Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American director, writer, and producer. He first achieved recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, with Showalter co-writing and starring in Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and the Netflix series. Showalter wrote and directed The Baxter(2005), in which he starred with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks. Both films featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of his other projects. Showalter is also a co-creator, co-producer, actor, and writer for the TV series Search Party. He directed the 2017 film The Big Sick and the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, both of which were critically acclaimed. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Showalter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- June 17, 1970 (56)
- Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Actor, producer, director and writer
- 43 on MovieCove · 76 credits in all
What are Michael Showalter's films like?
Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 3 · Earnest 12
Light 12 · Serious 5 · Dark 0
A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 4
Gentle 6 · Charged 9 · Intense 2
A split, not a type: Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 11
A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2
Casual 14 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 8 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 1
Resolved 15 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.
- Tricksteras Various in The State (1993)
- Heroas Coop in Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
- Heroas Elliot Sherman in The Baxter (2005)
- Tricksteras Coop in Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017)
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet8
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous2
- Cyclical2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Michael Showalter's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (10).
- Grace and Frankie (2015) · director
- Spoiler Alert (2022) · director, producer
- Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (2019) · director
- Law & Order (1990) · actor
- In the Dark (2019) · director, producer
- Love (2016) · director
- Search Party (2016) · actor, director, writer, producer
- Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) · actor, writer, producer
- The Lovebirds (2020) · director, producer
- Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017) · actor, writer, producer
- The Big Sick (2017) · director
- Search Party (2016) · actor, director, writer, producer · free
- Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) · director, writer, producer
- The Idea of You (2024) · director, writer, producer
- Two Night Stand (2014) · actor
- They Came Together (2014) · writer, producer
- The Ten (2007) · actor
- The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh (2024) · director, producer
- Oh. What. Fun. (2025) · director, writer, producer
- Griffin & Phoenix (2006) · actor · free
- Childrens Hospital (2008) · actor, writer · free
- Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) · director, writer, producer · free
- The Baxter (2005) · actor, director, writer · free
- Newsreaders (2013) · writer · free
- Two Night Stand (2014) · actor · free
- They Came Together (2014) · writer, producer · free
- The Ten (2007) · actor · free
- Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015) · actor, producer · free
- Law & Order (1990) · actor · free
- Griffin & Phoenix (2006) · actor · free
- The Idea of You (2024) · director, writer, producer · free
- Two Night Stand (2014) · actor · free
- They Came Together (2014) · writer, producer · free
- The Ten (2007) · actor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Michael Showalter's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
76 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Verity(2026)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Oh. What. Fun.(2025)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Happy Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
The Idea of You(2024)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Spoiler Alert(2022)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all filmsStomach People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
I Love That for You(2022)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
The Dropout(2022)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
The Shrink Next Door(2021)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
The Eyes of Tammy Faye(2021)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Lovebirds(2020)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
In the Dark(2019)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
9JKL(2017)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows
The Big Sick(2017)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Search Party(2016)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Giles Vanderhoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Second Sound Barrier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Love(2016)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Jammers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Hello, My Name Is Doris(2015)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
The Grinder(2015)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Grace and Frankie(2015)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Two Night Stand(2014)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
They Came Together(2014)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all filmsAmerican Viral (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Super Fun Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Newsreaders(2013)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
You're Whole(2012)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows
Bob's Burgers(2011)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
The Slope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Michael Showalter's the Making of... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Stella: Live in Boston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all showsBirthday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Childrens Hospital(2008)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all showsThe Michael Showalter Showalter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
The Ten(2007)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Reno 911!: Miami(2007)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Griffin & Phoenix(2006)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Baxter(2005)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Stella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
American Dad!(2005)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Hair High(2004)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Cheap Seats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
The Wrong Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Stella Shorts 1998-2002 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Signs(2002)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Operation Midnight Climax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Kissing Jessica Stein(2001)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Wet Hot American Summer(2001)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Random Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Comedy Central Presents(1998)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all showsChocolate For Breakfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Safe Men(1998)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Sex and the City(1998)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Tick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Chickula! Teenage Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The State(1993)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
You Wrote It, You Watch It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Law & Order(1990)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Friday Night Videos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Baby Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Ma 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
MTV: The State, Skits and Stickers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Serendipity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
The Last Ride of Cowboy Bob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
The Off Weeks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Untitled 'Cyrano Pop' Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Untitled Holiday Comedy Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 76 titles, 68 of them dated from 1983 to 2026.
