Biography
Paul Shaffer is a Canadian musician, composer, bandleader and actor. He began his professional career in 1972 as musical director for the Toronto production of the musical Godspell, which featured future performers including Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin and Victor Garber.
Shaffer was a member of the house band on Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1980. From 1982 to 2015 he served as bandleader and sidekick for David Letterman’s late-night programmes. He has appeared in films including This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as Artie Fufkin and provided the voice of Hermes in Hercules (1997). He is also credited on the 2026 documentary You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution... as Self.
