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Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia

Actor, writer, producer and director · Born June 20, 1978 (48) · Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 1 other major award body

Mike Birbiglia (born June 20, 1978) is an American comedian, writer, and actor.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 20, 1978 (48)
From
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor, writer, producer and director
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 40 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 26% in 30 days

What are Mike Birbiglia's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th 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
Self
35%
Bonds
25%
Society
17%
Ideas
11%
Survival
9%
Morality
3%
Community7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 18 · Serious 3 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 17 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 14 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

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

Steady 15 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 3

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

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 14

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 12 · Even-paced 8 · 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 17 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

5 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 2 of 5 analyzed roles.

Trickster
2 of 5
Hero
1 of 5
Mentor
1 of 5
Threshold guardian
1 of 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
14
Contemplative
15
Warm
14
Bittersweet
4
Absurd
4
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

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 Mike Birbiglia's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mike Birbiglia'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

40 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 25 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Comeback King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Actor

  • One Night Only(2026)

    as Officer McAnnie

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Silly Silly Fun Boy(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life(2025)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Alex Edelman: Just for Us(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool(2023)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Command Z (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Time Traveler

  • A Man Called Otto(2022)

    as Dye & Merica Real Estate Agent

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Human Resources(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · as Barry (voice)

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Mike Birbiglia: The New One(2019)

    Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Shivering Truth(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Summer Camp Island(2018)

    Show 17 episodes · as Howard (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Mike Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes(2017)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Tramps(2016)

    as Scott

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Don't Think Twice(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Miles

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping(2016)

    as Blonde CMZ Reporter

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Billions(2016)

    Show 7 episodes · as Oscar Langstraat

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Digging for Fire(2015)

    as Phil

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Trainwreck(2015)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Hot Pursuit(2015)

    as Steve (Running Date)

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Guardian Brothers(2015)

    as The Health Inspector

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Annie(2014)

    as Social Services Inspector

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Adult Beginners(2014)

    as Braden

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

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

    Writer · as Self

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

  • The Fault in Our Stars(2014)

    as Patrick

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Broad City(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Richard Miller

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

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

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Orange Is the New Black(2013)

    Show 12 episodes · as Danny Pearson

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Bear Has a Story to Tell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Sleepwalk with Me(2012)

    Director · Screenplay · Theatre Play · as Matt

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Your Sister's Sister(2011)

    as Al

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • I'm Coming Over (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Tom Moore

  • Cedar Rapids(2011)

    as Trent

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Going the Distance(2010)

    as Toby

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

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

    as Mike Birbiglia

  • Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing(2008)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Stanley Cuba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Stanley

  • Standard Deviants TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge · as Self

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 38 titles, 37 of them dated from 2000 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

Trainwreck (2015)

$141M worldwide

Highest rated

Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2013)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Comedy Central Presents (1998)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward win
20002026

Peak 2015 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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
Acting28 of 38: 26 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thDirecting3 of 38: 0 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting9 of 38: 2 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thProducing7 of 38: 2 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score94thOther crew1 of 38: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

38 titles, 7 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s4 · 3 acting · 1 crew2010s24 · 20 acting · 6 crew2020s9 · 4 acting · 5 crew

Billing

usually 13th · top billed in 8% of 13 roles
1015

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.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 other major award from 3 major nominations, 2012–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
  2. 2016
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  3. 2012
    • Sundance award, won · Best of Next!

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 Mike Birbiglia's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 27; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor, writer

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

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

Most loved · actor, writer, producer

Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2013)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 38. 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.

Is Mike Birbiglia's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 64 · intenseMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Mike Birbiglia work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mike Birbiglia's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Seth Barrish shares the most, 8.

Directors

  • Seth Barrish8 titles · 6 as director    See all 8 shared titles with Seth Barrish

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles