Robert Smigel
Writer

Robert Smigel Net Worth

Robert Smigel is an American writer, producer, and actor born in New York City on February 7, 1960. He is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Punch-Drunk Love, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan. He is married to Michelle Saks Smigel and they have three children.
Robert Smigel is a member of Writer

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Writer, Producer, Actor
Birth Day February 07, 1960
Birth Place  New York City, New York, United States
Age 63 YEARS OLD
Birth Sign Pisces
Years active 1985–present
Genres Insult comedy
Spouse Michelle Saks
Children 3
Notable works and roles Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog

💰 Net worth: $1 Million (2024)

Robert Smigel, a highly acclaimed writer, producer, and actor in the United States, is reported to have an estimated net worth of $1 million by 2024. Smigel has made significant contributions to the entertainment industry, best known for his work as a writer and producer on Saturday Night Live. His innovative sketches, particularly the creation of the animated sketch "TV Funhouse," have earned him praise and numerous awards. In addition to his notable writing skills, Smigel has also showcased his talents as an actor, appearing in various television shows and films. With his extensive experience and creative genius, it's no surprise that Robert Smigel has garnered both critical acclaim and financial success.

Biography/Timeline

1980

Smigel began developing his comedic talent at The Players Workshop in Chicago, where he studied improvisation with Josephine Forsberg. 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.

1983

Smigel was born in New York City to Irwin Smigel and Lucia Smigel. He is Jewish and frequently went to Jewish summer camp. He attended Cornell University, studying pre-dental, and graduated from New York University in 1983 with a degree in political science.

1985

Smigel first established himself as a Writer on Saturday Night Live by joining the writing staff when Lorne Michaels returned as executive Producer for the 1985–1986 season. Smigel was hired after then-SNL producers Al Franken 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 (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 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 sketches.

1987

While on a writers' strike from Saturday Night Live following the 1987–88 season, Smigel wrote for an improvisational comedy revue in Chicago with fellow SNL Writers Bob Odenkirk and Conan O'Brien called Happy Happy Good Show.

1996

In 1996, Smigel wrote and performed on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show, a primetime Sketch comedy program on ABC. Despite its premature end, the show provided Smigel the opportunity to debut his first cartoon, The Ambiguously Gay Duo. 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 banner. Smigel would later claim, "My whole career came out of the impulse to do cartoons on The Dana Carvey Show."

1997

Smigel's most famous creation, however, would be the foul-mouthed puppet Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, who mercilessly mocks celebrities and others in the style of a Borscht Belt Comedian. This character debuted on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in February 1997 and would continue to make appearances on the show, as well as others, for many years to come.

2000

In 2000, he voiced a sage bulldog in Little Nicky. Smigel, along with Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow, wrote the script for the film You Don't Mess with the Zohan 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.

2003

Smigel has a wife, Michelle, and three children. Michelle and Robert serve on the board of New York Collaborates for Autism due to their eldest child being autistic. They are active members of (NYCA), a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to address the needs of individuals and families who are living with autism. Smigel created the Night of too Many Stars, a biannual Celebrity fundraiser to benefit autism education. He won an Emmy on the 2012 broadcast of Night of Too Many Stars for his writing.

2006

It was reported in 2006 that Smigel and Adam Sandler were working on an animated sitcom for Fox 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 and Yari the Mechanic in the "Mister Softee" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

2012

Currently living in New York, he co-wrote and co-executive produced the films Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (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's character wasn't based on the man Smigel knew, however, since all Smigel ever told Louis C.K. about was the gun itself.

2015

Smigel created, wrote, executive produced, and starred as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in The Jack and Triumph Show, alongside Jack McBrayer 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.

Some Robert Smigel images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.