Will Forte | |
|---|---|
 Forte in 2025 | |
| Born | Orville Willis Forte IV (1970-06-17)June 17, 1970 (age 55) Alameda, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Orville Willis Forte IV (/ˈfɔːrteɪ/FOR-tay;[1] born June 17, 1970[2]) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He was a cast member and writer on theNBCsketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Live for eight seasons from 2002 to 2010. During his time on the show, he played a recurring character that was featured in the film adaptation,MacGruber (2010); more than a decade later, he was the eponymous character in a streaminglimited series of the same name in 2021.
Forte also created and starred in the sitcomThe Last Man on Earth (2015–2018). For the series, he received threePrimetime Emmy Award nominations: two foracting and one forwriting. He played various roles in comedy films, before starring in the drama filmNebraska (2013). He has provided voice-work for theCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs films (2009–2013),My Life as a Courgette,Get Squirrely (2016),Luis and the Aliens (2018),The Willoughbys,Scoob! (2020),Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023), andSausage Party: Foodtopia (2024–present). He has also voiced Eddy inDisney XD'sLab Rats, andAbraham Lincoln inClone High (2002–2003, 2023–2024),The Lego Movie films (2014–2019),Michelangelo and Lincoln: History Cops (2014), andAmerica: The Motion Picture (2021).
Orville Willis Forte IV[3][4] was born inAlameda, California, on June 17, 1970.[5] His mother Patricia was an artist and former schoolteacher;[6] his father Orville Willis "Reb" Forte III was a financial broker. He is of Italian and Irish descent.[4][3] Forte grew up inMoraga before the family moved toLafayette when he was 13.[7] He went by "Billy" in his early years until he was teased at school for it also being a girl's name. At that point, he chose to be known as "Will."[8] Forte described himself as having been a "really happy little boy", whose parents were "wonderful" and created a "very loving environment."[9] He was interested in comedy from a young age, growing up idolizing comediansPeter Sellers,David Letterman, andSteve Martin as well as the sketch-comedy television seriesSaturday Night Live.[10] He often pulled pranks on his parents,[10] and would record himself performing imaginary radio shows. He did not aim to be a comedian, but initially wanted to become afootball player.[9]
Forte was "a laid-back teen with a lot of friends." He was a member of the varsity football and swim teams atAcalanes High School in Lafayette, where he graduated in 1988. He served as freshman class president and was voted "Best Personality" by his graduating class.[8][11] He had no ambitions for a television or film career, though his mother noticed a "creative streak" in him.
After high school, he attended theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, where he was a member of theLambda Chi Alpha fraternity and completed a degree in history.[12] Forte wanted to become a financial broker like his father atSmith Barney Shearson, but felt "miserable" there.[8] During that period, he co-wrote a feature-length script.[9] Later he said that he discovered he loved writing "more than anything [he] had ever done in [his] life".[8] During his time as an undergraduate, he had been encouraged to attempt comedy;[failed verification] he decided to change his career to do so.[13]
Forte began taking classes atThe Groundlings inLos Angeles, animprovisational andsketch comedy troupe and school, while tutoring children to make ends meet. His first successful foray into comedy was101 Things to Definitely Not Do If You Want to Get a Chick, acomic book he produced about incompetent men.[10] The comics landed him his first professional job writing forThe Jenny McCarthy Show, a short-livedvariety show starringJenny McCarthy. Shortly thereafter, he was asked to submit a packet to theLate Show with David Letterman and was told Letterman responded favorably to animation.[10] After only nine months atLetterman, he was "let go" from the job. He recalled his stint on the program as unpleasant, noting that he did not have enough experience in writing.[14] "What an honor to work at that show but I don't think I was fully mentally prepared. [...] I always wonder what it would be like if I'd had a couple more years of experience before going there."[15]
