Rick Shapiro is a notable New York-based Jewish American comedian. He was highly regarded in the underground comedy scene for years, performing a regular Wednesday night set at Sidewalk Cafe in New York City, until his role on Louis C.K.'s HBO sitcom, Lucky Louie elevated him to a wider audience. Rick is known for his ability to improvise, making up much of his set on the spot.
His life has been troubled. Rick has spoken honestly and openly about his younger years when he was addicted to heroin and resorted to prostitution to support his habit. Rick speaks about this troubled past in his comedy, making light of a difficult topic.[1]
Rick performs regularly at clubs in New York such as The Comedy Village, the Sidewalk Cafe, Comic Strip Live, Sal's comedy Hole, the Laugh Lounge, and Comix. He now performs in both the Los Angeles and New York comedy circuits.
In 2007, Shapiro made an impressive UK debut, winning rave reviews for his one-man Edinburgh Festival show, produced by Calvin Wynter at The Green Room.[2]
His identical twin, Rob Shapiro is also a stand up comic and continues to perform regularly in New York.[citation needed]
