Biography
Alan Stuart Franken is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a staff writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live.
Known For
Complete Filmography
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
as Self
Untold stories behind the culture-defining and newsmaking musical performances, sketches and cameos of the past 50 years.
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue
2024
as Gramps (voice)
Family frenemies, Gracie and Pedro, must put their differences aside, embarking on a thrilling quest packed with perilous escapades in order to reunit...
Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue
2024
Executive Producer
Family frenemies, Gracie and Pedro, must put their differences aside, embarking on a thrilling quest packed with perilous escapades in order to reunit...
Chris Farley: Anything for a Laugh
2019
Comic Chris Farley breaks through as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and later stars in several iconic big-screen comedies, but behind his over...
Inside the Russian Info War Machine
2018
as self
Acclaimed journalist Paul Moreira investigates how Russia manipulates public opinion, undermines democratic governments and attempts to alter world ev...
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
2017
as Self
A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just...
The Words That Built America
2017
as Self - Reader: The Constitution
In recognition of the 4th of July, several celebrities and politicians of differing ideologies join to read the historic documents which laid the foun...
Long Strange Trip
2017
as Self
The tale of the Grateful Dead is inspiring, complicated, and downright messy. A tribe of contrarians, they made art out of open-ended chaos and inadve...
Hot Coffee
2011
as Self
Most people think they know the "McDonald's coffee case," but what they don't know is that corporations have spent millions distorting the case to pro...
Dean and Me: Roadshow of an American Primary
2008
as Himself
Feature length documentary about Howard Dean and the Democratic primary.
Lord, Save Us from Your Followers
2008
as Self
The humorous, provocative and moving examination of the Culture Wars and faith in America. Featuring interviews from all sides of the issues, the film...
Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater
2007
as Self
The life and career of conservative icon Barry Goldwater is recounted from his days as an Arizona businessman to his five-term Senate career and his i...
Al Franken: God Spoke
2006
as Self
Join filmmaking duo Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob as their cameras follow Franken to book signings, campaign rallies and the launch of Air America Radio...
Earth to America
2005
as Self
Tom Hanks is the host of this show with a comic approach to raise awareness concerning the environment.
Left of the Dial
2005
as Self
A documentary look at the troubled first year of liberal talk radio start up Air America and its slate of hosts, including Al Franken, Rachel Maddow, ...
Wellstone!
2004
as Self
Paul Wellstone was the charismatic Minnesota progressive who used grassroots organizing to get elected and give ordinary people a stake in government....
Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable
2004
as Self
Twenty million people live within a 50-mile radius of the Indian Point Energy Center and its three nuclear reactors. This film takes a cautionary look...
The Manchurian Candidate
2004
as TV Commentator
Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow s...
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
2004
as Self (archive footage)
This film examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news, and provides an i...
The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase
2002
as Self - Roaster
Chevy Chase bitterly takes in his roast.
Harvard Man
2001
as Al Franken
College has always been a time for experimentation, sexual, cultural and otherwise. "Harvard Man" plays out against a background of love, sex, basketb...
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
1999
as Self
A TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. Before a celebrity audience, many of the former cast members and guest hosts ret...
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman
1998
Writer
Classic Saturday Night Live skits featuring the hilarious Phil Hartman.
The Definite Maybe
1997
as Vagabond
When 25-year-old New Yorker Eric Traber gets fired from his job and kicked out of his apartment, he fears the worst. But his best friend, Ziggy, shows...
Stuart Saves His Family
1995
as Stuart Smalley
A self-help advocate struggles to put his dysfunctional family in its place.
Stuart Saves His Family
1995
Screenplay, Novel
A self-help advocate struggles to put his dysfunctional family in its place.
When a Man Loves a Woman
1994
as Co-Pilot (uncredited)
An airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety....
When a Man Loves a Woman
1994
Executive Producer, Screenplay
An airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety....
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
1989
as Self
A TV special celebrating the 15th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. Before a celebrity audience, many of the former cast members and guest hosts ret...
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel
1988
as The Awesome Pair
A humourous telling of the history of the comic book superhero.
One More Saturday Night
1986
as Paul Flum
The problems faced by both teenagers and adults in a small Minnesota town who are trying to get dates for a Saturday night.
One More Saturday Night
1986
Writer
The problems faced by both teenagers and adults in a small Minnesota town who are trying to get dates for a Saturday night.
Tab Lloyd: Investigative Reporter
1985
Spoof comedy.
Franken and Davis at Stockton State
1984
as Himself
Released in 1984 featuring Al Franken and Tom Davis writers and performers on the original Saturday Night Live perform live in front of a small colleg...
Franken and Davis at Stockton State
1984
Writer
Released in 1984 featuring Al Franken and Tom Davis writers and performers on the original Saturday Night Live perform live in front of a small colleg...
The Coneheads
1983
Writer
In this animated pilot based on the SNL sketch, The Coneheads come to conquer Earth but they soon find themselves becoming domesticated.
Trading Places
1983
as Baggage Handler #1
A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
1981
Steve Martin's fourth NBC special was in the spirit of his previous association with Saturday Night Live. It was broadcast live from Studio 8H, produc...
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
1981
Writer
Steve Martin's fourth NBC special was in the spirit of his previous association with Saturday Night Live. It was broadcast live from Studio 8H, produc...
Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead
1981
as Self - Host
Recorded October 30th and 31st, 1980, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Dead Ahead showcases the recently reformed Grateful Dead lineup in ac...
Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda
1979
Writer
A series of skits feature the Finley Quality Network and its many quality TV shows.
The Paul Simon Special
1977
Writer
Paul Simon just wants to perform his songs although an arrogant director keeps on interrupting him with crazy ideas.
Tunnel Vision
1976
as Al
A committee investigating TV's first uncensored network examines a typical day's programming, which includes shows, commercials, news programs, you na...