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IMDbPro

Adam McKay(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000173
Adam McKay
From 'Anchorman' to 'Don't Look Up,' here's a look at some of our favorite moments from the films of Adam McKay. Which film is your favorite?
Play clip1:30
Adam McKay | Director Supercut
9 Videos
70 Photos
Adam McKay (born April 17, 1968) is an American screenwriter, director, comedian, and actor. McKay has a comedy partnership with Will Ferrell, with whom he co-wrote the films Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and The Other Guys. Ferrell and McKay also founded their comedy website Funny or Die through their production company Gary Sanchez Productions. He has been married to Shira Piven since 1999. They have two children.
BornApril 17, 1968
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 17, 1968
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000173
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 42 wins & 97 nominations total

    Photos70

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    Known for

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
    Don't Look Up
    7.2
    • Producer(p.g.a.)
    • 2021
    Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys (2010)
    The Other Guys
    6.7
    • Producer
    • 2010
    Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
    Vice
    7.2
    • Producer(p.g.a.)
    • 2018
    Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
    The Big Short
    7.8
    • Writer
    • 2015

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Producer



    • Shiver
      • producer
      • Post-production
      • 2026
    • The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
      • producer
      • In Development
    • Untitled eSports Project
      • producer
      • Pre-production
    • Bad Blood
      • producer
      • Pre-production
    • Five
      • producer
      • Pre-production
    • Monsanto
      • producer
      • Pre-production
    • Flesh of the Gods
      • producer
      • Pre-production
    • Go Deep
      • executive producer
      • Pre-production
    • Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2
      • producer
      • In Development
    • Average Height, Average Build
      • producer
      • Pre-production



    • You Need This (2025)
      You Need This
      6.1
      • producer
      • 2025
    • Amar Chadha-Patel, Phoebe Dynevor, Jamie Gamache, Jack Cooper Stimpson, Michelle Schechter, Bella Ramsey, and Patrick Walsh in More Flames (2024)
      More Flames
      3.5
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery (2024)
      Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery
      6.8
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Men of War (2024)
      Men of War
      7.8
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Wild Wild Space (2024)
      Wild Wild Space
      6.8
      • producer
      • 2024
    • Tiny Dinos (2024)
      Tiny Dinos
      8.1
      Podcast Series
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Union (2024)
      Union
      7.2
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Daniel (2023)
      Daniel
      7.6
      • producer
      • 2023
    • John Connor Hammond, Emily Wilson, and Will Higgins in Cobell Energy (2023)
      Cobell Energy
      9.4
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Solomon Hughes, Sean Patrick Small, Hadley Robinson, and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
      Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
      8.3
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2022–2023
    • BS High (2023)
      BS High
      7.2
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Asog (2023)
      Asog
      7.5
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Wild Summon (2023)
      Wild Summon
      6.6
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
      Succession
      8.8
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2018–2023
    • Victoria Ratermanis in A Lien (2023)
      A Lien
      7.2
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2023

    Writer



    • Bad Blood
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
    • Average Height, Average Build
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
    • The Uninhabitable Earth
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
      • TV Series



    • Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
      Don't Look Up
      7.2
      • screenplay by
      • story by
      • 2021
    • Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
      Vice
      7.2
      • written by
      • 2018
    • The President's Sun (2017)
      The President's Sun
      5.6
      Short
      • Writer
      • 2017
    • Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
      The Big Short
      7.8
      • screenplay by
      • 2015
    • Mexican Donald Trump (2015)
      Mexican Donald Trump
      4.1
      Short
      • Writer
      • 2015
    • Michael Douglas, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Paul Rudd, Corey Stoll, Mark Knapton, and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man (2015)
      Ant-Man
      7.2
      • screenplay by
      • 2015
    • Coheed and Cambria Sing Justice Scalia's Dissenting Opinions
      Short
      • concept
      • 2015
    • Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Get Hard (2015)
      Get Hard
      6.0
      • story
      • 2015
    • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
      We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
      5.8
      • written by (segment "The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas")
      • 2014
    • Cops: Ferguson (2014)
      Cops: Ferguson
      3.5
      Short
      • Writer
      • 2014
    • Saturday Night Live: Best of This Season (2014)
      Saturday Night Live: Best of This Season
      4.9
      TV Special
      • additional sketches
      • 2014
    • Saturday Night Live (1975)
      Saturday Night Live
      8.0
      TV Series
      • additional sketches
      • additional sketch
      • written by ...
      • 1995–2013
    • Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
      Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
      6.3
      • characters
      • written by
      • 2013
    • Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis in The Campaign (2012)
      The Campaign
      6.1
      • story
      • 2012
    • hunt9100 (2010)
      hunt9100
      3.2
      TV Series
      • screenplay
      • story
      • 2012

