Will 2009 be the year Zach Galikianakis becomes a household name? If early reviews for “The Hangover” are any indication, I would say Zach will be on top of the Comedian food chain in no time. I was introduced to him a few years ago through “The Comedians of Comedy”, a documentary and tour Zach was part of with fellow comedians Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford and Brian Posehn. Zach’s awkward stand up subject matter, coupled with his bait and switch tactics, and little ditties on a piano, have always made for a more than amusing comedy performance. His ability to steal the scene from anyone he shares screen time from has also not gone unnoticed.

The”hipster” comedian has been entertaining audiences with his stand up for years and appearances on TV shows, such as “The Sarah Silverman Show”, “Reno 911″ and “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” but it was only recently that Hollywood showed an interest in his irreverent comedy, casting him in films like last year’s surprise comedy hit “Whatever Happens in Vegas”. Galifianakis, who was been the wonder kid for the underground comedy scene for years is about to blow up in a big way, with the help from the high praise he is getting in “The Hangover”, which opens this weekend. Zach plays the bushy beard wearing eccentric brother of the bride, who sees this bachelor weekend as a way to get in well with his bro and his dude friends, that is until unbelievable hijinx happen to the hapless group of dudes. The movie, directed by Todd Phillips the man behind the classic “Old School” had such positive early reviews that Warner Brothers has already green lit a sequel, which makes Galifianakis a bit uneasy. Zach can also be seen in the upcoming “G-Force” and the HBO comedy, costarring Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson, “Bored to Death”. In the mean time, please check out Zach’s web series from Funny or Die,“Between Two Ferns”, where the comedian “interviews” celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Michael Cera and Jon Hamm. The most recent sit down was with Bradley Cooper, Zach’s costar in “The Hangover”.

For more of Zach’s brand of humor, check out Dave and Thomas Daily Timekiller for their Top 5 moments of Galifianakis.