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{{Short description|American comedian, writer, and actor (born 1960)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Smigel
| image = Robert Smigel Tribeca-01 (cropped).jpg
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption = Smigel at the 2025 [[Tribeca Festival]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|2|7}}
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_place = [[New York City, New York]], U.S.
| education = [[Cornell University]] <br>
[[New York University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|writer|director|producer|puppeteer}}
| years_active = 1985–present
| notable_works = {{plainlist|
* ''[[TV Funhouse]]''
* [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]
}}
| spouse = Michelle Saks
| children = 3
| father = [[Irwin Smigel]]
}}
'''Robert Smigel''' (born February 7, 1960)<ref>{{cite web |title=Smigel, Robert 1960- |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/smigel-robert-1960 |website=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |publisher=[[Cengage]]}}</ref> is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and [[puppeteer]], known for his ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' "[[TV Funhouse]]" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]. He also co-wrote the first two [[Hotel Transylvania|''Hotel Transylvania'' films]], ''[[You Don't Mess with the Zohan]]'', and ''[[Leo (2023 American film)|Leo]]'', all starring [[Adam Sandler]].
==Early life==
Robert Smigel was born in New York City, to Lucia and [[Irwin Smigel]], an aesthetic dentist, innovator and philanthropist. He is [[Jews|Jewish]] and frequently went to [[Jewish summer camp]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/robert-smigel-1798214098 |title=Robert Smigel |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=June 2, 2008 |publisher=The A.V. Club |access-date=September 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bloom|first=Nate|title=Jewish Stars |publisher=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]|date=July 18, 2008 |url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/jewish-stars/article_86beaefa-cc2e-5c8d-81ce-f5d56fd4176a.html}}</ref> He attended [[Cornell University]], studying pre-dental,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/robert-smigel-556-v17n10/ |title=Robert Smigel |last=Castoro |first=Rocco |date=October 1, 2010 |website=Vice |access-date=November 6, 2018}}</ref> and graduated from [[New York University]]'s [[New York University College of Arts & Science|College of Arts and Science]] in 1983 with a degree in political science.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940109/robert_smigels_dog_days |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216125747/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940109/robert_smigels_dog_days |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2010 |title=Rolling Stone Magazine: Robert Smigel's Dog Days |publisher=Rollingstone.com |access-date=September 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nyu.edu/alumni.magazine/issue10/10_culture_snl.html |title=Live From New York, It's… |last=Hollander |first=Jason |website=NYU Alumni Magazine}}</ref>
Smigel began developing his comedic talent at [[The Players Workshop]] in Chicago, where he studied improvisation with [[Josephine Forsberg]]. [[Bob Odenkirk]] was a fellow student there. Smigel was also a member of the Chicago comedy troupe "All You Can Eat" in the early 1980s.
==Career==
Smigel first established himself as a writer on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' by joining the writing staff when [[Lorne Michaels]] returned as executive producer for the [[Saturday Night Live season 11|1985–1986 season]]. Smigel was hired after then-''SNL'' producers [[Al Franken]] and Tom Davis saw Smigel in a Chicago sketch show.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23075 |title=Robert Smigel |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=August 4, 2004 |publisher=The A.V. Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209120016/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23075 |archive-date=December 9, 2008 |access-date=September 2, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Smigel was among the few writers who survived a purge of writers and cast at the conclusion of the "disappointing" 1985–1986 season. This is when Smigel began to write more memorable sketches, including one where host [[William Shatner]] urged worshipful attendees at a ''[[Star Trek]]'' convention to "get a life." Smigel rarely appeared on screen, though he was credited as a featured player in the early 1990s and played a recurring character in the [[Bill Swerski's Superfans]] sketches.
