Biography
A graduate -- like
Will Ferrell,
Kathy Griffin, and many others -- of the famed Groundlings comedy troupe in Southern California, comic-turned-actor/screenwriter Will Forte segued from that stage ensemble into a series of small-screen producing assignments, on such sitcoms as
3rd Rock From the Sun and
That '70s Show. Forte only began to gain national attention, however, when he signed on as one of the regular cast members of
Saturday Night Live in 2002. Within the framework of that series, the comic parlayed his versatile all-American winsomeness into a host of diverse characterizations including President George W. Bush, The Falconer, Senator Zell Miller, and Tim Calhoun. Meanwhile, he also authored scripts for
Late Night with David Letterman on the side and penned a feature script, for the comic vehicle
The Brothers Solomon (2007), in which he also starred opposite
Will Arnett. In that picture, the men played John and Dean Solomon, two socially hopeless brothers desperate to find a woman to have their baby, to fulfill their dying father's last wish. At about the same time, Forte also joined scripters
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and others by contributing to the screenplay of the teen sex comedy
Parental Guidance Suggested (2007). As an actor, Forte's resumé also includes roles in such comic romps as
Beerfest (2006) and
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide