Born Andrew Clay Silverstein on September 29, 1957, comedian Andrew Dice Clay is known for his misogynist and sexist routines, and his excessive use of profanity. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he first rose to fame through appearances in stand-up bars, and later transitioned to staging sold-out arena shows across the nation. He was even the first comic to sell out Madison Square Garden two nights in a row.
Clay’s rise to notoriety was furthered when he released his first comedy album, Dice, in 1989. Its content was considered so offensive, the parental advisory label simply warned that “this album is offensive.” The same year, he appeared in his very own HBO special, The Diceman Cometh; the following year, he appeared in his first feature film, the action comedy The Adventures of Ford Farlaine. He continued releasing albums throughout the early 1990s.
However, Clay’s style later caught up with him. His comedy had him banned from MTV, and his guest appearance on a 1990 episode of Saturday Night Live ended in boycotts from guest performer Sinead O’Connor and cast member Nora Dunn. From there, not much was heard of him: apart from a handful of albums at the turn of the millennium, and a few films spread years apart, he was mostly heard as a sample for tracks by hip-hop artist Ice Cube and British dance band EMF.
Clay returned to headlines in 2002, when he was divorced by his wife, and decided to focus instead on raising his two sons. He attempted to return to the spotlight in 2007, through the VH1 reality series Dice: Undisputed, which followed his life and that of his family. In 2009, he joined the second season of The Celebrity Apprentice. He was fired on the first episode because he was thinking about quitting.
- His first wife was Kathleen Swanson. He then married Kathleen Monica and had two children with her. After their divorce, he wed Valerie Vasquez.
- He was the first person banned for life from MTV. This was because he used foul language during the live broadcast of the music awards. Soon though, the ban was lifted.
2009: The Apprentice (TV series) - Himself / Himself - Comedian
2001: One Night at McCool's - Utah/Elmo
2001: Point Doom - Frankie
2000: My 5 Wives - Tony Morano
1999: Chicken Soup for the Soul (TV series)
1999: Foolish - El Dorado Ron
1998: Whatever It Takes - Dave Menardi
1997: Rugrats (TV series) - Plumber (voice)
1997: Hitz (TV series) - Jimmy Esposito
1997: The Good Life
1995-1996: Bless This House (TV series) - Burt Clayton
1995: Favorite Deadly Sins (TV movie) - Richard Spencer
1995: The Chili Con Carne Club (short) - Voice of The Cooler
1995: No Contest - Oz, aka Raymond Ulysses Brice
1995: Jury Duty - Uncle Sal
1993: Brain Smasher... A Love Story (video) - Ed Molloy
1990: The Adventures of Ford Fairlane - Ford Fairlane
1986-1988: Crime Story (TV series) - Max Goldman/Mr. Goldman
1988: Casual Sex? - Vinny
1987: Amazon Women on the Moon - Frankie (segment "Video Date")
1986: Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment (video) - Tough Kid
1986: Crime Story (TV movie) - Max Goldman
1986: Pretty in Pink - 'Dice-man' - Bouncer at CATS
1985: Private Resort - Curt
1984: Night Patrol - Tony Baroni
1984: Making the Grade - Dice
1982-1983: Diff'rent Strokes (TV series) - Crazy Larry
1982: Wacko - Tony Schlongini
1982: M*A*S*H (TV series) - Soldier Who Crashes Into Chicken Coup