Dino Stamatopoulos
A darkly comedic writer and producer whose animated series like 'Moral Orel' used satire to explore the bleak underbelly of American morality.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American actor and showrunner·Birthday: December 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dino Stamatopoulos operates in the shadows of comedy, a writer's writer who has shaped some of the most innovative and bleakly funny adult animation of the 21st century. Cutting his teeth on the absurdist sketch comedy of 'Mr. Show with Bob and David,' he developed a voice that was both intellectual and deeply twisted. This culminated in 'Moral Orel,' a stop-motion series that began as a parody of 1950s moralistic cartoons and evolved into a startlingly profound critique of religion, family, and depression. His aesthetic—a blend of meticulous stop-motion and uncomfortable satire—continued with projects like 'Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.' To a wider audience, he is known as the actor behind Community's sardonic, sideburn-sporting stoner 'Star-Burns.' His career is a bridge between the alt-comedy of the 90s and the era of niche, creator-driven animation, marked by a fearless willingness to explore dark themes with a unique visual style.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dino was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dino Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Dino's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and executive produced the critically acclaimed adult stop-motion series 'Moral Orel' for Adult Swim.
- Was a writer and producer on the influential HBO sketch series 'Mr. Show with Bob and David.'
- Co-created and voiced the character of 'The Spoiler' on 'TV Funhouse,' a satirical segment on 'Saturday Night Live.'
- Developed and produced the animated series 'Mary Shelley's Frankenhole' and 'High School USA!' for Adult Swim.
- Served as a writer and consulting producer on the NBC sitcom 'Community,' while also playing the recurring character Alex 'Star-Burns' Osbourne.
Did You Know?
He is close friends with comedian Dana Gould, and the two have collaborated on numerous projects, including 'The Dana Carvey Show.'
His nickname 'Star-Burns' from 'Community' was adopted from his own online username and physical appearance.
He provided additional voices for Charlie Kaufman's stop-motion film 'Anomalisa.'
He wrote for both 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' and 'The Late Show with David Letterman.'
He is a founding member of the comedy collective 'The Dead Alewives,' which performed in Chicago in the early 1990s.
“The joke is a scalpel; it should cut to the bone without a mess.”
