{{short description|Comedian and skeptic in Los Angeles}} {{Infobox comedian | name = Ian Harris | image = Ian Comedy1.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Ian Patrick Harris on the set of his comedy special '''Critical & Thinking''' | pseudonym = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1971}} | birth_place = Santa Cruz, California | death_date = | death_place = | medium = Stand-up | active = | genre = | subject = | influenced = | spouse = Jeaninne | notable_work= | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Ian Harris''' is a comedian,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://blogs.westword.com/showandtell/2012/11/the_evolution_of_comedy_tackle.php |title = The Evolution of Comedy tackles funny beliefs |work = Denver Westword Blogs |publisher = |accessdate = February 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="sensibly" /><ref name="Brooklyn_Buddha">{{cite web |url = http://wildjones.com/brookly-buddha-ep-12 |title = Brooklyn Buddha ep.12 |work = Wild Jones Podcast |publisher = |accessdate = February 25, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> director, and mixed martial arts trainer. He owns a Los Angeles-based MMA training center called "Fight Science", named for the unique fighting style that he created. He integrates skepticism and critical thinking into his comedy.
== Early life == Harris was born and grew up in Santa Cruz, California, USA. He attended San Lorenzo Valley High School.<ref name="santa_cruz_sentinel_2016">{{Cite news|url=http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20161005/FEATURES/161009785|title=Santa Cruz comedian Ian Harris has made a career of defending science against blind faith|date=2016-10-05|work=Santa Cruz Sentinel|access-date=2017-09-29|language=en|archive-date=2017-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929135403/http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20161005/FEATURES/161009785|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was interested in stand-up comedy, writing short stories, boxing, martial arts and surfing. He describes his upbringing there as being influenced by hippie counter-culture and punk rock.
==Career==
===Comedy===
Harris moved from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles California, in 1992 with a friend. There they wrote the script ''Armaghetto'', which they unsuccessfully tried to sell. Shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles he was asked, after an audition, to close the show ''Annex Sunday Night'' at the comedy club ''The Ice House''. After that he toured the U.S. performing at comedy shows. He often appeared in the comedy club Punch Line. {{Citation needed|reason=Entire paragraph is unsourced|date=September 2018}}
In 2000, he moved back to Los Angeles, where he earned a reputation for being brash and irreverent in his comedy. However, in 2006 he stopped doing stand-up comedy and touring, because of his production work and the birth of his daughter in 2005.<ref name = Whats_so_funny>{{cite web |url = http://wsf1027fm.blogspot.mx/2013/11/oct-10-ian-harris.html |title = What's so funny (November 10, 2013) |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=sensibly>{{Cite web|url=http://sensiblyspeaking.com/2017/12/|title=Sensibly Speaking Podcast #120: Atheism, Skepticism and Comedy ft. Ian Harris|last=Shelton|first=Chris|date=December 9, 2017|website=Sensibly Speaking|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213223047/http://sensiblyspeaking.com/2017/12/|archive-date=December 13, 2017|url-status=|access-date=December 13, 2017}}</ref> He has made fun of Vaccine controversies, glucose intolerance, politics, religions, and the homeopathic “cold preventer” Airborne.<ref>{{cite web|last=Colanduno |first=Derek|authorlink=Derek Colanduno|title=Skepticality Critical and Thinking|url=http://www.skepticality.com/critical-and-thinking/|website=Skepticality|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csicop.org/sb/show/critical_and_thinking_the_ian_harris_interview|title=Critical and Thinking: The Ian Harris Interview - CSI|website=www.csicop.org|access-date=2017-09-29}}</ref> Six months after his comeback, Harris toured with comedians Jason Relser and Maurice Northup, doing a secular comedy show ''The Evolution of Comedy Tour''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://theevolutionofcomedy.com/ |title = The Evolution of Comedy |publisher = |accessdate = February 12, 2014 }}</ref>
