Career Timeline of John Mulaney: Major Achievements and Milestones

How John Mulaney built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

John Mulaney is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He gained recognition as a writer for Saturday Night Live (2008-2013), where he co-created the popular character Stefon. After leaving SNL, Mulaney has hosted the show six times, solidifying his presence in comedy and entertainment.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1970: Documentary Parody

In 1970, John Mulaney parodied landmark D.A. Pennebaker documentary Original Cast Album: Company in Documentary Now!.

2004: Moved to New York and Hired at Comedy Central

In 2004, after graduating from Georgetown, John Mulaney moved to New York City with aspirations of a career in comedy. He was hired as an office assistant at Comedy Central.

August 2008: Audition for Saturday Night Live

In August 2008, John Mulaney auditioned for Saturday Night Live after performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He subsequently won a spot on the writing team.

2008: Headliner and Bonnaroo Music Festival Performance

In 2008, John Mulaney became a headliner as a stand-up comedian. He also performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.

2008: Satirical Work on Saturday Night Live

In 2008, John Mulaney worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live to write satirical work on the United States presidential election.

May 2013: NBC Passes on Mulaney Sitcom Pilot

In May 2013, NBC passed on picking up John Mulaney's semi-autobiographical sitcom pilot, Mulaney.

June 2013: Fox Orders New Mulaney Script

In June 2013, Fox ordered a new script for John Mulaney's sitcom while considering whether to order the production of several episodes.

October 2013: Fox Picks Up Mulaney Show

In October 2013, Fox announced that it had picked up John Mulaney's show, Mulaney, for a six-episode season order.

May 2015: Cancellation of Mulaney Series

In May 2015, Fox cancelled John Mulaney's series, Mulaney, within its first year.

2015: Writer for Documentary Now!

In 2015, John Mulaney served as a writer for the IFC mockumentary series Documentary Now! He co-wrote the episode "The Eye Doesn't Lie" with Bill Hader.

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2016: Writing for Documentary Now!

In 2016, John Mulaney co-wrote "Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid, Parts 1 & 2" with Bill Hader for Documentary Now!.

2016: Performance at USO Event "A Celebration of Service"

In 2016, John Mulaney performed standup comedy at "A Celebration of Service" event at Joint Base Andrews, organized by the USO, alongside Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Mike Birbiglia, Kristen Schaal, and David Letterman. Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and Jill Biden were also in attendance.

2017: Big Mouth Series Voice Acting

In 2017, John Mulaney began providing the voice of a lead character on the animated Netflix series Big Mouth alongside his writing partner Nick Kroll.

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April 14, 2018: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On April 14, 2018, John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live. This was one of his six times hosting the show.

2018: Independent Spirit Awards and Spider-Verse

In 2018, John Mulaney co-hosted the Independent Spirit Awards ceremonies with Nick Kroll. He also provided the voice of Spider-Ham in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

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January 2019: Announcement of "Sundays with Pete & John" Comedy Tour

In January 2019, it was announced that John Mulaney would tour with Pete Davidson for a limited series of comedy shows called "Sundays with Pete & John."

March 2, 2019: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On March 2, 2019, John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live. This was one of his six times hosting the show.

December 2019: Release of "John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch" on Netflix

In December 2019, John Mulaney released "John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch," a children's musical comedy special, on Netflix. The special featured 15 child actors and celebrity cameos and was inspired by shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

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2019: Acting Role on Documentary Now!

In 2019, John Mulaney had his first acting role on Documentary Now! in the episode "Original Cast Album: Co-Op". He co-wrote the episode and the songs with Seth Meyers.

February 29, 2020: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On February 29, 2020, John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live. This was one of his six times hosting the show.

October 31, 2020: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On October 31, 2020, John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live. This was one of his six times hosting the show.

November 2020: Joined Late Night with Seth Meyers as a Writer

In November 2020, John Mulaney joined Late Night with Seth Meyers as a staff writer.

