Bert Kreischer, also known as “The Machine,” is renowned for his stand-up comedy performances without a shirt. His comedy specials include “Comfortably Dumb” (2009), “The Machine” (2016), “Secret Time” (2018), “Hey Big Boy” (2020), and the upcoming “Razzle Dazzle” (2023). In 2023, his famous “The Machine” story was adapted into a film with the same name.
Early Life
Albert Kreischer Jr., known as Bert Kreischer, was born in Tampa, Florida on November 3, 1972. His father, Al, worked as a real estate lawyer, while his mother, Gege, had a successful career in early childhood education.
After completing his education at Jesuit High School, Bert attended Florida State University, where he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and pursued a degree in English.
In 1997, FSU was ranked as the number one “party school” in America by “The Princeton Review” during Kreischer’s sixth year at the institution. He was later featured in “Rolling Stone” magazine’s six-page article titled “Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate,” where he was dubbed as the top partygoer at the top party school in the country.
Director Oliver Stone was intrigued by the article and acquired the rights to Bert’s story. Multiple writers then submitted scripts to Stone. However, when the deal fell through, one of the writers altered Kreischer’s name to “Van Wilder” in the script and sold it to National Lampoon.
Bert Kreischer’s Comedy Career
Bert’s debut as a stand-up comedian took place at Potbelly’s, a bar/nightclub in Tallahassee. After sending a recording of his performance to agent Jason Steinberg, he was invited to attend stand-up shows in New York City.
Bert Kreischer then secured a position as a door attendant at the Boston Comedy Club in Greenwich Village. Shortly after relocating to NYC, he received a sitcom offer from Will Smith’s production company.
Bert made his on-screen debut in 2001 with roles in the short film “Prepare to Meet Thy God” and the pilot “Life with David J.” In 2004, he was featured in the DVD “National Lampoon Live: New Faces – Volume 2” and made a guest appearance on “The Shield.”
One of his stories was also adapted into an animated segment for Comedy Central’s “Shorties Watchin’ Shorties.” In 2007, Kreischer was cast in the film “Alpha Mail,” and later joined comedians such as Amy Schumer and Tiffany Haddish on the 2008 reality series spoof “Reality Bites Back.”
In 2009, Comedy Central aired his first comedy special titled “Comfortably Dumb.” The next year, he became the host of the Travel Channel show “Bert the Conqueror.” He was a frequent guest on “Rachael Ray” from 2011 to 2015.
He has also made appearances on various shows such as “Conan,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Master Debaters with Jay Mohr,” “Comics Unleashed,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” “Lights Out with David Spade,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and “This Is Not Happening.”
He became a lead actor on “The Cabin with Bert Kreischer” on Netflix in 2020. The show is a reality series where he escapes to a cabin in pursuit of self-improvement and enlists his humorous friends to aid him in his journey to purify his mind, body, and spirit.
In April 2021, it was revealed that Bert Kreischer and Mark Hamill were set to star in the upcoming movie “The Machine,” which is a unique comedy based on Bert’s real experiences and his popular stand-up act, “The Machine.”
This routine, which has been watched over 80 million times, recounts Bert’s wild trip to Russia where he ends up robbing a train with the Russian mafia. Furthermore, Kreischer is serving as the executive producer of the film. Additionally, in 2023, Netflix premiered his special, “Razzle Dazzle.”
Personal Life
In December 2003, Bert Kreischer and LeeAnn Kemp tied the knot and now have two daughters, Georgia (born in 2004) and Ila (born in 2006). They currently reside in Los Angeles, where LeeAnn runs her podcast “Wife of the Party” from Bert’s man cave.
In an interview, Kreischer described himself as a father.
“Selfish. Mediocre. Loving. There are dads who kill it. I’m not one of those dads.”
During the interview, Bert disclosed that he was raised Catholic. He said,
“[He is] ten times more religious than anyone else in [his] family.”
However, he and LeeAnn are not instilling religious beliefs in their children due to LeeAnn’s lack of religious affiliation.
Net Worth
Bert Kreischer’s estimated net worth is around $10 million, which he has accumulated through a successful career in stand-up comedy and television. His financial prosperity is a result of income from live performances, guest appearances on various shows and events, and hosting roles on television programs.
