Will Forte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Will Forte
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Forte at the 2023 WonderCon
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| Born |
Orville Willis Forte IV
June 17, 1970 Alameda, California, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Olivia Modling
(m. 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
Will Forte (born June 17, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is famous for his work on the TV show Saturday Night Live (SNL). He was a cast member there for eight seasons, from 2002 to 2010.
During his time on SNL, he created a popular character called MacGruber. This character later got his own movie, MacGruber (2010), and a TV series in 2021. Will Forte also created and starred in the comedy show The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018). For this show, he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Before becoming a comedian, Forte earned a history degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He even worked as a financial broker, like his dad. But he soon changed his mind and decided to follow his passion for comedy. He took classes with a famous improv group called The Groundlings. He also worked as a writer and producer for popular shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and That '70s Show.
Will Forte has acted in many comedy films. He also took on a serious role in the drama film Nebraska (2013). You might also recognize his voice from animated movies like the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs films and Scoob!. He has voiced characters in many TV shows too, including Abraham Lincoln in Clone High and Eddy in Lab Rats.
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Early Life and Childhood Dreams
Will Forte was born in Alameda, California, on June 17, 1970. His mom, Patricia, was an artist and teacher. His dad, Orville, was a financial broker. Will grew up in Moraga and later moved to Lafayette when he was 13.
When he was little, people called him "Billy." But he changed it to "Will" after being teased at school. Forte remembers being a "really happy little boy" with "wonderful" parents. They created a "very loving environment" for him.
From a young age, Will was interested in comedy. He looked up to comedians like Peter Sellers and Steve Martin. He also loved the TV show Saturday Night Live. He often played pranks on his parents and even recorded his own imaginary radio shows. At first, he didn't plan to be a comedian. He actually wanted to be a football player!
High School and College Years
Will was a "laid-back teen with a lot of friends" in high school. He played on the varsity football and swim teams at Acalanes High School. He graduated in 1988 and was voted "Best Personality" by his class. He also served as freshman class president.
After high school, he went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He studied history there. He planned to follow his dad and became a financial broker in Beverly Hills. But he felt "miserable" in that job. While working there, he co-wrote a movie script. He realized he loved writing "more than anything" he had ever done. Friends from college had encouraged him to try comedy. So, he decided to change his career path.
Becoming a Comedian
Will Forte started taking classes at the Groundlings in Los Angeles. This is a famous school for improv and sketch comedy. To pay his bills, he tutored children. His first comedy success was a comic book he made. It was called 101 Things to Definitely Not Do If You Want to Get a Chick.
These comics helped him get his first writing job for The Jenny McCarthy Show. After that, he worked as a writer for Late Show with David Letterman. But he was "let go" after only nine months. He felt he didn't have enough experience back then.
Forte then returned to Los Angeles and performed with the Groundlings' Main Company. He tried stand-up comedy a few times but stopped when he joined the Main Company. He also wrote for TV shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and That '70s Show. He loved writing and had almost given up on acting.
Joining Saturday Night Live
In 2001, Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live (SNL), saw Forte perform with the Groundlings. Forte was invited to audition for SNL. He performed several original characters and impressions. To his surprise, he was offered a spot on the show. But he first said no, wanting the steady job at That '70s Show. He later realized he was making a mistake.
After Will Ferrell left SNL, Forte joined the cast in the fall of 2002. He became a main cast member after his first year. In his early years, he felt nervous and found it hard to perform sketches he didn't write. He had to "re-learn" how to act after years of writing. He felt it took him five seasons to truly feel comfortable on the show. His first movie role was in Around the World in 80 Days.
Saturday Night Live Star
Will Forte became known for his unique and often silly humor on SNL. He was famous for "10-to-1" sketches. These were usually strange and funny pieces shown at the very end of the show. Some of his popular characters included Tim Calhoun, Greg Stink, and the Falconer. His favorite sketch was one where he played a motivational coach with football star Peyton Manning. He also worked with Andy Samberg on the first SNL Digital Short, called "Lettuce."
The MacGruber Phenomenon
Forte's most famous character on SNL was MacGruber. MacGruber was a special agent who had to stop a ticking bomb in each episode. But he always got sidetracked by personal problems. The sketches were a funny version of the TV show MacGyver.
Writer Jorma Taccone kept pushing Forte to do the sketch. Forte first thought it was "too dumb," but he agreed after Taccone convinced him. The first MacGruber sketch aired in 2007. Later, the sketches became commercials for Pepsi during the Super Bowl XLIII. These ads featured Richard Dean Anderson, the actor who played MacGyver, as MacGruber's dad. The ads made the character even more popular.
After the ads were a hit, SNL creator Lorne Michaels suggested making a MacGruber movie. The movie was filmed quickly in 2009 while Forte was still working on SNL. It was released in May 2010. The film got mixed reviews and didn't do well at the box office at first. However, it later became a cult classic, meaning many people grew to love it over time.
Will Forte said about his time on SNL, "Looking back, the experience is something I'll never forget. I still miss it, and I'll always miss it. That's my family."
Beyond SNL
Will Forte left Saturday Night Live in 2010. He felt it was the "right time to go" after eight years. He also wanted to be closer to his sister's new children on the West Coast. He later regretted leaving, calling the next year "emotionally trying." He thought his movie career might be over.
He had small roles in movies like Rock of Ages and The Watch. He also played Paul L'astnamé, the boyfriend of Jenna Maroney, on the TV show 30 Rock.
Dramatic Roles and The Last Man on Earth
In 2013, Forte took his first serious acting role in the film Run & Jump. The director, Steph Green, offered him the part. He thought it would be "fun to try." Later, he sent an audition tape for the movie Nebraska. He was "terrified" to start working on it, but he learned to "look for the truth" in each scene.
Will Forte then started working on The Last Man on Earth with his friends Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. He came up with the idea for the show over a weekend. Fox picked up the series in 2014. Forte was the creator, a writer, the main actor, and the showrunner for the first season. Being a showrunner was a lot of work, sometimes 12 hours a day! The show started in 2015 and was very popular, lasting for three seasons.
In recent years, Forte has continued to act in both comedies and dramas. In 2021, he starred in Sweet Tooth and played MacGruber again in a new TV series on Peacock. He also voices Wolf Tobin in the animated show The Great North. In 2025, you'll hear him as Coach Dan in Disney and Pixar's animated series Win or Lose.
Voice Acting Fun
Will Forte has lent his voice to many animated characters. He was Joe Towne in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and Chester V in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013). He voiced Abraham Lincoln in The Lego Movie (2014) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). He also played Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo movie Scoob! (2020). Other voice roles include Tim Willoughby in The Willoughbys (2020) and Eddy in Lab Rats. He continues to voice Abe Lincoln in the new Clone High series.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Will Forte lives in Santa Monica, California. He bought his home just two weeks before joining SNL, which meant he had to move to New York City. He later said the timing "was not the greatest."
He met Olivia Modling in 2018, and they got engaged in 2019. They had a daughter in February 2021 and got married on July 31, 2021.
Will's mom has visited him on every movie set he's worked on. She even appeared on a Mother's Day episode of SNL. He also officiated his sister Michelle's wedding and filmed the birth of his niece and nephew.
Forte has talked about his OCD tendencies. He once listened to only one song in his SNL office for a whole year as a challenge. He sees it as a challenge he's overcome and a part of who he is.
Will Forte is also a big gamer. While filming a movie, he achieved one of the world's highest scores on the arcade game Donkey Kong!
Images for kids
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Will Forte at WonderCon 2023
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Will Forte at the 2011 Tribeca Festival
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Will Forte with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller at WonderCon 2015
