Bill Corbett

To enable all the features on RiffTrax.com, you need to enable Javascript!

Bill Corbett is a former writer for MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 and also a performer on the show, providing the voice of the robot Crow (v.2.0) and playing various other strange characters -- including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer (a.k.a. "Brain Guy").

Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. Corbett's screenplay STARSHIP DAVE, co-written with Rob Greenberg, was made into the movie MEET DAVE starring Eddie Murphy, released by 20th Century Fox. His plays have been produced internationally. Corbett's comedy THE BIG SLAM has been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., including Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C.; ACT in Seattle; and actor Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan. Other plays include HATE MAIL, THE STUFF OF DREAMS, and his comic book holiday mashup SUPER-POWERED-REVENGE CHRISTMAS #1.

He has been a contributing writer to National Public Radio's PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and is co-creator of the animated web series POKER NIGHT on Icebox.com.

Corbett has also been an actor in the resident acting companies at the Guthrie Theater and the Berkshire Theater Festival, and has taught playwriting and screenwriting at Kenyon College in Ohio, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and many other universities and schools.

He's a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, where he earned an MFA in playwriting and screenwriting. Before that, he received a BA from Yale College. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he now lives in Minneapolis with his wife Virginia, their two children, and a feisty Jack Russell Terrier.

Comments

Submitted by david.b on 18 January 2012 - 1:54am.

Our Textbook Buyback comparison website allows you to compare book buyback prices to ensure that you receive the best possible prices and service for selling and shipping your textbooks. Unlike other textbook buyback comparison websites, Price Books 4 Me prides itself on offering price comparison with only the highest quality vendors with proven track records of successful customer service and reliability. Why sell yourself short when it comes time to sell college textbooks?

Buy Back Textbooks

Hey friends, always remember, your college bookstore should be the last option when you sell your textbooks, as they will undoubtedly offer you the lowest price around. So stop by our site, bookmark it and send it to your friends so that you can all compare book Buy Back Textbooks</a> prices and receive the highest offers and best service possible!

Ujjain Darshan

Submitted by dagmar Eah on 3 October 2011 - 2:41pm.

Hey Bill, I have really enjoyed your work for years (there is no way I could add to the things already said here, only heartily agree) and am a member/customer at Rifftrax. I didn't know how else to submit a suggestion and normally I wouldn't bother you guys like this but i came across this public domain site the other day:
http://www.archive.org/
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=jam%20handy

and I'm thinking jam handy shorts...Yeah!
get it? jam handy shorts (lots of them!) JAM HANDY!!!
anyway I just thought you and kevin and mike 'might' know what to do with these little gems. (hee hee)
sincerely, and here's hoping we might see something like "Jimmy of the Safety Patrol" in our rifftrax theaters soon!

Submitted by timservo3000 on 8 September 2011 - 3:48pm.

Hey Bill (aka Crow),

If you are reading this, do you ever consider riffing more animated videos? Here are some ideas for RiffTrax!

Note: That I am not sure if this is the right place to suggest movies to riff.

Animated Tv Shows, Specials and Movies

-My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (S1E01): Friendship is Magic, Part 1 (Along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy) (Categorized in RiffTrax Shorts) (22 Minutes) (as a vod and/or commentary)

-My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (S1E02): Friendship is Magic, Part 2 (Along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy) (Categorized in RiffTrax Shorts) (22 Minutes) (as a vod and/or commentary)

-Santa Clause is Comin' to Town (similar to how Mike Nelsonriffed Nestor the Long Eared Donkey, another Rankin-Bass Christmas TV Special) (Along with you and Kevin Murphy)

-Disney's Aladdin (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Hayo Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Either be Mike Nelson and Weird Al Yankovic, or you with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Some Episodes of Star Wars: the Clone Wars (Categorized in RiffTrax Shorts) (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Star Wars: the Clone Wars Movie (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson and also Chad Vader [Matt Sloan])

