Zach Galifianakis

Zachary Knight Galifianakis is an American comedian, actor, and writer born on October 1, 1969. He is best known for his role as Alan Garner in The Hangover film trilogy (2009–2013). On television, he starred in the FX comedy series Baskets from 2016 to 2019 and the HBO series Bored to Death from 2009 to 2011. He also hosted the Funny or Die talk show series Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis from 2008 to 2018.

Galifianakis was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. His mother, Mary Frances, worked as a community arts center director and is of Scots-Irish descent, while his father, Harry Galifianakis, was a heating oil vendor whose parents were Greek immigrants from Crete. Baptized in the Greek Orthodox faith, he grew up alongside an older brother, Greg, and a younger sister, Merritt. He attended Wilkes Central High School, Wilkes Community College, and North Carolina State University, where he majored in communications.

After moving to New York City, Galifianakis made his television debut on Boston Common and spent two weeks writing for Saturday Night Live. He subsequently appeared in early film roles such as Out Cold, Into the Wild, and Visioneers, and hosted the VH1 talk show Late World with Zach in 2002. He performed stand-up on Comedy Central Presents, released his 2006 stand-up concert film Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion, and toured with the Comedians of Comedy. He also appeared in television shows such as Tru Calling, Dog Bites Man, and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Following his breakthrough performance in The Hangover, Galifianakis starred in several feature films, including Due Date, It's Kind of a Funny Story, The Campaign, and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He served as host and producer for Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, interviewing prominent figures including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Brad Pitt, and Keanu Reeves. He also starred in Between Two Ferns: The Movie and was cast in the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch.

Beyond live-action roles, Galifianakis has voiced characters in animated films such as Puss in Boots, The Lego Batman Movie, Missing Link, Ron's Gone Wrong, The Bob's Burgers Movie, and Thelma the Unicorn. His comedic style is often characterized by a deadpan, confrontational, and deliberately awkward stage persona.

For his work, Galifianakis won an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for The Hangover, a Primetime Emmy Award as a producer of Between Two Ferns, and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his lead role in Baskets. In 2012, he married Quinn Lundberg, with whom he has two sons. Outside of his entertainment career, he has engaged in charity work, including supporting the Texas Abortion Fund and assisting a formerly homeless woman in Santa Monica.