'Weird Al' Yankovic
Biography
Weird Al Yankovic is an American musician known for comedy songs that parody hits by other artists, for original songs in the style of other acts, and for polka medleys built around his accordion. Born in Downey, California, and raised in Lynwood, he was sixteen when a homemade tape reached The Dr. Demento Radio Show and gave him his first airplay in 1976. He has sold more than 12 million albums, written over 150 parodies and original songs, directed music videos for other artists, and won five Grammy Awards. He had a cameo in Tapeheads (1988) as himself and another in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), then wrote and starred in UHF (1989) and in the television series The Weird Al Show. Both his first top ten Billboard album and single came out in 2006, and Mandatory Fun became his first number-one album in 2014.
67years old
Turns 68 on October 23in 346 days
- Born Downey
- Star sign: ScorpioFirst day of the sign, on the Libra cusp
- Alfred Matthew Yankovic (birth name)Also credited as Al Yankovic
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 35 years1988 to 2023
Genres
- Comedy80%, 8 films
- Animation40%, 4 films
- Action30%, 3 films
- Documentary30%, 3 films
- Music30%, 3 films
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Big break
Yankovic recorded his parody "My Bologna" in a college restroom to use its echo, and the Knack's Doug Fieger liked it enough to suggest Capitol Records release it as a single, which led to a six-month recording contract.
First role
Yankovic's first television appearance was a 1981 performance of "Another One Rides the Bus" on The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, where drummer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz banged on his accordion case.
A role that slipped away
After Jackson put out the album Dangerous and the hit single "Black or White", Yankovic wrote a parody of it called "Snack All Night" and hoped Jackson would let him use it. Jackson said no, since he felt the song carried a serious message.
A first
A medley of songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, titled "The Hamilton Polka", was released by Yankovic in March 2018 and became the first polka to appear on Billboard's Digital Songs Sales Chart.
'Weird Al' Yankovic movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!1988 Comedy, Crimeas 'Weird Al'
IMDb rating 7.6226K votes
Most often with
Grey Griffin appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Grey Griffin's page
Kevin Michael Richardson's page
Trevor Devall's page
Sean Maher's page
Awards
Eleven awards and honors from 1984 to 2023, six of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2023 | Outstanding Television Movie | Weird: The Al Yankovic Story | Won |
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 2018 | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic | Won |
| 2014 | Best Comedy Album | Mandatory Fun | Won |
| 2003 | Best Comedy Album | Poodle Hat | Won |
| 1988 | Best Concept Music Video | Won | |
| 1984 | Best Comedy Album | Eat It | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2023 | Astra TV Awards | Won | |
| 2022 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Won | |
| 2022 | Producers Guild of America Award for Best Streamed or Televised Movie | Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic | Won |
| 2014 | Amateur Cartoonist Extraordinary Award | Won | |
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.