Home  ›  People  ›  Al Franken
Al Franken
ACTOR

Al Franken

Known for The Manchurian Candidate · The Daily Show · 3rd Rock from the Sun

Alan Stuart Franken is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a staff writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live.

Snapshot 2026-10-16

Born
May 21, 1951
Birthplace
New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

Alan Stuart Franken is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a staff writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live.

Advertisement

Known For

MOVIEThe Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian CandidateTV Commentator · 2004
★ 6.5
TVThe Daily Show
The Daily ShowSelf · 1996
★ 6.4
TV3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the SunFrank Gansmiller · 1996
★ 7.5
TVSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night LiveMcSooshi Announcer (voice) (uncredited) · 1975
★ 6.9
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonSelf · 2014
★ 5.8
TVThe Residence
The ResidenceAaron Filkins · 2025
★ 7.5
TVThe Colbert Report
The Colbert ReportSelf · 2005
★ 7.0
TVConan
ConanSelf · 2010
★ 7.2

Filmography

Movies

Tunnel VisionAl
1976
The Paul Simon SpecialWriter
1977
Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & GildaWriter
1979
Grateful Dead: Dead AheadSelf - Host
1981
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
1981
Steve Martin's Best Show EverWriter
1981
FA
Franken and Davis at Stockton StateHimself
1983
FA
Franken and Davis at Stockton StateWriter
1983
The ConeheadsWriter
1983
Trading PlacesBaggage Handler #1
1983
Tab Lloyd: Investigative Reporter
1985
One More Saturday NightPaul Flum
1986
One More Saturday NightWriter
1986
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of SteelThe Awesome Pair
1988
Saturday Night Live: 15th AnniversarySelf
1989
Saturday Night Live: 15th AnniversaryWriter
1989
When a Man Loves a WomanCo-Pilot (uncredited)
1994
When a Man Loves a WomanExecutive Producer
1994
When a Man Loves a WomanScreenplay
1994
Stuart Saves His FamilyStuart Smalley
1995
Stuart Saves His FamilyScreenplay
1995
Stuart Saves His FamilyNovel
1995
The Definite MaybeVagabond
1997
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil HartmanWriter
1998
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary SpecialSelf
1999
Harvard ManAl Franken
2001
The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy ChaseSelf - Roaster
2002
Indian Point: Imagining the UnimaginableSelf
2004
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on JournalismSelf (archive footage)
2004
The Manchurian CandidateTV Commentator
2004
Wellstone!Self
2004
Earth to AmericaSelf
2005
Left of the DialSelf
2005
Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and FoundSelf
2005
Al Franken: God SpokeSelf
2006
Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on GoldwaterSelf
2007
Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture NationSelf
2007
Dean and Me: Roadshow of an American PrimarySelf
2008
Lord, Save Us from Your FollowersSelf
2008
Hot CoffeeSelf
2011
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to PowerSelf
2017
Hot GreaseSelf
2017
Long Strange TripSelf
2017
The Words That Built AmericaSelf - Reader: The Constitution
2017
Inside the Russian Info War MachineSelf
2018
Chris Farley: Anything for a LaughSelf
2019
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the RescueGramps (voice)
2024
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the RescueExecutive Producer
2024
Downey Wrote ThatSelf
2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL MusicSelf - SNL Writer / Self - Cast Member / Self - Producer 1975 - 1995
2025
SNL50: The Homecoming ConcertSelf
2025
LorneSelf
2026

Television

Saturday Night LiveMcSooshi Announcer (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSelf - Various Characters · 147 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSelf - Special Guest · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveJudge / Cook (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveRon Ziegler (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveCrowd Member (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePhone Technician (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePong Player (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveMourner (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePong Player #1 (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePong Player on the Right (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveGuest (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePlayer on the Left (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveBee / Pong Player (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveDancer (uncredited) · 2 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveLab Technician (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveWanderer (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveVoice of Senator / Dr. Alan S. Franken (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSelf (uncredited) · 8 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveVarious / Football Player (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveGeorge Jessel / Various (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSelf · 11 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveVarious (uncredited) · 7 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePatron (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePatron / Extra (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveMr. Arkansas · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePassenger (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePatron / Jewish Warrior (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveRay Floyd (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveLester Crackfield (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveRod M (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePete Tagliani · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveGuard (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveBuzz (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveCustomer (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveRené (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveStudent (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveTwo Mile Player (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveShipmate (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveCardinal / Brad Gunderic / Soldier (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSoldier (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveVarious · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveCamper (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveCaveman / Motorist (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePinklisting Narrator (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveThe Life of Vlad the Impalere announcer (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveRussian Translator (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveNarrator: Big Ball of Sports (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveBartender (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveHenry Kissinger (uncredited) · 2 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveICM Narrator (voice) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveVarious / Announcer (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LivePsycho Mutant (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSen. Paul Simon (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveSelf / Pat Robinson (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveStuart Smalley (uncredited) · 1 eps
1975
Saturday Night LiveProducer
1975
Saturday Night LiveWriter
1975
The Larry Sanders ShowAl Franken · 1 eps
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay LenoSelf · 1 eps
1992
Late Night with Conan O'BrienSelf - Guest · 9 eps
1993
Late Show with David LettermanSelf - Guest · 3 eps
1993
Politically IncorrectSelf · 6 eps
1993
Politically IncorrectWriter
1993
Dr. Katz, Professional TherapistAl (voice) · 1 eps
1995
Dr. Katz, Professional TherapistAdditional Writing
1995
3rd Rock from the SunFrank Gansmiller · 1 eps
1996
The Daily ShowSelf · 6 eps
1996
The Daily ShowSelf - Guest Host · 4 eps
1996
The Rosie O'Donnell ShowSelf · 1 eps
1996
The ViewSelf · 3 eps
1997
From the Earth to the MoonJerome Weisner · 1 eps
1998
L
LateLineAl Freundlich · 12 eps
1998
L
LateLineProducer
1998
L
LateLineWriter
1998
L
LateLineCreator
1998
The Late Late Show with Craig KilbornSelf · 5 eps
1999
ClerksMayor McCheese (voice) · 1 eps
2000
Jimmy Kimmel Live!Self - Guest · 1 eps
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!Self - Guest Host · 1 eps
2003
Real Time with Bill MaherSelf - Guest · 6 eps
2003
Tanner on TannerSelf · 1 eps
2004
The Colbert ReportSelf · 1 eps
2005
ConanSelf · 2 eps
2010
Overheard with Evan SmithSelf · 1 eps
2010
Late Night with Seth MeyersSelf - Guest · 1 eps
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonSelf · 1 eps
2014
ChelseaSelf · 1 eps
2016
I Love You, AmericaSelf · 1 eps
2017
The History of ComedySelf · 14 eps
2017
Minnesota ExperienceSelf (archive footage) · 1 eps
2018
Biography: Comedy IconsSelf · 1 eps
2019
SNL50: Beyond Saturday NightSelf · 2 eps
2025
The ResidenceAaron Filkins · 7 eps
2025

Photos

Al Franken photo
Advertisement

Catalog data and artwork by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Advertisement