Michaela Watkins
Biography
Michaela Watkins, born December 14, 1971 in Syracuse, New York, is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, she gained widespread attention as a featured player on NBC’s sketch‑comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 34th season in 2008–2009. Following her tenure on SNL, Watkins has appeared in a range of television projects, including starring roles on the Hulu series Casual and the short‑lived sitcoms The Unicorn and Trophy Wife, as well as recurring parts on The New Adventures of Old Christine, Catastrophe, Enlightened and Search Party. Her film work includes The Back‑up Plan (2010), Wanderlust (2012), Enough Said (2013) and Sword of Trust.
Career overview
Michaela Watkins, born December 14 1971 in Syracuse, New York, is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, she gained widespread attention as a featured player on NBC’s sketch‑comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 34th season, which aired from 2008 to 2009. Following her stint on SNL, Watkins continued to build a steady television career, appearing in recurring roles on series such as The New Adventures of Old Christine, Catastrophe, Enlightened and Search Party.
Watkins has also been a regular presence in contemporary comedy series. She starred in the Hulu original Casual and held starring roles in the short‑lived sitcoms The Unicorn and Trophy Wife. In addition to her television work, she has acted in a number of feature films, including The Back‑up Plan (2010), Wanderlust (2012), Enough Said (2013) and Sword of Trust. Across her career she has accumulated more than one hundred credited performances, reflecting a broad range of comedic and dramatic work in both television and film.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Michaela Watkins.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
128 titles- The Miniature Wife (2026)
- Hollywood Squares (2025) as Self
- Heart Eyes (2025) as Crystal Cane
- Are We Good? (2025) as Self
- Suze (2025) as Suze
- Suze (2025) Executive Producer
- After Midnight (2024) as Self
- Dinner with the Parents (2024) as Jane
- The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024) as Masterson
- The Night Agent (2023) as Freya Myers
- The Night Agent (2023) as Freya
- Will Trent (2023) as Susan Barno
- History of the World: Part II (2023) as Israel Ambassador
- Tiny Beautiful Things (2023) as Amy Adler
- You Hurt My Feelings (2023) as Sarah
- The Young Wife (2023) as Lara
- Paint (2023) as Katherine
- The Dropout (2022) as Linda Tanner
- Hacks (2021) as Stacey
- Abbott Elementary (2021) as Miss Barco
- Werewolves Within (2021) as Trisha Anderton
- Close Enough (2020) as Brienne Bishop (voice)
- The Way Back (2020) as Beth
- For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close (2020) as Narrator (voice)
- Bad Therapy (2020) as Judy Small
- Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music (2020) as Self
- Wayne (2019) as Maureen McNulty
- The House of Tomorrow (2019) as Mrs. Whitcomb
- Good Boys (2019) as Saleswoman
- The Unicorn (2019) as Delia
- Under the Eiffel Tower (2019) as Tillie
- Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) as Catherine
- Modern/Love in 7 Short Films (2019) as Jane
- Sword of Trust (2019) as Mary
- Transparent: Musicale Finale (2019) as Yetta
- Antiquities (2019) as Dolores Jr.
