David Brian Ury (born September 30, 1973) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, YouTuber, and Japanese translation specialist.
Ury was born and raised in Sonoma, California. He graduated from Sonoma Valley High School, where he acted in theatre productions. He earned a bachelor's degree in linguistics at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and studied abroad in Japan, where he became fluent in Japanese. Ury is a descendant of German Jewish impressionist painter Lesser Ury.
Since studying abroad in Tokyo, Ury and has worked as a translator in film, television, and manga and currently (As of May 2011) translates and writes English adaptations for manga. Ury moved to Los Angeles in August 2001 where he began performing stand-up comedy. Cartoonist Keith Knight, a neighbor of his, described Ury's acting career as "Spooge man" and "a cavalcade of reprobates, sleazeballs, derelicts, & weirdos."
Ury has made several film and television appearances, including an episode of Tim Kring's Crossing Jordan and in Shoot 'Em Up. He also appeared in Heroes, Malcolm in the Middle, Life, Without a Trace, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Zeke and Luther, and The Librarians. In March 2015, Ury was cast for Rob Zombie's slasher film 31 as Schizo-Head. A character actor, Ury has died on screen in almost every role he has portrayed.
Ury also has several YouTube channels/accounts/personalities and alter-egos, which include Karaoke Steve and Ken Tanaka, the fictional adopted twin brother of David Ury. Tanaka is described as an Ashkenazi Jewish man adopted as an infant by Japanese parents Hideo and Mari Tanaka, and raised in Shimane Prefecture of Japan; he returns to Los Angeles to find his birth parents Jonathan and Linda Smith.
Known For
Little Death
Petey
2024
Do Not Watch
2023
Babylon
Fan (Autograph)
2022
1-800-Hot-Nite
Bill
2022
The Rookie: Feds
Frank Patterson · (1 episode)
2022
Faith Based
Gerry
2020
Kajillionaire
Minimart Cashier
2020
Woke
Al Durian (aka Trench Coat) · (1 episode)
2020
Outer Banks
Scooter Grubbs · (2 episodes)
2020
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Sleazy Breeder
2020
3 from Hell
Travis O'Rourke
2019
To Hell and Back: The Making of 3 From Hell
Self
2019
Loners
Larry Bressert
2019
Lodge 49
(9 episodes)
2018
31
Schizo-Head
2016
A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits
Freddie Marks
2016
Rush Hour
Trucker · (1 episode)
2016
Little Boy
Sir Pent
2015
Powers
Dr. Death · (7 episodes)
2015
Better Call Saul
Spooge · (1 episode)
2015
Fresh Off the Boat
Homeless Man · (1 episode)
2015
The Librarians
William Shakespeare · (1 episode)
2014
Community
Rick · (1 episode)
2009
The Revenant
ATM Robber
2009
Black Widow
Bixler
2008
A Blind Bargain
Reggie
Tacoma FD
Buffalo Phil · (1 episode)
2019
Lake Los Angeles
Dan Dan
2014
Masters of Sex
(1 episode)
2013
Mom
Randy · (1 episode)
2013
The Haunted Hathaways
The Green Ghoul · (1 episode)
2013
Coffee Town
Homeless Guy
2013
Pearblossom Hwy
Garr Booth
2012
Touch
Rizzi · (1 episode)
2012
Grimm
Hofmann · (4 episodes)
2011
Raising Hope
Easter Joe · (2 episodes)
2010
Rizzoli & Isles
Sandy Grotty · (1 episode)
2010
Justified
Hiram · (1 episode)
2010
The Mentalist
Col. James Harris · (1 episode)
2008
Breaking Bad
Spooge · (2 episodes)
2008
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Barkeeper
2007
Life
Hard Case #1 · (2 episodes)
2007
Private Practice
Hank · (1 episode)
2007
Shoot 'Em Up
Diner Holdup Leader
2007
Dark Ride
Attendant #1
2006
Heroes
Super · (1 episode)
2006
Heroes
Landlord · (1 episode)
2006
Close to Home
(1 episode)
2005
Bones
Larry Wolfram · (1 episode)
2005
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Spa Worker · (1 episode)
2005
Paparazzi
Fan
2004
Able Edwards
Franklin Wallace
2004
Violent Ends
Lou Byers
Without a Trace
Gil · (1 episode)
2002
Crossing Jordan
Arthur Hay · (1 episode)
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Jayson Walt · (1 episode)
2000
Malcolm in the Middle
Mechanic · (1 episode)
2000
Charmed
Shapeshifter · (1 episode)
1998