Rob Riggle’s Ground Zero Story | Kansas City News

Rob Riggle’s path to Hollywood began with the Marines—not as a comedian, but as a 19-year-old aiming for naval aviation. After shifting gears toward acting, he balanced active duty with rehearsals, eventually landing gigs on “The Daily Show” and in films like “The Hangover.” His latest movie, “Don’t Move,” just premiered—but his most defining chapter came during 9/11. Living in Manhattan and serving in a reserve unit based there, he was activated that night and spent the entire month of September at Ground Zero, helping clear rubble amid sirens, collapsing buildings, and the haunting scent of wet concrete and burning metal. He described it as a “sucker punch,” yet found purpose in the bucket brigades, never witnessing a survivor pulled from the wreckage. After deploying to Afghanistan, he returned to acting, joining “Saturday Night Live,” but the anniversary of 9/11 always brings back those unforgettable, sobering memories. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4403c987d82f41ac