Comedian Louis C.K. has always taken material from his own life for his comedy, whether it be his parent’s divorce or his experiences as a single father.

C.K. was born in Washington, D.C. and later moved to Massachusetts with his mother and siblings after his parents divorced. According to the comedian, he became inspired to work in television after seeing his mother come home after a long day at work, only to have lackluster TV programs to choose from.

C.K. first tried stand-up comedy at age 17 at an open mic in Boston, but soon became discouraged after running out of material after three minutes. In 1985, he graduated from Newton North High School (whose other famous alumni include Matt LeBlanc and John Krasinski). After high school, C.K. worked as an auto mechanic, and finally moved to New York City in 1989.

Louis C.K.'s arrival on the comedy scene in New York was ill-timed. Although comedy blossomed in the ’80s, by the turn of the decade it was on the decline and clubs in Manhattan had begun going out of business. He practiced his routine at empty venues, and auditioned unsuccessfully for “Saturday Night Live.” In his 20s, C.K. found himself struggling to pay the rent. One night he suffered a serious motorcycle accident—an event he has said marked a low point in his life.

Things began to turn around when C.K. got a job as a staff writer for the cable show “Caroline’s Comedy Hour.” In 1993, he worked as a writer on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” helping craft the talk-show host’s very first sketch. He later wrote for “The Dana Carvey Show” and “The Chris Rock Show.”

In 2006, he created and starred in the HBO show “Lucky Louie,” which was cancelled after only one season. Shortly after, C.K. released a string of comedy specials, including Live at the Beacon Theater, which he sold on his website. After less than two weeks, sales topped $1 million and the comedian announced he would donate $280,000 to charity.

In 2010, his show “Louie” premiered on FX, with C.K. writing and directing all 13 episodes per season. In 2012 and 2013, he was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy. He started a national comedy tour in October 2012, for which he also distributed tickets via his website. Despite some skepticism about his sales strategy, his shows began selling out immediately.

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