Gregg Turkington
A master of committed, cringe-worthy character comedy, he has cultivated the spectacularly unfunny alter ego Neil Hamburger for decades.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American comedian·Birthday: November 25·Generation X
Biography
Gregg Turkington operates in the hinterlands of comedy, where bad taste, profound awkwardness, and meta-narrative collide. His most famous creation, the permanently aggrieved 'comedian' Neil Hamburger, is a piece of sustained performance art—a man in a stained tuxedo delivering painfully hack jokes with a palpable sense of resentment. The character is less about punchlines and more about the uncomfortable atmosphere he generates, a critique of showbiz failure and audience patience. Turkington's other major project, the long-running 'On Cinema' universe with Tim Heidecker, further deconstructs performance, presenting a fictionalized, feuding version of himself obsessed with obscure cinema. Through these layered personas, Turkington has built a dedicated cult following, proving that comedy can be as much about the tension in the room as the laugh that breaks it.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gregg was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gregg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Gregg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
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
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
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
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and has performed as the anti-comic persona Neil Hamburger since the mid-1990s.
- Co-creates and stars in the meta-comedic series 'On Cinema' with Tim Heidecker, spanning web series and podcasts.
- Released multiple albums and specials as Neil Hamburger, including 'Hot February Night' and 'First of Dismay'.
- His work has influenced a generation of alternative comedians who explore character and discomfort.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the experimental music band Zip Code Rapists.
Turkington has a deep knowledge of obscure film and once hosted a series of screenings of rare movies.
He provided the voice for the character 'Turg' in the video game 'The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep'.
He collaborated with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle musician Trey Spruance on several projects.
“I'm here to tell jokes, not to make friends or be liked.”
