Biography
Eric Appel (born 13 August 1980) is an American director, producer and writer working in television, film and commercials. He grew up in Endicott, New York, and studied computer animation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh before moving to New York City, where he performed improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
Appel began his career writing for series including The Andy Milonakis Show, Crank Yankers and Human Giant, then joined Funny or Die as a writer and director of sketches. He has directed episodes of The Office (2005), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013), New Girl (2011), Silicon Valley (2014) and The Afterparty (2022), as well as both seasons of Die Hart (2020–2023). His feature directorial debut was Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022), which he also co-wrote and produced; the film received a Critics' Choice Award for Best Made for Television Movie. He directed the 2026 comedy The Breadwinner.
