John Mulaney Net Worth (Money & Salary)

John Mulaney’s Net Worth and Salary Explained

John Mulaney, a well-known American actor and comedian, has amassed a net worth estimated at $15 million. His comedy career took off when he began writing for “Saturday Night Live” from 2008 to 2013, during which he co-created the beloved character Stefon alongside Bill Hader. Following that, Mulaney shifted his focus to stand-up comedy, debuting with “The Top Part” in 2009, and subsequently releasing specials such as “New in Town” (2012), “The Comeback Kid” (2015), and “Kid Gorgeous” (2018). The last of these earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

In addition to his stand-up efforts, Mulaney has made appearances in various films and television shows, including “Crashing,” “Portlandia,” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” where he voiced Peter Porker/Spider-Ham. He also created and starred in the short-lived sitcom “Mulaney,” which aired on Fox in 2014.

Collaborating often with Nick Kroll, Mulaney has worked on several projects, including the Broadway production “Oh, Hello” and the animated series “Big Mouth,” which they co-developed.

John Mulaney’s Early Life

Born on August 26, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois, Mulaney grew up in a family with a strong academic background, as his mother, Ellen, was a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, while his father, Charles, worked as an attorney at Skadden Arps. With Irish Catholic roots, Mulaney was an altar boy during his childhood and is the third child in a family of five.

From a young age, Mulaney aspired to enter show business. At seven, he joined a children’s sketch club called “The Rugrats” in Chicago, which led to an audition opportunity for the film “Home Alone,” a chance his parents ultimately declined.

John attended St. Clement School for middle school, where he and a friend presented what they learned through skits instead of traditional reports. At 14, he played Wally Webb in a production of “Our Town.” Later, he attended St. Ignatius College Prep before enrolling in Georgetown University, where he majored in English and minored in theology. Joining the school’s improv group allowed him to forge connections with Nick Kroll and Mike Birbiglia, and he later accompanied Birbiglia on his stand-up tour, honing his stage presence.

The Career of John Mulaney

Following his graduation from Georgetown in 2004, Mulaney relocated to New York City to pursue a career in comedy. He initially worked as an office assistant at Comedy Central. During his time there, he proposed a parody show called “I Love the ’30’s,” which he co-wrote with Nick Kroll, though the pitch was unsuccessful. Realizing that the job hindered his ambitions as a comedian, he decided to resign to concentrate on his craft.

For the next four years, he dedicated himself to writing and performing comedy until he gained significant recognition in 2008 through appearances on major late-night talk shows. His performance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” led to an opportunity to audition for “Saturday Night Live.” In this audition, he opted to perform stand-up with character-infused routines rather than giving impressions. With low expectations going in, he ultimately earned a position on the writing team, contributing for four seasons.

During this tenure, Mulaney released his stand-up comedy album “The Top Part,” as well as the special “New in Town.” He and Bill Hader collaborated on creating the recurring SNL character “Stefon,” portrayed by Hader. While part of the SNL team, John was nominated alongside his fellow writers for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.

After his tenure on “Saturday Night Live,” Mulaney’s writing extended to a variety of television productions, including “Maya & Marty,” “Oh, Hello on Broadway,” “Documentary Now!” and the “Comedy Central Roast” of James Franco. Additionally, John played supporting roles in shows such as “Crashing,” “Portlandia,” and “Difficult People.”

In 2015, Mulaney debuted his third stand-up comedy special, “The Comeback Kid,” on Netflix, which garnered critical praise. According to David Sims from “The Atlantic,” it served as “a reminder of everything that makes Mulaney so singular: storytelling rich with well-observed details, delivered with the confidence of someone decades older than 33.” The following year, John was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for “The Comeback Kid.”

Mulaney launched his stand-up comedy tour “Kid Gorgeous” in May 2017, which spanned two months. During this tour, he performed for seven nights at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, with one performance recorded for the Netflix special “John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City.” This film received widespread acclaim, with Steve Greene of IndieWire stating it was “one of the year’s best pieces of writing.” At the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, John won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for “Kid Gorgeous.”

In 2017, Mulaney received an invitation to join Martin Short, Steve Martin, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Murray, and Norm MacDonald in honoring David Letterman, who was being awarded The Mark Twain Prize for American Humour at The Kennedy Center. When Letterman accepted the award, he acknowledged John, stating, “John Mulaney, this is the future of comedy, ladies and gentlemen.”

In 2019, Mulaney teamed up with Pete Davidson for a limited series of sold-out shows during their comedy tour titled “Sundays with Pete & John.” Later that same year, John released a children’s musical comedy special named “John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch,” which garnered favorable reviews. Over the years, Mulaney has made four returns to host “Saturday Night Live,” making him the fourth writer in SNL history to host despite never being a cast member.

Personal Life

John Mulaney married Annamarie Tendler, a makeup artist and lampshade artisan, in 2014. Their wedding took place in Boiceville, New York, officiated by their friend Dan Levy. However, they divorced in 2021 after John underwent a period of rehab the previous year. Following their separation, John began dating actress Olivia Munn. In September 2021, the couple announced they were expecting a child, and they welcomed a son in December 2021. In August 2024, John and Olivia disclosed that they had actually married earlier that year.