Akiva Daniel Shebar Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American writer, producer, director, comedian, actor, and rapper. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. Schaffer began his career with The Lonely Island making videos for Channel 101. In 2005, Saturday Night Live hired the trio, with Schaffer joining as a writer. In their time at SNL, The Lonely Island pioneered the digital short format, creating popular sketches such as "Lazy Sunday", "I Just Had Sex", "I'm on a Boat", and "Dick in a Box". After SNL, Schaffer went on to direct movies including Hot Rod, The Watch, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and The Naked Gun. The Lonely Island has made albums such as Incredibad, Turtleneck & Chain, and The Wack Album. Schaffer also produced a number of TV shows and movies, including MacGruber, Pen15, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, and Palm Springs.
Early life Schaffer was born in Berkeley, California to Jewish parents from New York.
In 2000, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in film.
Career
After college, he and his childhood friends, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, moved to Los Angeles and began making comedy movies. Theater director Tony Taccone brought home the film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a choice the other men teased as being "too theatrical". The film, however, inspired Schaffer to write an overwrought play, in the style of Tennessee Williams, called The Lonely Island, in reference to their apartment. The name eventually extended to the comedy group itself. On the Internet, Schaffer got his start directing The Lonely Island's The 'Bu, the group's record-breaking contribution to Channel 101, which was a parody of The OC and starred Sarah Chalke as Melissa, as well as Samberg and Taccone. Schaffer has contributed to several other Channel 101 productions as part of the Lonely Island.
In the fall of 2005, Schaffer was hired for Saturday Night Live where he directed, co-wrote, and edited the majority of the SNL Digital Shorts. Some notable shorts/songs include "Lazy Sunday", "I Just Had Sex", "Natalie's Rap", "Dick in a Box", "Peyton Manning for the United Way", "Iran So Far", "Jizz in My Pants", "Boombox", "I'm on a Boat", "Great Day", "Threw It on the Ground", "Jack Sparrow", "Like A Boss", "YOLO", "Semicolon", "Dear Sister", "Spring Break Anthem", "Shy Ronnie", "Ras Trent" and "Motherlover", the sequel to "Dick in a Box".
In 2007, Schaffer directed and acted in the film Hot Rod, which starred Samberg, Taccone, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane, and Sissy Spacek, which was produced by SNLs Lorne Michaels.
Schaffer directed the film The Watch starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade, and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
The Lonely Island has released three albums (Incredibad, Turtleneck & Chain, The Wack Album) along with two full soundtracks (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience). In 2014, the group co-wrote "Everything is Awesome", the theme song to the film, The Lego Movie. It was nominated for Best Original Song which they performed at the 2015 Oscars. That same year, Everything Is Awesome was certified platinum by the RIAA, joining their previous platinum singles, "I'm on a Boat" (2×), "I Just Had Sex", "Jizz in My Pants", and the gold-certified single "Like a Boss".
Schaffer was credited as an executive producer on the film MacGruber. The film was co-written and directed by Jorma Taccone.
In 2016 Schaffer co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the Judd Apatow produced feature film, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. The film focuses on pop/rap superstar Conner4Real (Samberg), who goes into a major tailspin and watches his celebrity high life collapse after his new album fails to sell records.
He also co-directed/created Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special for Netflix with Scott Aukerman.
Schaffer directed four music videos for the band We Are Scientists and one for the Eagles of Death Metal.
In 2018, Schaffer guest-starred on NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, portraying Brett Booth in the episode Show me Going.
The Lonely Island co-produced both seasons of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, most episodes of which Schaffer has co-directed with Alice Mathias. Also in 2019, they released Netflix's The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience, a visual poem about former Oakland A's legends Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. That summer, The Lonely Island embarked on their first ever live tour, instantly selling out venues across the United States and drawing some of the biggest crowds of the weekend at the Bonnaroo Festival and Milwaukee's Summerfest.
Schaffer produced the film Palm Springs, which debuted on Hulu in July 2020 and delivered the largest opening weekend viewership ever for a film on the platform. Prior to launching on Hulu, NEON/Hulu acquired the film for a record-setting $17,500,000.69 at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, making it the biggest deal in the festival's history. Most recently, the film and cast were nominated for five Super Critics Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy, as well as a Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy nomination for Samberg. The film also won a Critics' Choice Movie Awards in the category of Best Comedy and garnered a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Schaffer also executive produces Hulu's Emmy nominated show, PEN15, starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle.
