Brad Garrett Biography

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Brad Garrett, actor / stand-up comedian

Birthdate: April 14, 1960

Birthplace: Woodland Hills, CA

Sign: Aries

Bradley H. Gerstenfeld is the third and youngest son of a homemaker mother and a hearing aid salesman father. He dropped out of the prestigious UCLA less than two months of enrolling in to pursue his comedy career.

Garrett started out as a stand-up comic at various improv clubs in Los Angeles. In 1984, he became the first $100,000 grand champion winner of the TV show "Star Search's" comedy category. He then appeared on host Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" at the age of 23, making him one of the youngest comedians to perform on the show.

His appearance at the late night show brought him a lot of national attention. He had opened for headliners such as Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, and Julio Iglesias among other big names.

His success at stand-up comedy led him to try his luck on TV. He then appeared in various TV shows and lent him voice to several animated shows and films.

Garrett's most memorable role to date is in the long-running sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," wherein he played the lead's older brother. He won three Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy in 2002, 2003, and 2005.

The Jewish actor was married to Jill Diven in 1999. They had two children together: Maxwell Bradley (born October 1998) and Hope Violet (born January 2000). Diven filed for divorce in 2006.