While on a writers' strike from ''Saturday Night Live'' following the [[Saturday Night Live season 13|1987–88 season]], Smigel wrote for an [[improvisational comedy]] revue in Chicago with fellow ''SNL'' writers [[Bob Odenkirk]] and [[Conan O'Brien]] called ''[[Happy Happy Good Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Happy? Good? Conan's big Chicago show|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/05/happy_good_cona.html|access-date=January 22, 2016|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225123/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/05/happy_good_cona.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Smigel co-wrote ''[[Lookwell]]'' with [[Conan O'Brien]] for [[NBC]]. The pilot never went to series, but it has become a cult hit and has screened live at "The Other Network", a festival of un-aired TV pilots produced by [[Un-Cabaret]], featuring live and taped intros by Smigel. Smigel later became the first head writer at ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', where he created numerous successful comedy bits, including one where Smigel performed only the lips of public figures which were superimposed on photos of the actual people. (This technique was pioneered on the ''[[Clutch Cargo]]'' cartoon series as a cost-saving measure, and was known as [[Syncro-Vox]].)
In 1996, Smigel wrote and performed on the short-lived ''[[The Dana Carvey Show|Dana Carvey Show]]'', a primetime [[sketch comedy]] program on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. Despite its premature end, the show provided Smigel the opportunity to debut his first cartoon ''[[The Ambiguously Gay Duo]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Animation: TV & Broadcast – The Dana Carvey Show | url=http://www.jjsedelmaier.com/animation/carvey.html | publisher=J.J. Sedelmaier Productions | year=2008 | access-date=January 22, 2016 | archive-date=December 7, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207064156/http://www.jjsedelmaier.com/animation/carvey.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> Upon the show's cancellation, Smigel continued developing more cartoon ideas the following summer and would begin airing them on ''Saturday Night Live'' under the ''[[TV Funhouse]]'' banner. Smigel would later claim "My whole career came out of the impulse to do cartoons on ''The Dana Carvey Show''."<ref>Heisler, Steve [https://www.avclub.com/dana-carvey-and-robert-smigel-1798216785 Interview – Dana Carvey and Robert Smigel] [[The A.V. Club]] (June 15, 2009). Retrieved on 5-09-10.</ref>
[[File:Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.jpg|thumb|right|Robert Smigel (right) performing his puppet character, [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]], at [[2008 Republican National Convention]] with [[Associated Press]] [[production assistant]] (left)]]
Smigel's most famous creation, however, would be the foul-mouthed puppet [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]], who mercilessly mocks celebrities and others in the style of a [[Borscht Belt]] comedian. This character debuted on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' in February 1997 and would continue to make appearances on the show, as well as others, for many years to come.
Smigel continued to establish himself on ''Saturday Night Live'' by producing short animated segments under the title ''TV Funhouse'', which usually [[satire|satirizes]] public figures and popular culture. It spawned a TV show on [[Comedy Central]] featuring a mix of puppets, animation, and short sketches, although only eight episodes were aired (during the winter of 2000–2001). Smigel occasionally appears in films (usually alongside ''SNL'' veterans such as [[Adam Sandler]]). According to interviews, Smigel helped punch up the scripts for ''[[Little Nicky]]'' and ''[[The Wedding Singer]]''. Smigel acted alongside fellow ''SNL'' writer [[Bob Odenkirk]] in ''[[Wayne's World 2]]'' as a nerd backstage at an [[Aerosmith]] concert. His contributions were uncredited.
In 2000, he voiced a sage bulldog named Mr. Beefy in ''[[Little Nicky]]''. Smigel, along with Adam Sandler and [[Judd Apatow]], wrote the script for the film ''[[You Don't Mess with the Zohan]]'' in which Smigel played Yosi, an Israeli electronics salesman. Smigel is also one of the executive producers of the film, which is a first for him despite his frequent collaborations with Sandler.
It was reported in 2006 that Smigel and Adam Sandler were working on an animated sitcom for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] called ''Animals''. Fox has not made any official statement regarding the show.<ref name=Fox-Animated-Series>{{cite web|last=West|first=Kelly|title=Smigel And Sandler Team Up For A New Fox Animated Series|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Smigel-And-Sandler-Team-Up-For-A-New-Fox-Animated-Series-1176.html|work=Cinemablend|access-date=January 22, 2016|date=October 2, 2006}}</ref> Additionally, Smigel played a gay mailman in the Adam Sandler film ''[[I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry]]'' and Yari the Mechanic in the "Mister Softee" episode of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.
