Will Forte Bio
Will Forte, born Orville Willis Forte IV on June 17, 1970, in Alameda, California, is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He first rose to national prominence as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live, where he spent eight seasons creating a wide range of memorable characters. Forte later expanded into film and television, building a reputation for offbeat humor, sharp character work, and a willingness to move between comedy and drama. He is best known for originating the fan-favorite MacGruber, starring in the sitcom The Last Man on Earth, and appearing in acclaimed projects such as Nebraska.
Will Forte Early Life and Background
Orville Willis Forte IV was born on June 17, 1970, in Alameda, a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area. His mother, Patricia, was an artist and former schoolteacher, and his father, Orville Willis “Reb” Forte III, worked as a financial broker. Forte is of Italian and Irish descent. The family later moved from Moraga to Lafayette when he was thirteen, and he spent most of his childhood in those East Bay communities.
As a child, Forte went by the nickname “Billy” until classmates teased him for the name, after which he chose to be known as Will. He has described himself as a “really happy little boy” raised in a loving home, and he grew up idolizing comedians such as Peter Sellers, David Letterman, and Steve Martin, along with the sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live. He often pulled pranks on his parents and recorded himself performing imaginary radio shows, though he initially dreamed of becoming a football player rather than a performer.
Forte attended Acalanes High School in Lafayette, where he played varsity football and swam on the swim team, served as freshman class president, and was voted “Best Personality” by his graduating class in 1988. He went on to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, joining the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and earning a degree in history.
Path to Celebrity
After college, Forte briefly followed his father’s footsteps and took a job at the financial firm Smith Barney Shearson, but he quickly grew miserable in the role. Around the same time, he co-wrote a feature-length script and discovered a passion for writing that, in his own words, he loved “more than anything he had ever done in his life.” Encouraged by friends, he decided to pivot toward a career in comedy.
He began training at The Groundlings, the Los Angeles improvisational and sketch-comedy troupe and school, while tutoring children to make ends meet. His first professional break came through a self-published comic book titled 101 Things to Definitely Not Do If You Want to Get a Chick, which led to his first paid writing job on The Jenny McCarthy Show. He then spent nine months writing for the Late Show with David Letterman before returning to Los Angeles and joining The Groundlings’ Main Company alongside performers such as Cheryl Hines, Jim Rash, and Maya Rudolph.
Forte picked up staff writing work on shows including 3rd Rock from the Sun, That ’70s Show, The Army Show, and Action. While performing with The Groundlings in 2001, he was spotted by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and was invited to audition for the show, setting the stage for the role that would define his early career.
Will Forte Career
Early Career (1991–2001)
Forte launched his entertainment career in the early 1990s as a writer, initially breaking in through his self-published comic book and a short stint writing for The Jenny McCarthy Show. He then joined the writing staff of the Late Show with David Letterman before returning to Los Angeles to study and perform with The Groundlings. These formative years blended sketch comedy, improv training, and staff writing gigs on sitcoms such as 3rd Rock from the Sun and That ’70s Show, establishing his voice as a comedy writer.
During this period, Forte also made his film debut in a small role in Around the World in 80 Days, and he co-wrote and starred in the comedy film The Brothers Solomon, which had originated as a pilot for Carsey-Werner. Although none of these early projects became major hits, they laid the groundwork for his breakthrough on national television.
Breakthrough (2002–2010)
Forte joined Saturday Night Live at the start of its twenty-eighth season in 2002, transitioning from the writing staff to a featured player and, after his first year, to the repertory company. His early seasons were marked by stage fright, but he gradually grew into the role, ultimately spending eight seasons on the program. He became known for bizarre “10-to-1” sketches and beloved characters such as Tim Calhoun, Greg Stink, and the Falconer.
His most enduring creation was MacGruber, a parody of the 1980s action hero MacGyver who becomes distracted by personal problems while trying to defuse a bomb. Conceived by writer Jorma Taccone, MacGruber debuted in January 2007, led to Super Bowl commercials for Pepsi, and was expanded into the 2010 feature film MacGruber, which Forte co-wrote and starred in. Although the film received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, it eventually developed a cult following.
Forte also became known for his impressions, including President George W. Bush, Brian Williams, and others. He left Saturday Night Live in 2010, citing his long tenure, his expanding film work, and a desire to be closer to family on the West Coast.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond MacGruber, Forte appeared in films such as Grown Ups 2, Rock of Ages, That’s My Boy, and The Watch, and played the recurring role of Paul L’astnamé on 30 Rock. His most acclaimed dramatic turn came in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, in which he starred opposite Bruce Dern. He later created and starred in the Fox sitcom The Last Man on Earth, which ran from 2015 to 2018 and earned him three Primetime Emmy Award nominations: two for acting and one for writing.
Will Forte Award Nominations
Forte has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations across his career in television, primarily for his work on Saturday Night Live and The Last Man on Earth. For The Last Man on Earth alone, he received three Primetime Emmy nominations, including two for acting and one for writing on the series.
Will Forte Awards Won
Forte’s career is built more on critical respect and a devoted fan base than on trophy-cabinet wins, and no major individual competitive awards are documented in the verified sources for this profile.
Will Forte Family
Forte is the son of Patricia, a former schoolteacher and artist, and Orville Willis “Reb” Forte III, a financial broker. He has a sister, Michelle, whose wedding he officiated and whose children’s births he filmed. Forte married producer Olivia Modling on July 31, 2021, in a small ceremony held in the back of writer Jorma Taccone’s house in New Mexico during the production of MacGruber. The couple have two daughters, Zoe Douglas Forte, born February 15, 2021, and Cecilia, born roughly eighteen months later.
Personal Life
Forte dated his Last Man on Earth co-star January Jones in 2015, and he later met Olivia Modling in 2018, becoming engaged in 2019. The family lives in a modestly sized Craftsman home in Santa Monica, California, a property Forte purchased in 2002, shortly before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live and relocating to New York. He has spoken openly about his OCD tendencies, and he is also known as an avid gamer, once achieving one of the world’s highest scores on the arcade version of Donkey Kong while filming the comedy A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy.