Photo courtesy of David Koechner
David Koechner of "The Office" TV show and "Anchorman" movies is scheduled to perform at the Stardome Comedy Club in Hoover, Alabama, on Friday-Saturday, July 26-27, 2024.
David Koechner was 10 years old when he had an inkling that he wanted to be a performer. And by the time he was 13, he had pretty much decided that’s what he wanted to do.
But he had not figured out how he could convince his parents.
“I had never met an actor, and I don't think my folks would have gone along with it,” he said. “I had to give them an idea of something that could have an actual career.”
Nearly 50 years later, Koechner has a stellar career as an actor, writer, producer and comedian. His comedic talents will be on display Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, at the Stardome Comedy Club in Hoover.
Additionally, he — or rather his character from “The Office,” Todd Packer — will host a trivia event with a theme of “The Office” at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, in which he’ll dish out behind the scenes stories about the hit NBC comedy.
Koechner could have been on the ballot of a polling place as the Tipton, Missouri, native had visions of running for elected office.
“I was always interested in politics, and I thought I wanted to help people,” he said. “I think also it might have been me kind of seeking a stage.
“It wasn't until later that I read a lot of books about ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and found out that they (the cast) had all started at Second City,” he said of the improvisational comedy troupe initially based in Chicago, “and there was a natural path to the thing I really wanted to do.”
That path has taken Koechner to numerous acting roles, most famously his role as obnoxious Todd Packer in the “The Office,” his role as Champ Kind in the movie “Anchorman” and the sequel “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” and countless other roles nearly too numerous to measure.
Koechner recently appeared on ABC’s “The Goldbergs.” His credits include ABC’s “Bless This Mess,” CBS’s “Superior Donuts,” Showtime’s “Twin Peaks,” Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” IFC’s “Stan Against Evil,” and serving as co-host of A&E’s “America’s Top Dog.”
Additionally, Koechner voices reoccurring characters on FOX’s “American Dad” and Netflix’s “F is for Family” and “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants.” His recent film projects include “Then Came You,” “Braking for Whales,” “A Week Away,” “Vicious Fun” and “National Champions.”
After developing his craft at Second City Theater, Koechner got his first break as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” Since his one season on the show, he has become an instantly recognizable face appearing in more than 200 films and television shows.
Other notable film credits include “Waiting,” “Out Cold,” “Talladega Nights,” “Get Smart,” “Extract,” “Thank You for Smoking,” “A Haunted House,” “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse,” “Priceless,” Legendary’s “Krampus,” and the dark, twisted, film festival award-winning thriller, “Cheap Thrills.”
When not filming, Koechner performs live comedy across the country and creates original content videos for his YouTube channel, “Full On Koechner.”
“This year, I'm doing 40 weekends,” Koechner said. “I think I did 35 last year, but I've got five kids.”
And at least some of the material for his stand-up show comes from his offspring.
“More than some,” he said of Charlie, 25; Margot, 22; Sargent and Audrey,
18, and 13-year-old Eve. “I'd say I owe them all of it. It's whatever your life is, right?”
The actor/comedian struggled to describe his comedy style, saying it’s like someone trying to describe his own personality.
“I guess a performer, because that's what I started as first, a performer,” he said. “I'm a performance comic, I guess.”
The performer shares credit for his success with the writers who scripted the characters he has lifted to iconic status.
“When you have good writing, it makes it easy,” he said. “The writing was superior. Sometimes you just fit the role, and you're able to embody it, and it just works out. I guess you'd say that about every single role that's played.”
Often, passersby will greet Koechner as though he is one of the iconic characters he has portrayed. And many of those fans will ask him to say the signature catch phrase — “Whammy!” — of Champ Kind, his character from the “Anchorman” movies.
“What a reward,” Koechner said. “I'm grateful every time, every day. Plus, it's only just one word. I kind of win with that.”
Does Koechner, the stand-up comedian, ever worry that he won’t have the next zinger line to deliver?
“No, that's not even in the realm of possibility,” he said. “I started an improv, when you had nothing but yourself on stage. It's just trust and belief and then something's going to be there.”
Koechner’s comedy shows at the Stardome Comedy Club are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and 6:30 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $27.50 for general admission to $38.50 for premium seating.
Tickets for “The Office” trivia event at 4 p.m. Saturday are $38.50 for general admission and $49.50 for premium seating.
Editor's note: Performance times were updated at 2:17 p.m. on July 22 due to scheduling changes at the Stardome Comedy Club.
