Adam McKay
A veteran of Chicago's improvisational comedy scene, Adam McKay co-founded the popular and influential Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, served as head writer on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) and wrote and directed a string of hit comedies starring his production partner, Will Ferrell, including "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004) before delving into political satire with the critically praised and award-nominated "The Big Short" (2015) and "Vice" (2018), Born April 17, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McKay was raised by his mother, who worked as a waitress; his father, a musician, left the family when McKay was seven years of age. During this period, he found both solace and inspiration in television comedy, including the broad antics of the Three Stooges, and after stints at both Pennsylvania State University and Temple University, McKay decided to pursue a path in comedy by studying under legendary teacher Del Close at Chicago's Improv Olympic. He later formed his own improv group, the Upright Citizen's Brigade, with such future comedy stars as Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh and Matt Besser. His work with the group - which was marked by a political bent and a decidedly dark streak - led to McKay performing with the main stage group at the famed Second City, and in 1995, a chance to audition for "Saturday Night Live." Though he did not make the cut as a performer, producer Lorne Michaels brought him aboard as a writer in 1995, where he met and befriended new cast member Will Ferrell. Together, the pair created some of Ferrell's most memorable creations for the series, including a dim-witted take on then-President George W. Bush; McKay eventually rose to head writer for "SNL" before departing in 2001, with Ferrell following suit in 2002. The pair scored a substantial hit with "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," with McKay directing and co-writing and Ferrell starring as an awesomely clueless newscaster; its success begat a string of box office windfalls, including "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006), "Step Brothers" (2008) and "The Other Guys" (2010), as well as Funny Or Die, a user-submitted comedy video site that generated a slew of popular series, including the long-running "Drunk History" (Comedy Central, 2013- ), the irreverent online talk show spoof "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifiniakis" (2008- ), the game show "Billy on the Street" (Fuse TV, 2011-15) with Billy Eichner and HBO's "Funny or Die Presents" (2010-11). McKay soon became the go-to creative force for broad, absurd comedies on film and television, and lent his talents to a slew of projects ranging from the Ferrell vehicles "Land of the Lost" (2009), "Get Hard" (2015) and "Daddy's Home" (2015) to the HBO series "Eastbound & Down" (2009-2013) with Danny McBride and a script rewrite for Marvel's "Ant-Man" (2015) with Paul Rudd. In the midst of this flurry of activity, McKay took a turn towards dramatic fare with an adaption of Michael Lewis's non-fiction book "The Big Short" (2015), which attempted to explain the 2007-2008 financial crisis caused by the U.S. housing bubble. Its irreverent, biting satire won critical praise and earned McKay and Charles Randolph an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Oscar nods for Best Picture and Best Director. He then returned to a sizable stable of comedy projects, including "The Boss" (2016), with Melissa McCarthy, and "Daddy's Home 2" (2017), he wrote and directed "Vice" (2018), a darkly comic look at the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney, played by Christian Bale. Though reaction was split over McKay's depiction of Cheney as a cold, manipulative power broker, the film reaped numerous accolades, including Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for McKay.
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Adam McKay
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet |
|
Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery | Executive Producer | - | 2024 |
88% |
|
Wild Wild Space | Producer | - | 2024 |
No Score Yet |
|
Daniel | Producer | - | 2023 |
100% |
|
BS High | Executive Producer | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Asog | Executive Producer | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Holly | Executive Producer | - | 2022 |
88% |
|
The Menu | Producer | $38.5M | 2022 |
82% |
|
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty | Executive Producer | - | 2022 |
82% |
|
Fresh | Producer | - | 2022 |
56% |
|
Don't Look Up |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2021 |
81% |
|
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar | Producer | - | 2021 |
88% | No Score Yet | The Oxy Kingpins | Executive Producer | - | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close | Self | - | 2020 |
92% |
|
For Madmen Only | Self | - | 2020 |
100% |
|
537 Votes | Executive Producer | - | 2020 |
64% |
|
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga | Executive Producer | - | 2020 |
88% |
|
Hustlers | Producer | $105.0M | 2019 |
96% |
|
Booksmart | Executive Producer | $22.7M | 2019 |
88% | No Score Yet | Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' | Executive Producer | - | 2019 |
10% |
|
Holmes & Watson | Producer | $30.5M | 2018 |
64% |
|
Vice |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$47.8M | 2018 |
67% |
|
Ibiza | Producer | - | 2018 |
98% |
|
Oh Lucy! | Executive Producer | $374.3K | 2017 |
21% |
|
Daddy's Home 2 | Producer | $104.0M | 2017 |
20% |
|
The House | Producer | $25.6M | 2017 |
22% |
|
The Boss | Producer | $63.0M | 2016 |
31% |
|
Daddy's Home | Producer | $150.3M | 2015 |
89% |
|
The Big Short |
Director, Screenwriter |
$70.2M | 2015 |
64% |
|
Sleeping With Other People | Producer | $814.8K | 2015 |
83% |
|
Ant-Man | Screenwriter | $180.2M | 2015 |
28% |
|
Get Hard | Producer | $90.4M | 2015 |
81% |
|
The Yes Men Are Revolting | Executive Producer | $48.0K | 2014 |
74% |
|
Welcome to Me | Producer | $625.7K | 2014 |
24% |
|
Tammy | Producer | $84.5M | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | We the Economy: Inequality 1: Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas | Director | - | 2014 |
74% |
|
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$127.3M | 2013 |
17% |
|
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters | Producer | $55.7M | 2013 |
58% |
|
Bachelorette | Producer | $418.3K | 2012 |
66% |
|
The Campaign | Producer | $86.9M | 2012 |
57% |
|
The Dictator | Executive Producer | $59.6M | 2012 |
42% |
|
House of My Father | Producer | $5.9M | 2012 |
79% |
|
The Other Guys |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$119.2M | 2010 |
26% |
|
The Virginity Hit | Producer | $535.2K | 2010 |
27% |
|
The Goods: Live Hard. Sell Hard. | Producer | $15.1M | 2009 |
26% |
|
Land of the Lost | Executive Producer | $49.4M | 2009 |
54% |
|
Step Brothers |
Director, Writer, Executive Producer |
$100.5M | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Girl Missing | Detective "Sally" LaSalle (Character) | - | 2007 |
72% |
|
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby |
Terry Cheveaux (Character), Director, Screenwriter, Executive Producer |
$148.2M | 2006 |
No Score Yet |
|
Anchorman: Wake Up, Ron Burgundy -- The Lost Movie |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2004 |
66% |
|
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy |
Director, Screenwriter |
$84.1M | 2004 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
83% | 50% | Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty |
Executive Producer, Director |
2022-2023 |
No Score Yet | 86% | Painting With John | Executive Producer | 2021-2023 |
95% | 88% | Succession |
Executive Producer, Director |
2018-2019 2021 2023 |
No Score Yet | 63% | Game Theory With Bomani Jones | Executive Producer | 2022-2023 |
88% | 84% | Dead to Me | Executive Producer | 2019-2020 2022 |
No Score Yet | 92% | Motherland: Fort Salem | Executive Producer | 2020-2022 |
50% | 29% | The Invisible Pilot | Executive Producer | 2022 |
57% | 92% | Q: Into the Storm | Executive Producer | 2021-2022 |
No Score Yet | 18% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 81% | No Activity | Executive Producer | 2017-2019 2021 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Robbie | Executive Producer | 2020 |
No Score Yet | 81% | Drunk History | Executive Producer | 2013-2016 2018-2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter | Guest | 2019 |
75% | 84% | I'm Sorry | Executive Producer | 2019 |
43% | 62% | This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy | Executive Producer | 2019 |
93% | 52% | I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman | Executive Producer | 2017-2018 |
50% | 85% | LA to Vegas | Executive Producer | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The History of Comedy | Self | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Real Time With Bill Maher | Guest | 2011 2016 |
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2015 |
20% | 62% | Bad Judge | Executive Producer | 2014-2015 |
81% | 62% | The Spoils of Babylon | Producer | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Larry King Now | Guest | 2013 |
91% | 89% | Eastbound & Down | Executive Producer | 2009-2010 2012-2013 |
100% | No Score Yet | Funny or Die Presents | Executive Producer | 2010-2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2010 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live | Writer | 2010 |