David Koechner brings stand-up routine to Iowa State
David Koechner, who played Todd Packer in “The Office” and Champ Kind in “Anchorman,” performed his stand-up routine Friday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Koechner said he can usually gauge a crowd during his shows. If he hears a ‘Whammy!’ he knows there’s a group of people that wants to hear it.
September 2, 2015
David Koechner, best known for his roles as Todd Packer in NBC’s “The Office” and as Champ Kind in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” performed his stand-up routine Friday as part of ISU After Dark at the Memorial Union.
Born in Tipton, Mo., Koechner studied political science at both Benedictine College and the University of Missouri before moving to Chicago to pursue a career in improvisational comedy.
After studying at Chicago’s iO, known formerly as ImprovOlympic, and joining The Second City comedy troupe, Koechner had year-long gigs on “Saturday Night Live” in 1995 and the “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” sketch cast in 1996.
Koechner’s first big role came in 2004 as Champ Kind in “Anchorman.” John C. Reilly was originally supposed to play the role but had to drop out to work on “The Aviator.”
“Anchorman” went on the be a cult hit and a major success on the DVD market. The film also remains a fan favorite because of its rich supporting cast.
“I am a huge fan of [Champ Kind] because his character was so out there, but his somewhat romantic interest in Ron Burgundy was also hilarious,” said Brandon Devine, sophomore in accounting.
The exposure Koechner gained on “Anchorman” landed him a number of other roles, including “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Talladega Nights” and his first leading role in “The Comebacks.”
After befriending Steve Carell on multiple movie sets, Koechner was recommended for a role on “The Office,” which led to a 15-episode appearance as Michael Scott’s best friend, Todd Packer.
Lately, Koechner has been busy recording voice overs for various cartoons like Disney’s “Future-Worm!” and Cartoon Network’s “Regular Show: The Movie.” Koechner is also writing a film script and working on his stand-up routine on a daily basis.
“The hardest thing is to describe your act. If I asked you how to describe your personality, [you would find] it’s difficult to do,” Koechner said.
About once or twice a month, Koechner goes to Los Angeles to perform his stand-up at a variety of venues. His act consists of a mix of stories of his personal life and appearances of his past characters. Even after years of performing his famous personalities, such as Champ Kind and Todd Packer, these characters never get old for Koechner.
“I can usually gauge a crowd. If early on in the show I hear a ‘Whammy!’ I know there’s a group of people who want to hear that,” Koechner said.
