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IMDbPro

Adam McKay(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000649
Adam McKay
From 'Anchorman' to 'Don't Look Up,' here's a look at some of our favorite moments from the films of Adam McKay. Which film is your favorite?
Play clip1:30
Adam McKay | Director Supercut
9 Videos
68 Photos
Adam McKay (born April 17, 1968) is an American screenwriter, director, comedian, and actor. McKay has a comedy partnership with Will Ferrell, with whom he co-wrote the films Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and The Other Guys. Ferrell and McKay also founded their comedy website Funny or Die through their production company Gary Sanchez Productions. He has been married to Shira Piven since 1999. They have two children.
BornApril 17, 1968
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 17, 1968
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000649
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar

Photos68

Adam McKay
Adam McKay in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Judd Apatow and Adam McKay in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Adam McKay in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Adam McKay in The Other Guys (2010)
Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Adam McKay, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Adam McKay in Step Brothers (2008)
John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, and Adam McKay in Step Brothers (2008)
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Christian Bale and Adam McKay in Vice (2018)

Known for

Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
Don't Look Up
7.2
  • Producer(produced by, p.g.a.)
  • 2021
Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys (2010)
The Other Guys
6.6
  • Producer
  • 2010
Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
Vice
7.2
  • Producer(produced by, p.g.a.)
  • 2018
Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short
7.8
  • Writer
  • 2015

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer

  • Kings of America
    • Pre-production
  • Cutblock
    • Pre-production
  • Big Swiss
    • In Development
  • Bs High
    • In Production
  • Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2
    • In Development
  • Crook County
    • Pre-production
  • Bad Blood
    • In Development
  • Untitled eSports Project
    • Pre-production
  • The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
    • In Development
  • Bishop Sycamore Football Scandal Documentary Project
  • Dead to Me (2019)
    Dead to Me
  • Ralph Fiennes, John Leguizamo, Nicholas Hoult, Aimee Carrero, and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Menu (2022)
    The Menu
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • Arlen Aguayo Stewart, BJ Harrison, Linda Ko, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Diana Pavlovská, Lyne Renée, Demetria McKinney, Sarah Yarkin, Tony Giroux, Amalia Holm, Taylor Hickson, Jessica Sutton, Mellany Barros, Kylee Brown, Ess Hödlmoser, and Ashley Nicole Williams in Motherland: Fort Salem (2020)
    Motherland: Fort Salem
  • The Holly (2022)
    The Holly
  • John C. Reilly and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
    Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
  • Game Theory with Bomani Jones (2022)
    Game Theory with Bomani Jones
  • The Invisible Pilot (2022)
    The Invisible Pilot
  • Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Fresh (2022)
    Fresh
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
    Succession
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
    Don't Look Up
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • No Activity (2017)
    No Activity
  • Q: Into the Storm (2021)
    Q: Into the Storm
  • The Oxy Kingpins (2021)
    The Oxy Kingpins
  • Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
    Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
    • (produced by)

Writer

  • Bad Blood
    • In Development
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
    Don't Look Up
  • Vice: Deleted Scenes (2019)
    Vice: Deleted Scenes
    • (segment High School)
  • Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
    Vice
  • The President's Sun (2017)
    The President's Sun
  • Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
    The Big Short
  • Mexican Donald Trump (2015)
    Mexican Donald Trump
  • Michael Douglas, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Paul Rudd, Corey Stoll, Mark Knapton, and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man (2015)
    Ant-Man
  • Coheed and Cambria Sing Justice Scalia's Dissenting Opinions
  • Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Get Hard (2015)
    Get Hard
  • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
    We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
    • (segment The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas)
  • Cops: Ferguson (2014)
    Cops: Ferguson
  • Saturday Night Live: Best of This Season (2014)
    Saturday Night Live: Best of This Season
  • Saturday Night Live (1975)
    Saturday Night Live
    • ...
  • Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
    Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
  • Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis in The Campaign (2012)
    The Campaign

Director

  • Kings of America
    • Pre-production
  • Bad Blood
    • In Development
  • John C. Reilly and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
    Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Ariana Grande in Don't Look Up (2021)
    Don't Look Up
    • (directed by)
  • Vice: Deleted Scenes (2019)
    Vice: Deleted Scenes
    • (segment High School, directed by)
  • Christian Bale in Vice (2018)
    Vice
  • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
    Succession
  • Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling in The Big Short (2015)
    The Big Short
    • (directed by)
  • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
    We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
    • (segment The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas)
  • SNL Shorts (2014)
    SNL Shorts
    • (clips)
  • Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
    Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
  • Lifecasters (2013)
    Lifecasters
  • Urijah Faber and Patrick Willis in Kenny Powers: The K-Swiss MFCEO (2011)
    Kenny Powers: The K-Swiss MFCEO
  • Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys (2010)
    The Other Guys
  • Danny McBride in Eastbound & Down (2009)
    Eastbound & Down
  • John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, and Adam McKay in Green Team (2008)
    Green Team
  • John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell in Step Brothers (2008)
    Step Brothers
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos9

Adam McKay | Director Supercut
Clip 1:30
Adam McKay | Director Supercut
How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
Clip 4:37
How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes
'Vice' Continues Adam McKay's G.W. Bush Parody
Clip 3:44
'Vice' Continues Adam McKay's G.W. Bush Parody
'Vice' Stars Shed Light on the Enigma That Is Dick Cheney
Clip 2:49
'Vice' Stars Shed Light on the Enigma That Is Dick Cheney
Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Adam McKay on His Writing Process
Interview 2:17
Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Adam McKay on His Writing Process
The Other Guys
Interview 0:47
The Other Guys
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Trailer 2:29
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Trailer 2:31
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Adam McKay on Christian Bale & Amy Adams Becoming the Cheneys
Video 4:32
Adam McKay on Christian Bale & Amy Adams Becoming the Cheneys

Personal details

Edit
    • April 17, 1968
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Shira Piven1999 - present (2 children)
  • Other works
    A 1995 sketch he performed with Scott Adsit, "Gump", is included as one of Second City's all-time best on the CDs that come with the book, "Second City", by Sheldon Patinkin.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 3 Articles
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Although his work at Saturday Night Live (1975) was mainly as a writer and director, he made several appearances on the show, usually as an oversized, obnoxious audience member who heckles the host or cast members until the stars verbally or physically attack him. McKay had auditioned for Saturday Night Live (1975) as an actor while he was still with the Second City Improv, but didn't make the cut as on-camera talent. But he had submitted four scripts to the show, which got him hired as a writer.
  • Quotes
    Sequels are desperate. We're cooler than that. We kind of thought, 'Wait a minute. If we do a sequel, we'll have enough cred from the first movie that we could do crazy-ass shit. We won't have to establish new characters and story and jump right into what we want to do.' The second part was, 'Can we make a good sequel?' There are a lot of flat comedy sequels...'Can we make a sequel that doesn't suck?'
    • Often begins his movies with a quote
    • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
      (2006)
      $2,000,000 (screenplay)

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