Zach Galifianakis Biography

Comedian Zach Galifianakis hit it big in 2009 with his scene-stealing performance in the hit comedy The Hangover.

A native of North Carolina, he got his start in in New York’s comedy scene in the early 1990s, and began making TV appearances in the late 1990s.

While touring as a stand-up comedian and popping up in obscure television shows, Galifianakis polished his act and became known as a purveyor of nonsense commentary and a master of the awkward moment.

His oddball schtick got him jobs in short-lived TV shows, including Late World with Zach Galifianakis (2002) and Dog Bites Man (2006). Between 2007 and 2010 he was a featured regular on Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show Great Job, and had his own “interview” show, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.

Then came the surprise success of The Hangover, with Galifianakis as the crazed and awkward tag-along on a wild bachelor-party weekend in Las Vegas. It was suddenly Zach’s time, and during 2009 and 2010 he popped up in small roles in G Force, Up in the Air (as one of the many people fired by George Clooney), Youth in Revolt (starring Michael Cera), Dinner for Schmucks (starring Steve Carell) and It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010). He also landed a role as a co-star of the cable comedy series Bored to Death (2009-10).

His other films include The Campaign (2012), Are You Here (2013, with Owen Wilson) and Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016, with Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot).