| Akiva Schaffer | |||||||||
| Birth Name: | Akiva Daniel Shebar Schaffer | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 1 December 1977[1] | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Berkeley, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Years Active: | 2001–present | ||||||||
| Alma Mater: | University of California, Santa Cruz (BFA) | ||||||||
| Children: | 2 | ||||||||
| Module: |
| ||||||||
| Module2: |
| ||||||||
Akiva Daniel Shebar Schaffer (;[2] born December 1, 1977) is an American writer, director, actor, comedian, and musician. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island along with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. Schaffer began his career with The Lonely Island making videos for Channel 101. In 2005, Saturday Night Live hired the trio, with Schaffer joining as a writer. In their time at SNL, The Lonely Island pioneered the digital short format, creating popular sketches such as "Lazy Sunday", "I Just Had Sex", "I'm on a Boat", and "Dick in a Box". After SNL, Schaffer went on to direct movies including Hot Rod, The Watch, , and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The Lonely Island has made albums such as Incredibad, Turtleneck & Chain, and The Wack Album. Schaffer also produced a number of TV shows and movies, including MacGruber, PEN15, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, and Palm Springs.
Schaffer was born in Berkeley, California to Jewish parents from New York.[3]
In 2000, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in film.[4]
After college, he and his childhood friends, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, moved to Los Angeles and began making comedy movies.[4] Theater director Tony Taccone brought home the film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a choice the other men teased as being "too theatrical". The film, however, inspired Schaffer to write an overwrought play, in the style of Tennessee Williams, called The Lonely Island, in reference to their apartment. The name eventually extended to the comedy group itself.[4] On the Internet, Schaffer got his start directing The Lonely Island's The 'Bu, the group's record-breaking contribution to Channel 101, which was a parody of The OC and starred Sarah Chalke as Melissa, as well as Samberg and Taccone. Schaffer has contributed to several other Channel 101 productions as part of the Lonely Island.
In the fall of 2005, Schaffer was hired for Saturday Night Live where he directed, co-wrote, and edited the majority of the SNL Digital Shorts.[4] Some notable shorts/songs include "Lazy Sunday", "I Just Had Sex", "Natalie's Rap", "Dick in a Box", "Peyton Manning for the United Way", "Iran So Far", "Jizz in My Pants", "Boombox", "I'm on a Boat", "Great Day", "Threw It on the Ground", "Jack Sparrow", "Like A Boss", "YOLO", "Semicolon", "Dear Sister", "Spring Break Anthem", "Shy Ronnie", "Ras Trent" and "Motherlover", the sequel to "Dick in a Box".
In 2007, Schaffer directed and acted in the film Hot Rod, which starred Samberg, Taccone, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane, and Sissy Spacek, which was produced by SNLs Lorne Michaels.
Schaffer directed the film The Watch starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade, and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.[5]
The Lonely Island has released three albums (Incredibad, Turtleneck & Chain, The Wack Album) along with two full soundtracks (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience).[6] In 2014, the group co-wrote "Everything is Awesome", the theme song to the film, The Lego Movie.[7] It was nominated for Best Original Song which they performed at the 2015 Oscars.[8] That same year, Everything Is Awesome was certified platinum by the RIAA, joining their previous platinum singles, "I'm on a Boat" (2×), "I Just Had Sex", "Jizz in My Pants", and the gold-certified single "Like a Boss".
Schaffer was credited as an executive producer on the film MacGruber.[5] The film was co-written and directed by Jorma Taccone.
In 2016 Schaffer co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the Judd Apatow produced feature film, .[5] The film focuses on pop/rap superstar Conner4Real (Samberg), who goes into a major tailspin and watches his celebrity high life collapse after his new album fails to sell records.
He also co-directed/created Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special for Netflix with Scott Aukerman.[5]
Schaffer directed four music videos for the band We Are Scientists and one for the Eagles of Death Metal.[5]
In 2018, Schaffer guest-starred on NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, portraying Brett Booth in the episode Show me Going.[5]
The Lonely Island co-produced both seasons of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, most episodes of which Schaffer has co-directed with Alice Mathias.[5] Also in 2019, they released Netflix's The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience, a visual poem about former Oakland A's legends Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.[5] That summer, The Lonely Island embarked on their first ever live tour, instantly selling out venues across the United States and drawing some of the biggest crowds of the weekend at the Bonnaroo Festival and Milwaukee’s Summerfest.
Schaffer produced the film Palm Springs,[5] which debuted on Hulu in July 2020 and delivered the largest opening weekend viewership ever for a film on the platform.[5] Prior to launching on Hulu, NEON/Hulu acquired the film for a record-setting $17,500,000.69 at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, making it the biggest deal in the festival's history.[9] Most recently, the film and cast were nominated for five Super Critics Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy, as well as a Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy nomination for Samberg. The film also won a Critics' Choice Movie Awards in the category of Best Comedy and garnered a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Schaffer also executive produces Hulu's Emmy nominated show, PEN15, starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle.[5]
Schaffer directed the Disney film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.[5] The film stars Andy Samberg and John Mulaney and is a combination of live action and computer animation. It was released in Spring 2022.[10]
Schaffer hosts The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast with Samberg, Taccone and Seth Meyers, which discusses The Lonely Island's SNL Digital Shorts.[11]
Schaffer is married to comedy writer and actress Liz Cackowski; they have two children.
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hot Rod | ||||
| 2008 | Extreme Movie | ||||
| 2012 | The Watch | ||||
| 2016 | |||||
| 2017 | Brigsby Bear | ||||
| 2020 | I Used to Go Here | ||||
| Palm Springs | |||||
| 2022 | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | ||||
| 2025 | The Naked Gun |
Executive producer
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hot Rod | Derek |
| 2012 | The Watch | Casual Wanker #3 |
| 2013 | Grown Ups 2 | Male Cheerleader |
| 2014 | Neighbors | Toga #2 |
| 2016 | Lawrence | |
| 2018 | 7 Splinters in Time | McFly |
| 2022 | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | Rescue Rangers director; Voices of E.T, Colonel, Harold, Mr. Natural, Officer Chameleon, Officer Puppet Sock, Black and White Cartoon Shoeshiner, Hungry Mouse, Pig in a Sauna |
| Alice Cooper |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2005 | The 'Bu | Also creator | ||||
| 2005–2011 | Saturday Night Live | 68 episodes (director); 116 episodes (writer) | ||||
| 2014-2018 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Episodes "Charges and Specs" and "The Puzzle Master" | ||||
| 2016 | Party Over Here | |||||
| 2017 | The Gorburger Show | |||||
| 2017–2019 | I'm Sorry | |||||
| 2018 | Alone Together | Also creator | ||||
| 2019–2023 | I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | 9 episodes | ||||
| 2019 | The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience | Also editor | ||||
| 2019–2021 | PEN15 |
TV specials
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2004 MTV Movie Awards | ||||
| Channel 101 | Segment "Football Town"; Also editor | ||||
| 2005 | 2005 MTV Movie Awards | ||||
| 2009 | 2009 MTV Movie Awards | ||||
| 2015 | Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special | ||||
| 2017 | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special | Co-directed with Scott Aukerman | |||
| 2019 | 76th Golden Globe Awards | Special material | |||
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Regarding Ardy | Also editor | |||
| 2004 | G-Phoria 2004 | Documentary | |||
| 2017 | Home for the Weekend | ||||
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2014 | Saturday Night Live | Various characters | 8 episodes |
| 2016 | Party Over Here | The Lonely Island (Uncredited) | Episode "Suffragettes" |
| 2017 | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special | Alan | TV special |
| 2018 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Brett Booth | Episode "Show Me Going" |
| 2019 | The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience | Mark McGwire | |
In 2007, Schaffer won an Emmy for his participation in the production of "Dick in a Box". He was nominated for an Emmy for the song "Motherlover." He was featured in People's Sexiest Bachelor with Andy Samberg, as Sexiest Best Friends. He has also won two Writers Guild of America Awards and a Peabody Award for his work on Saturday Night Live. The Lonely Island was nominated in 2009 for a People's Choice Award and a Grammy Award.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | Saturday Night Live | |
| Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series | ||||
| 2008 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program | ||
| 2009 | Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series | |||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | ||||
| Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series | ||||
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series | ||||
| Grammy Award | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | "I'm on a Boat" | ||
| Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series | Saturday Night Live | |||
| 2011 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | ||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | ||||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | ||||
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series | ||||
| 2012 | Grammy Award | Best Comedy Album | Turtleneck & Chain | |
| Improvisation News New York Awards (INNY Award) | Best Comedy Video | Saturday Night Live | ||
| Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series | ||||
| 2014 | Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) | Best Song - Animated Film | The Lego Movie | |
| Online Film & Television Association (OFTA Television Award) | Best Direction in a Comedy Series | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (PFCS Award) | Best Original Song | The Lego Movie | ||
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special | Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special | |
| Grammy Award | Best Song Written for Visual Media | The Lego Movie | ||
| International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) | Best Original Song | |||
| Iowa Film Critics Awards | Best Song | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Original Song | |||
| 2016 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards (Sierra Award) | Best Song | ||
| 2018 | Comedy/Variety (Music, Awards, Tributes) - Specials | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special | ||
| 2019 | Gotham Independent Film Award | Breakthrough Series - Shortform | PEN15 | |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Comedy Series |