
Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, filmmaker, and puppeteer, known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He is also known for his collaborations with Adam Sandler, including co-writing the first two Hotel Transylvania films and You Don't Mess with the Zohan. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Smigel, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 7, 1960 (66)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Actor, writer and producer, also director
- 51 on MovieCove · 83 credits in all
What are Robert Smigel's films like?
Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.
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 3 · Wry 0 · Earnest 14
Light 14 · Serious 4 · Dark 0
A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 4
Gentle 11 · Charged 7 · Intense 0
Steady 8 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 14
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1
Casual 16 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 15 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
Resolved 17 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 4 of 4 analyzed roles.
- Tricksteras Beefy in Little Nicky (2000)
- Tricksteras Dave Attell in Comedy Underground with Dave Attell (2014)
- Tricksteras Triumph in The Jack and Triumph Show (2015)
- Tricksteras Rabbi Bruce in Between the Temples (2024)
Moods and endings
- Happy13
- Bittersweet3
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical3
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 Robert Smigel's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 37 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (9).
- What We Do in the Shadows (2019) · actor
- The Simpsons (1989) · actor
- Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show (2017) · actor, writer
- Bob's Burgers (2011) · actor
- Hotel Transylvania (2012) · actor, writer, producer
- New Girl (2011) · actor
- Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) · actor, writer, producer
- Between the Temples (2024) · actor
- The Masked Singer (2019) · actor
Subscription and free streaming for Robert Smigel'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
83 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Rain Reign (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

Lorne(2026)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Happy Gilmore 2(2025)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Hollywood Squares(2025)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows
Between the Temples(2024)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all filmsTriumph Presents: Let's Make a Poop Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

Leo(2023)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
White House Plumbers(2023)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Marriage Story(2019)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
The Masked Singer(2019)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all showsThe Aquabats! Saturday Morning! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

The Week Of(2018)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Night of Too Many Stars(2017)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all filmsTriumph Election Watch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Triumph's Summer Election Special 2016 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Match Game(2016)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
The Do-Over(2016)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Triumph's Election Special 2016 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Hotel Transylvania 2(2015)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
Pixels(2015)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
@midnight(2013)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
This Is 40(2012)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Hotel Transylvania(2012)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Jack and Jill(2011)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
New Girl(2011)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Portlandia(2011)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Bob's Burgers(2011)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Louie(2010)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
SpongeBob's Truth or Square (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Match Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Robot Chicken: Star Wars(2007)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Earth to America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien: The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

Last Comic Standing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

Night of Too Many Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Religetables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

Punch-Drunk Love(2002)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
50 Years of NBC Late Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force(2000)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Ohh Nooo!!! Mr. Bill's Classics! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

TV Funhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Little Nicky(2000)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Curb Your Enthusiasm(2000)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
SpongeBob SquarePants(1999)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Titey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Wedding Singer(1998)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Tomorrow Night(1998)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Guess Which Person Is Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Hete-Roy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Letter V (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Ambiguously Gay Duo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

The Daily Show(1996)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
The Dana Carvey Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Happy Gilmore(1996)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Billy Madison(1995)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Wayne's World 2(1993)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Buddy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Lookwell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

Lookwell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

The Simpsons(1989)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Saturday Night Live(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
The Oscars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Grown Ups 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

Leo 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

Saturday TV Funhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 79 titles, 76 of them dated from 1953 to 2026; peak year 2001.

Biggest box office
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

Highest rated
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show (2017)

Most popular right now
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Film career
Peak 2001 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1975Screen debut· Saturday Night Live
- 1975Primetime Emmy win· Saturday Night Live
- 1993First film· Wayne's World 2
- 2002Breakout· Punch-Drunk Love
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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
3 Primetime Emmys and 8 other major awards from 36 major nominations, 1987–2020.
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety Sketch Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety (Music, Awards, Tributes) - Specials
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Music, Awards, Tributes) - Specials
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Interactive Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety - (Including Talk) Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety - (Including Talk) Series
Show 17 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety - (Including Talk) Series
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
+1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
+1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy/Variety - Music, Awards, Tributes - Specials - Any Length
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program
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 Robert Smigel's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up23
- 50th to 74th11
- 25th to 49th12
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
16 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved9
- Divisive4
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser16
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed15
Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 39. 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 Robert Smigel's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films 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 Robert Smigel work with?
People who share at least 2 of Robert Smigel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Adam Sandler shares the most, 8.
Directors
- Genndy TartakovskyShared titles: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Genndy Tartakovsky

- Beth McCarthy-MillerShared titles: SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009), Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Beth McCarthy-Miller

- Dave WilsonShared titles: SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009), Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Dave Wilson
- Dennis DuganShared titles: You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Dennis Dugan

Writers
- Adam SandlerShared titles: Leo (2023), The Week Of (2018), Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Little Nicky (2000), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 8 shared titles with Adam Sandler

- Tim HerlihyShared titles: Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007), Little Nicky (2000), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Tim Herlihy

- Andy BreckmanShared titles: Night of Too Many Stars (2017), The Jack and Triumph Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Andy Breckman

- Craig RowinShared titles: Night of Too Many Stars (2017), The Jack and Triumph Show (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Craig Rowin

Actors
- Steve BuscemiShared titles: The Week Of (2018), Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Steve Buscemi

- Andy SambergShared titles: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012), SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Andy Samberg

- Allen CovertShared titles: Leo (2023), Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Little Nicky (2000), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 5 shared titles with Allen Covert

- J.B. SmooveShared titles: Hollywood Squares (2025), Tomorrow Night (1998)See all 2 shared titles with J.B. Smoove

Composers and editors
- Mark MothersbaughShared titles: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Mark Mothersbaugh

- Tom CostainShared titles: The Week Of (2018), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Tom Costain
- Catherine AppleShared titles: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Catherine Apple
Producers
- Jack GiarraputoShared titles: You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Little Nicky (2000), Happy Gilmore (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Jack Giarraputo

- Michele ArmourShared titles: The Jack and Triumph Show (2015), Comedy Underground with Dave Attell (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Michele Armour
- Michelle MurdoccaShared titles: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), Hotel Transylvania (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Michelle Murdocca

- Ken AymongShared titles: SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009), Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Ken Aymong
Mixed roles
- Louis C.K.Shared titles: Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show (2017), Tomorrow Night (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Louis C.K.

- Michelle Saks SmigelShared titles: Night of Too Many Stars (2017), SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Michelle Saks Smigel
- Julie KlausnerShared titles: The Jack and Triumph Show (2015), SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (2009)See all 2 shared titles with Julie Klausner

- Al FrankenShared titles: Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007), Superman 50th Anniversary (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Al Franken

