David Allen, known professionally as Dave (Gruber) Allen is an American television and film actor and comedian, best known for his work on the 1990 TV series The Higgins Boys and Gruber (with Steve Higgins and David Anthony Higgins, with whom he had formed the comedy troup Don't Quit Your Day Job in the '80s). and playing guidance counselor Jeff Rosso on the Judd Apatow-produced comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks. He played Mr. Kwest on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and a town troubadour on Gilmore Girls. Allen had a minor role as an "Electrocuted Ghost" known as "Sparky" in the 2016 film Ghostbusters.

Early and personal life Allen was born and raised to a Lutheran family in Naperville, Illinois. He graduated from Naperville Central High School, where a classmate gave him the nickname "Groover" which over time changed to "Gruber" and inspired his professional name. Allen discovered his love for music as a child attending church. His preferred way to be identified professionally is "Dave (Gruber) Allen", with "Gruber" in parentheses.

As of 2013, he lives in Salt Lake City.

Career Allen plays the "Naked Trucker," a character that first appeared as part of a sketch comedy show 2 Headed Dog. In 1990, he starred in "The Higgins Boys and Gruber" with Steve Higgins and David Anthony Higgins. In 1998, at the invitation of Largo owner Mark Flannigan, Allen began to appear as the Naked Trucker as a solo act, opening at Largo in L.A. for Tenacious D, Jon Brion, and others. The act was an instant success and soon expanded to include David Koechner, who plays "T-Bones." Koechner and Allen starred in The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show on Comedy Central, which was picked up for eight episodes.

Allen is a member of comedy group 2 Headed Dog with comedians Jim Turner, Mark Fite, and Craig Anton. He also made an appearance as a minor character, Mr. Woodward, one of Reese's teachers on the television show Malcolm in the Middle. Allen frequently plays the character "Todd Carlin", a fictional hippie relative of George Carlin. Allen has guest starred on Gilmore Girls, where he played a town troubadour, organic farmer, and a de facto minister officiating a wedding. He has been credited in many movies and television roles as Dave (Gruber) Allen and David Gruber Allen.

Allen has provided multiple voice performances, such as on animated series King of the Hill episodes "Unfortunate Son", "Phish and Wildlife", "Raise the Steaks", and "Bill's House". Allen has also provided his voice in Random! Cartoons clips. Later on, Allen also played several different characters in NBC's Newsradio, and appeared as night school teacher "Randy", teaching basic auto repair and maintenance in the episode "Motor Skills" of the eighth season of the sitcom Frasier. He has appeared as a hippie on Mr. Show with Bob and David and a protester on Arrested Development. In 2006, Allen appeared in the Stan and Lois sketch on Norm Macdonald's comedy album Ridiculous (released by Comedy Central Records).

In November 2008, Allen appeared as "Todd"—and was credited as "Todd Carlin"—in the Cinematic Titanic episode "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" during the pre-movie sequence, introducing the movie to the crew. Additionally, Allen has been touring periodically at live shows with Cinematic Titanic, performing his stand-up routine. In 2010, Allen was featured as a sci-fi author in season two of Party Down and made a cameo in the film The Mother of Invention as Dr. Henry Miller. In 2011, Allen had a small role in the movie Bad Teacher. In 2012, Allen played the salesman of a futuristic elder care center in "Life Begins at Rewirement," an episode of the ITVS/PBS sci-fi series Futurestates. He also appeared in a recurring role on the CBS series Mike & Molly.

Allen also provided the voice of Frostferatu, among several other characters, in Cartoon Network's Mighty Magiswords episodes "Share and Share Dislike", "Hideous Hound", "Transylbabies", "Collection Infection", and "King of Zombeez", created by MooBeard the Cow Pirate creator, Kyle A. Carrozza. In 2017, Allen appeared as the recurring character Dave the Taxidermist in NBC's Trial & Error.

Filmography

Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1989Narco DollarMortera's Men1991Fist of GloryHigh Roller1997Life Sold SeparatelyRoger1999Dill ScallionSlim2002CrossroadsBar Patron2004Off the LipPupule2004Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyFondue Restaurant Patron2004Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost MovieSkeevy Guy2006Unaccompanied MinorsGas Station Attendant2006Smiley FaceHippie #12008LargoTodd Carlin2009The Mother of InventionDr. Henry Miller2010DronesCooperman2011Bad TeacherSandy Pinkus2014Veronica Mars60-Year-Old Rocker2014Sex TapeMailman2016GhostbustersElectrocuted Ghost2018Boy BandDavy2025The Big WhoopGustav

