Akiva Daniel Shebar Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American writer, producer, director, comedian, actor, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group

The Lonely Island The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). The th ...

, along with childhood friends

Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, musician, writer and producer. He is a member of the comedy music group the Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. ...

and

Jorma Taccone Jorma Christopher Taccone ( ; born March 19, 1977) is an American writer, producer, director, comedian, actor, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island with his childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. I ...

. Schaffer began his career with The Lonely Island making videos for Channel 101. In 2005, ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' 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 Just Had Sex" is a song by American comedy hip hop group The Lonely Island featuring American singer Akon and producer DJ Frank E. It was released as the first single from The Lonely Island's second album, '' Turtleneck & Chain'', released i ...

", " I'm on a Boat", and " Dick in a Box". After ''SNL'', Schaffer went on to direct movies including ''

Hot Rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...

'', ''The Watch'', '' Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'', and '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''. The Lonely Island has made albums such as ''

Incredibad ''Incredibad'' is the debut studio album of the American comedy troupe The Lonely Island, released on February 10, 2009, through Universal Republic Records. Composed of writers and childhood best friends Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma ...

'', '' Turtleneck & Chain'', and '' The Wack Album''. Schaffer also produced a number of TV shows and movies, including ''MacGruber'', ''

PEN15 ''Pen15'' is an American comedy television series, created by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, that premiered on February 8, 2019, on Hulu. The series stars Erskine and Konkle, who also serve as executive producers alongside Zvibl ...

'', '' I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson'', and ''Palm Springs''.

Early life

Schaffer was born in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parents from New York. In 2000, he graduated from the

University of California, Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of C ...

with a degree in

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

Career

After college, he and his childhood friends,

and

, moved to Los Angeles and began making comedy movies. Theater director Tony Taccone brought home the film ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'', 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 Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

, called ''The Lonely Island'', in reference to their apartment. The name eventually extended to the comedy group itself. On the Internet, Schaffer got his start directing

's ''The 'Bu'', the group's record-breaking contribution to Channel 101, which was a parody of ''

The OC ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on Fox in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, with a total of four seasons consisting of 92 episodes. The serie ...

'' and starred

Sarah Chalke Sarah Louise Christine Chalke (; born August 27, 1976) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her starring roles as the second Becky Conner in the ABC sitcom ''Roseanne'' (1993–1997), Elliot Reid in the NBC/ABC medical comedy series '' Sc ...

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 ''

'' where he directed, co-wrote, and edited the majority of the

SNL Digital Shorts An ''SNL'' Digital Short is one in a series of comedic and often musical video shorts created for NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. The origin of the Digital Short brand is credited to staff writer Adam McKay, who created content for the show ...

. Some notable shorts/songs include " Lazy Sunday", "

", " Natalie's Rap", " Dick in a Box", "Peyton Manning for the United Way", " Iran So Far", "

Jizz in My Pants "Jizz in My Pants" is a ''SNL'' Digital Short which aired on ''Saturday Night Live'' on December 6, 2008, and YouTube on the same day. It serves as the music video for the first single from the Lonely Island's debut album, '' Incredibad''. The ...

", "Boombox", " I'm on a Boat", "Great Day", " Threw It on the Ground", "

Jack Sparrow Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Disney's '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise. An early iteration of the character was created by screenwriter Jay Wolpert, with later drafts by Stuart Beattie and w ...

", " 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 ''

'', which starred Samberg, Taccone,

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...

Danny McBride Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. Known for his unique acting and writing style, the accolades he has received include nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and four Sat ...

Isla Fisher Isla Lang Fisher (; born 3 February 1976) is an Australian actress. Born in Oman to Scottish parents with whom she moved to Australia during her childhood, she began appearing in television commercials and came to prominence for her portrayal o ...

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...

, and

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Sissy Spacek, numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including ...

, which was produced by ''SNL''s

Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He created and produced ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and produced the ''Late Night (franchise) ...

. Schaffer directed the film ''The Watch'' starring

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...

