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Trace Beaulieu

Trace Beaulieu

Writer and actor, also director and producer · Born November 6, 1958 (67) · Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Trace Beaulieu (born November 6, 1958) is an American puppeteer, writer, and actor. He is best known for his roles on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K).   Description above from the Wikipedia article Trace Beaulieu, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 6, 1958 (67)
From
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Writer and actor, also director and producer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 19% in 30 days

What are Trace Beaulieu's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Society.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Ideas
30%
Society
29%
Self
14%
Survival
10%
Bonds
10%
Morality
5%
Power
1%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 6 · Wry 0 · Earnest 2

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 7

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 6
Trickster
2 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6
Mentor
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
9
Joyful
6
Contemplative
4
Warm
3
Cold
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Trace Beaulieu's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Trace Beaulieu's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · Art Direction · as Dr. Clayton Forrester

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments — Sting of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Art Direction

  • The Mads are Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 53 episodes · Creator · Writer · as Himself

  • RiffTrax Live: Day of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2019(2019)

    Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Tigtone(2018)

    Show 20 episodes · as Command-or Mathis

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Writer

  • Cinematic Titanic: The Astral Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Trace Beaulieu

  • RiffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Writer · as Self

  • Secrets of Einstein's Brain(2015)

    as Albert Einstein

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Other Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 8 episodes · as A.R.T.

  • The Frank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Writer · as Dr. Eff

  • Hamlet A.D.D. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Evil Robot (voice)

  • Cinematic Titanic: Rattlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cinematic Titanic: War of the Insects (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Writer · as Self

  • Darkstar: Terror at the Edge of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Ross Perryman

  • Cinematic Titanic: Danger on Tiki Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cinematic Titanic: The Alien Factor(2010)

    Writer · as Himself

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Cinematic Titanic: East Meets Watts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cinematic Titanic: Blood of the Vampires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cinematic Titanic: Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks(2008)

    Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Cinematic Titanic: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Writer · as Himself

  • Cinematic Titanic: Legacy of Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Writer · as Self

  • Cinematic Titanic: The Wasp Woman(2008)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Cinematic Titanic: Doomsday Machine(2008)

    Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Cinematic Titanic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 13 episodes · as Trace Beaulieu

  • Cinematic Titanic: The Oozing Skull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Writer · as Self

  • Arrested Development(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Crow T. Robot

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Writer · as Crow T. Robot

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts Volume 2(1999)

    Writer · as Crow T. Robot

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Freaks and Geeks(1999)

    Show 6 episodes · as Hector Lacovara

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Cal

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Crow T. Robot

  • With or Without You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Rich

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie(1996)

    Associate Producer · Writer · as Crow T. Robot (voice) / Dr. Clayton Forrester

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Poopie! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Crow T. Robot (voice)

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000(1988)

    Show 176 episodes · Director · Writer · as Crow T. Robot (voice) / Dr. Clayton Forrester

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 81st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 37 titles from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

$1M worldwide

Highest rated

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)

Midcredits 86th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting20 of 37: 14 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score93rdDirecting2 of 37: 0 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting21 of 37: 15 only writing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thProducing2 of 37: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew3 of 37: 1 only other crew, 2 with another role

37 titles, 7 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1990s8 · 8 acting · 1 crew2000s11 · 3 acting · 9 crew2010s14 · 7 acting · 9 crew2020s3 · 1 acting · 3 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Trace Beaulieu's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 86th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor, writer

RiffTrax Live: Day of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2019 (2019)

97th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Freaks and Geeks (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Trace Beaulieu work with?

People who share at least 2 of Trace Beaulieu's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mary Jo Pehl shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

  • Mary Jo Pehl8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Mary Jo Pehl
  • Frank Conniff8 titles · 7 as writer    See all 8 shared titles with Frank Conniff
  • Joel Hodgson7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Joel Hodgson
  • J. Elvis Weinstein5 titles    See all 5 shared titles with J. Elvis Weinstein

Cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles