Eric Alexander Wareheim (/ˈwɛərhaɪm/; born April 7, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, musician. He is best known as one half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric, alongside Tim Heidecker. He also had a recurring role on the Netflix series Master of None.
Early life and education
Wareheim was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 7, 1976, the son of Dave and Edeltraud Wareheim. He has a sister, Jessica. When he was young, his family moved to Audubon, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. His maternal grandparents lived in Germany, and his family would travel to Germany often to visit them.[1] He graduated from Methacton High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania.[2][3]
Wareheim and Heidecker are the creators, writers, and stars of Tom Goes to the Mayor, a limited animation that was on the Adult Swim programming block on Cartoon Network. Wareheim and Heidecker had mailed copies of an early version of the show to comedian Bob Odenkirk, who agreed to take on the project as the executive producer of the series and sold it to Cartoon Network.[5]
The Tim and Eric name reached a broader audience with the release of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! which premiered on February 11, 2007. The show is a mix of "live action, sketch, animation, emotions, phone calls, love, etc." according to their website. The creators have described the show as the "nightmare version of television".[6]
In July 2008, The New York Times reported that the duo was in the process of developing a surreal game show series starring Neil Hamburger, titled The New Big Ball with Neil Hamburger.[7][8] Wareheim described it as a mix between "Japanese bizarre game show and The Price Is Right."[7] In late July 2009, Neil Hamburger posted a blog on MySpace stating that a pilot had been filmed, but that Adult Swim was not satisfied and had "pulled the plug on the project."[9]
On May 2, 2010, the "Man Milk" episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! wrapped season 5 of the show. Though this would be the last serial content for the show, there was an hour-long holiday program titled "Chrimbus Special" that gave fans a last glimpse at the TV program. It was the second show Wareheim both produced and starred in which aired during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block.[10][11][12]
Between May and June 2010, six episodes of an Awesome Show spin-off produced in part by Wareheim, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, were aired on Cartoon Network. The show parodied local newscasts. According to Heidecker, John C. Reilly had the original idea of giving the Dr. Steve character an entire show.[13]
Wareheim played in several Philadelphia area bands, including the new wave punk band Twelve Tone System, of which Tim Heidecker was also briefly a member. Wareheim briefly played rhythm guitar for the duo Adam and Justine in the 1990s. Wareheim was also the principal songwriter for The Science Of and had been a member of Elements of Need, I Am Heaven, and briefly with the legendary Vampire-themed punk band Ink & Dagger.[15] He currently is involved with the band Sola.[16]
Television
Wareheim made an appearance in Aqua Teen Hunger Force as the Germ-Master, along with Heidecker as a basketball.
Wareheim, along with Tim Heidecker, also directed the 2010 Super Bowl commercial, The Shuffle, for Boost Mobile and most recently a series of Old Spice commercials with actor Terry Crews.
They also made an appearance in an episode of The Simpsons as Amus Bruse and Fois Garth.
In 2015, Wareheim co-starred as Arnold Baumheiser in the Netflix comedy series Master of None. He appeared in six episodes and directed four episodes of the first season. In 2017, he appeared in seven episodes and directed one episode of the show's second season.
In 2019, Wareheim starred as a man claiming to be "reality" in a series of Oculus Quest commercials.[19][20][21]
Other activities
In 2021, Wareheim ventured into the world of cooking, a longtime hobby of his, with his cookbook Foodheim: A Culinary Adventure. Part of his promotion for the book is a webseries called Heimy's House where he prepares recipes from the book.[22] The first (and currently only) episode of the series featured a guest appearance by Tim Heidecker.[23]
Filmography
Film
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2002
Tom Goes to the Mayor
The Mayor (voice)
Short film; also co-writer, co-director, and producer with Tim Heidecker
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