He voiced Ray and the ''[[Star Wars]]'' character, [[Palpatine|Emperor Palpatine]], in the first episode of ''[[Robot Chicken: Star Wars]]'', as well as the monster One Hundred in the [[One Hundred (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)|episode of the same name]] of ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]''.
[[File:2024-03-09 SXSW Creating-Comedy-from-the-Director's-Chair 10.jpg|thumb|upright|Smigel at [[SXSW|SXSW 2024]]]]
Currently living in New York, he co-wrote and co-executive produced the films ''[[Hotel Transylvania (film)|Hotel Transylvania]]'' (2012) and ''[[Hotel Transylvania 2]]'' (2015), in which he voiced Marty, a fake version of [[Dracula]], and Harry Three-Eye, respectively. In the [[Louie season 5|fifth season]] of the [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] show, ''[[Louie (American TV series)|Louie]]'', Smigel received a story credit on the episode "[[Cop Story (Louie)|Cop Story]]", as a similar incident as to what appears in the show actually happened to him, down to the cop crying in his apartment while Smigel went out, found the missing gun and carried it home, terrified that anyone would notice. [[Michael Rapaport]]'s character Lenny wasn't based on the man Smigel knew, however, since all Smigel ever told [[Louis C.K.]] about was the gun itself.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/how-louie-got-a-shorter-season-because-louis-ck-got-high |title=How 'Louie' got a shorter season because Louis C.K. got high |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |website=[[HitFix]] |date=May 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529172458/http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/how-louie-got-a-shorter-season-because-louis-ck-got-high |archive-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref>
Smigel created, wrote, executive produced, and starred as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in ''[[The Jack and Triumph Show]]'', alongside [[Jack McBrayer]] in 2015. It was announced in January 2016 that Smigel would be starring as Triumph in ''Triumph's Election Special 2016'' on [[Hulu]] the following February.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/triumph-the-insult-comic-dog-to-host-hulu-election-special-20160121 |title=Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to Host Hulu Election Special |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=January 21, 2016 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=January 22, 2016}}</ref>
In September 2020, after being brought on to develop the project in 2019, Fox announced that Smigel would executive produce ''Let's Be Real'' — a one-off adaptation of the French satirical series ''[[Les Guignols]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2020-09-15|title=Fox Sets Election-Themed Puppet Special 'Let's Be Real' From Robert Smigel Based On French Format|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/fox-election-themed-puppet-special-lets-be-real-robert-smigel-based-on-french-format-les-guignol-adaptation-promo-video-1234577311/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}</ref>
On June 16, 2022, Smigel was arrested for unlawful entry of the [[Longworth House Office Building]] in Washington, D.C., along with eight other individuals associated with ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haring|first=Bruce|date=June 17, 2022|title='Late Show' Staffers Detained By U.S. Capitol Police, Including Robert Smigel, Voice Of Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog|url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/late-night-with-stephen-colbert-staffers-detained-by-capitol-police-1235048143/|access-date=June 17, 2022|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> [[CBS]] released a statement saying that “Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through [[Congressional aides]] of the members interviewed", and that "After leaving the members’ offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.” [[Fox News]] pundit [[Tucker Carlson]] accused Smigel of "[[insurrection]]" and that it was "exactly like what happened" in apparent reference to the [[2021 United States Capitol attack]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zitser|first=Joshua|date=Jun 18, 2022<!--, 9:56 AM-->|title=Tucker Carlson accuses Stephen Colbert crew of 'insurrection' after they were arrested while filming a comedy segment at the Capitol|website=INSIDER|access-date=June 21, 2022|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-tucker-carlson-accuses-colbert-crew-of-capitol-insurrection-2022-6}}</ref> [[Stephen Colbert]] addressed the incident in his monologue, stating that Smigel had committed "First-Degree [[Puppetry]]" and that "Drawing any equivalence between rioters storming our Capitol to prevent the counting of electoral ballots and a cigar-chomping toy dog is a shameful and grotesque insult to the memory of everyone who died.” The [[United States Capitol Police]] released a statement saying that “This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the [[U.S. Attorney]].”<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weprin|first=Alex|date=June 20, 2022<!