Michael Showalter

Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He first achieved recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. Along with David Wain, Showalter created the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, with Showalter co-writing and starring in Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and the Netflix series. Showalter wrote and directed The Baxter (2005), in which he starred with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks. Both films featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of his other projects.

Showalter is also a co-creator, co-producer, actor, and writer for the TV series Search Party. He directed the Oscar-nominated films The Big Sick (2017) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), as well as the critically acclaimed series The Dropout.