Jonah Hill Jonah Hill (born Jonah Hill Feldstein; December 20, 1983) is an American actor. List of awards and nominations received by Jonah Hill, The accolades he has received include nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, BAFTA ...

and

Richard Ayoade Richard Ayoade ( ; born 23 May 1977) is a British comedian, actor, writer, director and presenter. He played the role of socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom ''The IT Crowd'' (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 Br ...

, and written by

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

and

Evan Goldberg Evan D. Goldberg (born September 15, 1982) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer and director. He has collaborated with his childhood friend Seth Rogen on a variety of films, including '' Superbad'', '' Pineapple Express'', '' This Is the En ...

. 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''). In 2014, the group co-wrote " Everything is Awesome", the theme song to the film, ''

The Lego Movie ''The Lego Movie'' is a 2014 animated adventure comedy film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Based on the Lego line of construction toys, the film stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will ...

''. It was nominated for Best Original Song which they performed at the 2015 Oscars. 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''. The film was co-written and directed by

. In 2016 Schaffer co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films ''The 4 ...

produced feature film, '' Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping''. 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 Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

with

Scott Aukerman Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970 Note: see 10:20) is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. He was a writer and performer in the later seasons of the sketch series '' Mr. Show'' f ...

. Schaffer directed four music videos for the band

We Are Scientists We Are Scientists is a New York City-based rock music, rock band that formed in Berkeley, California, in 1999. It consists primarily of guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and bass guitarist Chris Cain, with drummer Keith Carne joining the band ...

and one for the

Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...

. In 2018, Schaffer guest-starred on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

sitcom ''

Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...

'', portraying Brett Booth in the episode '' Show me Going''. 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 Alice Mathias is an American television director and producer. She is known for her directing work on ''History of the World, Part II'', ''Schmigadoon!'' and '' I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson''. As a producer, Mathias has been nominated ...

. 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. 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 Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...

'', which debuted on Hulu in July 2020 and delivered the largest opening weekend viewership ever for a film on the platform. 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. Most recently, the film and cast were nominated for five Super Critics Choice Awards, a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

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 The Critics' Choice Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Written ballots are ...

in the category of Best Comedy and garnered a

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

nomination for

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

. Schaffer also executive produces Hulu's Emmy nominated show, ''

,'' starring Maya Erskine and

Anna Konkle Anna Konkle (born April 7, 1987) is an American actress, writer and director. She is known for co-creating and starring as Anna Kone on Hulu's original TV comedy series ''PEN15'', alongside Maya Erskine. Her work on the series earned her two Prime ...

. Schaffer directed the Disney film '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''. The film stars

and

John Mulaney John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American Stand up comedian, stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mulaney first rose to prominence for his work as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy ...

and is a combination of live action and computer animation. It was released in Spring 2022. Schaffer hosts ''The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast'' with Samberg, Taccone and

Seth Meyers Seth Adam Meyers (born December 28, 1973) is an American comedian, television host, writer, actor, and producer. He hosts ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', a late-night talk show on NBC. Prior to hosting Late Night, he was a cast member on NBC's ...

, which discusses The Lonely Island's ''SNL'' Digital Shorts.

Personal life

Schaffer is married to comedy writer and actress Liz Cackowski; they have two children.

Discography

;Studio albums *''Come Home to Me'' (2002) *''Purple Heart'' (2004) *''Killa Seasons'' (2006)

Filmography

Film

Executive producer * '' MacGruber'' (2010) Acting credits

Television

TV specials TV movies Acting credits

Awards

In 2007, Schaffer won an Emmy for his participation in the production of " Dick in a Box". He was nominated for an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

for the song " Motherlover." He was featured in ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

's'' Sexiest Bachelor with

, as Sexiest Best Friends. He has also won two

Writers Guild of America Awards The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

and a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

for his work on ''

''.

was nominated in 2009 for a

People's Choice Award The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the Fan (person), fans and Public, general public. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined us ...

and a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

References

External links

The Lonely Island
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schaffer, Akiva 1977 births Living people 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors American comedy musicians American Internet celebrities American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male television writers American television directors Television writers from California Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni Comedians from California American comedy film directors Film directors from California Jewish American comedians Male actors from Berkeley, California Primetime Emmy Award winners The Lonely Island members University of California, Santa Cruz alumni Writers from Berkeley, California