Harris is also a regular contributing writer for ''US Weekly'' magazine's Fashion Police.<ref name="Fashion_Police">{{cite web |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/fashion-police/emma-roberts-at-coachella-201225/results |title=Fashion Police |work=US Weekly |publisher=Renner Media |accessdate=February 25, 2014}}</ref> Harris has performed his comedy act at several atheist and skeptical events: *2017 American Atheists National Conference *2012 Ascent of Atheism Convention in Denver *2013 American Humanist Association National Convention in San Diego<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFxHy9_8cA |title = The Evolution of Comedy Tour |work = YouTube |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}</ref><ref name = Kira_Soltanovich>{{cite web |url = http://thenetworkstudios.com/2014/01/06/ep39-ian-harris/ |title = Ep39 - Ian Harris |work = The Kira Soltanovich Show |publisher = |date = 6 January 2014 |accessdate = February 25, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162051/http://thenetworkstudios.com/2014/01/06/ep39-ian-harris/ |archive-date = 14 July 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> *2013 CFI Summit in Tacoma, Washington<ref name = Kira_Soltanovich/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.cfisummit.org/schedule.php |title = Schedule |work = CFI Summit 2013 |publisher = Center for Inquiry |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In 2014, he hosted a Sunday Assembly in Los Angeles and in 2013 he performed for ''Atheists United''.<ref name = Brooklyn_Buddha/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://atheistsunited.org/article/2367/general-meeting-comedian-ian-harris |title = Atheists United |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 |archive-date = December 2, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131202183519/http://atheistsunited.org/article/2367/general-meeting-comedian-ian-harris |url-status = dead }}</ref> Since 2015, Harris has been taking his comedy show to Atlanta's DragonCon, as part of the Skeptrack speaker roster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://skeptics.dragoncon.org/guests-and-speakers/|title=Speakers|website=skeptics.dragoncon.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210193634/http://skeptics.dragoncon.org/guests-and-speakers/|archive-date=December 10, 2017|url-status=|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://skeptools.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/dragoncon-2015-tim-farley-schedule/|title=Where to see me at DragonCon 2015|last=Farley|first=Tim|date=September 1, 2017|website=skeptools.wordpress.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210194030/https://skeptools.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/dragoncon-2015-tim-farley-schedule/|archive-date=December 10, 2017|url-status=|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>In the summer of 2017, Harris was added as a part-time co-host of Dogma Debate podcast with David Smalley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adamcarolla.com/david-smalley-ian-harris-and-jeff-cesario/|title=Adam Carolla Show: Episodes|website=Adamcarolla.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210192550/http://adamcarolla.com/david-smalley-ian-harris-and-jeff-cesario/|archive-date=December 10, 2017|url-status=|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> He frequently performs in socially conservative regions of the United States. He has stated that his audience in these areas often consists of a minority demographic that feels underserved by local media and cultural norms, contrasting this with larger metropolitan markets where his performances face more competition for audience attention.<ref name="sensibly" /> Harris contributed a comedy essay focusing on critical thinking to the ''Skeptical Inquirer'' magazine in 2017-2018 in a column called ''The Last Laugh''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Harris|first1=Ian|title=The Take a Wish Foundation|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=2018|volume=42|issue=3|page=66|publisher=Committee for Skeptical Inquiry}}</ref>
===Voice-over===
In 2003 Harris began performing voice-overs in a commercial for Universal Orlando Resorts that aired on the Super Bowl of the same year. Since then he has performed voice-over for commercials, television shows, network promos, video games and animation. Clients have included DirecTV, Lays Potato Chips, Full Tilt Poker,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url = http://video.voicebank.net/vb2pub/1595/cabinet/publicaudio/Commercial/Men/harrisi_commercial.mp3 |title = Different Promos |publisher = |accessdate = February 26, 2014 |archive-date = July 15, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140715024114/http://video.voicebank.net/vb2pub/1595/cabinet/publicaudio/Commercial/Men/harrisi_commercial.mp3 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Round Table Pizza and the networks Disney XD, Bravo<ref name = Kira_Soltanovich/> and Fuel.