Forte left New York and returned to Los Angeles, where he began performing with the Groundlings' Main Company, withCheryl Hines,Jim Rash, andMaya Rudolph.[9] He triedstand-up comedy three times, mostly at open mic nights, but quit after being voted into the Main Company.[9] He joined the writing teams of two failed sitcoms, includingThe Army Show andAction. Forte got jobs writing for3rd Rock from the Sun andThat '70s Show. He loved writing and had mostly given up on acting, aside from acting with the Groundlings.[9] While performing with the troupe in 2001, he was spotted byLorne Michaels, the creator ofSaturday Night Live (SNL). Forte felt his confidence was higher than usual, asThat '70s Show had been picked up for two more years.[9] He was invited to audition forSNL, which he regarded as unexpected.[14]
At his audition forSNL, he performed multiple original characters, includingTim Calhoun, a speed reader, a prison guard, in addition to impressions of singerMichael McDonald and actorMartin Sheen.[9] His final character was an older piece from his days with the Groundlings, in which he portrays a gold-painted street performer who performsfellatio to pay for his face paint, which devolves into a song needlessly uttering the words "cock" and "face paint" dozens of times.[14] He felt his time to shine as a performer was already over, as he was in his thirties when he auditioned.[8] To his surprise, he was offered a chance to be on the show, but declined, opting instead for the financial stability of his work atThat '70s Show.[16] He felt working forSNL could not live up to the idealized version he had dreamed of, but he later realized he would be making a mistake.[15][17]
AfterWill Ferrell leftSaturday Night Live the following spring, Forte joined the cast, premiering at the beginning of the show'stwenty-eighth season in the autumn. He was promoted to repertory player after his first year.[13] His early years on the program were characterized bystage fright and an inability to properly interpret sketches that he did not write himself.[17] He had to "re-learn" how to perform after years as a writer, and later felt his natural tendency to "overthink" things improved his performance.[15] He was particularly uncomfortable portraying PresidentGeorge W. Bush, as he felt he was not the best impressionist and it paled in comparison to Ferrell's impersonation of Bush.[18] His only role was often Bush, leaving him no chance for more "absurd" pieces he favored. He was nearly fired from the program following his third season (2004–05), but after two three-week extensions to decide his fate, he was brought back.[17] Forte estimated it took five seasons for him to feel fully comfortable performing on the show.[19] He made his film debut inAround the World in 80 Days.[20]
"I've always liked weirder stuff. My main thing onSNL was that I was never gonna change my sensibility to get on TV—I was just gonna write what I liked writing and hopefully have a hit on that show somewhere."
His humor atSNL has been described as bizarre,[14] and he became known for many "10-to-1" sketches—pieces that were considered odd, placed at the very end of the show. He was also well known for his charactersTim Calhoun,Greg Stink, andthe Falconer. Forte's favorite sketch on the show was one in which he played a motivational coach alongside football starPeyton Manning.[13] He also co-starred withAndy Samberg in the firstSNL Digital Short, "Lettuce". He often spent long hours crafting his sketches for the program, missing deadlines, but his pieces were usually received warmly attable reads.[16][17] During his time at the show, he co-starred in and wrote the 2007 filmThe Brothers Solomon. The film was originally a pilot forCarsey-Werner, and its creation was an extension of his agreement to terminate his contract to appear onSNL.[21]
Forte's best-known character onSNL wasMacGruber, aspecial operations agent who is tasked in each episode with deactivating a ticking bomb but becomes distracted by personal issues. The sketches were based on the television seriesMacGyver. It was created by writerJorma Taccone, who relentlessly pitched the idea to Forte.[18] He was initially reluctant to commit to the sketch, deeming it too dumb, but accepted after persuasion from Taccone.[22] The first sketch aired in January 2007, and led to multiple more segments in the following years. In 2009, the sketches were spun off into a series of commercials sponsored byPepsi premiering duringSuper Bowl XLIII which featured the actor behind MacGyver,Richard Dean Anderson, as MacGruber's father. The advertisements led the character and sketches to receive a wider level of popularity.[22] After the success of the advertisements, creatorLorne Michaels approached Forte, Taccone, and writer John Solomon with the idea to produce aMacGruber film.[23]
