Kate Micucci
A children's television demeanor masking deeply crass punchlines.
1 special · 2016
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She stands at the microphone looking like she is about to host a children’s television show. She holds a ukulele high on her chest, smiling broadly. She sings in a sweet, high register with total sincerity. When she reaches the chorus of a song about freezing her eggs or giving someone a handjob, she does not wink at the room or drop the voice. The joke is simply watching a person this sweet say something this harsh. She plays the instrument with a simple, driving down-strum, keeping a steady beat so the words sit right on top of the rhythm.
Specials
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Trying to Be Special with Riki Lindhome & Garfunkel and Oates
A meta-fictional concert film fueled by kazoos and raunchy folk songs.
Vimeo · 62 min
On stage
Working alongside Riki Lindhome as the musical duo Garfunkel and Oates, she bypassed traditional club open mics entirely. They put their acoustic joke-songs on YouTube in the late 2000s and translated those videos straight into theater tours and a television series. They proved you could sell out a room just by playing very dirty jokes on very quiet instruments.
The music relies on straightforward pop structures. The simple melodies leave space for the punchlines to hit. She uses her instrument purely as a delivery mechanism for the writing, avoiding any vocal runs or complex chord changes that might distract from the premise. Her stage work is built on keeping the beat going. When the music stops, the spoken banter between tracks sometimes feels loose, lacking the polished timing of the actual songs. But the second she starts strumming again, the rhythm locks back in.
Her acting career transfers this exact presence to television. On sitcoms like Scrubs and The Big Bang Theory, she is routinely asked to do exactly what she does on tour: look wide-eyed, act quietly strange, and eventually pull out a ukulele.
Turning points
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2007–2008
Formation of Garfunkel and Oates
During the 2007–2008 writers' strike, Micucci teamed up with Riki Lindhome to make the short film Imaginary Larry, posting their comedic songs on YouTube and launching their enduring comedy folk duo.
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Emmy Nomination for Trying to Be Special
Micucci and Riki Lindhome earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for their song 'Frozen Lullaby' from their Vimeo special Garfunkel and Oates: Trying to Be Special.
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2023–2024
Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Successful Recovery
On the day her solo album My Hat was released in November 2023, Micucci learned of a lung cancer diagnosis; she underwent surgery removing 20% of her right lung and made a full recovery.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Riki LindhomeLindhome is Micucci's longstanding comedic partner in the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates, sharing identical musical sensibilities, raunchy songwriting, and conversational onstage banter.
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Mike BirbigliaBirbiglia cast and directed Micucci in the ensemble improv film Don't Think Twice, sharing a grounded, character-driven storytelling sensibility.
Also on screen
- Scrubs
- 2010–2014
- Raising Hope
- Bored to Death
- The Big Bang Theory
- Don't Think Twice
A clip to start with
A clip of Kate Micucci