-- 10:11pm-->|title=Stephen Colbert Addresses Arrest of Triumph and Crew at U.S. Capitol: "This Was First-Degree Puppetry"|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stephen-colbert-addresses-arrest-of-triumph-and-crew-at-us-capitol-1235168709/|access-date=June 21, 2022|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> On July 19, it was announced no charges would be filed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Balsamo|first=Michael|date=July 19, 2022|title=No charges for 'Late Show' crew arrested on Capitol Hill|url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arrests-stephen-colbert-government-and-politics-84ebcc654735f619655d264944da0227|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Smigel met his wife, Michelle Saks, when she worked as a lighting technician for the theater in Chicago where he performed as part of the comedy troupe "All You Can Eat and the Temple of {{Not a typo|Dooom}}<!--Three "o"s, per rollingstone ref-->."<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/my-favorite-mr-show-sketches-maynard-keenan-sarah-silverman-sound-off-154626/sarah-silverman-5-143505/ | title=Maynard Keenan, Sarah Silverman on Favorite 'Mr. Show' Bits | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=November 3, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cracked.com/article_40843_triumph-the-insult-comic-dog-cant-stop-photo-bombing-live-tv.html | title=Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Can't Stop Photo-Bombing Live TV | date=January 19, 2024 }}</ref><ref>
* https://www.cracked.com/article_40450_robert-smigels-wife-bought-him-the-triumph-puppet-after-he-made-it-sniff-her-ass-in-a-furniture-store.html
* https://www.nyu.edu/alumni/news-publications/news-stories/nyu-alumni-emmy-nominations-2018.html
</ref>
They have three children together.{{fact|date=May 2024}}
Smigel and Saks serve on the board of [[NEXT for AUTISM]], formerly New York Collaborates for Autism, a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to address the needs of autistic individuals and their families, as their eldest child has [[autism]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nyc4a.org/boardofdirectors |title=Board of Directors |website=NYCA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111224257/http://www.nyc4a.org/boardofdirectors |archive-date=November 11, 2013}}</ref> Smigel created the ''[[Night of Too Many Stars]]'', a biannual celebrity fundraiser to benefit autism education.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/03/08/night-too-many-stars-comedy-central-jon-stewart-chris-rock/24250153/|title=At autism fund-raiser, too many funny 'Stars'|work=USA TODAY|access-date=March 13, 2017}}</ref> He won an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Emerging Media Program|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program]] for the 2012 broadcast of ''Night of Too Many Stars'' at the [[65th Primetime Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/big-wins-and-brief-moments-at-the-creative-arts-emmy-awards/|title=Big Wins and Brief Moments at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards - Los Angeles Magazine|date=September 16, 2013|work=Los Angeles Magazine|access-date=March 13, 2017}}</ref>
==Recurring characters on ''SNL''==
*Carl Wollarski, from "Bill Swerski's Superfans"
*Hank Fielding, with "The Moron's Perspective" on ''[[Weekend Update]]''
*One of the Hub's Gyros employees (aka the "You like-ah the Juice?" guys)
*Avi, the ''Sabra [[The Price Is Right|Price is Right]]'' announcer
*Bighead, in ''The Ambiguously Gay Duo'' cartoons
==Celebrity impressions==
{{div col}}
*[[Alan Dershowitz]] (on ''SNL'')
*[[Woody Allen]] (on ''SNL'')
*[[Al Sharpton]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Al Franken]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[William Ginsberg]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Don McLean]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Lorne Michaels]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Pat Robertson]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Thomas Mesereau]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Sinbad (entertainer)|Sinbad]] (on ''SNL'' TV Funhouse cartoon)
*[[Bob Dole]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Gene Shalit]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Joel Siegel]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Bob Ross]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Rip Torn]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Bill Walton]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Richard Nixon]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Sam Donaldson]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Hussein of Jordan]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Quentin Tarantino]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
*[[Ringo Starr]] (on ''The Dana Carvey Show'')
{{div col end}}
==Recurring characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''==
*[[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]
*"Clutch Cargo" celebrity interviews ([[Bill Clinton]], [[George W. Bush]], [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Don King]], Bob Dole, etc.)
*One of the "Nicknames for Conan" guys (aka the "Conan the Barbarian" guys)
*One of the "Ameri-clan" guys (with [[Doug Dale]], [[Louis C.K.]] and [[Dino Stamatopoulos]])
*Voice of "The Late Night Emergency Guest" mannequin
*Gibberish Speaking [[Ronald Reagan]] on the Phone
*Ira, O'Brien's publicist
==Filmography==
===Film===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Wayne's World 2]]''
| Concert Nerd
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Billy Madison]]''
| Mr. Oblaski
|
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Happy Gilmore]]''
| IRS Agent
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1998
| ''[[Tomorrow Night (film)|Tomorrow Night]]''
| Mail Room Guy with Glasses
|
|-
| ''[[The Wedding Singer]]''
| Andre
|
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Little Nicky]]''
| Mr. Beefy
| Voice
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Punch-Drunk Love]]''
| Dr. Walter
|
|-
| 2007
| ''[[I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry]]''
| Mailman
|
|-
| 2008
| ''[[You Don't Mess with the Zohan]]''
| Yosi
| Also writer and producer
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Jack and Jill (2011 film)|Jack and Jill]]''
| {{n/a}}
| Executive producer and writer of "Dunkaccino"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2012
| ''[[Hotel Transylvania (film)|Hotel Transylvania]]''
| Fake Dracula, Marty
| Voice; also writer and executive producer
|-
| ''[[This Is 40]]''
| Barry
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2015
| ''[[Pixels (2015 film)|Pixels]]''
| White House Reporter #2
|
|-
| ''[[Hotel Transylvania 2]]''
| Marty, Harry Three-Eye, Navigator
| Voice; also writer and executive producer
|-
| 2016
| ''[[The Do-Over]]''
| Doctor
|
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Too Funny to Fail]]''
| Himself
| Documentary
|-
| 2018
| ''[[The Week Of]]''
| ER Doctor
| Also writer and director
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Marriage Story]]''
| Mediator
|
|-
| 2020
| ''[[The King of Staten Island]]''
| Male Pharmacy Owner
|
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm]]''
| Fraptaculan Robert
| Voice
|-
| 2023
| ''[[Leo (2023 American film)|Leo]]''
| Miniature Horse, Drone, Old Lizard #1, Old Lizard #3
| Voice; also writer and director<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2023|title=Everything You Need to Know About ''Leo'' |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/leo-adam-sandler-release-date-photos |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=[[Tudum]] |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 2024
| ''[[Between the Temples]]''
| Rabbi Bruce
|
|-
| 2025
| ''[[Happy Gilmore 2]]''
| Lawyer
|}
===Television===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! scope="col" width="350px" | Role
! Notes
|-
| 1985–2011
| ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
| Various
| 132 episodes, also writer, producer
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Superman]] 50th Anniversary Special''
| [[Brain Wave (character)|Brainwave]]
|Television special
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Lookwell]]''
| {{n/a}}
| Television pilot; co-writer
|-
|1992
|''[[InDecision 92]]''
|Hank Fielding
|Television special
|-
| 1993–2009
| ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''
| [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]
| Voice, 79 episodes; also writer and producer
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Howie Mandel's Sunny Skies]]''
| Phillip
| Episode: "1.10"
|-
| 1996
| ''[[The Dana Carvey Show]]''
| Various
| 8 episodes; also writer
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| ''[[LateLine]]''
| Pearce Dummy
| Episode: "Pearce on Conan"
|-
|''[[Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary Special]]''
|Himself
|Television special
|-
| 2000
| ''ShortCuts''
| Clive Barnes
| Episode: "Food"
|-
| 2000–2001
| ''[[TV Funhouse#Comedy Central series|TV Funhouse]]''
| Various
| Voice, 8 episodes; also creator, writer, and producer
|-
| 2002
| ''[[It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice; television film
|-
| 2003–2007
| ''[[Crank Yankers]]''
| Lawyer, Samir, John Tierney
| Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| 2003–2017
| ''[[Night of Too Many Stars]]''
| Himself / Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Television specials; also writer and executive producer
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, episode: "Dreams"
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]''
| Motherboy Member
| Episode: "[[Motherboy XXX]]"
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Robot Chicken: Star Wars]]''
| [[Palpatine]], Ray