Regarding his experiences onSNL, Forte remarked, "Looking back, the experience is something I'll never forget. I still miss it, and I'll always miss it. That's my family."[19] His celebrity impressions includedGeorge W. Bush,Tom DeLay,John Edwards,Timothy Geithner,Newt Gingrich,Chad Lowe,Zell Miller,David Petraeus,Harry Reid,Brian Williams, andHu Jintao.[24]
In the summer of 2009,MacGruber was shot on a tight schedule for four weeks inAlbuquerque, New Mexico.[22][25] It was written while simultaneously producing the weekly episode ofSNL, and the show'sproduction process left the trio deprived of sleep.[26] Forte was positive regarding the film, saying,
What you see with this movie is exactly what we wanted to do. It's the three of us having a bunch of fun writing it, then having fun making it with a bunch of our friends—old friends and new friends. I think that fun comes across when you watch it. It's rare that you get that kind of creative freedom.[18]
The film was released in May 2010 and received mixed reviews.[27] It fared worse at the box office, where it failed to recoup its budget and was pulled from theaters after its third week.[28] Forte found the failure tolerable, commenting, "When you make something that you're really proud of and it doesn't do well, you can live with it."[17] The film has since seen more of a positive reception and has been dubbed acult classic.[29][30]
Forte leftSaturday Night Live shortly before the beginning of the show'sthirty-sixth season in 2010. He felt it was the "right time to go", considering his eight-year tenure there, his expansion into film withMacGruber, and his age. In addition, his sister had just had children and he wanted to move to the West Coast to be closer to them.[13] He soon regretted the decision, calling the following year an "emotionally trying period", as he felt "devastated" that he would no longer be on the program.[10] He assumed his shot at a film career was ruined,[17] and he imagined that if acting did not work out, he would return to mostly writing.[10] Afterwards he entered what he has called a "lost period"[14] and had small supporting roles, such asRock of Ages,That's My Boy, andThe Watch, none of which were successes.[14] The only commercial successful film which he worked on wasGrown Ups 2, where he made acameo as a male cheerleader.[14] He also took a role asPaul L'astnamé, the cross-dressing boyfriend ofJenna Maroney on the critically acclaimed sitcom30 Rock.[14]
Forte took his first dramatic role for the 2013 filmRun & Jump. DirectorSteph Green offered him the part, and Forte imagined it a "fun thing to try", though he noted that she had more confidence in him than he had himself.[13] Later, he sent an audition tape toAlexander Payne for a role in his next film,Nebraska.[13] He equated his casting in the film to his fear of joiningSNL a decade prior, noting that he was "terrified" to begin working on it.[14] He felt scared initially, but followedBruce Dern's acting advice to "look for the truth" in each scene—in other words, "In every scene, you're just trying to play it as honestly and as real as you can."[15]
Forte began working onThe Last Man on Earth, a sitcom, with longtime collaboratorsPhil Lord and Christopher Miller in 2013. Though it was the duo's idea, Forte attached himself to the concept, crafting atreatment over a weekend. The series waspitched aroundHollywood to positive responses and was picked up in 2014 byFox.[31] Forte served as the series' creator, a writer, the lead role, and showrunner for the first season. He felt odd being in charge of its writing team (composed of longtime friends), and awkward at delegating tasks, so much so that he would end up doing the work himself.[15] Being a showrunner "truly was an amount of work I never knew existed," he said, which involved him working a "minimum of 12 hours" daily.[32] The series premiered in 2015 to positive responses,[33] and was renewed for three further seasons.[34]