Biggest box office
The Big Sick (2017)
Highest rated
The Big Sick (2017)
Most popular right now
Verity (2026)
Film career
- 1998Screen debut· Safe Men
- 2005First top-billed film· The Baxter
- 2005Career best· The Baxter
- 2015Career best· Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
Awards
1 major award from 2 major nominations, 2022–2023.
- Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Michael Showalter's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 21; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up15
- 50th to 74th17
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
26 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser26
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed10
Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Michael Showalter's work okay for kids?
Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Michael Showalter work with?
People who share at least 2 of Michael Showalter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Ian Black shares the most, 9.
Directors
- David WainShared titles: Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017), Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), They Came Together (2014), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), The State (1993)See all 5 shared titles with David Wain
Writers
- Michael Ian BlackShared titles: Long Live the State (2025), Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017), Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015), They Came Together (2014), You're Whole (2012), Michael & Michael Have Issues (2009), The Baxter (2005), The State (1993)See all 9 shared titles with Michael Ian Black
- Kumail NanjianiShared titles: The Lovebirds (2020), It Started as a Joke (2019), The Big Sick (2017), Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015), Michael & Michael Have Issues (2009)See all 5 shared titles with Kumail Nanjiani
- Jessi KleinShared titles: I Love That for You (2022), Michael & Michael Have Issues (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Jessi Klein
Actors
- Zak OrthShared titles: Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017), Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015), The Baxter (2005), Hair High (2004), Wet Hot American Summer (2001)See all 5 shared titles with Zak Orth
- Ken MarinoShared titles: Long Live the State (2025), Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017), Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), The State (1993)See all 4 shared titles with Ken Marino
- Molly ShannonShared titles: I Love That for You (2022), Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015), Wet Hot American Summer (2001)See all 4 shared titles with Molly Shannon
- Paul RuddShared titles: Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015), They Came Together (2014), The Baxter (2005), Wet Hot American Summer (2001)See all 4 shared titles with Paul Rudd
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Theodore ShapiroShared titles: The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), The Baxter (2005), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), The State (1993)See all 5 shared titles with Theodore Shapiro
- Robert NassauShared titles: The Lovebirds (2020), The Big Sick (2017), Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015), You're Whole (2012), Michael & Michael Have Issues (2009)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Nassau
- Craig WedrenShared titles: Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot (2015), They Came Together (2014), The Baxter (2005), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), The State (1993)See all 5 shared titles with Craig Wedren
- Brian BurgoyneShared titles: Spoiler Alert (2022), The Lovebirds (2020), The Big Sick (2017), Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)See all 4 shared titles with Brian Burgoyne
Producers
- Jordana MollickShared titles: Verity (2026), Oh. What. Fun. (2025), The Idea of You (2024), The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh (2024), I Love That for You (2022), Spoiler Alert (2022), The Lovebirds (2020), It Started as a Joke (2019), Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)See all 9 shared titles with Jordana Mollick
- Emily CrookShared titles: Oh. What. Fun. (2025), The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh (2024), Spoiler Alert (2022), The Lovebirds (2020)See all 4 shared titles with Emily Crook
- Douglas JonesShared titles: Oh. What. Fun. (2025), The Idea of You (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Douglas Jones
- Tony HernandezShared titles: Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (2019), They Came Together (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Tony Hernandez
