Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and
puppeteer, known for his ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' "
TV Funhouse ''Saturday TV Funhouse'' is a segment on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' featuring cartoons created by ''SNL'' writer Robert Smigel. 101 "TV Funhouse" segments aired on ''SNL'' between 1996 and 2008, with one further segment airing in 2011. It also ...
" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character created, puppeteered and voiced by Robert Smigel. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Triumph often puffs a cigar ...
. He also co-wrote the first two
''Hotel Transylvania'' films and ''
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'' is a 2008 American satirical action comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, and Judd Apatow, and produced by Sandler, Smigel, and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Sandler in ...
'', all starring
Adam Sandler.
Early life
Smigel was born in New York City, to Lucia and
Irwin Smigel
Irwin Elliot Smigel (October 9, 1924 – October 17, 2016) was an American aesthetic dentist, innovator and philanthropist.
Smigel founded the American Society for Dental Aesthetics (ASDA), and was President of the ASDA until his death in 2016. S ...
, an aesthetic dentist, innovator and philanthropist. He is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and frequently went to Jewish summer camp. He attended
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, studying pre-dental, and graduated from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
in 1983 with a degree in political science.
Smigel began developing his comedic talent at
The Players Workshop
Created in 1971 by Josephine Forsberg, The Players Workshop was Chicago's only official school of improvisation for over a decade. Although it was never officially a part of The Second City cabaret theater, The Players Workshop was often referred ...
in Chicago, where he studied improvisation with
Josephine Forsberg
Josephine Forsberg (January 28, 1921 – October 3, 2011) was an American comedian, teacher and author.
Biography
Josephine Forsberg, ex-wife of film director Rolf Forsberg, was hired by Paul Sills and Viola Spolin to join the original Second Cit ...
.
Bob Odenkirk was a fellow student there. Smigel was also a member of the Chicago comedy troupe "All You Can Eat" in the early 1980s.
Career
Smigel first established himself as a writer on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' by joining the writing staff when
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...
returned as executive producer for the 1985–1986 season. Smigel was hired after then-''SNL'' producers
Al Franken
Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
and Tom Davis saw Smigel in a Chicago sketch show. After the 1985–1986 season proved to be a disappointment with critics, in the ratings, and with
Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who was the president of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as ''Hill Stre ...
(who was planning to have ''SNL'' canceled by the last episode of season 11 due to its sliding ratings), Michaels fired most of the cast and writers, retained the cast and writers who were standouts during the otherwise dismal season (Smigel being one of them), and hired new ones for the 1986–1987 season. This is when Smigel began to write more memorable sketches, including one where host
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
urged worshipful attendees at a ''
Star Trek'' convention to "get a life." Smigel rarely appeared on screen, though he was credited as a featured player in the early 1990s and played a recurring character in the ''
Bill Swerski's Superfans
"Bill Swerski's Superfans" was a recurring sketch about Chicago sports fans on the American sketch comedy program ''Saturday Night Live''. It was a prominent feature from 1991 to 1992, and its characters have made various other appearances since ...
'' sketches.
While on a writers' strike from ''Saturday Night Live'' following the 1987–88 season, Smigel wrote for an
improvisational comedy
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...
revue in Chicago with fellow ''SNL'' writers
Bob Odenkirk and
Conan O'Brien called ''
Happy Happy Good Show ''Happy Happy Good Show'' was an improvisational comedy revue held at the Victory Gardens Studio Theater in Chicago during the summer of 1988. The cast and writers were largely made up of writers on strike from ''Saturday Night Live'' after the 198 ...
''.
Smigel co-wrote ''
Lookwell
''Lookwell'' was a television pilot written and produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel, the latter of whom would become a primary creative voice for O'Brien's late night show. It starred Adam West. Despite being a "personal favorite" of NBC ...
'' with
Conan O'Brien for NBC. The pilot never went to series, but it has become a cult hit and has screened live at "The Other Network", a festival of un-aired TV pilots produced by
Un-Cabaret, featuring live and taped intros by Smigel. Smigel later became the first head writer at ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'', where he created numerous successful comedy bits, including one where Smigel performed only the lips of public figures which were superimposed on photos of the actual people. (This technique was pioneered on the ''
Clutch Cargo
''Clutch Cargo'' is an American animated television series created by cartoonist Clark Haas and produced by Cambria Productions, and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. The series was notable for its limited animation yet imaginative stories ...