In 2016, Forte played Hulka, a low-level weed dealer, in the comedyKeanu, starringJordan Peele andKeegan-Michael Key.[35] In 2018, he playedNational Lampoon magazine co-founderDouglas Kenney in theNetflix biographical filmA Futile and Stupid Gesture.[36] The film was directed byDavid Wain and featuresDomhnall Gleeson as co-founderHenry Beard.[37] Forte voicedShaggy Rogers in theScooby-Doo filmScoob!.[38] In 2021, Forte starred inSweet Tooth, reprised his role as MacGruber in aTV series onPeacock, and began voicing Wolf Tobin in the animated sitcomThe Great North. In 2022, it was announced that Forte had a leading role for Disney and Pixar's first animated television seriesWin or Lose. It premiered on Disney+ in 2025.[39] He voiced an older version of the titular character inScott Pilgrim Takes Off. In 2024, Forte was announced in the main role of Martin inSunny Nights.[40]
Forte dated hisLast Man on Earth co-starJanuary Jones in 2015.[41] He and Olivia Modling met in 2018 and started seeing each other. They became engaged in 2019.[41] They have two daughters, Zoe Douglas Forte, born in February 2021, and Cecilia, born approximately 18 months later.[3] While makingMacGruber, he and Modling married on 31 July 2021 "in the back ofJorma Taccone's house" inNew Mexico.[42] They lived in a modestly sized Craftsman home inSanta Monica, California.[43][44] Forte had bought the house in 2002,[43][44] two weeks before joining the cast ofSaturday Night Live. That action required him to move toNew York City but he kept the house. He admitted later that "it was not the greatest timing."[6]
Forte's mother, Patricia, has visited every film set on which he has worked. She made an appearance on aMother's Day episode ofSNL, in which he sang a song to her onWeekend Update. Forte officiated his sister Michelle's wedding; he also filmed the births of his niece and nephew.[45]
Forte has discussed and joked about hisOCD tendencies.[46][6] He recounted listening to only one song in his office atSNL for an entire year because he wanted to challenge himself.[47] During an interview withLarry King, he discussed his OCD as a challenge he had to overcome but not one he wished he did not have, as it is a part of his personality.[48][49] In a February 2015 article onGrantland, the writer of the article said that Forte mentioned OCD often but it was not clear if he had ever been formally diagnosed. Forte related how he and a former girlfriend had answered an OCD questionnaire based on his typical actions; it concluded that Forte "should immediately talk to someone about this."[46]
Forte is an avid gamer. While filmingA Good Old-Fashioned Orgy, he achieved one of the world's highest scores on the arcade version ofDonkey Kong.[50]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Late Show with David Letterman | Snow Shovel Murder Victim (uncredited) | Episode: "Robert Pastorelli/Craig Kilborn/Live"; also writer |
| 2002–2010 | Saturday Night Live | Various roles | 157 episodes |
| 2002–2024 | Clone High | Abe Lincoln (voice) | 33 episodes |
| 2006 | Campus Ladies | Stuart | 2 episodes |
| Drawn Together | Kirk Cameron (voice) | Episode: "Lost in Parking Space: Part One" | |
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Alien (voice) | Episode: "Antenna" | |
| 2007 | Flight of the Conchords | Ben | Episode: "The Actor" |
| Tim and Eric Nite Live! | Emanuel Melly | Episode #1.5 | |
| 2007, 2010–2012 | 30 Rock | Tomas, Paul L'astnamé | 13 episodes |
| 2007–2010 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Various roles | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | Young Person's Guide to History | Comte de Buffon the Frenchman | Episode #1.1 |
| 2008, 2010 | How I Met Your Mother | Randy Wharmpess | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Sit Down, Shut Up | Stuart Proszakian (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 2009–2013 | The Cleveland Show | Principal Wally Farquhare, Various voices | 22 episodes |
| 2009–2025 | American Dad! | Various voices | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | The Life & Times of Tim | Chipper (voice) | Episode: "Unjustly Neglected Drama" |
| WWE Raw | MacGruber | 1 episode | |
| Funny or Die Presents | Cast (Scott & Behr), Sleeping Celebrity | 2 episodes | |
| Squidbillies | Tom Treebow | Episode: "Lean Green Touchdown Makifying Machine" | |
| 2010–2013 | Conan | Ted Turner | 14 episodes |
| 2011 | Parks and Recreation | Kelly Larson | Episode: "Time Capsule" |
| Allen Gregory | Ian, Stuart Rossmyre, Sid Lampis (voice) | 7 episodes[51] | |
| 2011–2012 | Up All Night | Reed | 3 episodes |
| Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil | Gordon "Gordie" Gibble (voice) | 7 episodes[51] | |
| 2011–2015 | The League | Chuck | 2 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Chet Barnsider, Felix Dewhurst | 2 episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Lab Rats | Eddy (voice), Human Eddy | 20 episodes[51] |
