Bert Kreischer
Albert Charles Kreischer Jr. (born November 3, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, and television host.
Kreischer rose to prominence in 1997 when Rolling Stone magazine profiled him as the top partier at Florida State University, a designation that highlighted his fraternity involvement and delayed graduation due to excessive socializing. This exposure led to early television appearances and a pivot to professional comedy, where he developed a style characterized by animated storytelling, physical comedy, and autobiographical material drawn from his personal life.
His notable works include hosting the Travel Channel series Bert the Conqueror from 2010 to 2014, multiple stand-up specials on platforms such as Netflix ( The Machine , Secret Time , Hey Big Boy , Razzle Dazzle , and Lucky ), and starring in the 2023 action-comedy film The Machine , which he also produced based on a real-life anecdote from his college years involving Russian gangsters. Kreischer hosts the long-running podcast Bertcast , featuring interviews with comedians and celebrities, and co-hosts 2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura , both under his production company Berty Boy Productions, which he founded in 2022. In 2022, his live tour ranked fourth on Pollstar's list of highest-grossing comedy tours, reflecting his commercial success in the industry.
Albert Charles Kreischer Jr. was born on November 3, 1972, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised in Tampa alongside two younger sisters, Annie and Kottie. His father, Albert "Al" Kreischer Sr., worked as a real estate attorney and had aspired for Bert to pursue baseball at Duke University, while his mother, Margaret "Gege" Kreischer, was employed in an early childhood development organization.
Kreischer's parents provided a supportive environment that accommodated his outgoing and anxious personality, even as it manifested in extended partying during his later education ; Gege emphasized his happiness over conventional paths, and Al eventually endorsed his unconventional career trajectory despite initial reservations. Specific anecdotes from Kreischer's accounts highlight a family dynamic tolerant of his energetic tendencies from childhood, though detailed public records on early family life remain limited beyond his self-reported stories in podcasts and interviews.
Kreischer enrolled at Florida State University (FSU) in the early 1990s, majoring in English with a focus on creative writing , and became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He earned a reputation for heavy partying amid FSU's status as a prominent party school , often prioritizing social activities over academics; by 1997, he was in his sixth year as an undergraduate, admitting in interviews to never having read a full book during his studies. During a 1995 summer study abroad program in Russia , Kreischer recounted becoming heavily intoxicated, befriending members of the Russian mafia , and participating in the robbery of a vodka train—an incident he later dramatized in his comedy routine "The Machine."
In April 1997, Rolling Stone magazine profiled Kreischer in a six-page feature titled "Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate," dubbing him the "top partier at the Number One Party School in the country" after ranking FSU highest in their party school survey. The article detailed his exploits, including frequent all-night drinking sessions and minimal academic engagement, which Kreischer later credited with launching his public persona despite straining relations with FSU faculty; he alleged a spiteful English professor withheld final approval for graduation over the piece's portrayal of the department. Kreischer participated in FSU's 1997 commencement ceremony but faced delays in receiving his degree, ultimately listed as a 1997 Bachelor of Arts recipient by the university's English department, though some FSU announcements reference 1998 completion after resolving requirements.
