Peter Segal (born April 20, 1962) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Segal has directed thecomedic filmsNaked Gun33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994),Tommy Boy (1995),My Fellow Americans (1996),The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000),Anger Management (2003),50 First Dates (2004),The Longest Yard (2005),Get Smart (2008),Grudge Match (2013), andMy Spy (2020).^[1]

Peter Segal
Segal promotingGet Smart atWonderCon
Born	1962 (age 62–63) United States
Occupations	Film director screenwriter
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Linda Brogmus

Segal grew up inNew York City, where his father was head of publicity atMGM. In the 1970s, Segal and his family moved toLos Angeles. Segal attended theUniversity of Southern California, where he doublemajored inBroadcast Journalism andEnglish.^[2]

Segal graduated from theUSC School of Cinema and Television.^[3][4]

Segal began his career writing and directing television. In 2002, he created theNBCsitcomHidden Hills (2002–2003). In 1995, he formed his production company, Callahan Filmworks, along with long-time producing partner Michael Ewing.^[4]

Segal made his feature film directorial debut in 1994 withNaked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, starringLeslie Nielsen andGeorge Kennedy.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

Segal went on to directChris Farley andDavid Spade inTommy Boy (1995).^[10][11] Though it received mixed reviews at the time of release, and was considered a commercial disappointment,^[12]Tommy Boy's reputation has grown over the years and it is considered in some quarters a "now-iconic cult classic."^[13]

Segal directed thecomedy filmMy Fellow Americans (1996), starringJack Lemmon,James Garner andLauren Bacall.^[3][4] The film received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a 47% rating onRotten Tomatoes based on 60 reviews and with an average rating of 5.3/10 and the critical consensus: "It doesn't commit any impeachable offenses, butMy Fellow Americans lacks strong regulatory oversight of its toothless political satire and misuse of comedic talent."^[14] Co-star Garner was not impressed by Segal, writing in his memoirs that Segal "was a self appointed genius who didn't know his ass from second base and Jack and I both knew it."^[15]

Segal next directed the comedyNutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), starringEddie Murphy.^[3][4] The film was a substantial commercial success, grossing $42.5 million in its opening weekend, the then-highest opening weekend for anEddie Murphy film.^[16] The film went on to generate a total gross of $166.3 million worldwide.^[17] Critically, however, the film did not fare as well: onRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 27% and an average rating of 4.5/10, based on reviews from 89 critics. The site's consensus states that "While Eddie Murphy is still hilarious as the entire Klump family, the movie falls apart because of uneven pacing, a poor script, and skits that rely on being gross rather than funny."^[18] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100, a score that indicates generally unfavorable reviews, based on reviews from 34 critics.^[19]

Segal directedAdam Sandler for the first time inAnger Management (2003), which also starredJack Nicholson.^[20][21][22] When asked by theBBC who was the most famous person in his contacts book, Segal replied, "I have to say, it's very obvious now, it's Jack Nicholson. I've kept his number on my speed dial just so I can show it to friends. I could call him up out of the blue, but I'm worried he might say 'Pete who?'"^[3]

Segal collaborated with Sandler again in50 First Dates (2004), which also starredDrew Barrymore.^{[21][23][24][25][26]}

Segal collaborated with Sandler for the third time inThe Longest Yard (2005), a remake of the1974 film of the same name.^[2][3] The film has become the second highest grossing sports comedy in history.^[4]

After directing three of Sandler's films, Segal's next film becameGet Smart (2008). It is an adaptation of the'60s television series of the same name that was created byMel Brooks andBuck Henry. Segal stated in an interview withAMC that he loved the show so much as a kid. The film starredSteve Carell,Anne Hathaway,Dwayne Johnson,Alan Arkin andTerence Stamp.^{[27][28][29][30][31]}

Segal also directedGrudge Match (2013), which starredRobert De Niro,Sylvester Stallone,Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin,Kim Basinger andJon Bernthal.^[9][32][33]

When asked in a September 2014 interview by theBBC if he believes inGod, Segal replied: "I do. I'm very spiritual and I'mJewish by faith. I'm not a practising Jew, I'm more of a recreational Jew. I celebrate the holidays and I try to inform my kids about their heritage because I think we all at some point have to defend our heritage and if they get picked on I want them to know why."^[3]

Acting credits

TV movies

TV specials

• Peter Segal atIMDb