Skip to content
Motif
Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan

Actor and writer, also director and producer · Born July 7, 1966 (60) · Elgin, Illinois, USA

Grammy Award nominee

James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He has been nominated seven times at the Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 7, 1966 (60)
From
Elgin, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor and writer, also director and producer
Titles
88 on Motif · 120 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 52% in 30 days

What are Jim Gaffigan's films like?

Across their 66 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy30 titlesTypical Motif score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Animation7 titlesTypical Motif score: 51st percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Motif score: 48th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Motif score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Motif score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Motif score: 48th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
30%
Bonds
27%
Society
12%
Morality
11%
Survival
10%
Ideas
6%
Power
5%
Family bonds21 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity14 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 61 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 36 · Serious 12 · Dark 13

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 40 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 10

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

Gentle 25 · Charged 27 · Intense 9

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

Steady 35 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 6

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 21 · Funny 26

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 30 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 40 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 7

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

Resolved 44 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 11

Roles they play

18 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 5 of 18 analyzed roles.

Mentor
5 of 18
Threshold guardian
4 of 18
Hero
4 of 18
Shadow
2 of 18
Herald
1 of 18
Ally
1 of 18
Trickster
1 of 18
Show the 18 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
29
Warm
27
Tense
22
Melancholic
18
Absurd
18
Other
63

How their films linger

Feel-good28 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy27
  • Bittersweet22
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous12
  • 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 Jim Gaffigan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 78 of their 88 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (24).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jim Gaffigan's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

120 credits, 88 with a Motif page; 45 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Margie Claus (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2027)

    as Santa (voice)

  • Jim Gaffigan: Live from Old Forester — The Bourbon Set (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • Maintenance Required(2025)

    as Mr Miller

    Motif score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Eugene the Marine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2025)

    as Jackie

  • Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • An Almost Christmas Story(2024)

    as Papa Owl (voice)

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Greedy People(2024)

    as The Irishman

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Running on Empty(2024)

    as Barry

    Motif score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Unfrosted(2024)

    as Edsel Kellogg III

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Susie Searches(2022)

    as Sheriff Loggins

    Motif score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale(2023)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Full Circle(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as Manny Broward

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Peter Pan & Wendy(2023)

    as Sam "Smee" Smiegel

    Motif score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Linoleum(2022)

    as Cameron / Kent

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Reindeer in Here(2022)

    as Santa Claus (voice)

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Collide(2022)

    Executive Producer · as Peter

    Motif score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania(2022)

    as Van Helsing (voice)

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster(2021)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Hit-Monkey(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Snail

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Luca(2021)

    as Lorenzo Paguro (voice)

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • I've Got Issues(2019)

    as Narrator

    Motif score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Tesla(2020)

    as George Westinghouse

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Screenplay · as Self

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist 1 - Canadian American (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist 2 - Spanish American (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Most Wanted(2020)

    as Picker

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Stargirl(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · as The Thunderbolt (voice)

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Light from Light(2019)

    as Richard

    Motif score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Day Shall Come(2019)

    as Lemmy

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • American Dreamer(2018)

    as Cam

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: Quality Time(2019)

    Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Them That Follow(2019)

    as Zeke Slaughter

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Jim Gaffigan (voice)

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Being Frank(2018)

    as Frank

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Playmobil: The Movie(2019)

    as Del (voice)

    Motif score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Above the Shadows(2019)

    as Paul Jederman

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Drunk Parents(2019)

    as Carl Mancini

    Motif score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Troop Zero(2019)

    as Ramsey Flint

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape(2018)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation(2018)

    as Professor Abraham Van Helsing (voice)

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Super Troopers 2(2018)

    as Larry Johnson

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Chappaquiddick(2017)

    as Paul Markham

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Duck Duck Goose(2018)

    as Peng (voice)

    Motif score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Chuck(2016)

    as John Stoehr

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: Cinco(2017)

    Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas(2016)

    as Santa Claus

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Experimenter(2015)

    as James McDonough

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Jim Gaffigan Show(2015)

    Show 23 episodes · Creator · as Jim Gaffigan

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Staten Island Summer(2015)

    as Danny's Dad

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hot Pursuit(2015)

    as Red

    Motif score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Walter(2015)

    as Corey

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Officer Krupke

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Adventures in Comedy(2015)

    Actor

    Motif score: 5th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · as Father Time (voice)

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Nobodies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)

    as MC

  • Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed(2014)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Howard Cantour.com (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    as Howard Cantour

  • Rick and Morty(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Hoovy (voice)

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Kilimanjaro(2013)

    as Bill

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Love Sick Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    as Andrew Blythe

  • Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe(2012)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Salvation Boulevard(2011)

    as Jerry Hobson

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Portlandia(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · as Donald

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Bob's Burgers(2011)

