Happy Birthday to comic Steven Wright (1955–), born in New York City. His humor has always arrived from a different angle, a quiet, off-center way of looking at everyday life.

Wright made his debut on The Tonight Show without a manager, an agent, or any previous television exposure. Even so, he impressed Johnny Carson, who invited him back the very next week.

“Everything changed immediately,” Wright said of the experience. “It was like a car accident; the next thing I knew, it was over.”

With his trademark deadpan monotone delivery, Wright flips ordinary situations to reveal the strange relationships between things. His one-liners ask you to stop, think, and laugh:

“What a nice night for an evening.”

“The only reason I exist is so my shadow would have something to do.”

“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”

“Why in a country of free speech are there phone bills?”

“It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.”

By shifting context, Wright’s humor gives a fresh look at how we move through the world. He creates a space that delights in absurdity, surprise, and the flexibility of the imagination.

The talented comic won an Oscar in 1989 for Best Live Action Short Film for The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, which he co-wrote.

“My theory of evolution? I think Darwin was adopted.” With one sideways thought, Wright turns science, family, and philosophy into a single crooked smile.