Adam McKay
Directing Born Apr 17, 1968 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 174 credits
Biography
Adam McKay is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He was born on April 17, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. McKay began his career as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. He collaborated with comedian Will Ferrell on several comedy films, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and The Other Guys. McKay co-produced the website Funny or Die through his company Gary Sanchez Productions. He has also written and directed satirical films, including The Big Short. McKay has directed numerous projects, with a total of 116 known credits.
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Career overview
Adam McKay is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He began his career as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. McKay collaborated with comedian Will Ferrell on several comedy films. He co-produced their website, Funny or Die, through their company, Gary Sanchez Productions.
Aside from working with Ferrell, McKay wrote and directed satirical films, including The Big Short. McKay has directed numerous films, with a total of 116 known credits. His directing career spans multiple genres, with a focus on comedy and satire.
McKay's directing work has been well-received, with a content score of 100. He has established himself as a prominent figure in the film industry, with a career that spans over two decades. McKay's experience as a head writer for Saturday Night Live and his collaborations with Will Ferrell have contributed to his success as a director.
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Career timeline
Thrash · ProducerStormbound · ProducerJust Look Up · Executive Producer
The Chair Company · Executive ProducerAll the Empty Rooms · Executive ProducerAsog · Executive ProducerTrade Secret · ProducerYou Need This · Producer
Wild Wild Space · ProducerUnion · Executive ProducerMen of War · Executive ProducerMoney Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery · Executive ProducerPistachio Wars · Executive Producer
Cobell Energy · Executive ProducerDaniel · ProducerA Lien · Executive ProducerWild Summon · Executive ProducerBS High · Executive Producer
The Menu · ProducerWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty · DirectorWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty · Executive ProducerFresh · ProducerGame Theory with Bomani Jones · Executive Producer
Don't Look Up · StoryDon't Look Up · ScreenplayDon't Look Up · DirectorDon't Look Up · ProducerDirectors on Directors
Motherland: Fort Salem · Executive ProducerBottomless Brunch at Colman'sEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga · Executive Producer537 Votes · Executive ProducerFor Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close
Dead to Me · Executive ProducerBooksmart · Executive ProducerHustlers · ProducerNewscasters · ThanksLive in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" · Executive Producer
Succession · Executive ProducerSuccession · DirectorVice · WriterVice · DirectorVice · Producer
No Activity · Executive ProducerDaddy's Home 2 · ProducerThe History of ComedyThe House · ProducerI Love You, America · Executive Producer
Grimsby · Executive ProducerThe Boss · ProducerA.C. Green: Iron VirginA.C. Green: Iron Virgin · Executive Producer
Close Up with The Hollywood ReporterAnt-Man · ScreenplayThe Big Short · DirectorThe Big Short · ScreenplayDaddy's Home · Screenplay
Late Night with Seth MeyersBad Judge · Executive ProducerTammy · ProducerThis Is ComedyThe Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas · Director
Drunk History · Executive ProducerHansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters · ProducerAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues · DirectorAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues · ScreenplayAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues · Producer
The Dictator · Executive ProducerThe Campaign · ProducerThe Campaign · StoryBachelorette · ProducerCasa de Mi Padre · Producer
Fully Loaded · Executive Producer
The Other GuysThe Other Guys · DirectorThe Other Guys · ProducerThe Other Guys · WriterFunny or Die Presents · Producer
Eastbound & Down · ProducerEastbound & Down · DirectorLand of the Lost · Executive ProducerThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard · ProducerWill Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush · Executive Producer
Step BrothersStep Brothers · DirectorStep Brothers · Executive ProducerStep Brothers · ScreenplayStep Brothers · Story
Girl MissingGreen TeamGreen Team · DirectorGreen Team · WriterSaturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby · DirectorTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby · Executive ProducerTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby · Writer
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy · DirectorAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy · WriterWake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost MovieWake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie · Director
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
The Oscars
Full filmography
- Thrash (2026) Producer
- Stormbound (2026) Producer
- Just Look Up (2026) Executive Producer
- The Chair Company (2025) Executive Producer
- All the Empty Rooms (2025) Executive Producer
- Asog (2025) Executive Producer
- Trade Secret (2025) Producer
- You Need This (2025) Producer
- Wild Wild Space (2024) Producer
- Union (2024) Executive Producer
- Men of War (2024) Executive Producer
- Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery (2024) Executive Producer
- Pistachio Wars (2024) Executive Producer
- Cobell Energy (2023) Executive Producer
- Daniel (2023) Producer
- A Lien (2023) Executive Producer
- Wild Summon (2023) Executive Producer
- BS High (2023) Executive Producer
- The Menu (2022) Producer
- Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022) Director
- Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022) Executive Producer
- Fresh (2022) Producer
- Game Theory with Bomani Jones (2022) Executive Producer
- The Invisible Pilot (2022) Executive Producer
- God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty (2022) Executive Producer
- Don't Look Up (2021) Story
- Don't Look Up (2021) Screenplay
- Don't Look Up (2021) Director
- Don't Look Up (2021) Producer
- Directors on Directors (2021) as Self
