Ian Roberts

Ian Michael Roberts (born July 29, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and a founding member of the famed Upright Citizens Brigade improv and sketch comedy troupe. Life and career Roberts was born in Queens, New York to parents Don and Penny Roberts, but spent most of his childhood in Secaucus, New Jersey, where he moved at age four. In1987 he graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa, where he majored in theater. He moved to Milwaukee and eventually to Chicago where he became involved in improvisational comedy, studying under comedy legend Del Close. In the early 1990s, Roberts and Matt Besser (along with several other Chicago improv comics) formed the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe. Amy Poehler and Matt Walsh later joined them, forming the UCB foursome who went on to create their own Comedy Central series and open the affiliated Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and Los Angeles, well-known venues for live alternative comedy and improv where many other comics have launched their careers. Roberts wrote and starred in the limited release film Martin & Orloff, and had supporting roles in films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Bring It On, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Drillbit Taylor, Reno 911!: Miami and Semi-Pro. On the Upright Citizens Brigade's sketch series on Comedy Central, he was often seen as UCB Agent Antoine, and portrayed other sketch characters such as Steve Youngblood and Astronaut Mike Birchwood. A running joke on the sketch series was that his character (Agent Antoine) was thought by the other UCB Agents (Colby, Trotter, Adair) to be a cyborg despite his constant assertions to the contrary.