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |url = http://video.voicebank.net/vb2pub/1595/cabinet/publicaudio/Promos/Men/harrisi_promo.mp3 |title = Different Promos |publisher = |accessdate = February 26, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Harris was the narrator for Fuse's Mad Genius,<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web |url = http://video.voicebank.net/vb2pub/1595/cabinet/publicaudio/Narration/Men/harrisi_narration.mp3 |title = Mad Genius Promo |publisher = |accessdate = February 26, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Pepsi/Twitter Live for Now and Scripps Top 3 of Everything. He also does some voice over on Jimmy Kimmel Live.<ref name = "Ventura">{{cite web |url = http://venturacomedyfestival.com/comedian.cfm?id=6449 |title = Ventura Comedy Special |publisher = |accessdate = February 25, 2014 |archive-date = July 14, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205544/http://venturacomedyfestival.com/comedian.cfm?id=6449 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
===MMA===
thumb|right|Ian Harris with Mariusz Domasat, Ireland MMA seminar, July 2011
Harris began boxing at age six. He wrestled for two and a half years and trained Kenpo Karate, Wing Chun and Japanese Jujutsu for nine years. He also trained from 1992 to 2005 with Richard Bustillo, a Bruce Lee student. With him, Harris trained Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai. In 1996 he also began to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Claudio Franca. He began training other fighters in 2003. Harris has been featured in Tapout Magazine and Grappling Magazine teaching techniques and was showcased in the book MMA Lessons, a collection of the best MMA techniques from Tapout Magazine.<ref name = "Tapout">{{Cite book|isbn=1600784089 |title = Tapout Magazine |publisher = }}</ref> Harris coined his MMA fighting style Fight Science.<ref name = Whats_so_funny/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://ardentatheist.com/episode-85/ |title = Ardent Atheist |publisher = |accessdate = February 17, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.podbay.fm/show/351726851/e/1342508400 |title = The Dad Podcast |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 |archive-date = July 14, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714125324/http://www.podbay.fm/show/351726851/e/1342508400 |url-status = dead }}</ref> In August 2017, Harris, along with three of his former students, opened an MMA training center in Los Angeles. They named it "Fight Science," after the style Harris created.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/ian-harris-fight-science-gym-open-house-in-la-noon-to-8-pm|title=Ian Harris Fight Science gym open house in LA Noon to 8 pm|last=Jenness|first=Kirik|date=2017-09-04|work=The Underground|access-date=2017-09-29}}</ref>
===Comedy===
In the year 2001 he was on the Top 100 Comedians list of the ''Entertainment Business Journal'',<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2toneproductions.com/site/top100.html |title = Top 100 |work = 2 tone productions |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130721193124/http://www.2toneproductions.com/site/top100.html |archive-date = July 21, 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref> and he was a semi-finalist in ''Comedy Central's'' Laugh Riots Competition. ''Backstage West'' called him Top Character Comedian in Town, and he was a finalist in the San Francisco Comedy Competition. *1995 Finalist Cal State Chico Comedy Competition *1998 Finalist UCSF Comedy Competition *2000 Finalist San Francisco International Comedy Competition *2001 Semi-finalist Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition *2013 Ventura Comedy Festival
=== Film === Harris directed a few comedy specials, including one by Dwayne Perkins, which was bought directly by Netflix.<ref name="sensibly" /> On December 21, 2012, he recorded his own comedy special ''Ian Harris: Critical & Thinking''.<ref name="Whats_so_funny" /><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2toneproductions.com/Critical&ThinkingEPK.pdf |title = Ian Harris: Critical & Thinking |publisher = 2 Tone Productions |accessdate = February 12, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714135807/http://www.2toneproductions.com/Critical%26ThinkingEPK.pdf |archive-date = July 14, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Harris' second hour TV special "ExtraOrdinary" was released Dec 12, 2017, by Adam Carolla's Chassy Media and is available on video-on-demand platforms. It was produced with Netflix in mind, but due to policy changes in the company's comedy division they did not pick it up.<ref name="sensibly" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bca-yTNlgLN/|title=Chassy Media on Instagram|date=December 8, 2017|website=Instagram|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210190403/https://www.instagram.com/p/Bca-yTNlgLN/|archive-date=December 10, 2017|url-status=|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> It was recorded in 2016 at the Rio Theatre in his home town of Santa Cruz (California).<ref name="santa_cruz_sentinel_2016" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.meetup.com/Ethical-Culture-Society-of-Silicon-Valley/events/233973349/?_cookie-check=Gj_WIi0Db0xvrikx|title=Ian Harris "ExtraOrdinary" Comedy Special TV Taping!|website=Meetup.com|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1702529139996465/|title=Ian Harris "ExtraOrdinary" Taping!|website=Facebook.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018071258/http://www.reference.com/|archive-date=October 18, 2013|url-status=|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>
Harris also wrote and directed his first movie ''It Burns When I Laugh''<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160413/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast |title = It Burns When I Laugh |publisher = |accessdate = February 12, 2014 }}</ref> which won Best Feature Film at the Seattle Underground Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://2toneproductions.com/key-players/ian-harris|title=Ian Harris – Comedian, Director, Writer – 2 Tone Productions|website=2toneproductions.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-04}}</ref> This film was presented in festivals, where it had a moderate success, then it was distributed on home video. Harris directed some other movies, short movies and music videos, and in 2013, he began to direct comedy specials for other fellow comedians.<ref name="Kira_Soltanovich" /> *Official Selection, 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival *Official Selection, 2007 Del Rey Beach Film Festival *Best Short Nominee, 2007 Swansea Bay Film Festival *Official Selection, 2006 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival *Best Feature Film, Seattle Underground Film Festival *Best Director, 2005 48 Hour Film Project, Los Angeles *Best Use of Genre: 2005 48 Hour Film Project, Los Angeles *Official Selection, 2005 Dances with Films Film Festival *Official Selection, 2005 Best of LA Shorts Festival *Audience Choice, 2004 48 Hour Film Project, Los Angeles *Best Music, 2004 48 Hour Film Project, Los Angeles *Finalist, 2003 Fade-In Magazine Short Film Awards *Best Film, 2003 Zephyr Short Film Festival, Los Angeles *Audience Choice Award, 2002 Colfax Film Festival *Official Selection, 2003 Cal State Fullerton Call to Arts Festival
==Filmography==
===Director=== * "Dwayne Perkins: Take Note" (2016) hour comedy special *"Ty Barnett: Issues" (2013) hour comedy special *"Bryan Kellen: Ballet Komedico" (2013) Hour Comedy Special *“Pashittu” Short Film (2006)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0972567/fullcredits?ref_=ttrel_sa_1 |title = Pashittu |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://newportbeach.festivalgenius.com/2007/films/pashittu_newportbeach |title = Pashittu New Port Beach |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.zaydoefilms.com/library/Swansea.pdf |title = Pashittu Swansea Bay |publisher = |accessdate = February 20, 2014 }}</ref> *“The Cult” Television Pilot (2006)<ref name = Kira_Soltanovich/> *“Booking Tacoma” Feature Film (2004)<ref name = Kira_Soltanovich/> *“It Burns When I Laugh” Feature Film (2003)<ref name = "Echelon">{{cite web |url = http://www.echelonstudios.us/it-burns-when-i-laugh.html |title = Echelon Studios |publisher = |accessdate = February 25, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162435/http://www.echelonstudios.us/it-burns-when-i-laugh.html |archive-date = July 14, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> *“Silver Patriot: The Final Chapter” Short Film (2005) *“The Paul Decca Story” Short Film (2004) *“Ring Tone Blues” Short Film (2004) *“Dual” Short Film (2002) *“A.P.U. Art, Pot & Underwear” Short Film (2003)
===Music videos=== *“Darkest Days” Good Riddance, 2006 Fat Wreck Chords *“Smoother than You” Danny Hamilton, 2005 Koala Records *“Dance of Shiva” OUTLIE, 2004 Porterhouse Records *“You Burn Me Up” The Haywoods, 2000 Wormtone Records
==Personal life==
Harris been an atheist his whole life.<ref name="sensibly" /> He lives with his wife Jeaninne and their daughter Bella in Los Angeles, California, USA.
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == {{Wikiquote|Ian Harris}} * {{Twitter}} * {{IMDb name|364780}} * [http://sensiblyspeaking.com/2017/12/ Extended Interview from Sensibly Speaking Podcast - December 2017]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Ian Patrick}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:American male comedians Category:American male mixed martial artists Category:21st-century American comedians Category:Comedians from California Category:20th-century American sportsmen