---
name: "Akiva Schaffer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/akiva-schaffer"
fi1m_id: "akiva-schaffer"
imdb_id: "nm1676223"
tmdb_id: 62854
wikidata_id: "Q419466"
roles: ["Director","Producer"]
born: "1 December 1977"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "director"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-30T20:49:20.833315+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Akiva Schaffer

## Identity

Akiva Schaffer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/akiva-schaffer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** akiva-schaffer
- **IMDb ID:** nm1676223
- **TMDB ID:** 62854
- **Wikidata ID:** Q419466
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiva_Schaffer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q419466, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676223/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62854

Director and producer. Born 1 December 1977 in Berkeley, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer
- **Born:** 1 December 1977, Berkeley, California, USA
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Also known as:** The Lonely Island
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 3 acting, 2 directing, 2 producing, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as director, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 63 (4), 2020s 74 (4)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiva_Schaffer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q419466, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676223/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62854

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Brooklyn Nine-Nine*](https://film.one/tv/brooklyn-nine-nine.md) (78)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Naked Gun*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md) (77)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Akiva Schaffer

> Akiva Schaffer makes spoofs the old way: the joke is on screen, nobody in the frame sees it, and the next one arrives before you have judged the last. When the rate holds, as it mostly does in *The Naked Gun*, it works.

A sign in a police squad room reads "Cold Cases". Nobody looks at it, nobody mentions it, and the scene carries on underneath. That is the whole of Akiva Schaffer's method in *The Naked Gun* (2025), and it is the rule Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker set down for the original trilogy: nobody on screen may know they are in a comedy. Schaffer, who directs and writes with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, keeps to it, and Liam Neeson keeps to it for him. We laughed out loud at that sign, in a room full of strangers, and again at a love montage that runs on long after a sensible editor would have cut. Brian Scott Olds is the editor, and the not stopping is a choice he and Schaffer made together.

He came to the form the long way round. Schaffer started out making comedy videos with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, as The Lonely Island, on Channel 101, after a film degree at Santa Cruz in 2000. Saturday Night Live took them on in 2005, and Schaffer directed and co-wrote many of the Digital Shorts: hip-hop parodies, absurd set-ups, famous faces wandering through. The features followed, none of them far from that template. *Hot Rod* (2007) put his Lonely Island friends in front of the camera. *The Watch* came in 2012, *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping*, a mockumentary he co-directed, in 2016, and *Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers* (2022) mixed animation with live action. He has also directed episodes of *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* in 2014 and 2018, and co-directed *I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson*.

What he is good at is speed and escalation. A Schaffer set piece starts small, adds a step, adds another, and does not check whether you are still with it. He can get a deadpan performance from actors who are not comedians, which is what a spoof needs most, since a comedian playing a straight man tends to wink. He has said the Zucker films seem to play by certain rules and then break them at once. That is a fair account of what he does himself.

What he is less good at is keeping it up. The gags in *The Naked Gun* thin out in the last stretch, and critics found *The Watch* uneven, the jokes landing in patches. That is the risk built into the form. A spoof has no story to hide behind; when a joke misses there is only the next joke, and if that misses too the film is standing in a room with nothing to do.

He has been making the same kind of comedy for twenty years and has got better at it without changing his mind about what it is. That is either stubbornness or knowing your trade, and on the evidence of *The Naked Gun* we lean towards the second. Watch it, and watch the background.

## Biography

Akiva Schaffer is an American director, writer and comedian. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island alongside Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. He began his career writing for Saturday Night Live and directing the troupe's digital shorts.

Schaffer directed the feature films *Hot Rod* (2007), *The Watch* (2012), *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* (2016) and *Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers* (2022). He also directed episodes of *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* and *I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson*. He directed and co-wrote *The Naked Gun* (2025).

Born on 1 December 1977 in Berkeley, California, Schaffer graduated with a degree in film from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is married to writer Liz Cackowski.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Performed in (3)

- *Weird: The Al Yankovic Story* (2022), Fi1m 77, as Alice Cooper — [page](https://film.one/film/weird-the-al-yankovic-story.md)
- *Neighbors* (2014), Fi1m 70, as Toga #2 — [page](https://film.one/film/neighbors.md)
- *Grown Ups 2* (2013), Fi1m 24, as Male Cheerleader — [page](https://film.one/film/grown-ups-2.md)

### Directed (2) — the average rests on these

- *The Naked Gun* (2025), Fi1m 77, Director, Writer, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md)
- *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/brooklyn-nine-nine.md)

### Produced (2)

- *Palm Springs* (2020), Fi1m 78, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/palm-springs.md)
- *PEN15* (2019), Fi1m 80, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/pen15.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Scream VI* (2023), Fi1m 65, as Subway Ghostface (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/scream-vi.md)

