Robert Smigel

Robert Smigel is a comedy actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer whose work spans landmark television and film. After studying improv at the Players Workshop in Chicago alongside Bob Odenkirk, Smigel was recruited by producers from "Saturday Night Live" and joined the SNL writing team, where his satirical approach quickly became a key part of the show's comedic voice.

Smigel's notable sketches at SNL include the Chicago Super Fans, Schmitt's Gay Beer, William Shatner and the Trekkies, Mastermind Reagan, The Sinatra Group, and Seinfeld's Stand Up & Win. He also served as an SNL featured player before moving on to become head writer for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

On "Saturday Night Live," Smigel produced short animated segments under the title "TV Funhouse," which satirize public figures and popular culture. These shorts featured recurring segments such as "The Ambiguously Gay Duo," "Fun With Real Audio," and "The X-Presidents." A total of 101 "TV Funhouse" cartoons aired on SNL, and the concept led to a spin-off series on Comedy Central. As head writer and producer of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," Smigel created several comedy bits, including "In the Year 2000," and provided voices for the show's celebrity "Clutch Cargo" interviews.

Smigel is also known for creating Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a puppet character who debuted on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Triumph has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," "TV Funhouse," TBS's "Conan," Adult Swim's "The Jack and Triumph Show," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "The Daily Show," and Hollywood Squares. Smigel created, wrote, executive produced, and starred as Triumph in "The Jack and Triumph Show" alongside Jack McBrayer. His "Triumph's Election Special '16" earned Hulu its first primetime Emmy nomination. Triumph also released the Grammy-nominated comedy album "Come Poop With Me."

Beyond television, Smigel co-wrote, co-directed, and wrote songs for the animated Netflix movie "Leo," starring Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, and Cecily Strong. He also co-wrote and produced Sandler's "Hotel Transylvania," "Hotel Transylvania 2," and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," and made his feature directorial debut with "The Week Of," starring Sandler and Chris Rock. As an actor, Smigel has appeared in shows including "Arrested Development," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Portlandia," "New Girl," and "What We Do in the Shadows," and has provided voice work for animated series such as "Robot Chicken," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," and "Bob's Burgers."

Smigel has won three Emmy Awards for his work on SNL and for "Night of Too Many Stars," a biannual benefit he and his wife created to raise funds for autism programs nationwide, hosted by Jon Stewart. He created "Night of Too Many Stars" as a celebrity fundraiser to benefit autism education. Through decades of work in late-night television, feature films, and comedy puppetry, Smigel has established a reputation for blending sharp satire with broad comedic appeal, making a lasting impact on American comedy and entertainment.