Contact / Bio
Bio
Greg Shapiro: Comedian, American, Dutchman. (And the voice of the ‘Netherlands Second’ video with over 50 million views online.) Shapiro was the host of Comedy Central News: “because Dutch news is news too.” His standup specials have appeared on Dutch BNN-VARA and HumorTV. And he helped establish the Amsterdam comedy theater Boom Chicago, helping launch the careers of alumni like Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele and the creators of Ted Lasso.
Shapiro’s latest standup special is Greg Shapiro Saves the Climate: 60 Minutes of Climate Good News. In the Netherlands alone, there are solar-powered cars, wind-powered trains and garbage-powered trucks. But no one seems to hear about it, because Dutch people love to be modest. Enter the American Netherlander: Greg Shapiro is Dutch enough to be proud of Dutch innovations and American enough to be way too loud about it.
Corporate Speaker
Shapiro is celebrating 25 years of performing for corporate events, mostly with an orange theme (NL Foreign Ministry), a political theme (Summit for Democracy), or a green theme (Boskalis Offshore Wind). As Moderator, he has hosted events for the King of the Netherlands, French President François Hollande, and NATO. As talk show host, he has impersonated Graham Norton (Tommy Hilfiger), Seth Meyers (Booking.com), and Matthijs van Nieuwkerk (ING). As Keynote Speaker, he has performed on moving buses, student living rooms, and once in the Business Class section of a KLM 747 flying to Chicago.
Author
In 2020 Shapiro debuted his third book THE AMERICAN NETHERLANDER: 25 Years of Expat Tales. Shapiro has also written HOW TO BE DUTCH: The Quiz – all the questions that should be on the Dutch citizenship exam. And he is a contributor to the oral history Boom Chicago Presents.
Greg came to the Netherlands to take a job for just one summer, and 30 years later he’s still here. So be warned: Dutch culture can be addictive. Greg came for work and stayed for love. Based on his clumsy assimilation into Dutch society, he has written the previous book How to Be Orange, an Alternative Dutch Assimilation Course. Now he gives a master class in cultural assimilation, known as ‘Culture Shock Therapy.’
Theater Tour
In 2020, Greg Shapiro presented his sixth solo show LEAVING TRUMPLAND – Make America Democracy Again. Critics also loved Greg’s previous show The Madness of King Donald. The Theaterkrant gave it ‘Critic’s Choice,’ calling the show ‘a welcome Trump survival guide.’ The Madness of King Donald is now available on Spotify. Currently, Greg is working with partner Pep Rosenfeld on their 13th show Pep & Greg Save America. And then there’s Greg Shapiro Saves the Climate: 60 Minutes of Climate Good News.
Backstory
Shapiro spent his first 25 years in Chicago, where he studied theater at Northwestern University. In 1994, he came to the Netherlands to work at Boom Chicago theater, and in 2004 he became a Dutch citizen. He has appeared on Dutch soap operas like ONM and GTST: Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden. He been in the Dick Maas movie Down. And in 2007 Shapiro became a Dutch TV host on Comedy Central News. He has since worked as a columnist with BNR fm and Time Out Amsterdam, which proclaimed him ‘Hero of Amsterdam’ in 2009. His voice has been heard on German ZDF for De Heute Show. He has also worked with BNN/VARA HumorTV, and VPRO – where he helped Zondag met Lubach win the Dutch Televizier Ring.
Greg lives in Amsterdam with his artist wife Inez. (Fun fact: she is also author of the acclaimed novel Droomhuis). Greg is now so Dutch he owns two bicycles. He has two bilingual children and a black Labrador, who will lick you if she gets the chance. And he recently bought a small barn in France with a big hole in the roof.
For examples of Shapiro’s previous work, see:
Greg Shapiro’s Web Archive
https://gregshapiro.nl/greg-shapiro-web-archive/
Want examples of Shapiro’s online work?
Greg Shapiro’s YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/gregshapiro