| Voice, television special
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Lewis Black's Root of All Evil]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, episode: "NRA vs PETA"
|-
| 2009–2010
| ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, 3 episodes
|-
| 2009
| ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, episode: "[[SpongeBob's Truth or Square]]"
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]''
| One Hundred
| Voice, episode: "One Hundred"
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''
| Yari
| Episode: "Mister Softee"
|-
| 2011–2016
| ''[[Conan (talk show)|Conan]]''
| Various
| 11 episodes
|-
| 2012–2022
| ''[[Bob's Burgers]]''
| Yuli
| Voice, 6 episodes
|-
| 2013
| ''[[The Aquabats! Super Show!]]''
| [[Krampus]]
| Voice, episode: "Christmas with the Aquabats!"
|-
|rowspan=3| 2015
| ''[[The Jack and Triumph Show]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, 7 episodes; also creator, writer, and executive producer
|-
| ''[[Louie (American TV series)|Louie]]''
| {{n/a}}
| Episode: "Cop Story"; story
|-
| ''[[The Jim Gaffigan Show]]''
| Cory
| Episode: "Red Velvet If You Please"
|-
|rowspan=4| 2016
| ''Triumph's Election Special 2016''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, television special; also writer and executive producer
|-
| ''[[Portlandia]]''
| Jarvis
| Episode: "Lance Is Smart"
|-
| ''Triumph's Summer Election Special 2016''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, television special; also writer and executive producer
|-
| ''Triumph's Election Watch 2016''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, miniseries; also writer and executive producer
|-
| 2018
| ''[[New Girl]]''
| Chaplain
|Episode: "The Curse of the Pirate Bride"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2019
|''[[Svengoolie]]''
|Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
|Episode: "''[[Attack of the 50 Foot Woman]]''"
|-
| ''[[The Masked Singer (American TV series)|The Masked Singer]]''
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| Voice, episode: "Triumph Over Masks"; guest panelist
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Let's Be Real]]''
| [[Jared Kushner]]
|Voice, 5 episodes; also writer/executive producer
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
| ''[[White House Plumbers (miniseries)|White House Plumbers]]''
|Friedman
|Episode: "True Believers"
|-
| ''[[What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)|What We Do in the Shadows]]''
|Alexander
|Episode: "[[The Campaign (What We Do in the Shadows)|The Campaign]]"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2025
|''[[SNL50: The Homecoming Concert]]''
|Himself
|Television special
|-
|''[[Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special]]''
|Himself
|Television special
|}
===Music videos===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Song title
! Role
! Artist
|-
| 2005
| "[[Ass Like That]]"
| Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
| [[Eminem]]
|}
==Further reading==
* DiGiacomo, Frank. "Triumph Sniffs a Hit". ''[[The New York Observer]]'' (October 20, 2003).
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|806912}}
* [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23075 Interview with The
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1980s}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2000s}}
{{Former Saturday Night Live cast members}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smigel, Robert}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
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[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
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[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
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[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:American comedy writers]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
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[[Category:American television writers]]
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[[Category:Comedians from Chicago]]
[[Category:Comedians from New York City]]
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[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]
[[Category:Male actors from Chicago]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Illinois]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Television producers from Illinois]]
[[Category:Television producers from New York City]]
[[Category:Television producers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Jews from Illinois]]
[[Category:Jews from New York (state)]]
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