Janeane Garofalo
Stand-up comedian

Janeane Garofalo

Who Janeane Garofalo is

American comedian and actress who began in stand-up in the mid-1980s and was a pioneer of the Los Angeles alternative comedy scene in the early 1990s, later co-creating the long-running Eating It show at New York's Luna Lounge (1995–2005). She played Paula on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, was a Saturday Night Live cast member in 1994–95, and starred in films including Reality Bites, The Truth About Cats & Dogs and Wet Hot American Summer. Her stand-up specials include HBO's Comedy Half-Hour (1995) and If I May (Epix, 2010).

At a glance

Born
1964
Style
Alternative comedy
Came up through
Saturday Night Live
Stand-up specials
HBO Comedy Half-Hour, HBO Comedy Hour and If I May
Podcasts
The Majority Report and Feel This Book
On screen
The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live and 5 more
Next on stage
15 January 2027 — Punch Line Comedy Club Houston, Houston, TX

On stage

Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

On screen

Podcasts

Where they got their start

Came up the same way

Other comedians in SUCDb who came through Saturday Night Live:

The Launching Pads: the shows the comedians came through →

Comedians like Janeane Garofalo

Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.

Every stand-up comedian with a page, A to Z →

Career timeline

  1. 1964Born
  2. 1992The Ben Stiller Show (various characters, 1992–1993) On screen
  3. 1992The Larry Sanders Show (Paula, 1992–1998) On screen
  4. 1994Saturday Night Live (cast member, 1994–1995) On screen
  5. 1995HBO Comedy Half-Hour (1995, HBO) Special
  6. 1995TV Nation (correspondent, 1995) On screen
  7. 1996Seinfeld (Jeannie Steinman, 1996) On screen
  8. 1997HBO Comedy Hour (1997, HBO) Special
  9. 1999Feel This Book (book, with Ben Stiller, 1999) Book
  10. 2004The Majority Report (co-host, Air America Radio, 2004–2006) Podcast or book
  11. 2005The West Wing (Louise Thornton, 2005–2006) On screen
  12. 200924 (Janis Gold, 2009) On screen
  13. 2010If I May (2010, Epix; Moore Theatre, Seattle) Special
  14. 2015Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (Beth, 2015) On screen

Questions about Janeane Garofalo

Where is Janeane Garofalo performing next?

Friday 15 January 2027, 7:00 PM at Punch Line Comedy Club Houston, Houston, TX, then 2 more dates on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar. Each show's own listing has the last word.

What stand-up specials have they released?

HBO Comedy Half-Hour, HBO Comedy Hour and If I May.

What podcast do they host?

The Majority Report and Feel This Book.

What TV shows and films are they in?

The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, TV Nation, Seinfeld and The West Wing, among 8 credits.

Where did they get their start?

Saturday Night Live (cast member).

When were they born?

In 1964.

Who are some comedians like them?

Carol Leifer (also in The Larry Sanders Show), Mary Lynn Rajskub (also in The Larry Sanders Show), Dana Carvey (also in The Larry Sanders Show), Larry David (also in Seinfeld) and Jeremy Piven (also in The Larry Sanders Show).

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.

Their SUCDb record →

Sources

Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026