Raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Matt Besser attended Amherst College in MA. After graduating in 1989, Matt toured the Midwest as a professional stand-up comedian, while taking improvisation classes with Del Close at Chicago’s ImprovOlympic Theater.

In 1991, he became a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade and has performed and written productions including Virtual Reality, UCBTV, Thunderball, Bucket of Truth, Big Dirty Hands, Punch Your Friend in the Face and Saigon Suicide Squad. Besser also conceived and directed numerous UCB shows. Additionally, Besser directed the comedy duo Jonathan Groff and Todd Barry in Sidecarrin’, which was included in the 1998 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Matt later directed Todd Barry in Icky which went to the 2001 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Matt’s one-man show May I Help You... Dumbass? ran at the UCB Theatre and was presented at the Chicago Improv Festival. Matt’s one-man show Woo Pig Sooie! recently completed tours of the South and Northwest. His most controversial project Crossballs: The Debate Show aired on Comedy Central.