-Toy Story 3 (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Disney's Atlantis the Lost Empire (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Disney's Treasure Planet (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Disney's Home on the Ranger (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Tangled (Along with Kevin Murphy, Mike Nelson, and Weird Al Yankovic)

-Beauty and the Beast (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson, and/or Bridget Nelson)

For Live Action Movies:

-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Tron Legacy (Along with Paul and Storm, Jonathan Coulton, Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Captain America: the First Avenger (Comes out on Blu Ray and DVD on October 25th, 2011) (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Thor (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson) (To be released on Blu Ray and DVD on September 13th, 2011)

-Cowboys and Aliens (it got mixed reviews after all) (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-Aliens (the Second Movie in the Alien Series) (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-The other two Indiana Jones movies, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade (Along with Kevin Murphy and Kevin Mike Nelson)

-The last three Harry Potter Movies, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hollows parts I and II (each are seperate) (Along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson)

-The Lost World: Jurassic Park (with Matthew J. Elliott [who riffed Jurassic Park III], Weird Al Yankovic [Jurassic Park along with Mike Nelson] and Mike Nelson)

I enjoy your RiffTrax commentaries that you do with Bill Corbett and Mike Nelson! Keep up the good work!

timservo3000

Submitted by rojipantycomplex on 7 August 2011 - 12:29am.

Bill was the BEST Crow T. Robot. His presence also enhanced the show, making the final seasons the finest of the series. All detractors may kindly go to hell.

Submitted by melissiagoodwin on 31 July 2011 - 3:56pm.

Cool!
You were always a Cool Crow. Even though, and I must be honest, I could never compare you to Trace.
Why? Well, I guess it's because I only have videos of THAT Crow. (My Dad didn't like the Sci-Fi era and never recorded any of the episodes)

plaque cuisson

Submitted by J_Leatherwood on 12 April 2011 - 5:12pm.

Bill Corbett comes across as a genuine personality in everything I have seen him in. We had just gotten into MST3K when Bill signed on as Crow Mk. II, so it took us about a year to get used to Crow's new voice. But when Bill donned the robes and ghostly-white makeup of "Brain Guy" (Observer), however, we got to see his real comedic talents -- even some musical skill to complement Kevin and Mike's compositional wackiness -- such as Boggy Creek II. Bill also knows pretension and artifice when he sees it. We are so glad that he has remained a part of the MST3K legacy, despite his all-too-brief foray on TV. They are just beginning to tap into this guy's talents!

Submitted by zcampbell92 on 26 March 2011 - 5:28am.

Forgot to add that my Gamer tag is SENTUABEATDOWN

Submitted by zcampbell92 on 26 March 2011 - 5:25am.

I just thought of something great that i'm sure you, kevin, and Mike would really like!! It involves Netflix and the xbox-360. Xbox-360 has the ability to stream Netflix movies and shows that you can watch instantly (which there are an enormous amount of movies and shows to watch instantly). The thing that is great about it is that before you start to watch a movie or show, you can start what is called a "Party" in which you can invite up to a full theaters worth of your friends (even non-friends) on xbox-live. And as long as you have a microphone you can all talk to eachother while watching the movie or show. When i realized this i thought "Gee, i bet the guys from MST3K would love this b/c they could riff on movies and/or shows, LIVE, with fans that love to hear them!!" So yeah, i just thought you might like to know that, b/c it would mean the world to me to be in the same party as you guys listening to what you do best while watching the movie you tear apart!! (P.S. long time fan. I been watching MST3K since i was 4 years old).

Submitted by alliphx on 20 December 2010 - 10:14am.

TEAM CORBETT!!!

Submitted by Rita D on 9 October 2010 - 3:15pm.

Corbett-You are my favorite riffer. Whether you like it or not.

Submitted by Wolfwalkr on 30 November 2009 - 10:38am.

Crow T. Robot (whether played by Trace or Bill) is the best character on MiSTie. I like his child-like and common sense filled characteristics. Crow's Da Robot!!!! My Fave. Good job Bill. By the way, do you guys (Kevin, you, or Mike) actually read these?