
Acting
Michael Ian Black
Born 1971-08-12 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
Michael Ian Black (born Michael Ian Schwartz; August 12, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, writer and director. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Ed, Viva Variety, Stella, Another Period and Michael & Michael Have Issues. He is also a prominent poker player, appearing on Celebrity Poker Showdown several times. He released a well-received children's book, Chicken Cheeks, in 2009. Black was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jill and Robert Schwartz, a store owner and an executive, respectively. His family is Jewish. He grew up in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, where he attended Hillsborough High School. His parents divorced when he was three years old; his mother, Jill, later came out as a lesbian. Black's father died at age 39 due to a head injury apparently suffered in an assault and allergic reaction during subsequent surgery. His birth name, Schwartz, is derived from the German word schwarz, which means black. He changed his name to Michael Ian Black to avoid confusion with the actor Mike Schwartz. Black briefly attended New York University, but dropped out to portray Raphael in the promotional campaign for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concert tour.
Acting credits
7.3Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
Superman
2025
6.5Small-town Kansas hairdresser Gail Daughtry's fiancé uses his 'celebrity sex pass' on Jennifer Aniston, prompting Gail to travel to LA with her friend Otto to find her own pass, Jon Hamm, to even the score.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
2026
5.9Pete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
This Is 40
2012
5.5Rattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ultimately deciding to experiment with living on a rural commune where free love rules.
Wanderlust
2012
6.2It's the last day of Camp Firewood's season, but there's still time for the big talent show, a little romance… and for everyone to be wiped out by the piece of NASA's Skylab that's hurtling toward Earth.
Wet Hot American Summer
2001
6.0Do you have to be miserable to be funny? More than sixty comedians—including stand-ups, writers, actors, and directors from the US, Canada, and abroad—take on this question, sharing anecdotes and insights with lively enthusiasm.
Misery Loves Comedy
2015
6.2Father-to-be Alan is shocked to learn that he was born a sextuplet. With his newfound brother Russell riding shotgun, the duo sets out on a hilarious journey to reunite with their remaining long-lost siblings.
Sextuplets
2019
5.8A rag-tag team of Reno cops are called in to save the day after a terrorist attack disrupts a national police convention in Miami Beach during spring break. Based on the Comedy Central series.
Reno 911!: Miami
2007
6.0Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin should be well on his way to a successful career at a Fortune 500 company, but instead he rebels against maturity by taking a job at a video store. Matt rethinks his position when his unrequited high-school crush, Tori, walks in and invites him to an end-of-summer party. With the help of his twin sister and his best friend, Matt hatches a plan to change the course of his life.
Take Me Home Tonight
2011
5.5A biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records.
Spinning Gold
2023
5.5A small business owner is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development.
They Came Together
2014
6.3When the host of a failing children’s science show tries to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, a series of bizarre events occur that cause him to question his own reality.
Linoleum
2023
4.8Ten stories, each inspired by one of the ten commandments.
The Ten
2007
6.4Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage offers a glimpse into the comic minds behind a "Wet Hot" summer-camp cult hit featuring many future stars.
Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot
2015
Ben Stiller, Mike Myers, Seth Meyers and Michael Ian Black have a roundtable comedy discussion.
Nantucket Film Festival's 2nd Comedy Roundtable
2013
4.4An embarrassing video of Anthony surfaces online right before his fifth high school reunion. The Smosh dudes then race to pull down the clip before it blows Anthony's chances of reconnecting with his teen crush Anna.
Smosh: The Movie
2015
6.0Mild mannered tax accountant Elliot Sherman is what he calls a "Baxter": the kind of calm, unexciting fellow who "wears sock garters" and "enjoys raking leaves." Loved by bosses and parents, Elliot is a perfectly nice guy. And that's his problem.
The Baxter
2005
7.4In the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.
Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2014
NRDirector Adam Bhala Lough sets out to better understand the technology and people at the center of the AI boom. His quest sends him on a path towards the father of AI, OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman. When he isn’t able to sit down with Altman himself, Adam travels to India to create an AI version of him to interview instead.
Deepfaking Sam Altman
2026
5.7It’s Holiday Season in Reno, and Lieutenant Dangle wishes he’d never been born. With the help of a roller skating “Angel,” he learns how much better the lives of the other deputies would be if he never existed. Will he decide to live on anyway? There’s still Christmas criminals to catch!
Reno 911!: It's a Wonderful Heist
2022
5.1After she and her husband move into a haunted house, a woman gives birth to a demonic infant that wreaks havoc.
Hell Baby
2013
4.7Thrown off a reality show in disgrace, an unemployed real estate agent joins a group of slightly menopausal tennis players to rescue her career and take down the reigning queen of the court.
First One In
2020
A Bigfoot hoax goes horribly wrong in the middle of an actual Sasquatch hot spot, leading to a chaotic struggle between the hoaxers, investigators, and a supernatural force that defies explanation.
Bad Day For Bigfoot
—
4.0Comedy troupe The State hosts a Halloween special on CBS.
The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special
1995
Behind the camera
5.6After losing the woman of his dreams, Anderson is convinced he'll never fall in love again. But at the urging of his best friend, he spontaneously proposes to a dissatisfied waitress named Katie and an innocent dare evolves into the kind of love that both have been looking for all along.
Wedding Daze
2006
5.6After losing the woman of his dreams, Anderson is convinced he'll never fall in love again. But at the urging of his best friend, he spontaneously proposes to a dissatisfied waitress named Katie and an innocent dare evolves into the kind of love that both have been looking for all along.
Wedding Daze
2006
6.2Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back.
Run Fatboy Run
2007
4.0STELLA is a three-man comedy troupe from New York City, comprised of well-known comedians/actors Michael Showalter, David Wain, and Michael Ian Black. Though the three have made a living performing at comedy clubs, they are perhaps best known for their home-made short films. The STELLA SHORTS have garnered cult success because of their nonsensical plotlines, absurd dialogue, graphic sexual humor, sporatic violence, and sheer hilarity. This DVD showcases the trio's first twenty-three adventures, each one more bizarre and hysterical than the last. Highlights include: a game of whiffleball that goes terribly awry, an expedition to the South Pole (?) to meet Santa Claus, an edge-of-your-seat moustache-growing contest, a twisted "whodunit"-style murder mystery, and much, much more.
Stella Shorts 1998-2002
2002
4.0STELLA is a three-man comedy troupe from New York City, comprised of well-known comedians/actors Michael Showalter, David Wain, and Michael Ian Black. Though the three have made a living performing at comedy clubs, they are perhaps best known for their home-made short films. The STELLA SHORTS have garnered cult success because of their nonsensical plotlines, absurd dialogue, graphic sexual humor, sporatic violence, and sheer hilarity. This DVD showcases the trio's first twenty-three adventures, each one more bizarre and hysterical than the last. Highlights include: a game of whiffleball that goes terribly awry, an expedition to the South Pole (?) to meet Santa Claus, an edge-of-your-seat moustache-growing contest, a twisted "whodunit"-style murder mystery, and much, much more.
Stella Shorts 1998-2002
2002
Leslie must deliver evidence of Richard's illegal money siphening scam to the FBI. At her rendezvous, a trendy party, she'll meet a loser named Jack.
I'm Your Man
1992
6.1BEEF is a comedic spin on a real person courtroom show. Set in a NY deli, BEEF revolves around Lou, his family, and the cases he settles. People march in with a "beef" for Lou to solve with old-school advice, simple justice, or a fine cut of meat.
Beef
2014
6.1BEEF is a comedic spin on a real person courtroom show. Set in a NY deli, BEEF revolves around Lou, his family, and the cases he settles. People march in with a "beef" for Lou to solve with old-school advice, simple justice, or a fine cut of meat.
Beef
2014
6.7Veteran of sketch, television, and film, comedian Michael Ian Black has mastered a delivery that's equal parts dapper and deadpan, whether he's discussing the pro-choice debate or the Tilt-A-Whirl. Taped at John Jay College in New York City, Black's first comedy special for EPIX includes his wry take on the human experience, from parenting and gender roles, to guilty pleasures of all shapes and sizes.
Michael Ian Black: Noted Expert
2016
NRThree brothers embark on an adventure in the Alaskan wilderness trying to find a mythological creature - the Qalupaliks. A band of creatures that devour children! Plunging deeper into the wilderness and against all odds, they are forced to rely on one another.
Alaskan Murder Mystery
2025
7.0Michael Ian Black may be joking, but he is indeed getting very famous. A stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Michael is known for his character Phil on the hit TV show ED, as a member of the cult comedy legends Stella, on VH1's clip series, and in numerous other projects (including the legendary comedy troupe The State and his new breakout podcast "Mike and Tom Eat Snacks")
Michael Ian Black: Very Famous
2011