Scott Aukerman

Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970 in Savannah, Georgia) is an American writer, actor, comedian, director, television personality, producer, and podcast host who has become a central figure in alternative comedy since the mid‑1990s. Raised in a religious Baptist household before moving to Orange County, California, he studied acting and musical theatre at Cypress High School and the Orange County School of the Arts, later attending Orange Coast College where he met future collaborator B. J. Porter. Their early experiments with a public‑access show called Centurion Highlights and a short‑lived band, The Naked Postmen, foreshadowed the improvisational style that would define his career. After a brief stint at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and touring as a musical‑theatre actor, Aukerman and Porter began performing at The Comedy Store under the moniker “The Fun Bunch,” catching the eye of Mr. Show co‑creator Bob Odenkirk, who hired them as writers and occasional performers for the show’s fourth season. This stint earned an Emmy nomination in 1999 and introduced Aukerman’s dead‑pan character Theo Brixton to a cult audience. Following Mr. Show’s cancellation, Aukerman co‑wrote films such as Run Ronnie Run! and contributed additional dialogue to the animated feature Shark Tale, while also developing unproduced scripts for major studios. In 2002 he co‑founded the Comedy Death‑Ray live showcase, which later evolved into the wildly popular Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast in 2009 and subsequently an IFC television series that ran for five seasons. The podcast, now distributed via his own Comedy Bang Bang World subscription service, has been praised by Entertainment Weekly and The A.V. Club for its inventive improv and has amassed millions of downloads. In addition to his podcast empire, Aukerman co‑created the viral interview series Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, directing the Emmy‑winning episodes featuring President Barack Obama and Brad Pitt. He also co‑founded the Earwolf network in 2010, expanding the podcast landscape with shows such as Threedom and the various music‑themed podcasts he co‑hosts with Adam Scott. Throughout his multifaceted career, Aukerman has remained a champion of emerging comedy talent, earning him the nickname “the alternative Lorne Michaels” and solidifying his influence on modern American humor.