## Complete filmography (47)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Naked Gun* (2025), as Additional Voices (voice) · Executive Producer, Director, Writer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md)
- *Self Reliance* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Digman!* (2023), series, Executive Producer
- *Scream VI* (2023), as Subway Ghostface (voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/scream-vi.md)
- *Weird: The Al Yankovic Story* (2022), as Alice Cooper — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/weird-the-al-yankovic-story.md)
- *Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers* (2022), as Various Characters (voice) · Director
- *I Used to Go Here* (2020), Producer
- *Palm Springs* (2020), Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/palm-springs.md)
- *The Lonely Island Presents: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience* (2019), as Mark McGwire · Director, Editor, Executive Producer, Writer
- *I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson* (2019), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *PEN15* (2019), series, Executive Producer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/pen15.md)
- *7 Splinters in Time* (2018), as McFly
- *Alone Together* (2018), series, Executive Producer
- *Brigsby Bear* (2017), Producer
- *Tour de Pharmacy* (2017), Recording Supervision
- *Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special* (2017), as Alan · Director, Executive Producer
- *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* (2016), as Lawrence Dunn · Director, Writer, Producer
- *Party Over Here* (2016), series, Executive Producer
- *An SNL Valentine* (2015), Director
- *Neighbors* (2014), as Toga #2 — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/neighbors.md)
- *The Lego Movie* (2014), as Songs — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lego-movie.md)
- *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013), series, as Brett Booth · Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/brooklyn-nine-nine.md)
- *Grown Ups 2* (2013), as Male Cheerleader — Fi1m 24, [page](https://film.one/film/grown-ups-2.md)
- *The Watch* (2012), as Casual Wanker #3 · Director
- *MacGruber* (2010), Executive Producer
- *SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas* (2009), Director
- *Saturday Night Live: The Best of Amy Poehler* (2009), Director
- *Extreme Movie* (2008), Writer
- *Water and Power* (2008), series, as Ambassador
- *Hot Rod* (2007), as Derrick (uncredited) · Director
- *Fighting neighbors* (2007), Actor
- *Laser Cats!* (2006), Director
- *Awesometown* (2006), Writer, Director
- *Awesometown* (2006), series, Actor
- *Football Town* (2005), as Walt Rice · Writer, Director
- *House of Cosbys* (2005), series, as Cosby Team TriOsby (voice)
- *The 'Bu* (2003), series, Director, Creator
- *Regarding Ardy* (2003), as Kiv · Director, Editor, Writer, Producer
- *White Power* (2001), as Kiv · Writer, Producer, Director, Editor
- *Stepsisters*, Director
- *Spy Guys*, Producer
- *Sunset P.I.*, series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Anger Managment*, Actor
- *Hot Seat*, Actor
- *Peppers*, Actor
- *The Robots Go Crazy*, Producer
- *DNA*, Producer

## Gallery

- ![Akiva Schaffer](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-7594d3e46c3b.jpg) Akiva Schaffer — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Akiva_Schaffer_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Dave McCary, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Kevin Costello speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Be](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-064e5217d48c.jpg) Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Dave McCary, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Kevin Costello speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Be — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Akiva_Schaffer%2C_Jorma_Taccone%2C_Dave_McCary%2C_Kyle_Mooney%2C_Beck_Bennett_%26_Kevin_Costello_%2835285376774%29.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer%2C_Jorma_Taccone%2C_Dave_McCary%2C_Kyle_Mooney%2C_Beck_Bennett_%26_Kevin_Costello_%2835285376774%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Dave McCary, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Kevin Costello speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Be](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-a955a7670e70.jpg) Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Dave McCary, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Kevin Costello speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Be — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Akiva_Schaffer%2C_Jorma_Taccone%2C_Dave_McCary%2C_Kyle_Mooney%2C_Beck_Bennett_%26_Kevin_Costello_%2835735364810%29.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer%2C_Jorma_Taccone%2C_Dave_McCary%2C_Kyle_Mooney%2C_Beck_Bennett_%26_Kevin_Costello_%2835735364810%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-8c958042c0c6.jpg) Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Akiva_Schaffer_%2835318608523%29.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer_%2835318608523%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Akiva Schaffer](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-782e1918da42.jpg) Akiva Schaffer — Image via TMDB
- ![Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-a57628533f9e.jpg) Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Akiva_Schaffer_%2835957460172%29.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer_%2835957460172%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a](https://film.one/media/person/8121/gallery-264a0c3fce1a.jpg) Akiva Schaffer speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Brigsby Bear", at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Please a — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Akiva_Schaffer_%2835993462681%29.jpg/1280px-Akiva_Schaffer_%2835993462681%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/akiva-schaffer