Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jim Gaffigan
How Jim Gaffigan built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Jim Gaffigan is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer known for his observational humor, particularly about fatherhood, food, and religion. Often labeled a "clean" comedian due to his limited use of profanity, he has achieved widespread popularity through numerous successful stand-up specials, including "Mr. Universe," "Obsessed," "Cinco," and "Quality Time," each earning him Grammy nominations. His relatable and family-friendly style has made him a prominent figure in the comedy scene.
1990: Move to New York City
In 1990, Jim Gaffigan moved to New York City to pursue comedy, inspired by David Letterman. He worked in advertising and took acting classes.
1999: Development of 'Welcome to New York'
After his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1999, Jim Gaffigan was tapped to develop the sitcom Welcome to New York.
1999: Salesman of the Year by BusinessWeek
In 1999, BusinessWeek named Jim Gaffigan 'Salesman of the Year' due to his ubiquity in over 200 TV commercials.
1999: First Stand-up on The Late Show with David Letterman
In 1999, after auditioning for six years, Jim Gaffigan performed a successful stand-up routine on The Late Show with David Letterman, which significantly boosted his career.
2000: Cast Member of 'The Ellen Show'
During the 2000 TV season, Jim Gaffigan was a cast member of The Ellen Show on CBS.
2001: Appearances at Sundance Film Festival
In 2001, Jim Gaffigan appeared in two movies chosen for the Sundance Film Festival: Super Troopers and 30 Years to Life.
2002: USO Performance at Guantanamo Bay
In 2002, Jim Gaffigan performed as part of a United Service Organization (USO) event at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
2004: Featured in Shorties Watchin' Shorties
In 2004, Jim Gaffigan's stand-up material was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties.
October 2005: Filming Comedy Central Special
In October 2005, Jim Gaffigan filmed a live Comedy Central special that aired the following January, which later became the comedy album/DVD Beyond the Pale.
2005: Gaffigan begins Pale Force with Conan O'Brien
In 2005, Jim Gaffigan began voicing an animated version of himself on Pale Force with Conan O'Brien.
2005: Production of Pale Force
In 2005, Jim Gaffigan produced a series of animated shorts titled Pale Force for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
2007: Sierra Mist Commercials
In 2007, Jim Gaffigan performed in Sierra Mist commercials for the Super Bowl as part of the comedy ensemble "The Mis-Takes", alongside Michael Ian Black.
2008: Appearance in The Love Guru
In 2008, Jim Gaffigan appeared in the movie The Love Guru starring Mike Myers.
2008: End of Pale Force with Conan O'Brien
In 2008, Jim Gaffigan's voice-over work on Pale Force with Conan O'Brien came to an end.
2008: End of Production of Pale Force
In 2008, the production of Pale Force for Late Night with Conan O'Brien came to an end.
March 2009: Interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell
In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell, Jim Gaffigan defended his naming of "The Sexy Tour", stating it would be funny if parents were unsure about bringing their teenage children.
June 11, 2009: Appearance on The Tonight Show
On June 11, 2009, Jim Gaffigan appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
2009: Appearance on The Daily Show
In 2009, Jim Gaffigan appeared on The Daily Show as a parody of the 2009 White House gatecrash incident.
March 2011: Broadway Debut in That Championship Season
In March 2011, Jim Gaffigan appeared on Broadway in That Championship Season, opposite Brian Cox, Chris Noth, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jason Patric.
February 25, 2012: Taping of "Mr. Universe" Special
On February 25, 2012, Jim Gaffigan taped his one-hour stand-up special "Mr. Universe" at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. He released it online for $5, donating 20% to the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
2012: "Mr. Universe" Special
In his 2012 comedy special "Mr. Universe", Jim Gaffigan used a high-pitched voice to portray someone giving negative feedback on his own performance after making a diarrhea joke.
March 14, 2013: Named King of Clean by Wall Street Journal
On March 14, 2013, Jim Gaffigan was named the "King of Clean" by the Wall Street Journal.
March 2013: CBS agrees to shoot a pilot for Jim Gaffigan's show
In March 2013, CBS agreed to shoot a pilot of the show based on Jim Gaffigan's life, with Mira Sorvino playing his wife. However, the project was ultimately passed on by CBS.
June 2013: Gaffigan signs with Crown Publishing for second book
In June 2013, Jim Gaffigan signed with Crown Publishing to write a second book of comic essays.
2013: Publication of "Dad Is Fat"
In 2013, Gaffigan's memoir "Dad Is Fat" was published by Crown Publishers.
2013: Gaffigan participates on NPR radio quiz program
In 2013, Jim Gaffigan participated on the NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
2013: Stand Up for Heroes Event
In 2013, Jim Gaffigan performed at the Stand Up for Heroes charity event benefitting the Bob Woodruff Foundation alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, and Jon Stewart.
2013: Gaffigan releases 'Dad Is Fat'
In 2013, Jim Gaffigan released Dad Is Fat, a collection of essays about raising his children and reminiscing about his own childhood.
2013: Starred in "Howard Cantour.com"
In 2013, Jim Gaffigan starred in Shia LaBeouf's short film Howard Cantour.com. The film was later found to be plagiarized.
January 18, 2014: Filming of "Obsessed" Comedy Special
On January 18, 2014, Jim Gaffigan filmed his comedy special "Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed" at Boston's Wilbur Theater.
May 2014: Performance at Make It Right Gala
In May 2014, Jim Gaffigan performed at the Make It Right Gala, an organization founded by Brad Pitt which builds sustainable homes and buildings for communities in need.
2014: Publication of "Food: A Love Story"
In 2014, Gaffigan's book "Food: A Love Story" was published by Crown Publishers.
2014: Release of Gaffigan's Book, Food: A Love Story
In the Fall of 2014, Jim Gaffigan's book, Food: A Love Story, was released, receiving positive reviews for its humor.
June 2015: Release of online-only episodes of The Jim Gaffigan Show
In June 2015, two online-only episodes of The Jim Gaffigan Show were released. This was before the pilot episode aired on TV Land in July.
July 15, 2015: The Jim Gaffigan Show pilot episode airs
On July 15, 2015, the pilot episode of The Jim Gaffigan Show aired on TV Land. The show is a sitcom about a couple raising their five kids in a two-bedroom New York City apartment, starring Gaffigan as a fictionalized version of himself.
September 26, 2015: Performance at the Festival of Families
On September 26, 2015, Jim Gaffigan performed at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia, a Catholic event visited by Pope Francis, attended by over one million people. He was the only comedian on the bill.
2015: Headlining Tour Culminating at Madison Square Garden
In 2015, Jim Gaffigan embarked on a headlining tour that culminated in a winter show at Madison Square Garden.
February 2016: Jim Gaffigan becomes Colonel Sanders in KFC commercials
In February 2016, Jim Gaffigan began appearing in KFC commercials as Colonel Sanders, replacing Norm Macdonald.
April 8, 2016: Gaffigan and family in Chrysler Pacifica marketing campaign
On April 8, 2016, Jim Gaffigan appeared with his family in a marketing campaign for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.
May 2016: Gaffigans deliver commencement address at Catholic University of America
In May 2016, Jim Gaffigan and his wife Jeannie delivered the commencement address at the Catholic University of America.
June 2016: Most Popular Comic on Pandora
As of June 2016, Jim Gaffigan was the most popular comic on Pandora.com with over 647 million spins.
October 2016: Gaffigan Joins Fargo but Drops Out
In October 2016, it was announced that Jim Gaffigan would be joining the cast of the third season of the anthology drama series Fargo, but he was ultimately forced to drop out due to scheduling difficulties.
2016: Fully Dressed Tour
In 2016, Jim Gaffigan embarked on his Fully Dressed Tour, performing in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
2016: Gaffigan wins Daytime Emmy for CBS Sunday Morning
In 2016, Jim Gaffigan won a Daytime Emmy for his contributions as a commentator to CBS Sunday Morning.
2016: Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan decide not to continue The Jim Gaffigan Show
In 2016, Jim and his wife Jeannie decided not to continue with a third season of The Jim Gaffigan Show so they could spend more time with their kids.
2018: Gaffigan stars in Chappaquiddick and American Dreamer
In 2018, Jim Gaffigan portrayed Paul Markham in the biographical drama Chappaquiddick, and he also took on the lead role in the neo-noir film American Dreamer.
2018: Release of 'Noble Ape'
In 2018, Jim Gaffigan released the stand up comedy special Noble Ape on Amazon's Prime video.
September 20, 2019: Release of American Dreamer starring Gaffigan
On September 20, 2019, the neo-noir film American Dreamer, starring Jim Gaffigan, was released. His portrayal of a broken man was well-received by critics.
2020: Gaffigan portrays George Westinghouse in Tesla
In 2020, Jim Gaffigan portrayed George Westinghouse in Michael Almereyda's film Tesla.
2020: Gaffigan Voices Thunderbolt in Stargirl
In 2020, Jim Gaffigan was announced to provide the voice of Thunderbolt in season two of Stargirl.
January 2021: Gaffigan Joins Peter Pan & Wendy
In January 2021, Jim Gaffigan joined the cast of Disney's Peter Pan & Wendy as Mr. Smee.
2024: Gaffigan portrays Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live
In 2024, Jim Gaffigan began appearing on Saturday Night Live to portray Democratic nominee for vice president Tim Walz.
2024: Gaffigan launches Fathertime Bourbon company
In 2024, Jim Gaffigan launched his own bourbon whiskey company, Fathertime Bourbon.
2024: Release of 'The Skinny'
In 2024, Jim Gaffigan released The Skinny stand up comedy special on Hulu.
November 23, 2025: Release of 'Live from Old Forester — The Bourbon Set'
On November 23, 2025, Jim Gaffigan surprise released 'Live from Old Forester — The Bourbon Set' on his YouTube channel, a show stemming from his obsession with bourbon and the whiskey community.
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