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Michael Showalter, actor & director
Actor & Director

Michael Showalter: Movies & Box Office

films
20
as director
10
on screen
1998–2025
box office
$76.8M
average score
67
Born
June 17, 1970 (age 56)
Birthplace
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Comedian, Actor, Director, Writer, Producer, Teacher
Years active
1992-present
Spouses
Anne Kalin Ellis
Children
2
Known for

The Best Michael Showalter Movies

The highest-rated films Michael Showalter is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The Big Sick (2017) scores highest, at 84. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.

Full ranking
Career at a glance

Michael Showalter's Career in Numbers

Michael Showalter's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Michael Showalter works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Safe Men (1998) to Oh. What. Fun. (2025), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.

Michael Showalter Movies by Decade

  1. 1990s 1
  2. 2000s 5
  3. 2010s 6
  4. 2020s 6

The 2010s were Michael Showalter's busiest decade, with 6 films.

Michael Showalter Movies by Genre

  • Comedy 7
  • Drama 7
  • Biography 1
  • Action 1
  • Tv movie 1
  • Documentary 1

Comedy is the genre Michael Showalter has worked in most, with 7 films, ahead of drama (7).

Michael Showalter Career Milestones

First film
Safe Men 1998
Biggest box office hit
The Big Sick $56.4M worldwide
Best-rated film
The Big Sick Movie Echo Score 84
Newest film
Oh. What. Fun. 2025
20 credits

Michael Showalter Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Michael Showalter is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 10 as director and 8 as actor. Rated films average a score of 67. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Biography

Who Is Michael Showalter?

Michael Showalter was born in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. in 1970 and is 56 years old. Credited on films since 1998, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Michael Showalter is an American comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer, grabbing wider recognition courtesy of his role in MTV's The State that aired from 1993 to 1995. Much of his fame comes from his partnership with David Wain in shaping the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. He co-wrote and starred in the original film, all the while extending his groundwork to the Netflix series. He did the triple duty of writing, directing, and starring in The Baxter (2005), featuring alongside Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks. Many of his co-stars from The State appeared in these films and in several of his other projects.

Showalter also flaunted his skills as a co-creator, co-producer, actor, and writer for the TV series Search Party. He directed the critically acclaimed films, The Big Sick (2017) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). In the earlier part of his career, Showalter got associated with the sketch comedy group, The New Group, when studying at New York University. Following his transfer to Brown University, he became a part of the improv comedy troupe IMPROVidence. Post his graduation, The New Group changed its name to The State and started creating video shorts for the MTV show You Wrote It, You Watch It. Showalter's career also included teaching screenwriting at New York University's Graduate Film School. He partnered with Michael Ian Black for the Comedy Central series Michael and Michael Have Issues in 2009, and later, in 2013, they launched a podcast named "Topics".

Works with

Who Michael Showalter Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Michael Showalter shares the most films with. Michael Ian Black comes first, with 6 films together, followed by David Wain (6).

FAQ

Michael Showalter: Questions & Answers

How many movies Michael Showalter has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Michael Showalter been in?

Michael Showalter is credited on 20 films, from 1998 to 2025. 8 of them as an actor and 10 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Michael Showalter's highest-grossing movie?

The Big Sick (2017) is Michael Showalter's biggest box office hit, with $56.4M worldwide, ahead of Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016) ($14.7M). Across every film with box office figures, Michael Showalter's movies have made $76.8M.

Michael Showalter's biggest hits

What is the best Michael Showalter movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Michael Showalter's best-rated film is The Big Sick (2017) with a score of 84, followed by Spoiler Alert (2022) (76).

Best Michael Showalter movies, ranked

How old is Michael Showalter?

Michael Showalter is 56 years old, born on June 17, 1970 in Princeton, New Jersey, U.S..

What is Michael Showalter's newest movie?

The most recent film on Michael Showalter's filmography is Oh. What. Fun. (2025), which Michael Showalter directed.

Who does Michael Showalter work with most often?

Michael Showalter shares the most films with Michael Ian Black (6 films), David Wain (6 films) and Elizabeth Banks (5 films).

The Best Michael Showalter Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 20 credits.

See the ranking

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