Tim Robinson

Tim Robinson (born May 23, 1981) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and skateboarder. He first became known as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live (2012–2016) before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018), I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–2023) and The Chair Company (2025). He also starred in...

Tim Robinson (born May 23, 1981) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and skateboarder. He first became known as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live (2012–2016) before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018), I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–2023) and The Chair Company (2025). He also starred in the A24 comedy film Friendship (2024). Early life Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 23, 1981, the son of a mother who worked for Chrysler and a father who worked in construction. He is of Italian, English and Polish descent. He grew up in suburban Waterford Township, graduating from Clarkston High School in 2000. His parents divorced when he was a child. Robinson has said that he "kind of grew up with two dads" in reference to his stepfather, who was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah with him. He saw a live Second City comedy performance in Chicago as a teenager, and soon began taking weekend improv classes at its Detroit branch. While pursuing a comedy career, he supported himself by working in a toy store and teaching improv classes. Career Robinson toured with Second City Detroit's touring company, then joined Second City Chicago. He has also performed at the iO Theater and Just for Laughs. He filmed a 2011 television pilot for Comedy Central called My Mans, but the show was not picked up by the network. In 2012, he was cast as a series regular in the unaired CBS sitcom Friend Me. In September 2012, he made his debut as a featured performer on Saturday Night Live. A year later, it was announced that he would work on the writing staff rather than continue being a performer, making him the second SNL cast member (after Brian Doyle-Murray) to go from performer to staff writer and the first SNL performer to become a writer after originally being cast solely as a performer. His celebrity impressions on the show included Ben Bailey and Bill Cowher, and he also portrayed the recurring character Carl, an elderly retail worker who would always get insulted by Niff (Bobby Moynihan) and Dana (Cecily Strong). Robinson has appeared twice on late-night NBC talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers as Dale, who acts as host Seth Meyers' "emergency sidekick." His first appearance was during the "Next Week's News" sketch on February 28, 2014, and his second appearance was during the "Celebrity Drunk Texts" sketch on April 8, 2014. In 2016, he wrote and appeared in his own episode of the sketch comedy show Netflix Presents: The Characters. He is also the co-creator and co-star of Detroiters, along with fellow Detroit native and best friend Sam Richardson. The show premiered on Comedy Central in February 2017. In April 2017, he guest starred on Fox's Making History as Al Capone. In 2018, Netflix commissioned I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, a sketch comedy series created by and starring Robinson and produced by the members of The Lonely Island. It premiered in April 2019 and received critical acclaim, as did its second season, which premiered in July 2021. The series was renewed for a third season in May 2022, which premiered on May 30, 2023. In 2022 and 2023, Robinson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for his work on I Think You Should Leave. Robinson voiced Creature, the player character's grenade launcher, in the first-person shooter video game High on Life (2022). In early 2025, Robinson starred in Friendship, a dark comedy directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature debut. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by A24 for U.S. distribution. It had a limited theatrical release on May 9, 2025, followed by a wider release on May 23. On October 12, 2025, HBO premiered The Chair Company. Robinson and Zach Kanin are credited as creators and producers, with Robinson starring in the comedy thriller. Personal life Robinson married Heather, an electrical engineer for Chrysler, in September 2006. They were schoolmates and began dating as teenagers. They live in Los Angeles with their son and daughter. Robinson has been an avid skateboarder since high school. He is a vegetarian and suffers from claustrophobia. He believes in the existence of aliens but not ghosts. His favorite film is Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train (1951). He is a fan of his hometown Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons, and a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, which is occasionally featured or referenced in his work. Wrestlers who have done cameo roles in his shows include Brody King, Kevin Nash, Ryan Nemeth, Erick Rowan, and Aron Stevens. Filmography Film Television Video games Awards and nominations References External links Tim Robinson on Instagram Tim Robinson at IMDb