Name
Michael Ian Black
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1971-08-12 (55 years old)
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Biography
Michael Ian Black (born Michael Ian Schwartz; August 12, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, writer and director. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Ed, Viva Variety, Stella, Another Period and Michael & Michael Have Issues. He is also a prominent poker player, appearing on Celebrity Poker Showdown several times. He released a well-received children's book, Chicken Cheeks, in 2009.
Black was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jill and Robert Schwartz, a store owner and an executive, respectively. His family is Jewish. He grew up in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, where he attended Hillsborough High School. His parents divorced when he was three years old; his mother, Jill, later came out as a lesbian. Black's father died at age 39 due to a head injury apparently suffered in an assault and allergic reaction during subsequent surgery.
His birth name, Schwartz, is derived from the German word schwarz, which means black. He changed his name to Michael Ian Black to avoid confusion with the actor Mike Schwartz.
Black briefly attended New York University, but dropped out to portray Raphael in the promotional campaign for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concert tour.
Known For
5.551
A small business owner is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development....
6.4
After her fiance sleeps with his celebrity crush, Kansas hairdresser Gail heads to Hollywo...
5.48
Rattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ult...
5.659
After losing the woman of his dreams, Anderson is convinced he'll never fall in love again...
5.5
A biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records....
5.905
Pete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their busin...
5.966
Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin should be well on his way to a successful career at a Fortun...
5.763
A rag-tag team of Reno cops are called in to save the day after a terrorist attack disrupt...
6.201
Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis d...
- 2001 Wet Hot American Summer as McKinley
- 2023 Spinning Gold as Bill Aucoin
- 2005 The Baxter as Ed
- 2007 The Ten as Prison Guard Jamberg Saivon
- 2005 Alchemy as Jerry (voice)
- 2011 Take Me Home Tonight as Pete Bering
- 2011 Michael Ian Black: Very Famous as Self
- 2012 This Is 40 as Accountant
- 2013 Hell Baby as Dr. Marshall
- 2024 Sorry/Not Sorry as Self
- 2013 Nantucket Film Festival's 2nd Comedy Roundtable as Self
- 2023 Handyman from Hell as Philosophy Contractor
- 2014 They Came Together as Trevor
- 2009 Stella: Live in Boston as Michael
- 2015 Misery Loves Comedy as Self
- 2016 Slash as Denis
- 2015 Smosh: The Movie as Steve Youtube
- 2022 Reno 911!: It's a Wonderful Heist as Hatzolah Commander
- 2012 Wanderlust as Himself
- 2015 Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot as Self
- 2016 Folk Hero & Funny Guy as Randy Jeppesen
- 2016 Michael Ian Black: Noted Expert as Self
- 2014 Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Self
- 2014 Beef as Lynn Vanderloo
- 2007 Reno 911!: Miami as Ron of Ron's Tattoo
- 2008 Birthday as Michael
- 2019 Sextuplets as Doug
- Soon MTV: The State, Skits and Stickers
- 2019 I Want My MTV as Self
- 2000 The Bogus Witch Project as Stephen Hawking (segment "In the Woods")
- 2005 Partner(s) as Christopher
- 2020 Calls
- 2020 First One In as Philip
- 2002 Stella Shorts 1998-2002 as Michael
- 1995 The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special as Various
- 2023 Linoleum as Tony
- 2025 Long Live the State as Self
- 2025 Superman as Cleavis Thornwaite
- 1991 Cults: Saying No Under Pressure as Male Student (as Michael Schwartz)
- 2026 Deepfaking Sam Altman as Self
- 2026 Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass as Very Famous Star Maps Salesman
- 1999 Big Helium Dog as Martin Huber
- Soon Bad Day For Bigfoot
- 2026 Michael Ian Black: First Annual Retirement Special as Self
- 2003 Jimmy Kimmel Live! ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2006 Frisky Dingo ( 25 episodes ) as Chase Fontaine (voice)
- 2000 Ed ( 83 episodes ) as Phil Stubbs
- 2003 Reno 911! ( 1 episode ) as Kevin the Sex Offender
- 2004 Tom Goes to the Mayor ( 2 episodes ) as Dr. Ian Black (voice)
- 1994 The State ( 24 episodes ) as Various Characters
- 2005 Stella ( 10 episodes )
- 2019 Retro Tech ( 1 episode ) as Self - Actor / Writer / Comedian
- 2007 Reaper ( 6 episodes ) as Steve
- 1997 Viva Variety ( 37 episodes ) as Johnny Blue Jeans
- 2008 Reality Bites Back ( 8 episodes ) as Host
- 2008 The Xtacles ( 2 episodes ) as Chase Fontaine
- 2006 I Love Toys ( 5 episodes )
- 2009 Michael & Michael Have Issues ( 7 episodes ) as Self
- 2006 I Love the '70s: Volume 2 ( 10 episodes ) as Self
- 2008 I Love the New Millennium ( 8 episodes ) as Self
- 2012 You're Whole ( 9 episodes ) as Randall Tyree Mandersohn
- 1999 Random Play ( 6 episodes )
- 1999 The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2012 Burning Love ( 42 episodes ) as Bill Tundle
- 2014 Us & Them ( 7 episodes ) as Brian
- 2003 Reno 911! ( 2 episodes ) as Chris
- 2005 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2015 Another Period ( 32 episodes ) as Peepers
- 2014 Deadbeat ( 1 episode ) as TJ
- 2015 Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp ( 8 episodes ) as McKinley Dozen
- 2015 The Jim Gaffigan Show ( 11 episodes ) as Daniel
- 2016 Join or Die with Craig Ferguson ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2018 Insatiable ( 5 episodes ) as Pastor Mike
- 2014 Duck Quacks Don't Echo ( 14 episodes ) as Self - Host
- 2014 Late Night with Seth Meyers ( 2 episodes ) as Self - Guest
- 2016 Search Party ( 1 episode ) as Wally
- 2016 Debate Wars ( 6 episodes ) as Self - Host
- 2012 Gotham Comedy Live ( 1 episode ) as Self - Host
- 2017 Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later ( 8 episodes ) as McKinley / George H.W. Bush
- 2007 Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2021 Name That Tune ( 1 episode ) as Self - Contestant
- 2022 Would I Lie to You? ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2013 @midnight with Chris Hardwick ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2017 The Good Fight ( 2 episodes ) as Stephen Rankin-Hall
- 2018 Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters ( 1 episode )
- 2016 Match Game ( 1 episode ) as Self - Panelist
- 2003 Celebrity Poker Showdown ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2012 The Burn with Jeff Ross ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2009 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2022 Criss Angel's Magic with the Stars ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2019 Bless This Mess ( 1 episode ) as Cheff
- 2024 Have I Got News for You ( 50 episodes ) as Self - Team Captain
- 2011 Impractical Jokers ( 1 episode )
- 2018 The Fix ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2020 Reno 911! ( 2 episodes ) as Hatzolah Commander
- 2022 Reno 911! Defunded ( 1 episode ) as Miss Mertz
- 2022 Reno 911! Defunded ( 1 episode ) as Time Traveler
- 2022 Reno 911! Defunded ( 1 episode ) as Hatzolah Captain
- 2022 Reno 911! Defunded ( 1 episode ) as Organ Dealer
- 2022 Peacemaker ( 1 episode ) as Cleavis Thornwaite
- 2010 Backwash ( 13 episodes ) as Fleming
- 1998 Comedy Central Presents ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2015 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 2013 Maron ( 1 episode ) as Himself
- 2024 The Big Game on Tour ( 5 episodes ) as Self