- Painting With John (2021) Executive Producer
- Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) Producer
- Q: Into the Storm (2021) Executive Producer
- The Oxy Kingpins (2021) Executive Producer
- Motherland: Fort Salem (2020) Executive Producer
- Bottomless Brunch at Colman's (2020) as Self
- Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) Executive Producer
- 537 Votes (2020) Executive Producer
- For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close (2020) as Self
- Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip (2020) Executive Producer
- Dead to Me (2019) Executive Producer
- Booksmart (2019) Executive Producer
- Hustlers (2019) Producer
- Newscasters (2019) Thanks
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" (2019) Executive Producer
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (2019) Executive Producer
- Hal (2019) as Self
- Succession (2018) Executive Producer
- Succession (2018) Director
- Vice (2018) Writer
- Vice (2018) Director
- Vice (2018) Producer
- LA to Vegas (2018) Producer
- Holmes & Watson (2018) Producer
- Oh Lucy! (2018) Executive Producer
- Ibiza (2018) Producer
- No Activity (2017) Executive Producer
- Daddy's Home 2 (2017) Producer
- The History of Comedy (2017) as Self
- The House (2017) Producer
- I Love You, America (2017) Executive Producer
- Grimsby (2016) Executive Producer
- The Boss (2016) Producer
- A.C. Green: Iron Virgin (2016) as Producer
- A.C. Green: Iron Virgin (2016) Executive Producer
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) as Self
- Ant-Man (2015) Screenplay
- The Big Short (2015) Director
- The Big Short (2015) Screenplay
- Daddy's Home (2015) Screenplay
- Daddy's Home (2015) Producer
- Get Hard (2015) Story
- Get Hard (2015) Producer
- The Spoils Before Dying (2015) Executive Producer
- Sleeping with Other People (2015) Producer
- A Deadly Adoption (2015) Executive Producer
- Welcome to Me (2015) Producer
- Thank You, Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon (2015) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- Bad Judge (2014) Executive Producer
- Tammy (2014) Producer
- This Is Comedy (2014) as Himself
- The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas (2014) Director
- The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas (2014) Writer
- Drunk History (2013) Executive Producer
- Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) Producer
- Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) Director
- Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) Screenplay
- Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) Producer
- The Dictator (2012) Executive Producer
- The Campaign (2012) Producer
- The Campaign (2012) Story
- Bachelorette (2012) Producer
- Casa de Mi Padre (2012) Producer
- Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012) Producer
- Fully Loaded (2011) Executive Producer
- The Other Guys (2010) as Dirty Mike
- The Other Guys (2010) Director
- The Other Guys (2010) Producer
- The Other Guys (2010) Writer
- Funny or Die Presents (2010) Producer
- Funny or Die Presents (2010) Creator
- The Virginity Hit (2010) Producer
- Big Lake (2010) Creator
- Presidential Reunion (2010) Writer
- Eastbound & Down (2009) Producer
- Eastbound & Down (2009) Director
- Land of the Lost (2009) Executive Producer
- The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009) Producer
- Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush (2009) Executive Producer
- Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America - A Final Night with George W. Bush (2009) Stage Director
- Step Brothers (2008) as Man without Glasses
- Step Brothers (2008) Director
- Step Brothers (2008) Executive Producer
- Step Brothers (2008) Screenplay
- Step Brothers (2008) Story
- Prop 8: The Musical (2008) Producer
- Girl Missing (2007) as Detective "Sally" LaSalle
- Green Team (2007) as Erin Gossamer
- Green Team (2007) Director
- Green Team (2007) Writer
- Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation (2007) as Self
- Good Cop, Baby Cop (2007) as Policeman
- Good Cop, Baby Cop (2007) Writer
- Good Cop, Baby Cop (2007) Director
- The Procedure (2007) Director
- The Procedure (2007) Writer
- The Landlord (2007) as Friend
- The Landlord (2007) Director
- The Landlord (2007) Writer
- The Landlord (2007) Producer
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) as Terry Cheveaux
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) Director
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) Executive Producer
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) Writer
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) as Custodian
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Director
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Writer
- Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) as Custodian
- Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) Director
- Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) Writer
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Construction Worker / Bob (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Frat Boy (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Construction Worker / Man (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self / Taddli Audience Member (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Audience Member (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Scientist (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Lab Technician (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Gun Salesman (voice) (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Uncle Gabby (voice) (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Various (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Reporter (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Shoplifter (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Dognapper
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Keith (uncredited)
- Saturday Night Live (1975) Writer
- Saturday Night Live (1975) Director
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Will Producer
- The Parlay Producer
- Breeders Producer
- Flesh of the Gods Producer
- Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel Producer
- The Freshening Producer
- Kings of America Executive Producer
- Kings of America Director
- First Ladies Producer
- Plus One Producer
- J6 Producer
- Untitled Adam McKay/Michael Shanks Mystery Sci-Fi Comedy Director
- Untitled Adam McKay/Michael Shanks Mystery Sci-Fi Comedy Producer
- Monsanto Producer
- Five Producer