Jim Gaffigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Gaffigan
Gaffigan in 2023
Birth name	James Christopher Gaffigan
Born	(1966-07-07) July 7, 1966 (age 59) Elgin, Illinois, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film books
Education	Georgetown University (BS)
Years active	1991–present
Genres	Observational comedy clean comedy deadpan sarcasm satire
Spouse	Jeannie Noth ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	5
Relative(s)	Richard F. Mitchell (grandfather)

James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is known for his funny observations about everyday life. His comedy often talks about being a dad, food, and religion. Jim Gaffigan is famous for being a "clean" comedian. This means he uses very little bad language in his shows.

He has released many popular comedy specials. Some of these include Mr. Universe, Obsessed, Cinco, and Quality Time. All of these shows were nominated for a Grammy Award. Jim also wrote two books, Dad Is Fat (2013) and Food: A Love Story (2014). He also helped create and starred in The Jim Gaffigan Show on TV Land. This TV show was based on his own life. Jim often works with his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan. They have five children together.

Early Life and Education

Jim Gaffigan was born on July 7, 1966, in Elgin, Illinois. He was the youngest of six children. His mother, Marcia, worked for charities. His father, Michael, was a banker. Jim's family came from Ireland. His grandfather was a judge named Richard F. Mitchell. Jim grew up in Chesterton. He has said this area helped shape his comedy style. He often jokes about growing up in a big family.

Jim's mother passed away from cancer in 1990. She was 53 years old. His father was a bank president and was also involved in charity work. He passed away in 1999. Jim's father was the first in his family to go to college. He encouraged his children to choose careers that offered steady jobs. But Jim knew from a young age that he wanted to be an actor.

As a teenager, Jim enjoyed watching Saturday Night Live. He went to La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. There, he played on the school's football team. He attended Purdue University for one year. Then he moved to Georgetown University. He graduated in 1988 with a degree in finance. He played football at both universities. Even though he didn't like studying finance, he worked as a consultant for a short time. He said he was "horrible at it."

Comedy Career

Jim Gaffigan performing in May 2008

Jim Gaffigan moved to New York in 1990. He wanted to become a comedian. He was inspired by David Letterman. Jim worked in advertising during the day. At night, he took acting classes. A friend dared him to try a stand-up comedy class. This class ended with a live performance. Jim loved stand-up comedy right away. He started performing in comedy clubs every night. He would often stay out until the early morning.

For his first seven years, Jim tried different comedy styles. He even tried angry comedy and impressions. Live comedy was not as popular then. After trying for six years, Jim finally performed on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1999. His career really took off after that.

Comedy Style

Jim's comedy is mostly about observing everyday things. He often talks about being lazy, eating, and being a parent. His famous "Hot Pocket" joke came from a commercial he saw. He thought it was a Saturday Night Live sketch. Jim often uses a high-pitched "inside voice" in his acts. This voice sounds like someone giving negative comments about his own jokes. He says this voice helps him connect with the audience.

Early in his career, Jim used some bad words. But he has mostly stopped using them now. He feels his jokes don't need them. He also thinks it makes him work harder to write funnier jokes.

In 2004, Jim's comedy was featured in a Comedy Central animated show. It was called Shorties Watchin' Shorties. In 2005, he filmed a live special for Comedy Central. This became his album and DVD Beyond the Pale. This show was mostly about food and American eating habits. His 2009 album, King Baby, was also a TV special. In 2013, the Wall Street Journal called him the "King of Clean."

On February 25, 2012, Jim filmed his special Mr. Universe. It was nominated for a Grammy. He made it available online for $5. A part of the money went to a charity for military veterans. In 2012, he was one of the top-earning comedians in the U.S.

Jim filmed his 2014 special, Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed, in Boston. It became the most-watched stand-up special on Comedy Central that year. The album also reached number one on the Billboard Comedy Album charts. In 2015, he performed at Madison Square Garden.

Jim also performs for charity events. He has supported organizations like the Bob Woodruff Foundation. This group helps military veterans. In 2015, he performed at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia. This was a Catholic event visited by Pope Francis. Over a million people attended. By June 2016, Jim Gaffigan was the most popular comedian on Pandora.com. His comedy had been played over 647 million times.

In 2016, Jim went on his "Fully Dressed Tour." He performed in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. He has also appeared many times at the "Just for Laughs" comedy festival in Montreal.

Comedy Influences

Jim Gaffigan has said that David Letterman and Bill Murray influenced him. He also called Richard Pryor the greatest stand-up comedian. His comedy mentor was Dave Attell. Jim said Attell was the only person who thought he was funny when he was starting out. He also mentioned that Jerry Seinfeld was a big influence on him.

Audience Reception

Jim Gaffigan is known as an "everyman" and a clean comedian. Some of his most famous jokes are about Hot Pockets, cake, and bacon. His choice to avoid bad language has received different reactions. Some critics have praised him for focusing on being funny.

Acting Career

When Jim's comedy career was slow in the 1990s, a friend suggested he try acting in commercials. This turned out to be very successful. He has appeared in over 200 TV commercials. These include ads for Rolling Rock, Saturn, Chrysler, and ESPN. In 1999, BusinessWeek magazine called him 'Salesman of the Year'.