- Dude (2018) as Jill Weil
- Ibiza (2018) as Sarah
- Big Mouth (2017) as Cantor Dina Reznick (voice)
- The Mick (2017) as Trish
- Get Shorty (2017) as Ali Egan
- How to Be a Latin Lover (2017) as Gwen
- No Activity (2017) as Erin
- Punching Henry (2017) as Mara
- Danger & Eggs (2017) as Life Coach Nanny / Robot Door / Administrator (voice)
- The Guest Book (2017) as Phyllis
- The House (2017) as Raina
- Person to Person (2017) as The Widow
- Brigsby Bear (2017) as Louise Pope
- Do You Want to See a Dead Body? (2017)
- Search Party (2016) as Polly Danzinger
- Speechless (2016) as Becca
- To Tell the Truth (2016) as Self - Panelist
- Angie Tribeca (2016) as Melanie Burke
- Easy (2016) as Karen Treska
- Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016) as Ivana Trump
- Divorce: The Greatest Hits (2016)
- Lazy Eye (2016) as Mel
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Casual (2015) as Valerie
- Another Period (2015) as Brothel Madam
- Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) as Rhonda
- Kittens in a Cage (2015) as Vanessa
- Cuddle Party (2015) as Jane
- The Robot Chicken Christmas Special: The X-Mas United (2015) as Nerd's Mom (voice)
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Off Camera with Sam Jones (2014) as Self
- Transparent (2014) as Yetta
- Transparent (2014) as Connie
- They Came Together (2014) as Habermeyer
- Marry Me (2014) as Janet
- Playing House (2014) as Dr. Laura Meredith
- Benched (2014) Writer
- Benched (2014) Creator
- Robot Chicken: Christmas Specials (2014) as Various (voice) (archive sound)
- Bunion (2014) as Therapist
- The Goldbergs (2013) as Miss Taraborelli
- @midnight with Chris Hardwick (2013) as Self
- Drunk History (2013) as Nurse
- Trophy Wife (2013) as Jackie Fisher
- Enough Said (2013) as Hillary
- Thanks for Sharing (2013) as Margo
- Afternoon Delight (2013) as Jennie
- In a World... (2013) as Dani
- iSteve (2013) as Melinda Gates
- Veep (2012) as Patty
- Anger Management (2012) as Lisa
- Key & Peele (2012) as Mary Magdalene
- Wanderlust (2012) as Marisa
- Bent (2012) as Carol
- Una Hora Por Favora (2012) as Elissa
- New Girl (2011) as Gina
- Enlightened (2011) as Janice Holm
- Home for Actresses (2011) as Michaela
- Parenthood (2010) as Lucy Estman
- The Women of SNL (2010) as Various (archive footage)
- The Back-Up Plan (2010) as Mona
- The Prankster (2010) as Miss LaFleur
- Worst Enemy (2010) as Wooly
- Welcome to the Jungle Gym (2010) as Principal Gilly
- Modern Family (2009) as Susan
- Archer (2009)
- Childrens Hospital (2008) as Lacey Briggs
- Eli Stone (2008) as Judge Leigh Rappaport
- Yoga Matt (2008) as Jill Goering
- Californication (2007) as Executive
- Private Practice (2007) as Laura Martin
- The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) as Lucy
- Modern Men (2006)
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Nikki Ratlin
- American Dad! (2005) as Veterinarian (voice)
- American Dad! (2005) as Sheila (voice)
- American Dad! (2005) as Shoshanna (voice)
- American Dad! (2005) as Pharmacist (voice)
- Medium (2005) as Clerk
- Robot Chicken (2005) as Carol / Sarah Cage / Nerd's Mother (voice)
- Miss Match (2003) as Susan Scott
- Without a Trace (2002) as Marla
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) as Saundra
- Malcolm in the Middle (2000) as Receptionist
- Strong Medicine (2000) as Julia
- Family Guy (1999) as Girl Pulling Train (voice)
- Charmed (1998) as Andrea
- Law & Order (1990) as Madeline Bennett
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Various Characters
- Desert Flowers
- The Best Is Yet To Come
- I Want to Feel Fun
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Michaela Watkins best known for?
Michaela Watkins is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Miniature Wife (2026), Hollywood Squares (2025), Heart Eyes (2025), After Midnight (2024).
When and where was Michaela Watkins born?
Michaela Watkins was born on December 14, 1971 in Syracuse, New York, USA.
How many credits does Michaela Watkins have?
Michaela Watkins has accumulated over 128 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1975 to 2026.
What is Michaela Watkins's background in cinema and television?
Michaela Watkins, born December 14, 1971 in Syracuse, New York, is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, she gained widespread attention as a featured player on NBC’s sketch‑comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 34th season in 2008–20...
Michaela Watkins by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Malcolm in the Middle (2000) as Receptionist — aged about 28
- Wayne (2019) as Maureen McNulty — aged about 47
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Nikki Ratlin — aged about 33
- Charmed (1998) as Andrea — aged about 26
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) as Saundra — aged about 28
- Close Enough (2020) as Brienne Bishop (voice) — aged about 48
What viewers say
No comments yet. Be the first to share your take on Michaela Watkins.