Dan Harmon Biography

Dan Harmon (born January 3, 1973) is an American writer and performer. He is the creator and executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101.

Early life

Harmon was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Brown Deer High School in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and attended Marquette University.

Career

Harmon was a member of ComedySportz Milwaukee where he also co-founded (alongside Rob Schrab) the sketch troupe The Dead Alewives. They produced an album, Take Down the Grand Master, in 1996.

Harmon frequently appeared at Milwaukee's Safehouse free comedy stage early in his career. A notable routine was a song about masturbation.

Harmon co-created the television pilot Heat Vision and Jack starring Owen Wilson and Jack Black, and several Channel 101 shows, some featuring Jack Black, Drew Carey, and Sarah Silverman. He co-created Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program and served as head writer for several episodes. He was the creator, executive producer and a featured performer in Acceptable.TV, a Channel 101-based sketch show airing for eight episodes in March 2007 on VH1. He and Rob Schrab co-wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award nominated film Monster House.

He is credited for writing part of Rob Schrab's comic book series Scud: The Disposable Assassin, as well the spin-off comic series La Cosa Nostroid.

In 2009, Harmon's pilot for Community was picked up by NBC and he served as executive producer and showrunner for 3 seasons until May 18, 2012, when it was announced that Harmon was being let go from his position on Community.

In July 2009, Harmon was nominated in two Emmy categories for his part in writing the Oscar telecast: Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, the latter of which he was awarded for "Hugh Jackman Opening Number" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.

On May 23, 2011, Harmon began hosting a monthly live comedy show at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood called Harmontown. After his firing from Community, the show became weekly. The show is co-hosted by Jeff B. Davis and features an ongoing game of Dungeons and Dragons, with show Dungeon Master, Spencer Crittenden. The show frequently features guests, such as Eric Idle, Greg Proops, Jason Sudekis, Ryan Stiles, as well as Harmon's girlfriend, comedienne Erin McGathy. In summer 2012, the weekly show became one of the first podcasts in the Feral Audio podcast collective recorded by the network's founder Dustin Marshall. Harmon and Davis took the show on tour in early 2013, broadcasting from Austin, Nashville, Somerville, MA, Brooklyn, Rhode Island and more.

For its fall 2012 season, Adult Swim ordered a 30-minute animated pilot from Harmon and Justin Roiland. The pilot, Rick & Morty, is about the life journeys of a genius inventor and his less-than-genius grandson. The show was recently picked up and will premiere in late 2013.

Dan Harmon appears in a cameo role in episode two in season four of Arrested Development as the Yurt Clerk.

On June 1, 2013 Harmon announced that he would be returning to Community; this was confirmed by Sony Pictures on June 10.

Harmon has a guest spot as a voice actor in the Fox animated television series Axe Cop.