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Ira Glass

Ira Glass

Actor, producer and writer · Born March 3, 1959 (67) · Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 3, 1959 (67)
From
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Works as
Actor, producer and writer
Titles
19 on Motif · 28 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 65 days to Oct 28Up 2% in 30 days

What are Ira Glass' films like?

Across their 10 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their Motif 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
Bonds
29%
Self
27%
Society
25%
Ideas
19%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 2 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

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 7 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · 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

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
6
Contemplative
5
Bittersweet
4
Melancholic
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous1

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 Ira Glass' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 19 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ira Glass' titles on Motif; 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

28 credits, 19 with a Motif page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Flipside (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2024)

    as Dan Dondiego, Jr

  • Scoob!(2020)

    as Ira Glass (voice)

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Mike Birbiglia: The New One(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Unbelievable(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Ode to Joy(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Come Sunday(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Brockmire(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as Ira Glass

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • 18th Annual Animation Show of Shows (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • High Maintenance(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Don't Think Twice(2016)

    Producer · as Man on TV (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Contemporary Color(2016)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Temporary Color (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • BoJack Horseman(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Ira Glass (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • This American Life: One Night Only at BAM(2014)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Host

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Veronica Mars(2014)

    as Ira Glass

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sleepwalk with Me(2012)

    Producer · Screenplay · as Wedding Photographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • This American Life Live: The Invisible Made Visible (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2012)

    Writer · as Self

  • This American Life: Behind the Scenes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • This American Life - Return to the Scene of the Crime (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    as Ira Glass

  • Guyville Redux (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Actor

  • Acceptable.tv (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • This American Life(2007)

    Show 13 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer · as Himself - Host

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Unaccompanied Minors(2006)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • 30 Rock(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Ira Glass (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Colbert Report (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Ira Glass (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Ira Glass (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 68th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 28 titles from 1989 to 2024; peak year 2020.

Biggest box office

Unaccompanied Minors (2006)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

Don't Think Twice (2016)

Midcredits 72nd

Film career

19892024

Peak 2020 · steadily prominent in film for years. 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
Acting19 of 28: 16 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdDirecting1 of 28: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting4 of 28: 1 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing9 of 28: 5 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndOther crew2 of 28: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

28 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · acting2000s8 · 6 acting · 2 crew2010s17 · 10 acting · 10 crew2020s2 · acting

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 Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Ira Glass' films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 19 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor, writer, producer

This American Life: One Night Only at BAM (2014)

98th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Unbelievable (2019)

Midcredits 96th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 36. 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 Midcredits 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.

Who does Ira Glass work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ira Glass' Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mike Birbiglia shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles