Zach Galifianakis was a Hollywood late bloomer. This overnight success story went from the fringes of obscurity to the absolute forefront of the red carpet.
He is as talented as he is hilarious . So to celebrate this incredible wolf pack of one, here are 10+ random facts about Zach Galifianakis that fans didn’t know!
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Zach isn’t a fan of fame.
Zach has always steered clear of the public’s eye as much as possible. During an interview on The Off Camera Show , Zach admitted that he felt that the mystery or allure of an actor is what draws the audience to them.
He doesn’t participate in any kind social media.
Not only does Zach not participate in it, he feels that it is negatively affecting society as a whole. He doesn’t believe in putting himself out there in that fashion, which is too bad.
If anyone should have a TikTok account — it’s him.
Zach shaved his beard while hosting *SNL*.
Zach is known for his trademark beard . So the last thing that the audience was expecting after a musical performance courtesy of Vampire Weekend was to see a shaven Galifianakis.
But in the next sketch, only Zach’s mustache remained!
You probably haven’t seen his breakout film role, but you definitely should.
Zach played Luke in the cult classic stoner comedy, Out Cold . If you think that The Hangover is his best role to date, think again.
I’d put Out Cold up against anything on Zach’s resume.
He’s appeared on *Sesame Street*.
It’s great to see Zach helping to educate the next generation.
Hopefully, by combining humor and a love of learning, he can help motivate the next generation of comedians as well as brain surgeons!
A small act of kindness goes a long way for Zach.
When Zach was first starting out on SNL , he recalls a table read where the cast was going over one of his sketches — in total silence.
Afterward, Tina Fey came up to him and put her hand on his shoulder . This small act of empathy stayed with him for years.
He’s an incredibly talented pianist.
That’s actually Zach pounding away on the ivories! He’s incorporated piano into his standup for years, much to the hilarity and musical delight of his audience.
I just thought of the perfect album name — In the Key of G.
Zach wishes he never made a sequel to *The Hangover*.
As Zach put it to Rolling Stone , sometimes you just need to know when to “leave well enough alone;” to know when to back away.
I’m not saying that the sequels taint the legacy of the first film but they certainly don’t help it.
Zach is the host of *Between Two Ferns*!
When Between Two Ferns first came out, people couldn’t make heads or tails of it. For the first few interviews, it was difficult to tell if the guests were genuinely shocked by Zach’s questions or in on the gag themselves.
The Steve Carell interview is my personal favorite.
He’s terribly claustrophobic.
I can totally empathize with Zach on this one. I mean, is there anyone out there who relishes in the idea of being trapped in a confined space?
It must have made shooting those elevator scenes in The Hangover unbearable.
Zach has an extreme dedication to the art of pranking.
One day, Zach called up his sister to inform her of a brilliant practical joke the pair could play on their brother, Greg.
For five full years, they’ve called him Craig ! What makes the joke even more hilarious is that Zach’s brother hasn’t acknowledged it. Not even once.
He completely bombed on *SNL*.
Zach was heartbroken to learn that he didn’t get the part after he was sure he’d nailed the audition. Performing on Saturday Night Live had always been a dream.
But it wasn’t all for nothing. The producers liked his style and decided to hire him as a writer . He lasted two full weeks.
Zach tricked Jerry Seinfeld into appearing on *Between Two Ferns*.
Zach was a guest on Jerry’s Netflix series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee . After the very awkward episode concludes, Zach leads Jerry onto the soundstage of Between Two Ferns !
He had the most unlikely of friendships with a homeless woman named Mimi.
Mimi was an octogenarian homeless woman, living in a laundromat in Santa Monica. She and Zach struck up a friendship and her story is chronicled in the documentary Queen Mimi .
Zach was approached by Nike and offered an endorsement deal.
To say that Zach wasn’t interested is an understatement. He asked if Nike was still in the business of having seven-year-olds sew their shoes.
Afterward, Zach’s offer was quickly rescinded.