    Director



    • Bad Blood
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Average Height, Average Build
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Kings of America
      • Director
      • Pre-production
      • TV Mini Series



    • John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Solomon Hughes, Sean Patrick Small, Hadley Robinson, and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
      Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
      8.3
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022
    • Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
      Don't Look Up
      7.2
      • Director
      • 2021
    • Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
      Vice
      7.2
      • Director
      • 2018
    • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
      Succession
      8.8
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2018
    • Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
      The Big Short
      7.8
      • Director
      • 2015
    • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
      We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
      5.8
      • Director (segment "The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas!")
      • 2014
    • SNL Shorts (2014)
      SNL Shorts
      7.9
      TV Movie
      • Director (clips)
      • 2014
    • Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
      Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
      6.3
      • Director
      • 2013
    • Lifecasters (2013)
      Lifecasters
      4.6
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2013
    • Urijah Faber and Patrick Willis in Kenny Powers: The K-Swiss MFCEO (2011)
      Kenny Powers: The K-Swiss MFCEO
      7.7
      Short
      • Director
      • 2011
    • Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys (2010)
      The Other Guys
      6.7
      • Director
      • 2010
    • Danny McBride in Eastbound & Down (2009)
      Eastbound & Down
      8.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2009
    • John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, and Adam McKay in Green Team (2008)
      Green Team
      6.9
      Video
      • Director
      • 2008
    • John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell in Step Brothers (2008)
      Step Brothers
      6.9
      • Director
      • 2008
    • Will Ferrell in Good Cop, Baby Cop (2007)
      Good Cop, Baby Cop
      7.3
      Video
      • Director
      • 2007

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos9

    Adam McKay | Director Supercut
    Clip 1:30
    Adam McKay | Director Supercut
    How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
    Clip 4:37
    How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
    How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
    Clip 4:37
    How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
    'Vice' Continues Adam McKay's G.W. Bush Parody
    Clip 3:44
    'Vice' Continues Adam McKay's G.W. Bush Parody
    'Vice' Stars Shed Light on the Enigma That Is Dick Cheney
    Clip 2:49
    'Vice' Stars Shed Light on the Enigma That Is Dick Cheney
    Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Adam McKay on His Writing Process
    Interview 2:17
    Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Adam McKay on His Writing Process
    The Other Guys
    Interview 0:47
    The Other Guys

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative names
      • Funny or Die
    • Height
      • 6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
    • Born
      • April 17, 1968
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Spouse
      • Shira Piven1999 - present (2 children)
    • Children
        Lili Rose McKay
    • Parents
      • Sarah Imperato
    • Other works
      A 1995 sketch he performed with Scott Adsit, "Gump", is included as one of Second City's all-time best on the CDs that come with the book, "Second City", by Sheldon Patinkin.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 3 Articles
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although his work at Saturday Night Live (1975) was mainly as a writer and director, he made several appearances on the show, usually as an oversized, obnoxious audience member who heckles the host or cast members until the stars verbally or physically attack him. McKay had auditioned for Saturday Night Live (1975) as an actor while he was still with the Second City Improv, but didn't make the cut as on-camera talent. But he had submitted four scripts to the show, which got him hired as a writer.
    • Quotes
      Sequels are desperate. We're cooler than that. We kind of thought, 'Wait a minute. If we do a sequel, we'll have enough cred from the first movie that we could do crazy-ass shit. We won't have to establish new characters and story and jump right into what we want to do.' The second part was, 'Can we make a good sequel?' There are a lot of flat comedy sequels...'Can we make a sequel that doesn't suck?'
    • Trademarks
        Often begins his movies with a quote
    • Nickname
      • Ghost Panther
    • Salary
      • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
        (2006)
        $2,000,000 (screenplay)

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Adam McKay?
      57 years old
    • When was Adam McKay born?
      April 17, 1968
    • Where was Adam McKay born?
      Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • How tall is Adam McKay?
      6 feet 5 inches, or 1.96 meters
    • What is Adam McKay known for?
      Don't Look Up, The Other Guys, The Big Short, and Vice

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