Scott Aukerman is an Emmy Award-winning American writer, actor, comedian, television personality,
director, producer, and podcast host.
In the mid-1990s, Aukerman was a writer and performer on Mr. Show with Bob and David.
He currently hosts the weekly comedy podcast Comedy Bang Bang as well as the IFC original
television series Comedy Bang!
Bang!.
Aukerman is also the co-creator of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis & co-founder
of the Earwolf podcast network.
Early life Aukerman was born in Savannah, Georgia and
grew up in Orange County, California, attending Cypress High School and the Orange County
High School of the Arts, studying acting and musical theater and writing plays in his spare
time.
He also started a short lived band, "The Naked Postmen", with Adrian Young, who went on to
be the drummer for No Doubt.
While attending Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, he and fellow student B.J.
Porter began writing together when they were both scripting and performing in a radio show
called Lutz Radio.
Career After a brief period studying at The Pacific
Conservatory of the Performing Arts and touring the country as a musical theater actor, in
1995, at the request of their friends, Aukerman and Porter started performing at The Comedy
Store in Los Angeles under the moniker "The Fun Bunch," a name meant to parody improvisation
groups at the time.
Mr. Show co-creator Bob Odenkirk was in the audience for the second performance, and soon
tapped the duo to write and occasionally perform on the HBO series in its fourth season.
This led to an Emmy nomination in 1999 for Aukerman and the rest of the staff.
Aukerman appeared sporadically on the show, most notably as the model Theo Brixton in
the Taint Magazine sketch.
After the demise of the sketch comedy series, Aukerman, along with Porter, segued into writing
film and television scripts, most notably Run Ronnie Run, the Mr. Show movie from New
Line Cinema, and the first draft of the Tenacious D movie.
In 2004, he and Porter received an "Additional Dialogue" credit on DreamWorks Animation's
animated feature Shark Tale.
They went on to write an unproduced script for the sequel, as well as an unproduced Shrek
spin-off film for the character Puss In Boots.
In 2007, a script he wrote with B.J.
Porter and Bob Odenkirk was purchased by MTV Films with the intent of starring Rainn Wilson.
It currently remains unproduced.
In 2009, Aukerman and Porter wrote a pilot script for NBC, Privates.
The network ultimately passed on the show.
That year, Aukerman also took on the role as host Andy Samberg's head writer for the
2009 MTV Movie Awards and executive produced and co-wrote a pilot for Comedy Central, The
New Andy Dick Show.
The network ultimately passed on ordering it to series.
In 2010 Aukerman wrote a feature script for friend Zach Galifianakis for Fox, and he and
Ratatouille star Patton Oswalt co-wrote a television pilot for Fox, which the network
ultimately passed on.
Later that year, Aukerman joined a "writers lab," writing film scripts for Imagine Entertainment.
Comedy Death-Ray/Comedy Bang Bang In 2002, Aukerman and Porter started the hugely
successful alternative comedy showcase Comedy Death-Ray, which ran every Tuesday night at
the M Bar in Los Angeles.
Porter had friends in common with M Bar owner Joe Reynolds, and visited the bar a few times
shortly after its opening.
Upon seeing how empty M Bar was night after night, Porter convinced Reynolds to let him
start a comedy show to help drum up business.
The show eventually moved to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2005 in an attempt to gain
more creative freedom.
A Comedy Death Ray CD taped partially in San Francisco at the SF Sketchfest and partially
at their fourth anniversary all night show in LA was released on Comedy Central Records
on September 11, 2007.
The CD featured Aukerman, as well as comedians David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Paul F. Tompkins,
and other CDR regulars.
In 2007, Aukerman and Porter produced several internet shorts with Comedy Death-Ray comedians
for the internet site Super Deluxe.
These included three episodes of The Brody Stevens Interview Challenge, and two episodes
of Lake Charles Lake, in which he also co-starred.
They made more shorts in 2008, but the site was shut down and folded into Adult Swim before
they could air.
Additionally in 2007, Aukerman and B.J.
Porter created and produced a sketch pilot, titled The Right Now!
Show, based on their show for Fox.
However, the network passed on ordering it to series in late 2007.
Cast member Casey Wilson was immediately hired as a featured cast member of Saturday Night
Live after the news.
A short film made for the show, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, eventually moved
to internet site Funny Or Die, becoming one of its most successful series.
Starting January 3, 2011, Aukerman became the host of a series of interview interstitials,
titled Comedy Death-Ray, airing three nights a week on the IFC network, where he interviews
stars and creators of shows that the network runs, including The Ben Stiller Show, The
Larry Sanders Show, Mr. Show, Freaks & Geeks, Undeclared, and Arrested Development.
In 2011, Aukerman and Porter parted ways, and Comedy Death-Ray was renamed Comedy Bang
Bang.
Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast
Being a frequent guest on and admirer of the award winning podcast Never Not Funny with
Jimmy Pardo led Scott to the decision that he should start his own comedy podcast.
On May 1, 2009, Aukerman started to host Comedy Death-Ray Radio, a comedy-themed broadcast
based upon the live show, on Los Angeles radio station Indie 103.1.
The show continued to air on Fridays at 12 noon Pacific, but moved to being distributed
by the Earwolf podcasting network in 2010.
The podcast of each show is available weekly on iTunes and the Earwolf website, and has
been downloaded several million times.
Aukerman hosts, with frequent guest collaborators Harris Wittels, Paul F. Tompkins, James Adomian,
Nick Kroll, Andy Daly, among others, serving as guests and characters.
Entertainment Weekly called the show "often strange, consistently hilarious, always unpredictable,"
and The AV Club named it one of 2010's "Best Podcasts."
In May 2011, Aukerman renamed the show Comedy Bang Bang.
On June 8, 2012 IFC premiered the television series Comedy Bang!
Bang!.
On December 4, 2013, The A.V.
Club named Comedy Bang Bang the best podcast of 2013.
Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis
One sketch from Aukerman and Porter's sketch show "The Right Now!
Show," Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, was put up on internet site Funny Or Die and
received several hundreds of thousands of hits in just a few days.
This was followed by Ferns interviews with talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, Mad Men star
Jon Hamm, Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Charlize Theron, Conan O'Brien, Ben Stiller,
Steve Carell, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell, "Oscar Buzz Edition",
a collaboration video with The Lonely Island & James Franco, and a "Happy Holidays Edition"
featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Tobey Maguire & The Arcade Fire.
Aukerman directed the Theron, O'Brien, Penn, Willis, Ferrell, "Oscar Buzz," Bieber, Franco
& "Happy Holidays Edition" episodes.
In March of 2014, an episode was released with President Barack Obama.
It was designed to bring attention to the Affordable Care Act.
Galifianakis engaged in his regular insult comedy style of interviewing, which the President
reciprocated throughout the interview.
Within 24 hours, the video of this interview had amassed upwards of 14 million views.
Aukerman directed and produced this episode, which won the 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding
Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program.
Each episode has been viewed millions of times, and the President Barack Obama, Justin Bieber
and Natalie Portman episodes have become three of Funny Or Die's most popular videos ever.
Earwolf
In 2010, based upon the success of his podcast, Aukerman, along with Jeff Ullrich, started
the Earwolf Network, eventually producing and releasing several podcasts.
In 2011, they announced a partnership with Funny Or Die.
Personal life Scott is a known fan of musical theatre, Elvis
Costello and the band U2.
In 2014, he started a limited-run podcast along with actor Adam Scott entitled U Talkin'
U2 To Me?, which is devoted to the career and discography of the band.
The podcast is the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things U2, including the
names of all the band members and what instruments they play.
As a Hamlet-like play-within-a-play, the duo also hosts several extremely limited-run podcasts
within "U Talkin' U2 To Me?" including "I Love Films", "Talkin' Bout Money", "You Poppin'
My Stones", and "In Utero".
The sub-podcast "I Love Films" is distinct from the sub-sub-podcast "I Love I Love Films",
which is hosted by Harris Wittels and is dedicated to reviewing select episodes of the sub-podcast
"I Love Films".
There is also a sub-sub-sub-podcast named "I Love I Love I Love Films" during which
Paul F. Tompkins declared his love for both "I Love Films" and "I Love I Love I Love Films"
but claimed to dislike "I Love I Love Films", stating that the probable reason was the hosts.
As a musician himself, Scott is a huge music fan, admiring a wide range of genres, though
he does not care for the band Phish.
On several episodes of Comedy Bang Bang, he has claimed his favorite song is "Batdance"
from the multi-platinum selling Batman album by the popular R&B artist Prince.
Scott holds the distinction of being the only guest on Never Not Funny who has been on the
program for each of its seasons.
He has also appeared at most of the program's annual charity program, Pardcast-a-thon.
Aukerman is married to fellow comedian Kulap Vilaysack, his former girlfriend.
Filmography Host
Comedy Bang!
Bang!, host
Comedy Bang!
Bang!, host, writer, executive producer
Comedy Death-Ray, host of interstitials for IFC
Analyze Phish, Co-Host U Talkin' U2 To Me?, Co-Host
Actor Mr. Show with Bob and David, various
Just Shoot Me!, Greenberg The Huntress, Phil Hegel
The Offensive Show, various Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker, Andrew Merchant
The Sarah Silverman Program, Agent Falconer The Right Now!
Show, various David's Situation, "To Catch A Predator" Producer
Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, Karate Kid Victim
The Sarah Silverman Program, Banana Cop Childrens Hospital, Desperate Dad
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Police Officer @midnight, Himself
Actor That Darn Punk, Mr. Hollywood Pants
Run Ronnie Run, Starving Kidnapper Austin Powers in Goldmember, Young Nigel
Melvin Goes to Dinner, Policeman #1 Cake Boy, Mickey
Actor Lake Charles Lake, on Super Deluxe
The Fun Bunch, on Super Deluxe Writer
Mr. Show with Bob and David Run Ronnie Run
Shark Tale - additional dialogue Moral Orel
Comedy Bang!
Bang!
Director Next!, various
Between Two Ferns, Charlize Theron, Conan O'Brien, Sean Penn Bruce Willis & Will Ferrell,
"Oscar Buzz Edition," James Franco, "Happy Holidays," President Barack Obama episodes
The Four Flop-Tops, Funny Or Die video Lost with Paul Scheer, internet ARG for the
TV show Lost.
"Sizzle Alert: LOST with Sarah Silverman", Funny Or Die video
Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York, Comedy Central Special
Discography Albums
Studio 2007: Scott Aukerman's Koo Koo Roo's Greatest
Hits 2008: Never Not Christmas - A Holiday E.P.
Compilation 2007: Comedy Death-Ray
2009: Comedy By The Numbers 2009: Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2009
2010: Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2010 Other
2006: Brian Posehn - Live In: Nerd Rage 2007: Eban Schletter's Witching Hour
2008: R.O.
Magic: The Best of R.O.
Manse Background Vocals
''That's My Girl" by The Vandals; appears on Look What I Almost Stepped In...
''Dirty White Boy" by The Vandals; unreleased ''Heigh Ho" by The Vandals; appears on Mosh
Pit On Disney, Japanese compilation album References
External links Scott Aukerman at the Internet Movie Database
Scott Aukerman at AllMovie Scott Aukerman talks on The Gentlemen's Club
with Caleb Bacon podcast.