Will Forte
A master of absurdist comedy who transformed a one-joke SNL sketch into a cult hero and revealed unexpected dramatic depth in a desert odyssey.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor and comedian·Birthday: June 17·Generation X
Biography
Will Forte spent years as a utility player in Hollywood's comedy scene, a writer and performer whose weirdness was his superpower. His eight seasons on Saturday Night Live were a showcase of bizarre, often unsettling characters, from the clueless political pundit Tim Calhoun to the Falconer. But it was the spectacularly incompetent MacGruber—a parody so specific it became its own art form—that defined him. Against all logic, he willed that sketch into a film and later a series, cultivating a devoted fanbase for its raunchy, heartfelt stupidity. Then, in a stunning left turn, Forte created and starred in 'The Last Man on Earth,' a post-apocalyptic comedy that balanced slapstick with profound loneliness. More recently, his dramatic turn in 'Nebraska' proved his range extended far beyond punchlines, painting a portrait of frustrated son with tender, quiet authenticity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Will was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Will Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Will's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and starred in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic comedy series 'The Last Man on Earth' for four seasons on Fox.
- Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing 'The Last Man on Earth' (this is incorrect; he was nominated for 'Nebraska'. Correcting: Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Alexander Payne's film 'Nebraska'.
- Developed the 'MacGruber' character from a recurring SNL sketch into a 2010 feature film and a 2021 Peacock series.
- Was a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, from 2002 to 2010.
- Voiced the character Chester V in the animated film 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2'.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied history.
Forte originally auditioned for SNL as a writer, not a performer.
He is a distant relative of former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry.
Before SNL, he was a writer for the late-night talk show 'Late Show with David Letterman' and the sitcom 'That '70s Show'.
“I love the idea of taking something that is just a silly sketch and trying to make it into a real, fleshed-out story.”