Schaffer directed the Disney film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The film stars Andy Samberg and John Mulaney and is a combination of live action and computer animation. It was released in Spring 2022.
Schaffer hosts The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast with Samberg, Taccone and Seth Meyers, which discusses The Lonely Island's SNL Digital Shorts.
Personal life
Schaffer is married to comedy writer and actress Liz Cackowski; they have two children.
Discography
Filmography Film YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes2007Hot Rod 2008Extreme Movie 2010MacGruber 2012The Watch 2016Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Jorma Taccone2017Brigsby Bear 2020I Used to Go Here Palm Springs 2022Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers 2025The Naked Gun Acting credits YearTitleRole2007Hot Rod Derek2012The Watch Casual Wanker #3 2013Grown Ups 2 Male Cheerleader 2014Neighbors Toga #2 2016Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Lawrence20187 Splinters in Time McFly 2022Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers Rescue Rangers director,Voices of E.T, Colonel, Harold, Mr. Natural, Officer Chameleon, Officer Puppet Sock,Black and White Cartoon Shoeshiner, Hungry Mouse, Pig in a Sauna Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Alice Cooper
Television YearTitleDirectorExecutiveproducerWriterNotes2003–2005The 'Bu Also creator2005–2011Saturday Night Live 68 episodes (director);116 episodes (writer)2014–2018Brooklyn Nine-Nine Episodes "Charges and Specs" and "The Puzzle Master"2016Party Over Here 2017The Gorburger Show 2017–2019I'm Sorry 2018Alone Together Also creator2019–2023I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson 9 episodes2019–2021Pen15
TV specials YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes20042004 MTV Movie Awards Channel 101 Segment "Football Town";Also editor20052005 MTV Movie Awards 20092009 MTV Movie Awards 2015Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special 2017Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special Co-directed with Scott Aukerman201976th Golden Globe Awards Special materialThe Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience Also editor
TV movies YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes 2003 Regarding Ardy Also editor 2004 G-Phoria 2004 Documentary 2017Home for the Weekend
Acting credits YearTitleRoleNotes2008–2024Saturday Night Live Various characters 9 episodes2016Party Over Here The Lonely Island (Uncredited) Episode "Suffragettes"2017Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special Alan TV special2018Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brett Booth Episode "Show Me Going"2019The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience Mark McGwire
Awards In 2007, Schaffer won an Emmy for his participation in the production of "Dick in a Box". He was nominated for an Emmy for the song "Motherlover." He was featured in People's Sexiest Bachelor with Andy Samberg, as Sexiest Best Friends. He has also won two Writers Guild of America Awards and a Peabody Award for his work on Saturday Night Live. The Lonely Island was nominated in 2009 for a People's Choice Award and a Grammy Award. Year Award Category Work Result2007Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Original Music and Lyrics Saturday Night LiveWriters Guild of America Award Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series2008Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program2009Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesOutstanding Original Music and Lyrics Writers Guild of America Award Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series2010Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Original Music and Lyrics Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesGrammy AwardBest Rap/Sung Collaboration"I'm on a Boat"Writers Guild of America Award Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series Saturday Night Live2011Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Original Music and Lyrics Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series2012Grammy AwardBest Comedy AlbumTurtleneck & ChainImprovisation News New York Awards(INNY Award)Best Comedy Video Saturday Night LiveWriters Guild of America Award Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series2014Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)Best Song - Animated Film The Lego MovieOnline Film & Television Association(OFTA Television Award)Best Direction in a Comedy SeriesBrooklyn Nine-NinePhoenix Film Critics Society Awards(PFCS Award)Best Original Song The Lego Movie2015Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Variety SpecialSaturday Night Live 40th Anniversary SpecialGrammy AwardBest Song Written for Visual Media The Lego MovieInternational Online Cinema Awards(INOCA)Best Original Song Iowa Film Critics AwardsBest Song Satellite AwardsBest Original Song 2016Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards(Sierra Award)Best Song Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping2018Writers Guild of America Award Comedy/Variety (Music, Awards, Tributes) - SpecialsMichael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special2019Gotham Independent Film AwardBreakthrough Series - Shortform PEN152021Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Comedy Series
References
External links The Lonely Island