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Wayne Federman

Wayne Federman

Actor, also producer · Born June 22, 1959 (67) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Wayne Federman is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, producer, writer, USC professor, and musician. He is best known for his stand-up comedy appearances, his recurring role on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, his scholarship on stand-up comedy history, and his many film and television roles. Wayne grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and Plantation, Florida. His first musical instrument was drums and, at age 14, played local weddings. He also taught himself ventriloquism and performed at various school (South Plantation High School) functions as well as local churches and service organizations. While in Florida Federman made his film debut as an extra in John Frankenheimer's Black Sunday, shot at the Miami Orange Bowl. In the fall of 1977, Wayne was accepted to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. There he studied with legendary acting coaches from the Group Theater: Stella Adler and Harold Clurman. Wayne also began developing his stand-up at various New York comedy clubs. It was during these years that he first incorporated music into his act. He closed his sets by playing Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix on an electric ukulele. Federman made his national television debut on the syndicated program Comedy Tonight in 1986. He also appeared in two stand-up comedy home videos: New Wave Comedy and The Dodge Comedy Showcase. In LA, Federman began booking television commercials and appeared in dozens of national spots for clients, including Eureka Vacuums, Holiday Inn, U.S. Navy, Wendy's, Taboo, Jeep-Eagle, McDonald's, Glad Bags, Sprite, Total Raisin Bran, Ford, U.S. Olympic Team, Suzuki Samurai, Sizzler, Del Monte, U.S. Cellular, Coors, Geico, and 7-11. Federman also began landing small television parts which led him to roles in high profile films such as Legally Blonde, Jack Frost, 50 First Dates, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, Funny People, Sweetwater, and The House. Federman produced the 2022 HBO documentary George Carlin's American Dream. He also produced Don Rickles' web series Dinner with Don, Judd Apatow's Netflix stand-up special The Return, and HBO's Emmy-winning The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. Wayne wrote two books: The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle, and (with Marshall Terrill) the authorized biography of NBA basketball legend Pistol Pete Maravich. Both books were Amazon bestseller. Wayne co-wrote and starred in Max and Josh, a short film that premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Volkswagen Relentless Drive Award. Federman was a founding member of the musical group Truck Stop Harrys, along with Tudor Sherrard and Matthew Porretta. Federman co-wrote several songs for the film Dill Scallion, and was the music director and keyboardist for Maria Bamford's critically acclaimed The Special Special Special!. Wayne Federman was the head monologue writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He also wrote for the Independent Spirit Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, DGA Awards, WGA Awards, Critics Choice, and the Creative Arts Emmys. Federman has received one Emmy Award nomination and three WGA Award nominations and for his work.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
June 22, 1959 (67)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
57 on MovieCove · 70 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 52% in 30 days

What are Wayne Federman's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Self
57%
Bonds
20%
Society
13%
Ideas
4%
Survival
3%
Morality
3%
Self-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 3 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 0

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

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · 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 7 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
5
Contemplative
4
Absurd
4
Hopeful
3
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous4
  • Other1

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 Wayne Federman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 46 of their 57 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Wayne Federman'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

70 credits, 57 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: an Almost History of America(2026)

    Show 1 episode · as Alfred

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Elsbeth(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as Jim

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Bob and Don: A Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Producer

  • Sweetwater(2023)

    as Referee Pete

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • George Carlin's American Dream(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · Producer · as Fan Letters

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Dummy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · as Stu

  • Bless This Mess(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Lars

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • What We Do in the Shadows(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Vampire Doctor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Co-Producer

  • Fixed(2017)

    as Dr. Blunt

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The House(2017)

    as Chip Dave

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • I Am Battle Comic(2017)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Punching Henry(2016)

    as Carl Rohmer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Crashing(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Judd Apatow: The Return(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Life in Pieces(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Saul Antro

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Difficult People(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Muffin Top: A Love Story(2014)

    as Hayes Greenberg

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Transparent(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Silicon Valley(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Stu

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • New Girl(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Ned

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Shameless(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Norman

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Running Wilde(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Mickey

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The League(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Principal Frazier

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Eli

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Community(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Father

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Funny People(2009)

    as Comedy & Magic Manager

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Childrens Hospital(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Reed

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Step Brothers(2008)

    as Blind Man

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Wizards of Waverly Place(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Kaminsky

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Knocked Up(2007)

    as Fantasy Baseball Guy

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Unaccompanied Minors(2006)

    as Airport Attendant

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Grilled(2006)

    as Stu Simmons

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Vault Company Rep

  • Max and Josh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Josh

  • Bam Bam and Celeste(2005)

    as Redneck

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The 40-Year-Old Virgin(2005)

    as Smart Tech Customer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Y.M.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Q-Ball Curtis

  • 50 First Dates(2004)

    as Patient

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle(2003)

    as Bathroom Guy

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd(2003)

    as Officer Dave

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • View from the Top(2003)

    as Whiskey Sour Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Oliver Beene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Teacher

  • Waking Up in Reno(2002)

    as Ronnie the Rooster

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Third Wheel(2002)

    as Glen Federman

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • American Girl(2002)

    as Paramedic

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Legally Blonde(2001)

    as Admissions Guy

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Kiss My Act (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Wayne Frommer

  • Love & Support(2001)

    as Allan

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dean Weinstock

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Dill Scallion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Doc

  • Freak Talks About Sex(1999)

    as Tully

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Jack Frost(1998)

    as Policeman Dave

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Thornberrys(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Sea Lions (voice)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • King of the Hill(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • NewsRadio(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Randy Stark

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Wayne Federman

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Larry Sanders Show(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Stan Sanders

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Torkelsons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Assistant

  • Ambition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Wiseass

  • Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon(1989)

    as Messenger

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Doogie Howser, M.D.(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Doctor

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Baywatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Wayne

  • Dear John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul

  • A Different World(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as A

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • L.A. Law(1986)

    Show 2 episodes · as Floor Manager

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 69 titles from 1986 to 2026; peak year 2003.

Biggest box office

The Third Wheel (2002)

$45K worldwide

Highest rated

George Carlin's American Dream (2022)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story (2026)

Film career

19862026

Peak 2003 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1989Screen debut· Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon
  • 2004Career best· 50 First Dates

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting64 of 69: 64 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thProducing5 of 69: 5 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s6 · acting1990s10 · acting2000s29 · acting2010s16 · 15 acting · 1 crew2020s8 · 4 acting · 4 crew

Billing

usually 16th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
8904

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Wayne Federman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 27; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 57 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 57 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor

Love & Support (2001)

95th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, producer

George Carlin's American Dream (2022)

Midcredits 95th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Wayne Federman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Wayne Federman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jordan Brady shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles