---
name: "Paul Shaffer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/paul-shaffer"
fi1m_id: "paul-shaffer"
imdb_id: "nm0787322"
tmdb_id: 69921
wikidata_id: "Q963626"
roles: []
born: "28 November 1949"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-24T03:23:39.328426+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."
---

# Paul Shaffer

## Identity

Paul Shaffer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/paul-shaffer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** paul-shaffer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0787322
- **TMDB ID:** 69921
- **Wikidata ID:** Q963626
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q963626, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787322/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/69921

Actor. Born 28 November 1949 in Fort William, Ontario, Canada.

## Details

- **Born:** 28 November 1949, Fort William, Ontario, Canada
- **Active:** 1984–1997
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 91 (1), 1990s 75 (1), 2020s 77 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Adventure 1, Animation 1, Documentary 1, Family 1, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $259m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q963626, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787322/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/69921

## 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.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com, theglobeandmail.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (2)

- *Hercules* (1997), Fi1m 75, as Hermes (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/hercules.md)
- *This Is Spinal Tap* (1984), Fi1m 91, as Artie Fufkin — [page](https://film.one/film/this-is-spinal-tap.md)

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

- *You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...* (2026), Fi1m 77, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/you-had-to-be-there-how-the-toronto-godspell-ignited-the-comedy-revolution.md)

## Complete filmography (30)

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

- *Spinal Tap II: The End Continues* (2025), as Artie Fufkin
- *My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy* (2022), Original Music Composer
- *My Next Guest with David Letterman and Shah Rukh Khan* (2019), Original Music Composer
- *Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens* (2016), as Paul Shaffer
- *A Very Murray Christmas* (2015), as Paul Schaffer
- *Bachman & Turner - Live at the Roseland Ballroom* (2012), as Keyboards
- *How I Met Your Mother* (2005), series, as Paul Shaffer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/how-i-met-your-mother.md)
- *Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd* (2005), as Blues Brothers Band (archive footage)
- *Disney Heroes Volume 1* (2005), as Hermes (voice)
- *The Concert for New York City* (2001), Music Director
- *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Paul Shaffer
- *Ed* (2000), series, as Irv Nadler
- *Man on the Moon* (1999), as Letterman Band (uncredited)
- *Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special* (1999), Writer
- *Hercules: Zero to Hero* (1999), as Hermes (voice) (archive sound)
- *Hercules* (1998), series, as Hermes (voice)
- *Blues Brothers 2000* (1998), as Marco · Music, Original Music Composer
- *Hercules* (1997), as Hermes (voice) — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/hercules.md)
- *Flash Gordon* (1996), series, as Dr. Zarkov (voice)
- *Flash Gordon: Marooned on Mongo* (1996), as Dr. Hans Zarkov (voice)
- *A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out* (1992), as Artie Fufkin
- *Look Who's Talking Too* (1990), as Taxi Businessman
- *Scrooged* (1988), as Street Musician
- *Heartbeat* (1987), as Filmmaker's Assistant
- *Nightwatch* (1985), Stunts
- *This Is Spinal Tap* (1984), as Artie Fufkin — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/this-is-spinal-tap.md)
- *Gilda Live* (1980), as Don Kirshner / Arnie Schnachtman / Student Body President / The Candy Slice Group · Writer, Music, Musician
- *Mr. Mike's Mondo Video* (1979), as Church of Jack Lord Organist
- *The Blues Brothers Live at Winterland* (1978), Actor
- *A Year at the Top* (1977), series, Actor

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Canada's Walk of Fame 2006: Canada's Walk of Fame (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/paul-shaffer