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Christopher Paul Gethard (born May 23, 1980, in West Orange, New Jersey)1 is an American actor, stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster, and improvisational performer. He is best known for hosting The Chris Gethard Show (2011-2018) and for his HBO comedy special Career Suicide (2017).2 Ghostbusters fans know him as the actor who plays Blogger Chris Gethard in the 2016 film Ghostbusters.3
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Gethard grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, in an Irish-Catholic family. From middle school onward he struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts, experiences he would later make central to his creative work.1 He graduated from Rutgers University in 2002 with a degree in American studies.1 While still a student, he began commuting to Manhattan to train at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB), taking improv classes starting in 2000.1
After graduating, Gethard worked as an editorial assistant for the Weird NJ and Weird US publications, regional guides dedicated to unexplained phenomena and urban legends of the Eastern United States.1 He launched his stand-up career in 2006.
His signature project, The Chris Gethard Show, began as a live UCB Theatre performance in 2009, then moved successively to Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Fusion, and truTV, running through 2018.1 The show became known for its chaotic live format, heavy audience interaction, and guests including Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, and Lena Dunham.
Career Suicide had its off-Broadway premiere at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in October 2016, running through January 2017, and was filmed there for broadcast on HBO on May 6, 2017.2 Produced by executive producer Judd Apatow, the 90-minute special documents Gethard's long battle with depression, alcoholism, and a suicide attempt at age 21.2 The special was widely praised for bringing uncommon candor to the subject of mental illness within a comedy context. He won a Webby Award in 2017 for Best Host for his podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People.1
His film appearances include The Other Guys (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013), The Heat (2013), Don't Think Twice (2016), and Ghostbusters (2016).4 Television credits include recurring or guest appearances in The Office, Parks and Recreation, Broad City, Louie, and Space Force.4
As a podcaster, Gethard hosts Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People (launched March 2016)1, in which he takes one-hour calls from anonymous listeners, and New Jersey is the World (launched January 2021)1, exploring the culture and history of his home state.
His published books include Weird New York (2010), A Bad Idea I'm About to Do (2012), Lose Well (2018), The Lonely Dad Conversations (2023), and Dad at Peace (2024).1
Gethard is a long-standing member of The Stepfathers, a longform improvisational team at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.5 His Stepfathers teammates have included actor Zach Woods.5
In Ghostbusters (2016), Gethard plays a character named Blogger Chris Gethard, a combative online personality who ambushes the Ghostbusters following the supernatural events at the Mercado Hotel. He catches up to Erin Gilbert, Abby Yates, Patty Tolan, and Jillian Holtzmann near East 45th Street, sets his phone to record video, and demands they answer questions about wasting taxpayer money on what he characterizes as a prank. Abby tells him to go back to his mother's basement. He then addresses Erin directly, revealing he traveled to her hometown and dug up the story that she invented a ghost as a child, calling her "ghost girl." Erin grabs him by the collar; the other Ghostbusters try to pull her back. He then taunts her to return to therapy and calls her a freak, prompting Erin to punch him squarely in the face and drop him to the pavement. Patty is visibly stunned by the outcome.3
The cellphone footage is uploaded to YouTube that same day, and Blogger Chris Gethard tweets that he is "feeling fine with the help of an ice pack and a nice glass of Merlot."3 The New York Post runs the altercation on its front page under the headline "Nosebusters! It's not the ghosts he should be afraid of," with the bulk of the story on pages 4 and 5. The story also receives coverage on Fox 5.3
The character's name is taken directly from the actor playing him. The Fandom wiki notes the real Gethard is not a blogger strictly speaking, though he has written books including Weird New York, a guide to the ghost stories and urban legends of New York City, making the casting a dry in-joke. During production, co-star Kristen Wiig accidentally landed a real punch on Gethard in one take.
The scene falls in Chapter 12 of the film.3
Gethard married Hallie Bulleit, the bandleader for The Chris Gethard Show, on August 30, 2014, in Brooklyn.1 He has one child. He has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and managing it through a combination of medication, therapy, and family support.1 He is a devoted fan of The Smiths and a lifelong New York Knicks supporter.
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
"Chris Gethard," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Gethard ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12
WarnerMedia Entertainment, "Chris Gethard's Acclaimed Off-Broadway Show Chris Gethard: Career Suicide to Debut May 6 on HBO; Judd Apatow Is an Executive Producer" (April 2017), https://medium.com/warnermediaent/chris-gethards-acclaimed-off-broadway-show-chris-gethard-career-suicide-to-debut-may-6-on-hbo-a4db1af936ab ↩ ↩2 ↩3
Ghostbusters (2016), Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures. Chapter 12. Scene: Blogger Chris Gethard confronts the Ghostbusters near East 45th Street; subsequent New York Post front-page coverage and Fox 5 report observed in film. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
"Chris Gethard," IMDb Biography, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1589811/bio/ ↩ ↩2
"The Stepfathers," IRC Improv Wiki, accessed 2026-06-13, https://wiki.improvresourcecenter.com/index.php/The_Stepfathers ↩ ↩2
