Saturday Night Live

Background:

“Now I'm delighted to have the opportunity to write stuff for myself, which is fantastic, and selfish.” Will Forte

Starting out as a writer for such shows as "Late Show with David Letterman," "That '70s Show," "Action" and "3rd Rock from the Sun," Will Forte, a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles, eventually received broader recognition when he joined the cast member of NBC’s classic late night live sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" (SNL; 2002 – Present). In the long-running show, he is best remembered for his characters, such as receptionist Andy who annoys people by shouting "Oh, no!" when he answers the phone, slick haired, soft-spoken political candidate Tim Calhoun, who often issues many unconventional ideas, and The Falconer. He is also remembered for delivering such impressions as Jennifer Finney Boylan, George W. Bush and Macaulay Culkin.

Meanwhile, the 5' 10” Emmy nominated funny man has appeared in such TV shows as "Clone High," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "30 Rock" and "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" On the wide screen, he could be seen in the comedies “Around the World in 80 Days” (2004) and “Beerfest” (2006). Next, he will star in the upcoming films “The Brothers Solomon” (he also wrote the screenplay), “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men,” and “Party Boys.”

Orville Willis

Childhood and Family:

“I love my neighborhood, but anytime I go to another part of the city I love it too for different reasons. It's like if you're in L.A. where you miss the seasons. I think hanging out in the same part of the city all the time is the same thing. You need to switch it up and go all over the place. Then again, I'm lazy (laughs). So what I really love about my area is that I'm lazy.” Will Forte

In Alameda County, California, Orville Willis Forte IV was born on June 17, 1970. He graduated from Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, in 1988 and received a B.A. in History from UCLA.

Forte, whom former “Saturday Night Live” head writer Tina Fey called her second favorite cast member on Weekend Update, is a fan of the bands Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Strokes.

“I was in a ballet class as a kid. I'm sure it wasn't my doing. I think it was my mom. I definitely gave some kind of performance in this little group, but I don't know that I got a single positive thing out of it, ever.” Will Forte

The Brothers Solomon

Career:

Stating his career as a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles, Will Forte found a job as a writer for the multiple Emmy-winning comedy talk shows on CBS, "Late Show with David Letterman" in 1993. His brilliant work later earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1998. Afterward, he worked as a writer (and later producer) for Fox’s sitcom “That 70’s Show” and the Fox short-lived sitcom starring Jay Mohr and Ileana Douglas, “Action.”

Entering the new millennium, Forte served as writer and story editor of the NBC sitcom "3rd Rock from the Sun" (2000-2001). He also wrote for the made-for-television movie “Castaway Dick,” starring comedian Andy Dick.

“There's kind of a weird, intense energy that flows through the place. I tend to get in there about 3 or 4 in the afternoon and get out around 8 a.m. Wednesday. You end up drinking a massive amount of coffee and downing a lot of Funions.” Will Forte (on the Tuesday night "SNL" writing regime)

In 2002, Forte landed his big break when he joined the cast members of NBC’s classic late night live sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). During his stint in the long-running show, Forte has been recognized for his characters, such as receptionist Andy who annoys people by shouting "Oh, no!" when he answers the phone, slick haired, soft-spoken political candidate Tim Calhoun, who often issues many unconventional ideas, and The Falconer. He is also remembered for delivering such impressions as Jennifer Finney Boylan, George W. Bush, Macaulay Culkin, Daryl Hall, Benny Hill, Nick Lachey, Chad Lowe, Chad Michael Murray and Bruce Springsteen. As of 2007, Forte still works with "Saturday Night Live."

Meanwhile, Forte also made an appearance on “Night of Too Many Stars” and was the star of a memorable sketch with NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, in which he used the theme from “Casino Royale” to pump up a room full of basketball players. The sketch was featured on SNL: The Best of 06-07.

During his "Saturday Night Live" years, Forte provided the voice for Abe Lincoln, a naive yet nice guy forever wrestling with the legacy of his clone father, Abraham Lincoln, on the animated series "Clone High" (2002-2003). He also continued writing for the 2002 MTV Movie Awards and the short comedy television movie “Panic Room” with Will Ferrell.

In 2003, alongside other SNL cast members, Forte appeared in “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Halftime Special,” which aired live during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVII. It spoofs the 2002 film “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” He also served as a consultant for the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.

On the big screen, Forte could be seen in Frank Coraci's adaptation of a 1873 adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, “Around the World in 80 Days” (2004; starring Jackie Chan) and “Beerfest” (2006), a beer-themed comedy film by the comedy group Broken Lizard that features Jürgen Prochnow, Cloris Leachman, Mo'Nique and Donald Sutherland.

Back to the small screen, Forte was spotted as a guest in such shows as Oxygen's sitcom "Campus Ladies," Comedy Central's animated series "Drawn Together" and Adult Swim/Teletoon's animated sitcom "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." He was also featured in personal friend and stand-up comedian Demetri Martin's album, “These Are Jokes” (2006), on the track "Personal Information Waltz."

Besides "Saturday Night Live," 2007 saw Will in an episode of the NBC Golden Globe winning sitcom "30 Rock" and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim's surreal sketch comedy "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job," as a mattress salesman haunted with horrific nightmares. He also wrote the screenplay for “Parental Guidance Suggested,” a film comprised of sketches focusing on the joys and embarrassments of teen sex directed by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. The ensemble cast includes Frankie Muniz, Ryan Pinkston, Jamie Kennedy, Andy Milonakis, Matthew Lillard, and Michael Cera.

Forte has finished writing the screenplay for the upcoming film “The Brothers Solomon,” a comedy by Bob Odenkirk. The film is expected to be released on September 7, 2007.

Being asked about the film, Forte revealed, “The basic plot is that two brothers find out that their father is dying and his biggest regret was he never got a chance to have a grandchild. So they set out to make him a grandchild before he dies.”

Forte is currently on set filming his upcoming film project with director/actor John Krasinski, “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men,” starring Julianne Nicholson. He will also co-star with Richard Peterson in directors Jonas and Josh Pate's comedy movie “Party Boys.”

Awards:
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