    Show 7 episodes · as Henry Haber (voice)

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • It's Kind of a Funny Story(2010)

    as George

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Going the Distance(2010)

    as Phil Berlin

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Slammin' Salmon(2009)

    as Stanley Bellin

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Away We Go(2009)

    as Lowell

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Jim Gaffigan: King Baby(2009)

    Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • 17 Again(2009)

    as Coach Murphy

    Motif score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Shoot First and Pray You Live (Because Luck Has Nothing to Do with It)(2008)

    as Mart Ryde

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Duane Incarnate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    as Bob

  • The Love Guru(2008)

    as Trent Lueders

    Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Flight of the Conchords(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Jim

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Living Wake(2007)

    as Lampert Binew

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Stephanie Daley(2006)

    as Joe Daley

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • My Boys(2006)

    Show 40 episodes · Actor

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale(2006)

    Writer · as Himself

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Love, Inc. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Jamie

  • Pale Force (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Writer · as Pale Man/Conan

  • Trust the Man(2005)

    as Gordon

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Great New Wonderful(2005)

    as Sandie

    Motif score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Jury (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Strip Search(2004)

    as Reverend Craig Peterson

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • 13 Going on 30(2004)

    as Chris Grandy

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Bad Apple(2004)

    as Butters

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Hope & Faith (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Brad

  • Season of Youth (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Dr. Gelding

  • Igby Goes Down(2002)

    as Hilton Manager

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • No Sleep 'til Madison (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    as Owen

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Marty Palin · as Russell Matthews

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Ellen Show(2001)

    Show 13 episodes · as Rusty Carnouk

    Motif score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Final(2001)

    as Dayton

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Super Troopers(2001)

    as Larry Johnson

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Endsville (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    as Ivy Vaughn

  • Cry Baby Lane (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    as Bob

  • Welcome to New York (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 16 episodes · as Jim Gaffigan

  • Ed (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 4 episodes · as Toby Gibbons

  • Wirey Spindell(1999)

    as Announcer #2

    Motif score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Puppet (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Mr. Kamen

  • Entropy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Bucky

  • Kimberly(1999)

    as Jim at the Ad Agency

    Motif score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Three Kings(1999)

    as Cuts Troy's Cuff Soldier

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Third Watch(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Portis

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Oliver Tunney

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Not Afraid to Say... (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Larry

  • Random Play (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Hook'd Up (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Waiter

  • Conrad Bloom (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Oliver

  • The Real Howard Spitz(1998)

    as Storekeeper

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • That '70s Show(1998)

    Show 7 episodes · as Roy

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Sex and the City(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Doug

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Fool's Paradise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    as Chester

  • Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · Additional Writing · as Jim (voice)

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as George Rozakis · as Larry Johnson

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Crosshairs (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    as Lyle

  • New England Toys (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Outside of Cleveland (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Pale Force (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Show 21 episodes · Actor

  • Three People in the Woods (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 120 titles, 114 of them dated from 1990 to 2025; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)

$542M worldwide

Highest rated

Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale (2006)

Motif 94th

Most popular right now

Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania (2022)

Film career

19902025

Peak 2019 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 19 Motif titles. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting108 of 120: 102 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Motif score49thDirecting6 of 120: 0 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting13 of 120: 5 only writing, 8 with another role · typical Motif score91stProducing5 of 120: 1 only producing, 4 with another roleOther crew3 of 120: 0 only other crew, 3 with another role

120 titles, 12 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1990s16 · 16 acting · 1 crew2000s33 · 31 acting · 3 crew2010s39 · 34 acting · 6 crew2020s26 · 21 acting · 8 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 9% of 45 roles
9904141924

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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, 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.

Awards

8 major nominations and no wins, 2013–2025.

  1. 2025
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  2. 2023
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  3. 2021
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  4. 2020
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  5. 2019
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  6. 2018
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  7. 2015
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album
  8. 2013
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Comedy Album

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jim Gaffigan's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 68; across their 61 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 61

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 61

Reach · how many have seen their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 61

Motif score across 88 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up27
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th22
  • Below 25th18

Shape of the crowd

35 of their 88 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser35
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed34

Most divisive · actor

Wirey Spindell (1999)

93rd percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer

Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale (2006)

Motif 94th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 47 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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.

Is Jim Gaffigan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 25 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore17 titles13–52 · median 32 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity25 titles14–55 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles14–86 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles9–40 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles11–53 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jim Gaffigan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jim Gaffigan's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeannie Gaffigan shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

  • Brian Volk-Weiss11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Brian Volk-Weiss
  • Alex Murray10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Alex Murray
  • Cisco Henson8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Cisco Henson
  • Davina Dobrovech4 titles    See all 4 shared titles with Davina Dobrovech

Mixed roles