2020: Interview with André Gregory for the Chicago Humanities Festival

In 2020, John Mulaney interviewed actor and playwright André Gregory for the Chicago Humanities Festival, discussing Gregory's life, career, and memoir, "This Is Not My Memoir."

This Is Not My Memoir

Check it on Amazon

May 2021: Return to Stand-Up Comedy with "From Scratch"

In May 2021, John Mulaney returned to stand-up comedy after a period of absence, performing new material titled "John Mulaney: From Scratch" in sold-out shows at City Winery in New York City before announcing a tour.

June 2021: Appearance at Fundraiser Concert for Maya Wiley

In June 2021, John Mulaney appeared alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as openers for a concert featuring The Strokes, which served as a fundraiser for New York City mayoral candidate Maya Wiley.

February 26, 2022: Induction into Saturday Night Live's Five-Timers Club

On February 26, 2022, John Mulaney joined Saturday Night Live's Five-Timers Club, commemorated with an on-air sketch featuring Candice Bergen, Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, Paul Rudd, Steve Martin, and Conan O'Brien.

May 2022: Controversy over Dave Chappelle Opening for Mulaney

In May 2022, during his "From Scratch" tour, John Mulaney invited Dave Chappelle to open his show, leading to criticism due to transphobic jokes Chappelle had made.

June 2022: "From Scratch" Tour

In June 2022, John Mulaney's "From Scratch" tour concluded, having run from March with 33 shows. Parts of the routine were later used in his 2023 special Baby J.

2022: Writing for Documentary Now!

In 2022, John Mulaney wrote the episode "Soldier of Illusion, Parts 1 & 2" for Documentary Now! which parodied the films of Werner Herzog.

March 2023: Announcement of "Baby J" Netflix Special

In March 2023, it was announced that a new Netflix special from John Mulaney, titled "Baby J", was slated for release on April 25, 2023.

April 17, 2023: Teaser Trailer Release for "Baby J"

On April 17, 2023, a teaser trailer was released for John Mulaney's Netflix special "Baby J", heightening anticipation for the show's release.

April 25, 2023: Release of Netflix Special "Baby J"

On April 25, 2023, John Mulaney's new Netflix special, titled "Baby J", was released. The special was filmed in Boston and deals with Mulaney's visit to drug rehabilitation and his efforts toward sobriety.

2023: Cancellation of Panel in Solidarity with WGA Strike

During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, John Mulaney cancelled a panel with Jon Stewart to promote his comedy special Baby J, in solidarity with the writers and due to strike rules prohibiting members from making "For Your Consideration" appearances.

2023: Appearance in "Bupkis" and "The Bear"

In 2023, John Mulaney appeared as himself in the episode "Borgnine" of the Pete Davidson series "Bupkis" on Peacock and guest starred in the episode "Fishes" of "The Bear" on Hulu.

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2023: Honoring Robin Williams in Netflix Special

In 2023, John Mulaney honored Robin Williams in the Netflix special "The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up", which was filmed at the Hollywood Palladium as part of the Netflix is a Joke Fest in Los Angeles. Mulaney appeared alongside Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, and Chelsea Handler.

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April 2024: Announcement of "John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA"

In April 2024, John Mulaney announced a six-part series called "John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA", which was live-streamed on Netflix for six nights during the Netflix is a Joke Festival in early May 2024.

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September 9, 2024: Return to Broadway in "All In: Comedy About Love"

On September 9, 2024, it was announced that John Mulaney would return to Broadway in the Simon Rich play "All In: Comedy About Love", acting opposite Fred Armisen, Richard Kind, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Chloe Fineman.

November 2, 2024: Hosting Saturday Night Live

On November 2, 2024, John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live, marking his sixth time hosting the show and solidifying his place among the elite SNL hosts.

2025: Writer and Co-Host for Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special

In 2025, John Mulaney served as a writer on the NBC television special, Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special where he also served as a co-host with Steve Martin and performed in sketches.

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