| 2012–2016 | Gravity Falls | Tyler Cutebiker (voice) | 13 episodes[51] |
| 2013 | Drunk History | Edwin Booth | Episode: "Washington D.C." |
| 2013–2014 | Kroll Show | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 2013–2024 | Bob's Burgers | Kurt, Mr. Grant (voice) | 9 episodes[51] |
| 2014–2015 | The Awesomes | Malocchio Jr. (voice) | 10 episodes |
| 2014–2022 | The Simpsons | King Toot (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | 7 Days in Hell | Sandy Pickard | Television film |
| Moonbeam City | Rad Cunningham (voice) | 10 episodes[51] | |
| 2015–2018 | The Last Man on Earth | Philip Tandy "Phil" Miller | 65 episodes; also creator, writer and executive producer |
| 2016 | Maya & Marty | Various | Episode: "Will Forte, Amy Poehler and Jerry Seinfeld" |
| 2017 | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special | Michael Fulton | Variety special |
| Tour de Pharmacy | Police Officer | Television film | |
| Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories | Will | Episode: "The Demotion" | |
| 2019 | Future Man | CASSIN-E (voice) | Episode: "The I of the Tiger" |
| Alien News Desk | Drexx Drudlarr (voice) | 12 episodes[68][69] | |
| Crank Yankers | Himself (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2019, 2023 | I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | Old Man on Plane / The Ponytail Guy | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Himself | Contestant; 2 episodes |
| The Shivering Truth | (voice) | Episode: "Holeways" | |
| Flipped | Jann Melfi | 11 episodes | |
| Hoops | Dawa (voice) | Episode: "Zen" | |
| 2020–2022 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | Sea Captain (voice) | Uncredited |
| 2021 | No Activity | Dirk (voice) | 7 episodes |
| Chicago Party Aunt | (voice) | Episode: "Emergency Contact" | |
| MacGruber | MacGruber | Main role; executive producer | |
| 2021–2024 | Sweet Tooth | Pubba | 4 episodes |
| 2021–2025 | The Great North | Wolf Tobin (voice) | Main role; 97 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | HouseBroken | Shel (voice) | Main role |
| 2022 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "Will Forte/Måneskin" |
| The Afterparty | Himself | 3 episodes | |
| 2022, 2025 | Studio C | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Kids in the Hall | Aaron | Episode 4 |
| Rick and Morty | Eugene Piss, Pissmaster (voice) | Episode: "Analyze Piss" | |
| 2023 | Scott Pilgrim Takes Off | Old Scott Pilgrim (voice) | 2 episodes |
| Krapopolis | Pants Guy (voice) | Episode: "Dungeons and Deliria" | |
| 2024 | Bodkin | Gilbert Power | Main role[70] |
| That '90s Show | Kiefer | Episode: "I Can See Clearly Now" | |
| Gremlins: The Wild Batch | Warden of Alcatraz (voice) | 2 episodes[71] | |
| 2024–present | Sausage Party: Foodtopia | Jack (voice) | Main role[72] |
| 2025 | Win or Lose | Coach Dan (voice) | Main cast[39][51] |
| 2025–present | The Four Seasons | Jack | Main role |
| Haunted Hotel | Nathan (voice) | Main role | |
| TBA | Sunny Nights | Martin | Upcoming series[73] |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Hopeless Wanderer" | Mumford & Sons | [74] |
| 2022 | "Past Life" | Arkells | [75] |
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned | Martin Serious |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Kevin Pollak's Chat Show | Himself/Guest | Episode: "210" |
| 2025 | The Chit Show | Chit's Dad | Ep. 37 THE FINALE |
| 2025 | Small Town Murder | Himself/Guest | Episode Lawnmower Man |
| Year | Title | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Jenny McCarthy Show | Writer |
| 1997–1998 | Late Show with David Letterman | Writer |
| 1998 | The Army Show | Writer |
| 1999–2000 | Action | Writer |
| 1999–2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Writer |
| 2000 | God, the Devil and Bob | Writer |
| 2001–2003 | That '70s Show | Writer and producer |
| 2007 | The Brothers Solomon | Writer |
| 2008 | Extreme Movie | Writer |
| 2010 | MacGruber | Writer |
| 2015–2018 | The Last Man on Earth | Creator, writer and executive producer |
| 2019 | Alien News Desk | Consulting producer |
...Forte, who was born in Alameda...
Cross-dressing in his sister's clothes was no big deal growing up.
asking $2.45 million for the charming beige brick Craftsman bungalow he picked up 18 years ago for $840,000
| Preceded by | Voice of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers 2020 filmScoob! | Succeeded by Iain Armitage (2020) |
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