Television YearTitleRoleNotes1989–1990"The Higgins Boys and Gruber" Fictionalized selfAlso writer1995The Drew Carey ShowLawyerEpisode: "Drew Meets Lawyers"1995The TV WheelVariousTelevision film; uncredited1995–1996Get Serious: Seven Deadly SinsHimself6 episodes1996Mr. Show with Bob and DavidHippieEpisode: "The Biggest Failure in Broadway History"1996Sabrina the Teenage WitchPizza ManagerEpisode: "A Girl and Her Cat"1997, 1999NewsRadioEric Stark / Lackey2 episodes1998WorkingPoetEpisode: "Home-O-Apathy"19983rd Rock from the SunArthurEpisode: "Indecent Dick"1999ChillNaked TruckerTelevision film1999–2000Freaks and GeeksJeff Rosso11 episodes2000Spin CityCrackpotEpisode: "Blind Faith"2000Tenacious DJesus Ranch Cult MemberEpisode: "Road Gig"2001FrasierRandyEpisode: "Motor Skills"2001Malcolm in the MiddleMr. WoodwardEpisode: "Tutoring Reese"2001Dead LastBig TinyEpisode: "Laughlin It Up"2001–2006Gilmore GirlsThe 2nd Troubadour / The Minister4 episodes2002Late FridayTwo Headed DogEpisode #2.92002Late Night with Conan O'BrienThe Naked TruckerEpisode #10.132002–2007King of the HillAppleseed / Jesse4 episodes2003Comedy Central Laughs for Life Telethon 2003The Naked TruckerTelevision special2004I'm with HerHorse WranglerEpisode: "Party of Two"2004Arrested DevelopmentActivistEpisode: "Whistler's Mother"2004Cheap SeatsGuy LeFleurEpisode: "Superdogs! Superjocks"2004Grounded for LifeTherapistEpisode: "Psycho Therapy"2004Complete SavagesWendellEpisode: "Carnival Knowledge"2005Yes, DearInsurance AgentEpisode: "Broken by the Mold"2005–2007Ned's Declassified School Survival GuideMr. Kwest / Abraham Lincoln10 episodes2006, 2009SpongeBob SquarePantsBoys Who Cry Member / The Guy on the Penny2 episodes2006Lucky LouieProfessor BillEpisode: "Get Out"2006Jimmy Kimmel Live!The Naked TruckerEpisode #4.3822007The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show8 episodes2008Random! CartoonsDark Blade of FireEpisode: "MooBeard the Cow Pirate"2009, 2010True Jackson, VPMitchell2 episodes2010United States of TaraSchreiberEpisode: "The Truth Hurts"2010Party DownAF Gordon TheodoreEpisode: "Joel Munt's Big Deal Party"2010Warren the ApeLiquor Store CashierEpisode: "Gay Ape"2010Scooby-Doo! Mystery IncorporatedRick Yantz / Announcer / Hospital PAEpisode: "When the Cicada Calls"2012Big Time RushTherapistEpisode: "Big Time Move"2012Hot in ClevelandDavid GatesEpisode: "I'm with the Band"2012Bob's BurgersBillEpisode: "Food Truckin'"2012FutureStatesSales AssociateEpisode: "Life Begins at Rewirement"2012NTSF:SD:SUV::Crowley MorehouseEpisode: "Comic-Con-Flict"2012Ben and KateScottEpisode: "Guitar Face"2012, 2013Mike & MollyTom2 episodes2013The MiddleProfessor MorsonEpisode: "The Jump"2013Axe CopVoice2 episodes2014ParenthoodGuruEpisode: "A Potpourri of Freaks"2015W/ Bob & DavidExtra Beatle FanEpisode #1.22015Granite FlatsDinsmoreEpisode: "Our Rendezvous Is Fitly Appointed"2016Tween FestTwonkmaster Chris4 episodes2016–2018LoveAllan8 episodes2016–2019Star vs. the Forces of EvilAdditional Voices / Sir Crandle / Mr. Candle4 episodes2017Trial & ErrorDave the Taxidermist6 episodes2017–2018Mighty MagiswordsFrostferatu / Tooth Fairy / Cold Foot4 episodes2018PreacherSwamiEpisode: "Sonsabitches"2018Rob Riggle's Ski Master AcademyGil8 episodes2018It's a Beach ThingThe ProphetEpisode: "Pilot"

References

External links

Interview with Allen & partner David Koechner on public radio program The Sound of Young America Dave Allen at live Cinematic Titanic shows, performing standup and discussing his preferred method of writing his name (using parenthesis rather than quotation marks). in Life Begins at Rewirement