Al Franken

Biography

Al Franken is an American comedian, screenwriter, and actor. He became known as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. He started with the NBC sketch series in 1975, left in 1980, and returned in 1985, writing for the show and sometimes acting in it. He earned 15 Emmy nominations and five Emmy awards and created characters including Stuart Smalley. He wrote and starred in Stuart Saves His Family (1995), built around that character, and had a small part in The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978). His other screen credits include co-writing When a Man Loves a Woman, co-creating and starring in the sitcom LateLine, and acting in The Manchurian Candidate from 2004. He wrote four books, all of which reached The New York Times Best Seller list, hosted radio programs, and later launched The Al Franken Podcast. In 2025 he appeared as a senator in The Residence, a Netflix comedy mystery.

75years old

Turns 76 on May 21in 192 days

Born May 21, 1951Manhattan
Star sign: GeminiFirst day of the sign, on the Taurus cusp
Alan Stuart Franken (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 11
Career span: 46 years1978 to 2024

Genres

Comedy73%, 8 films
Documentary45%, 5 films
Drama18%, 2 films
Animation9%, 1 film
Biography9%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Franken used a Weekend Update commentary called "A Limo for a Lame-O" to mock NBC president Fred Silverman as "a total unequivocal failure" and show a chart of the network's poor ratings. Silverman then rejected Lorne Michaels's recommendation that Franken replace him as producer, and Franken departed with Michaels at the close of the 1979-1980 season.

Al Franken movies on Netflix

Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue2024IMDb rating 5.0as Gramps (voice)
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power2017IMDb rating 6.6as Himself
Live from New York!2015IMDb rating 6.7as Self - Featuring
Hot Coffee2011IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
Earth to America2005IMDb rating 5.4as Himself
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism2004IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
Harvard Man2001IMDb rating 4.8as Al Franken
Stuart Saves His Family1995IMDb rating 5.3as Stuart Smalley
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel1988IMDb rating 5.5as The Awesome Pair
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978IMDb rating 7.3as Decline's Henchman

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Stuart Saves His Family1995 Comedy, Dramaas Stuart Smalley
IMDb rating 5.33.1K votes
Hot Coffee2011 Documentaryas Himself
IMDb rating 7.54.1K votes
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism2004as Himself
IMDb rating 7.56.3K votes
Harvard Man2001as Al Franken
IMDb rating 4.84.7K votes
Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue2024as Grampsvoice
IMDb rating 5.0370 votes
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981
IMDb rating 6.9183 votes
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978as Decline's Henchman
IMDb rating 7.37.4K votes
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel1988as The Awesome Pair
IMDb rating 5.5217 votes

Most often with

Eric Idle directed two of these films. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Eric Idle

Dana Carvey

Bill Murray

Dan Aykroyd

Will Ferrell

George W. Bush

Eric IdleDirector, 2 films

Films together

Eric Idle3 films together, 1978 to 2005
Eric Idle's page
- Earth to America2005IMDb rating 5.4Franken as HimselfIdle as Himself
- Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9Idle as Reporter
- The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978IMDb rating 7.3Franken as Decline's HenchmanIdle as Dirk McQuickly
Dana Carvey3 films together, 1988 to 2015
Dana Carvey's page
- Live from New York!2015IMDb rating 6.7Franken as Self - FeaturingCarvey as Self - Featuring
- Earth to America2005IMDb rating 5.4Franken as HimselfCarvey as Himself
- Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel1988IMDb rating 5.5Franken as The Awesome PairCarvey as Himself
Bill Murray2 films together, 1978 to 1981
Bill Murray's page
- Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9Murray as Bytes
- The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978IMDb rating 7.3Franken as Decline's HenchmanMurray as Bill Murray the K.
Dan Aykroyd2 films together, 1978 to 1981
Dan Aykroyd's page
- Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9Aykroyd as Yortuk Festrunk / Irwin Mainway / Alexander Haig / Dr. Treves
- The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978IMDb rating 7.3Franken as Decline's HenchmanAykroyd as Brian Thigh
Will Ferrell2 films together, 2005 to 2015
Will Ferrell's page
- Live from New York!2015IMDb rating 6.7Franken as Self - FeaturingFerrell as Self - Featuring
- Earth to America2005IMDb rating 5.4Franken as HimselfFerrell as Himself
George W. Bush2 films together, 2004 to 2017
George W. Bush's page
- An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power2017IMDb rating 6.6Franken as HimselfBush as Himself
- Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism2004IMDb rating 7.5Franken as HimselfBush as Himself
Eric IdleDirector, 2 films, 1978 to 1981
All films by Eric Idle
- Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9
- The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash1978IMDb rating 7.3Franken as Decline's Henchman
Also two films together3 more actors
- John BelushiSteve Martin's Best Show Ever (1981) and The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
- Tom BrokawLive from New York! (2015) and Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004)
- Tom DavisSuperman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel (1988) and Steve Martin's Best Show Ever (1981)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Two awards and honors, one of them major.

Top

Al Franken's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Result
Emmy Awards
	Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series	Won
Other honors
	Evelyn F. Burkey Award	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top