Damian Muziani
Damian Muziani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Woodbury, NJ |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | William Paterson University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002 - present |
| Website | www |
Damian Muziani is an award-winning American actor, writer, filmmaker, and broadcaster known for his comedic wit and journalistic sensibilities.[1] He has performed for several hit-TV shows, including Saturday Night Live (2007-2013), Billions (2018), Blue Bloods (2019), Girls5eva (2022), A League of Their Own (2022), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2023). His notable film work includes The Upside (2017), Out of Breath (2022), and the upcoming Netflix biopic Rustin (2023), the first narrative film from Michelle and Barack Obama's Higher Ground series.[2][3]
In 2020, Muziani launched an award-winning weekly news comedy program, Hindsight Tonight (2020-present). The series is produced, written, and hosted by Muziani, covering politics, celebrities, and current events. New episodes are released every Sunday evening on HindsightTonight.com, YouTube, Vimeo, on the Red Coral and DBTV steaming networks.[4][5]
Early Life and Education
Damian Muziani was born in Woodbury, New Jersey. He attended William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, where he co-created and executive produced a student-run production company called Test Pattern[6][7][8].
Career
Stage
After graduating college, Muziani formed an interest in stage acting, landing leading roles in The Odd Couple, Doubt, Mr. Hart & Mr. Brown, Over the River and Through the Woods, Here on the Flight Path, and The House of Blue Leaves. He gained notice as a tour de force for his portrayal of Lenny Ganz in Rumors, earning a Perry Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play by the New Jersey Association of Community Theatres. Muziani continued performing on stage and received rave reviews as Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, winning the Best Leading Actor award at Burlington County Footlighters[9].
Radio
In 2014, Muziani became an on-air Update Anchor for 97.5 The Fanatic FM radio station in Philadelphia. He later served as the SportsCenter Update Anchor for 97.3 ESPN in Atlantic City, NJ, and co-anchored the popular daily segment "3 From the Guys"[10].
Film and Television Work
Muziani has had an extensive career in scripted and unscripted television and has recently forayed into Hollywood-produced feature films. He first appeared in the groundbreaking game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2002), followed by several hit-TV shows, news segments, and movies[11].
In 2018, Muziani co-starred in the critically acclaimed Showtime series Billions alongside noted acting veterans David Costabile and Asia Kate Dillon. He then went on to co-star opposite Donnie Wahlberg in a 2019 episode of the American police procedural drama television series Blue Bloods on CBS[12].
With the 2017 feature film, The Upside, Muziani gained notice as a cinema actor working one-on-one in a scene with actor-comedian Kevin Hart. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and grossed $125 million at the global box office[13].
In 2022, Muziani appeared in the documentary film Dio: Dreamers Never Die as the last person to conduct an authorized post-show interview with Black Sabbath's former lead singer Ronnie James Dio after his final performance in 2009.[14] The film premiered at the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and has a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes[15]. Muziani was also recognized for his journalistic coverage of the film’s premiere, for which he received two Bronze Telly Awards in the categories of Low Budget Production and Live Events.[16]
Muziani recently co-starred in the Season Two finale of the Peacock TV musical comedy series Girls5Eva (2022), as a neighbor of Sara Bareilles’ lead character Dawn. Also interacting with him in the scene were series regulars Busy Philips, Paula Pell, and Renee Elise Goldsberry. Muziani spoke about the experience in an interview on NJ101.5 FM in New Jersey.[17]
In 2023, Muziani appeared in a national television commercial for Paycom, as an office cube worker. He then played a key role in the series finale of the Amazon Prime hit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Muziani played the part of a Central Park police officer in Manhattan in a scene with series star Alex Borstein.
Hindsight Tonight
Muziani became a marketable news media personality in the mid-2000s. He worked as a web reporter for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2007-2008 NHL Hockey Season and was the host of Better Philly, a daytime Talk Show on PHL17 Television in Philadelphia. He has since garnered acclaim for his appearances on Inside Edition, Anderson Cooper 360, ABC News Topline, and Hardball with Chris Matthews. During the 2010 election season, he was awarded three Telly Awards for his appearances on live national television, followed by an additional Telly Award win in 2012 for his interview with guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath[18].
Muziani's prolific background in broadcast journalism ultimately paved the way for the weekly comedy-news capsule, Hindsight Tonight. The show, written, produced, and hosted by Muziani, covers trending U.S. headlines, including politics, pop culture, and current events. It premiered in 2020 to strong reviews, with the critical consensus praising Muziani for his quickfire and witty comedic reflections.
In 2021, Muziani's writing on the show was nominated for an Emmy Award by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and received multiple w3 and Davey awards for the show's second season.
Hindsight Tonight has continued to attract a global audience and garner critical acclaim, sweeping the 2022 awards season in multiple categories. The show’s notable 2022 accolades include a Gold "People's Telly" Award, a Silver Telly Award in the category of Best News Feature, two Gold Viddy Awards in the categories of Video Podcast and Short-Form Web Video, and three Communicator Awards, all silver "distinction" awards, in the categories of Excellence in Copywriting, Individual Comedy Series, and Individual News Series.
The highly coveted "People's Telly" is awarded to the program that receives the most public votes in each category. The Gold Telly won by Hindsight Tonight was in the category of Best Online Series, beating out entries from Major TV networks, including FOX, ESPN, MTV, CBS, BET, and others.
Hindsight Tonight is currently in its fourth season.
Personal Life
Muziani has been vocal about his dedication to the craft of acting, having taken various "survival jobs," as he puts it, to support the lifestyle necessary to prepare for and attend auditions in a competitive industry.
During an interview with the online magazine, Vizaca, Muziani revealed that his previous employer was the target of the former New York Attorney General, resulting in an FTC complaint. According to Muziani, he agreed to help an estranged college friend with his charitable fundraising organization in exchange for a survival-job salary so he could continue to attend auditions and focus on his acting career. As a result of the complaint, Muziani became collateral damage, ultimately agreeing to pay a fine to clear his name. In the interview, Muziani describes the entire experience as traumatizing but is thankful to the reporters and investigators who exposed his former employer's misdeeds.
Outside of his various side jobs and entertainment work, Muziani enjoys spending time with his wife and cat, watching football, and taking day trips to exciting places.
Filmography
| S.No | Year | Movie/TV Show/Short Film | Role | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Self | Self |
| 2 | 2005 | Average Joe | Self | Self |
| 3 | 2006 | Most Evil | John Wayne Gacy | Actor |
| 4 | 2006 | America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back | Fugitive Jose Perez | Actor |
| 5 | 2006 | Utter Disaster | Damian Muziani | Actor |
| 6 | 2008 | Placebo | Vic | Actor |
| 7 | 2007-2013 | Saturday Night Live | Narc / Bada Bing Patron | Actor |
| 8 | 2008 | Forensic Files | Eddie Makdessi | Actor |
| 9 | 2009 | It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Vendor | Actor |
| 10 | 2010 | The Best and the Brightest | Photographer | Actor |
| 11 | 2010 | Hardball with Chris Matthews | Self | Self |
| 12 | 2013 | Killer Profile | Bill Currier | Actor |
| 13 | 2015 | Patric | Officer Brady | Actor |
| 14 | 2015 | Let’s Ask America | Self | Self |
| 15 | 2016 | Bennie’s | Skip | Actor |
| 16 | 2016 | Grave Secrets | Thomas Harrison | Actor |
| 17 | 2017 | The Upside | Foreman | Actor |
| 18 | 2018 | Billions | Russian Asshole | Actor |
| 19 | 2019 | Extra Toppings | Tony P | Actor |
| 20 | 2019 | Blue Bloods | Super | Actor |
| 21 | 2019 | Squid Ink | Elliot Mitchel | Actor |
| 22 | 2019 | Such A Deal | Pierre | Actor |
| 23 | 2019 | The NFL Today | Mouthy Chauffeur | Self |
| 24 | 2020 | The Saint of the Impossible | Customer with Cap | Actor |
| 25 | 2020 | Jesus V. Satan: Rise of the Zombies | Satan | Actor |
| 26 | 2020 | Revenge Prank with DJ Pauly D & Vinny | Bobby Britt / Marco | Self |
| 27 | 2022 | Girls5eva | Man on Street | Actor |
| 28 | 2022 | Out of Breath | Franchini | Actor |
| 29 | 2022 | Rustin | Cab Driver | Actor |
| 30 | 2022 | DIO: Dreamers Never Die | Interviewer | Self |
| 31 | 2022 | A League of Their Own | Italian Waiter | Actor |
| 32 | 2023 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Central Park Cop | Actor |
Gallery
References
- ↑ "Winners". Telly Awards.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani". IMDb. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani | Entertainment". damianmuziani.info. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ Tonight, Hindsight (15 December 2021). "Damian Muziani Announces "Hindsight Tonight", A Weekly Comedy-News Capsule Streaming on YouTube". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani Announces "Hindsight Tonight", A Weekly Comedy-News Capsule Streaming on YouTube". NewJerseyStage.com. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "backstage". backstage.com. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ muziani, damian (19 January 2022). "damian muziani on about.me". about.me. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani Movies on iTunes". iTunes. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani - Awards & Nominations". awardsandwinners.com. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "damian muziani | William Paterson University - Academia.edu". wpunj.academia.edu. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani". Actor, Host, Broadcaster, Filmmaker. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Damian Muziani". 97.3 ESPN. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Dreamers Never Die SXSW Report – Black Sabbath Online". www.black-sabbath.com. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Dio: Dreamers Never Die". Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ↑ Ozden, Elif (21 March 2022). "Geezer Butler Confirms He Was Grateful To Have Ronnie James Dio In Black Sabbath". Metalhead Zone. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ News, E. I. N.; Muziani, Damian (7 June 2022). "Damian Muziani's Hindsight Tonight Recently Awarded Both Telly and Viddy Awards". EIN News. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
{{cite web}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ↑ "Damian interviewed by Steve Trevelise". youtube. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ↑ "geezer-butler-i-was-really-glad-that-me-and-ronnie-james-dio-had-made-up-and-all-the-past-was-in-the-past". kfma.com. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.