'' cartoon series as a cost-saving measure, and was known as
Syncro-Vox.)
In 1996, Smigel wrote and performed on the short-lived ''
Dana Carvey Show
''The Dana Carvey Show'' is an American surreal sketch comedy television show that aired on ABC during the spring of 1996. Dana Carvey was the host and principal player on the show while Louis C.K. served as head writer.
The show's cast consist ...
'', a primetime
sketch comedy program on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
. Despite its premature end, the show provided Smigel the opportunity to debut his first cartoon ''
The Ambiguously Gay Duo
''The Ambiguously Gay Duo'' is an American animated comedy sketch that debuted on ''The Dana Carvey Show'' before moving to its permanent home on ''Saturday Night Live''. It is created and produced by Robert Smigel and J. J. Sedelmaier as part ...
''. Upon the show's cancellation, Smigel continued developing more cartoon ideas the following summer and would begin airing them on ''Saturday Night Live'' under the ''
TV Funhouse ''Saturday TV Funhouse'' is a segment on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' featuring cartoons created by ''SNL'' writer Robert Smigel. 101 "TV Funhouse" segments aired on ''SNL'' between 1996 and 2008, with one further segment airing in 2011. It also ...
'' banner. Smigel would later claim "My whole career came out of the impulse to do cartoons on ''The Dana Carvey Show''."
![Triumph the Insult Comic Dog](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Triumph_the_Insult_Comic_Dog.jpg)
Smigel's most famous creation, however, would be the foul-mouthed puppet
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character created, puppeteered and voiced by Robert Smigel. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Triumph often puffs a cigar ...
, who mercilessly mocks celebrities and others in the style of a
Borscht Belt
The Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York, straddling both Upstate New York and the nort ...
comedian. This character debuted on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' in February 1997 and would continue to make appearances on the show, as well as others, for many years to come.
Smigel continued to establish himself on ''Saturday Night Live'' by producing short animated segments under the title ''
TV Funhouse ''Saturday TV Funhouse'' is a segment on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'' featuring cartoons created by ''SNL'' writer Robert Smigel. 101 "TV Funhouse" segments aired on ''SNL'' between 1996 and 2008, with one further segment airing in 2011. It also ...
'', which usually
satirizes public figures and popular culture. It spawned a TV show on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
featuring a mix of puppets, animation, and short sketches, although only eight episodes were aired (during the winter of 2000–2001). Smigel occasionally appears in films (usually alongside ''SNL'' veterans such as
Adam Sandler). According to interviews, Smigel helped punch up the scripts for ''
Little Nicky
''Little Nicky'' is a 2000 American fantasy comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Brill, Adam Sandler, and Tim Herlihy, and starring Sandler in the title role, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., ...
'' and ''
The Wedding Singer
''The Wedding Singer'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, written by Tim Herlihy, and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, and Christine Taylor, and tells t ...
''. Smigel acted alongside fellow ''SNL'' writer
Bob Odenkirk in ''
Wayne's World 2
''Wayne's World 2'' is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Stephen Surjik and starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a public-access television cable television show in Aurora, Illinois. The film is the sequel to ''Wayne's World'' ( ...
'' as a nerd backstage at an
Aerosmith concert. His contributions were uncredited.
In 2000, he voiced a sage bulldog named Mr. Beefy in ''
Little Nicky
''Little Nicky'' is a 2000 American fantasy comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Brill, Adam Sandler, and Tim Herlihy, and starring Sandler in the title role, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., ...
''. Smigel, along with Adam Sandler and
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films ' ...
, wrote the script for the film ''
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'' is a 2008 American satirical action comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, and Judd Apatow, and produced by Sandler, Smigel, and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Sandler in ...
'' in which Smigel played Yosi, an Israeli electronics salesman. Smigel is also one of the executive producers of the film, which is a first for him despite his frequent collaborations with Sandler.
It was reported in 2006 that Smigel and Adam Sandler were working on an animated sitcom for
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
called ''Animals''. Fox has not made any official statement regarding the show.
Additionally, Smigel played a gay mailman in the Adam Sandler film ''
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
''I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry'' (also simply known as ''Chuck & Larry'') is a 2007 American buddy comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters Chuck and Larry, respectively, two New Y ...
'' and Yari the Mechanic in the "Mister Softee" episode of ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm''.
He voiced Ray and a parody of the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' character,
Emperor Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
, in the first episode of ''
Robot Chicken: Star Wars'', as well as the monster 100 in the
episode of the same name of ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also known by various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ''ATHF'' or ''Aqua Teen'', is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late ni ...
''.
Currently living in New York, he co-wrote and co-executive produced the films ''
Hotel Transylvania
''Hotel Transylvania'' is an American animated media franchise created by comedy writer Todd Durham and produced by Sony Pictures Animation. It consists of four feature films, three short films, a flash-animated TV series, and several video ...
'' (2012) and ''
Hotel Transylvania 2
''Hotel Transylvania 2'' is a 2015 American computer-animated monster comedy film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, written by Robert Smigel and Adam Sandler, and it is the second installment in the ''Hotel Transylvania'' franchise and the sequ ...
'' (2015), in which he voiced Marty, a fake version of
Dracula, and Harry Three-Eye, respectively. In the
fifth season of the
FX show, ''
Louie'', Smigel received a story credit on the episode "Cop Story", as a similar incident as to what appears in the show actually happened to him, down to the cop crying in his apartment while Smigel went out, found the missing gun and carried it home, terrified that anyone would notice.
Michael Rapaport
Michael David Rapaport (born March 20, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. Beginning his career in the early 1990s, he has made over 100 appearances in film and television. His film roles include ''True Romance'' (1993), '' Higher Learning ...
's character wasn't based on the man Smigel knew, however, since all Smigel ever told
Louis C.K.
Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...
about was the gun itself.
Smigel created, wrote, executive produced, and starred as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in ''
The Jack and Triumph Show
''The Jack and Triumph Show'' is a television sitcom from Universal Television for Adult Swim that premiered on February 20, 2015, and ended on April 3, 2015, with a total of 7 episodes. The live-action series was created by Robert Smigel, Michae ...
'', alongside
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in '' 30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was ...
in 2015. It was announced in January 2016 that Smigel would be starring as Triumph in ''Triumph's Election Special 2016'' on
Hulu the following February.
In September 2020, after being brought on to develop the project in 2019, Fox announced that Smigel would executive produce ''Let's Be Real'' — a one-off adaptation of the French satirical series ''
Les Guignols
''Les Guignols'' (, ''The Puppets''), formerly ''Les Guignols de l'info'' (, ''The News Puppets''), was a daily satirical latex puppet show broadcast on the French television channel Canal+. It was created in 1988, inspired by '' Le Bébête Sh ...
''.
On June 16, 2022, Smigel was arrested for unlawful entry of the
Longworth House Office Building
The Longworth House Office Building (LHOB) is one of five office buildings used by the United States House of Representatives. The building is located south of the Capitol, bounded by Independence Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, C Street S.E., and Sou ...
in Washington, D.C, along with eight other individuals associated with ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
''.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
released a statement saying that “Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through
Congressional aides of the members interviewed," and that "After leaving the members’ offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.”
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
pundit
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American television host, conservative political commentator and writer who has hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News since 2016.
Carlson began ...
accused Smigel of "
insurrection
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
" and that it was "exactly like what happened" in apparent reference to the
2021 United States Capitol attack.
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...
addressed the incident in his monologue, stating that Smigel had committed "First-Degree
Puppetry" and that "Drawing any equivalence between rioters storming our Capitol to prevent the counting of electoral ballots and a cigar-chomping toy dog is a shameful and grotesque insult to the memory of everyone who died.” The
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...
released a statement saying that “This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the
U.S. Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...
.”
Personal life
Smigel has a wife, Michelle, and three children. Michelle and Robert serve on the board of
NEXT for AUTISM
NEXT for AUTISM is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to address the needs of autistic people and their families. The organization was founded by Laura and Harry Slatkin and Ilene Lainer. One of NEXT for AUTISM's most well known accompl ...
, formerly New York Collaborates for Autism, a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to address the needs of autistic individuals and their families, as their eldest child has
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. Smigel created the ''
Night of Too Many Stars
''Night of Too Many Stars'' is a fundraising telethon for autism. It has been held every two or three years since 2003. The event was founded by Robert Smigel after learning that his son was diagnosed with autism.[Bill Swerski's Superfans
"Bill Swerski's Superfans" was a recurring sketch about Chicago sports fans on the American sketch comedy program ''Saturday Night Live''. It was a prominent feature from 1991 to 1992, and its characters have made various other appearances since ...]
"
*Hank Fielding, with "The Moron's Perspective" on Weekend Update
*One of the Hub's Gyros employees (aka the "You like-ah the Juice?" guys)
*Avi, the "Sabra Price is Right" announcer
*Bighead, in "
The Ambiguously Gay Duo
''The Ambiguously Gay Duo'' is an American animated comedy sketch that debuted on ''The Dana Carvey Show'' before moving to its permanent home on ''Saturday Night Live''. It is created and produced by Robert Smigel and J. J. Sedelmaier as part ...
" cartoons
Celebrity impressions
*
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz ( ; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and former law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law. From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was appoin ...
(on ''SNL'')
*
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
(on ''SNL'')
*
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, talk show host and politician. Sharpton is the founder of the National Action Network. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democrati ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Al Franken
Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
William Ginsberg
William Ginsberg (1930–2006) was an attorney, environmentalist, author and professor of environmental law. Ginsberg served as commissioner of parks and recreation in New York City, to which post he was appointed by Mayor John Lindsay in 1968. ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Don McLean
Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Michael Gross (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Thomas Mesereau
Thomas Arthur Mesereau Jr. is an American attorney best known for successfully defending Michael Jackson in his 2005 child molestation trial, as well as representing many other celebrities.
Legal cases
Mike Tyson
Mesereau represented former wo ...
(on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Sinbad (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*
Bob Dole (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Gene Shalit
Eugene Shalit (born March 25, 1926) is an American retired journalist, television personality, Film criticism, film and Literary criticism, book critic and author. After starting to work part-time on NBC's ''Today (American TV program), The Toda ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Joel Siegel
Joel Steven Siegel (July 7, 1943 – June 29, 2007) was an American film critic for the ABC morning news show ''Good Morning America'' for over 25 years. The winner of multiple Emmy Awards, Siegel also worked as a radio disc jockey and an adverti ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Bob Ross
Robert Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of '' The Joy of Painting'', an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Rip Torn (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Sam Donaldson
Samuel Andrew Donaldson Jr. (born March 11, 1934) is an American former reporter and news anchor, serving with ABC News from 1967 to 2009. He is best known as the network's White House Correspondent (1977–1989 and 1998–99) and as a panelist ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
(on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
Recurring characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''
*
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character created, puppeteered and voiced by Robert Smigel. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Triumph often puffs a cigar ...
*"Clutch Cargo" celebrity interviews (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Don King, Bob Dole, etc.)
*One of the "Nicknames for Conan" guys (aka the "Conan the Barbarian" guys)
*One of the "Ameri-clan" guys (with
Doug Dale
Douglas Dale (born in Barrington, Illinois) is an American actor and comedian, best known for hosting the Comedy Central series '' TV Funhouse'' which was written and Directed by Robert Smigel. He originally met Robert Smigel when they were roomm ...
,
Louis C.K.
Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...
and
Dino Stamatopoulos
Konstantinos Pollux Alexandros "Dino" Stamatopoulos (born December 14, 1964) is an American writer, producer, and actor. He has worked on TV programs such as ''Mr. Show'', '' TV Funhouse'', '' Mad TV'', '' The Dana Carvey Show'', ''Late Show wi ...
)
*Voice of "The Late Night Emergency Guest" mannequin
*Gibberish Speaking Ronald Reagan on the Phone
*Ira, Conan's publicist
Filmography
Film
Television
Music video
Further reading
*DiGiacomo, Frank. "Triumph Sniffs a Hit". ''
The New York Observer
''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper printed from 1987 to 2016, when it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainmen ...
'' (October 20, 2003).
References
External links
*
Interview with The A.V. Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smigel, Robert
1960 births
Living people
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
American male television writers
American puppeteers
American television writers
Autism activists
Comedians from Illinois
Cornell University alumni
Jewish American comedians
Jewish American male actors
Jewish American writers
Male actors from Chicago
Male actors from New York City
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Screenwriters from Illinois
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni
Writers Guild of America Award winners
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American Jews