4, 1977, briefly attended the Catholic St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York, on Long Island, leaving after a year in what he called a mutual decision. He went on to graduate from Smithtown High School in 1996. Rannazzisi graduated from State University of New York at Oneonta, where he majored in communications. He is of Italian and Irish descent.

9/11 controversy

Rannazzisi lied about working in the South Tower of the World Trade Center at Merrill Lynch, on the 54th floor during the September 11 attacks, and described his experience escaping death. He had said the events inspired him to move to Los Angeles and pursue stand-up comedy. In September 2015, after being contacted by a reporter from The New York Times for an article debunking his claim, Rannazzisi admitted his story was a lie. Rannazzisi was never employed by Merrill Lynch, which did not have offices in the World Trade Center then, but in fact was working in a building in Midtown Manhattan and was not in either of the towers on the day.
Rannazzisi released a statement saying: "I told people that I was in one of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. It wasn't true. I was in Manhattan but working in a building in Midtown and I was not at the Trade Center on that day... I don't know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry.... It is to the victims of 9/11 and to the people that love them—and the people that love me—that I ask for forgiveness."
He appeared on The Howard Stern Show to clear up the story, and said: "When I moved to , about a month after 9/11, with my girlfriend and she got a job right away, making friends, making money and I was hanging out at comedy clubs"; he also claimed that the lie was made as a way to "fit in" and "survive with the new LA crowd".

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003Punk'dField Agent5 episodes
2005Kitchen ConfidentialBankerEpisode: "Aftermath"
2006–07Big DaySkoboMain role; 12 episodes
2008–09Samantha Who?Seth Barber6 episodes
2009Trust MeJonah QuarlesEpisode: "But Wait, There's More"
2009–2015Kevin MacArthurMain role
2010OutsourcedBrad DempseyEpisode: "Temporary Monsanity"; uncredited
2011Love BitesKyle2 episodes
2016Roast BattlesHimselfEpisode: "Night One"
2016New GirlTodd PloonsEpisode: "No Girl"
2017Curb Your EnthusiasmHead ChefEpisode: "A Disturbance In The Kitchen"
2018Me, Myself & IAdult PhilEpisode: Phil Ricozzi
2020Brews BrothersCole2 episodes

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012–13Daddy Knows BestSteveMain role; 7 episodes