Tim Robinson (comedian)

Tim Robinson (born May 23, 1981) is an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He first became known as a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2012–2016) before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the comedy series '' Detroiters'' (2017–2018) and '' I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson'' (2019–present).

Early life

Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 23, 1981, the son of a mother who worked for Chrysler and a father who worked in construction. He is of Italian, English and Polish descent. He grew up in the nearby cities of Clarkston and Waterford Township. His parents divorced when he was a child, and he has said that he "kind of grew up with two dads" because his stepfather was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah with him. He graduated from Clarkston High School in 2000. He saw a live Second City comedy performance in Chicago as a teenager, and soon began taking weekend improv classes at its Detroit branch. While pursuing a comedy career, he supported himself by working in a toy store and teaching improv classes.

Career

Robinson toured with Second City Detroit's touring company, then joined Second City Chicago. He has also performed at the iO Theater and Just for Laughs. He filmed a 2011 television pilot for Comedy Central called ''My Mans'', but the show was not picked up by the network. In 2012, he was cast as a series regular in the unaired CBS sitcom '' Friend Me''. In September 2012, he made his debut as a featured performer on ''Saturday Night Live''. A year later, it was announced that he would work on the writing staff rather than continue being a performer, making him the second ''SNL'' cast member (after Brian Doyle-Murray) to go from performer to staff writer and the first ''SNL'' performer to become a writer after originally being cast solely as a performer. His celebrity impressions on the show included Ben Bailey and Bill Cowher, and he also portrayed the recurring character Carl, an elderly retail worker who would always get insulted by Niff (Bobby Moynihan) and Dana (Cecily Strong). In 2015, he reportedly said that Lorne Michaels should be "shot in the back of the head" for inviting Donald Trump to host SNL.

Robinson has appeared twice on late-night NBC talk show ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' as Dale, who acts as host Seth Meyers' "emergency sidekick." His first appearance was during the "Next Week's News" sketch on February 28, 2014, and his second appearance was during the "Celebrity Drunk Texts" sketch on April 8, 2014. In 2016, he wrote and appeared in his own episode of the sketch comedy show '' Netflix Presents: The Characters''. He is also the co-creator and co-star of ''Detroiters'', along with fellow Detroit native and best friend Sam Richardson. The show premiered on Comedy Central in February 2017. In April 2017, he guest starred on Fox's '' Making History'' as Al Capone.

In 2018, Netflix commissioned '' I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson'', a sketch comedy series created by and starring Robinson and produced by the members of The Lonely Island. It premiered in April 2019 and received critical acclaim, as did its second season, which premiered in July 2021. The series was renewed for a third season in May 2022, which premiered on May 30, 2023. In 2022 and 2023, Robinson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for his work on ''I Think You Should Leave''.

Robinson voiced Creature, the player character's grenade launcher, in the first-person shooter video game '' High On Life'' (2022).

In 2025, Robinson starred in ''Friendship'', a dark comedy directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature debut. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by A24 for U.S. distribution. It had a limited theatrical release on May 9, 2025, followed by a wider release on May 23.

Personal life

Robinson married Heather, an electrical engineer for Chrysler, in September 2006. They were schoolmates and began dating as teenagers. They live in Los Angeles with their son and daughter.

Robinson has been an avid skateboarder since high school. He is a vegetarian, and suffers from claustrophobia. He believes in the existence of aliens but not ghosts. His favorite film is Alfred Hitchcock's '' Strangers on a Train'' (1951). He is a fan of his hometown Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons, and a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, which is occasionally featured or referenced in his work; wrestlers who have had cameo roles in his shows include Brody King, Kevin Nash, Ryan Nemeth, Erick Rowan, and Aron Stevens.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Tim
1981 births
Living people
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
American impressionists (entertainers)
American comedy writers
American male comedians
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
American male television writers
American male voice actors
American sketch comedians
American television producers
American television writers
Comedians from Michigan
Male actors from Detroit
People from Clarkston, Michigan
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Screenwriters from Michigan
Television producers from Michigan
Writers Guild of America Award winners