After his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1999, David Letterman asked Jim to create a TV show. It was called Welcome to New York. Jim also starred in it. The show was canceled after one season. From 2001 to 2002, he was a cast member on The Ellen Show with Ellen DeGeneres. He also appeared in movies like Super Troopers and 30 Years to Life. He was a regular on the TBS sitcom My Boys.

In 2008, he was in the movie The Love Guru with Mike Myers. In 2009, he guest-starred in the HBO show Flight of the Conchords. He also appeared in the movies Away We Go and 17 Again. Jim has also appeared on TV shows like Law & Order and The Daily Show.

Jim performed on Broadway in a play called That Championship Season in 2011. He said being on Broadway was "an amazing experience, really hard but really fun."

In the 2010s, Jim, his wife, and Peter Tolan started working on a TV show. It was loosely based on their own lives. TV Land offered them full creative control. This led to The Jim Gaffigan Show. It was a sitcom about a couple raising five kids in a small New York City apartment. The show started in July 2015. Jim played a fictional version of himself. His wife, Jeannie, was played by Ashley Williams. After two seasons, Jim and Jeannie decided to stop the show in 2016. They wanted to spend more time with their children.

Jim also acted in the movie Experimenter (2015). In February 2016, Jim started appearing in KFC commercials as Colonel Sanders. Since April 2016, he and his family have been in commercials for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.

In 2018, Jim played Paul F. Markham in the movie Chappaquiddick. He also had the main role in the 2018 movie American Dreamer. Critics praised his performance in this film. Jim played George Westinghouse in the 2020 movie Tesla. In 2021, he voiced Lorenzo Paguro in the Pixar movie Luca. He also joined the cast of Disney's Peter Pan & Wendy as Mr. Smee in 2023. In 2024, Jim Gaffigan began playing Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live. His portrayal was widely praised.

Voice Acting

Jim Gaffigan is also known for his voice work. He voiced an animated version of himself on Pale Force with Conan O'Brien from 2005 to 2008. He has also voiced characters on animated shows like Bob's Burgers, WordGirl, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. He also voiced a character in the animated movie Duck Duck Goose.

Writing Career

Jim Gaffigan in 2008

Jim Gaffigan created a series of animated shorts for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. They were called Pale Force. These shorts featured Jim and Conan O'Brien as superheroes with very pale skin. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2007.

Jim's funny comments have earned him over two and a half million followers on Twitter. Rolling Stone magazine listed him as one of the "25 funniest people on Twitter" in 2012.

In 2013, Jim released his book Dad Is Fat. The title came from the first full sentence his oldest son wrote. The book is a collection of funny stories about raising his children. It also includes memories from his own childhood. The book became a The New York Times Best Seller.

Jim signed a deal to write a second book of funny essays. This book, Food: A Love Story, was released in 2014. Publishers praised the book for its humor.

Before meeting his wife, Jeannie Noth, Jim mostly wrote alone. But as their relationship grew, Jeannie started helping him write. After they got married, she became his main co-writer. She has been a credited writer or executive producer on all his comedy projects since Beyond the Pale. This includes his two books and his TV show.

Media Appearances

Jim Gaffigan has appeared on the NPR radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. He is also a regular commentator on CBS Sunday Morning. He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2016 for his work on that show.

Personal Life

Jim Gaffigan married actress Jeannie Gaffigan in 2003. They have five children: two daughters and three sons. Their children are Marre (born 2004), Jack (born 2005), Katie Louise (born 2009), Michael (born 2011), and Patrick (born 2012). The family of seven lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. In 2015, they moved to a larger home in Manhattan.

To stay close to his family, Jim tries to keep bedtime routines when he is working in the city. When he goes on tour, he often takes his family with him. His son Jack has even opened for his father's shows sometimes.

Jim Gaffigan is a practicing Catholic. He tries to avoid working on Sundays. He and his family attend Mass at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan. This is also where he and his wife were married. In May 2016, he and his wife gave the commencement address at the Catholic University of America. They also spoke at Marquette University in May 2018. They both received honorary degrees there.

In 2019, Jim apologized on social media for a controversial comment he made during one of his stand-up shows.

Discography

• 2001: Luigi's Doghouse
• 2001: Economics II
• 2003: More Moo Moos
• 2004: The Last Supper
• 2004: Doing My Time
• 2006: Beyond the Pale
• 2009: King Baby
• 2012: Mr. Universe
• 2014: Obsessed
• 2017: Cinco
• 2018: Noble Ape
• 2019: Quality Time
• 2020: The Pale Tourist
• 2021: Comedy Monster
• 2023: Dark Pale
• 2024: The Prisoner
• 2025: The Skinny

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

On April 26, 2014, Jim Gaffigan received the award for Concert Comedian at the American Comedy Awards. This was for his stand-up work.

In 2007, Pale Force was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. This was for Outstanding Broadband Program in the Comedy category. Jim was an executive producer, writer, and lead actor for the show.

In 2016, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program. This was for his contributions as a commentator on CBS Sunday Morning.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are given out every year. Jim Gaffigan has been nominated eight times for his comedy albums.

See also

In Spanish: Jim Gaffigan para niños