Zach Galifianakis is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has been in the public eye since his breakout role as Alan Garner in The Hangover trilogy of films. Over the years he has become a household name with appearances in numerous movies and television shows, as well as stand-up comedy performances.
Galifianakis was born on October 1st, 1969 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina to Mary Frances (née Cashion) and Harry Galifianakis. Growing up he spent much of his time playing sports such as basketball and baseball while also dabbling in music. After high school graduation he attended North Carolina State University where he majored in communication studies before transferring to Georgia College & State University to pursue a degree in journalism. It wasn’t until after college that Zach decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy which eventually led him down the path of acting fame we know today.
His first big break came when Bob Odenkirk casted him for a part on HBO’s Mr Show with Bob and David which then opened doors for other roles including appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Reno 911!, Saturday Night Live, Tru Calling, Bored To Death among many others prior to landing the iconic role of Alan Garner from The Hangover trilogy which brought him further into mainstream pop culture status than ever before – even inspiring a wax figure being made out at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum!
Since then Zach has continued appearing across various mediums whether it be film or television or even hosting Between Two Ferns: A Talk Show With Zach Galifianakis where celebrity guests are interviewed between two potted plants – resulting often times hilarious results! More recently fans have seen him appear alongside Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo & Chris Evans amongst others reprising his role as Harold “Happy” Hogan once again for Marvel Studios Avengers Endgame movie released earlier this year making it one of 2019’s biggest box office hits.
Aside from acting/hosting duties Zack still finds time every now & then to perform stand-up routines around Los Angeles area clubs like Largo at Coronet Theatre or The Comedy Store so if you’re ever looking for some laughs make sure you check those places out. All said & done there really isn’t anyone quite like Zach Galifianakis; His unique brand of humor coupled together with his memorable characters have entertained millions worldwide over the years – proving without doubt why he is one Hollywood’s most recognizable faces today.
His father is a Greek immigrant while his mother is of Scottish descent. He attended North Carolina State University where he studied communication studies before dropping out to pursue stand-up comedy full time.
Galifianakis achieved mainstream success after appearing alongside Will Ferrell in the 2009 film The Hangover which grossed over $467 million at the box office worldwide making it one of the highest-grossing R-rated comedies ever made. His performance earned him a nomination for the MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance that same year. Since then he has gone on to appear in numerous films including Due Date (2010), It’s Kind Of A Funny Story (2010), The Campaign (2012) and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014).
In addition to film appearances, Galifianakis starred as Chip Baskets in FX’s Baskets which ran from 2016 through 2020 earning him three Emmy nominations during its run. He also hosted his own web series titled Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakisan interview show featuring celebrities conducted between two fern plants set up behind them; guests included Barack Obama, Brad Pitt and Hillary Clinton among others over its 10 season run from 2008 until 2018 when it ended due to lack of interest from potential sponsorships following negative reviews by fans who found it too humorous or disrespectful towards guests depending upon their political leanings.
In recent years he has been seen hosting various events such as SNL Weekend Update Summer Edition and performing stand-up specials like An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life available on Netflix since 2017. He currently stars alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Showtime’s limited series Patrick Melrose as well as voicing characters on Fox’s Bob’s Burgers and Disney+’s Muppets Now.
All throughout his career Zach Galifanakishas maintained a unique comedic style filled with offbeat humor that continues to entertain audiences around the world no matter what medium they consume it through be it movies theaters, streaming services or live shows.
