Biografía

Fred had thought that his Korean paternal grandfather was Japanese, until he discovered his origins on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012). His grandfather, known as Masami Ehara-Kuni, was a dancer and choreographer who performed in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, and was also possibly a spy for the Allies. Masami was actually born Pak Yeong-In in Ulsan, Korea, and had taken on a Japanese name and persona after attending a Japanese school during the Japanese occupation of Korea. There is a museum dedicated to Masami in Japan.

Played drums for the Blue Man Group's off-Broadway Chicago franchise.

His father, Fereydun Herbert "Fred" Armisen, was born in Soltau, Lower Saxony, Germany, to a Korean father and a German mother (Fred's father used the German surname of his own stepfather, Armisen). Fred's mother, Hildegardt (Mirabal Level), was born and raised in a small city called San Fernando de Apure, in the southern plains of Venezuela.

Was a drummer for the early '90s punk band Trenchmouth.

His first character on Saturday Night Live (1975) called "Fericito", was a Venezuelan "timbalero" (timbale player). The name was inspired by what his Mom and Grandma called him as a child - Fredicito (little Fred).

I feel bad for everyone I've gone out with.

I came away from 'Saturday Night Live' feeling very well represented. I felt, and I still feel like, they let me do so much stuff that I wanted to do. Stuff that I almost didn't even know what it was.

Bill Hader does a really good impression of me.

There's something really easy and just somehow un-crowded about the Portland airport. Every time I go there I'm like, 'Why is this so easy and sweet?'

I loooved Sleater-Kinney like a crazy person.