John Mulaney Net Worth

What is John Mulaney's Net Worth and Salary?

John Mulaney is an American actor and comedian who has a net worth of $15 million. John Mulaney began his career in comedy writing for "Saturday Night Live" from 2008 to 2013, where he co-created the popular character Stefon with Bill Hader. Mulaney then transitioned to stand-up comedy, releasing his debut special "The Top Part" in 2009, followed by "New in Town" (2012), "The Comeback Kid" (2015), and "Kid Gorgeous" (2018), the latter of which won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

In addition to his stand-up career, Mulaney has appeared in various television shows and films, including "Crashing," "Portlandia," and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," where he voiced the character of Peter Porker/Spider-Ham. He also created and starred in the short-lived Fox sitcom "Mulaney" in 2014.

Mulaney has collaborated with comedian Nick Kroll on several projects, including the Broadway show "Oh, Hello" and the animated series "Big Mouth," which they co-created.

Early Life

Mulaney was born on August 26th, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Ellen, was a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and his father, Charles, was an attorney and partner at Skadden Arps. His parents are of Irish Catholic heritage, and growing up, John was an altar boy. He is the third of five children.

Mulaney knew from an early age that he wanted to go into the show business. At the age of seven, he joined a Chicago-based children's sketch club called "The Rugrats." Because of the club, John was offered an audition for the role of Kevin in the film "Home Alone," but his parents turned it down.

Mulaney attended middle school at St. Clement School in Chicago, where, in place of doing reports, he and his best friend performed what they had learned in the format of a skit. At 14, John performed the role of Wally Webb in the production of "Our Town." Mulaney went to St. Ignatius College Prep and then enrolled at Georgetown University, where he majored in English and minored in theology. During university, John joined the school's improv group, where he met Nick Kroll and Mike Birbiglia. He later joined Birbiglia on his stand-up tour, which helped him improve his stage presence.

After graduating from Georgetown University in 2004, John Mulaney moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy. He initially took a job as an office assistant at Comedy Central, a position that gave him proximity to the industry but little creative fulfillment. During this period, he co-wrote a pitch for a parody series called "I Love the '30's" with fellow comedian Nick Kroll, a project that ultimately went nowhere. Mulaney later described the job as a distraction from becoming a working comedian and quit after about a year to focus full-time on writing and stand-up.

Breakthrough and "Saturday Night Live"

Between 2004 and 2008, Mulaney steadily built his reputation on the New York comedy circuit while writing and performing regularly. His breakthrough came in 2008 after appearances on several late-night shows, most notably Late Night with Conan O'Brien. That performance led to an audition for Saturday Night Live.

Mulaney's audition stood out for its unconventional approach. Rather than relying on celebrity impressions, he performed stand-up material built around character-driven bits. Although he entered the audition with modest expectations, he was hired as a writer and went on to spend four seasons on the show. During his tenure, he became one of the most influential voices in the writers' room and earned multiple Emmy nominations as part of the writing staff.

Stand-Up During the SNL Years

While working at SNL, Mulaney continued developing his stand-up career. He released the comedy album "The Top Part" and the stand-up special "New in Town," both of which helped establish his distinct voice. His style, rooted in precise storytelling and sharply observed details, began to separate him from his contemporaries and laid the groundwork for his later success as a headlining comic.

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Post-SNL Writing and Acting Projects

After leaving SNL, Mulaney remained in high demand as a writer and collaborator. He contributed to a range of television and stage projects, including "Maya & Marty," "Oh, Hello on Broadway," "Documentary Now!," and the "Comedy Central Roast" of James Franco. He also appeared in supporting acting roles on shows such as "Crashing," "Portlandia," and "Difficult People," expanding his profile beyond stand-up and sketch writing.

Stand-Up Breakthrough: "The Comeback Kid"

In 2015, Mulaney released his third stand-up special, "The Comeback Kid," which debuted on Netflix and marked a turning point in his career. The special received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers highlighting his confidence, structural precision, and old-soul delivery. The success of the special led to a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special and firmly positioned Mulaney as one of the leading stand-up comedians of his generation.

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"Kid Gorgeous" and Emmy Win

Mulaney followed that momentum with the "Kid Gorgeous" tour in 2017, a tightly curated run that included seven performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of those shows was filmed and released as the Netflix special "John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City." The special was met with near-universal praise and earned Mulaney the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, cementing his status as an elite comedy writer and performer.

Industry Recognition and Later Projects

In 2017, Mulaney appeared alongside Martin Short, Steve Martin, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Murray, and Norm MacDonald at the Kennedy Center to honor David Letterman as he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. During the ceremony, Letterman publicly singled out Mulaney as a defining voice of comedy's next generation.

In 2019, Mulaney embarked on a limited run of sold-out shows with Pete Davidson titled "Sundays with Pete & John." Later that year, he released the musical comedy special "John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch," a family-oriented project that showcased a more experimental side of his comedy. Over the years, Mulaney has also returned to host "Saturday Night Live" multiple times, making him one of the few former writers, and never a cast member, to do so.

Personal Life

In 2014, Mulaney married makeup artist and lampshade artisan Annamarie Tendler. Their ceremony was held in Boiceville, New York, and was performed by their friend Dan Levy. They divorced in 2021 after John had spent a period in rehab the previous year. After breaking up, John began dating actress Olivia Munn. In September 2021, John and Olivia announced they were expecting a child. They welcomed a boy in December 2021. In August 2024, John and Olivia revealed that they had actually married earlier in the year.

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