Taran Killam is an American actor and comedian best known for six seasons on Saturday Night Live, and Celebrity Net Worth estimates the combined net worth of Killam and his wife, Cobie Smulders, at $25 million. Born April 1, 1982, he is 44 and in 2026 appears in NBC’s Stumble and ABC’s High Potential.
His career moves between sketch comedy, sitcoms, movies, voice acting, directing and Broadway, where he has played in both Hamilton and Spamalot. Elsewhere on the site: Justina Machado.
| Quick fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Taran Hourie Killam |
| Date of birth | April 1, 1982 |
| Age | 44 (born April 1, 1982) |
| Birthplace | Culver City, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, comedian, writer, director |
| Spouse | Cobie Smulders |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Height | About 6 ft 0½ in (1.84 m) |
| Best known for | Saturday Night Live, Single Parents, High Potential, Stumble |
| Broadway credits | Hamilton and Spamalot |
| Net worth | $25 million combined with Cobie Smulders (Celebrity Net Worth estimate) |
His birth date, birthplace and Broadway credits are listed in his Wikipedia biography and Broadway records.
From child actor to sketch-comedy performer
Killam started working on screen long before his SNL years. His first film appearance came in 1994 with a small role in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. He later appeared on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show and joined MADtv at age 19.
Those early jobs gave him experience with scripted comedy, impressions, and fast-moving ensemble work. He also performed with The Groundlings and appeared on shows such as Wild ’N Out. By the time NBC hired him in 2010, his résumé already covered children’s television, sketch comedy, sitcom appearances, and movies.
Taran Killam on SNL: the years that made him widely known
Killam joined Saturday Night Live in September 2010 and remained with the program through 2016. IMDb credits him with 128 episodes during that period. His work included celebrity impressions, original characters, musical comedy, and ensemble sketches.
His departure came after six seasons. In later interviews, he said he had expected to return for another year. He has linked the timing of his exit partly to his directing commitments on Killing Gunther. He later returned for SNL50: The Anniversary Special in 2025.
The SNL period remains central to his public profile, but it did not define the limits of his career. His later choices show a steady move between comedy, drama, theater, directing, and family television. He overlapped at the show with Mikey Day, who later became a long-running cast member.
Movies, television, voice work, and directing
His film credits span several genres. He appeared in The Heat, 12 Years a Slave, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ted 2, and Night School. He also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the 2017 action comedy Killing Gunther, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Television has remained a larger part of his career. He played Will Cooper on ABC’s Single Parents, voiced the lead character in PBS Kids’ Nature Cat, and appeared as Gary Blauman on How I Met Your Mother. More recent credits include The Residence, High Potential, and NBC’s Stumble.
A useful way to see the range is by medium:
| Career area | Selected work | Type of role |
|---|---|---|
| Sketch comedy | MADtv, Saturday Night Live | Impressions and original characters |
| Sitcoms | Single Parents, Stumble | Main ensemble roles |
| Drama and film | 12 Years a Slave, The Heat | Supporting performances |
| Voice acting | Nature Cat, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures | Animated characters |
| Filmmaking | Killing Gunther | Writer, director, producer, actor |
| Theater | Hamilton, Spamalot | Broadway musical comedy |
That range helps explain why his career has continued beyond one hit series. He has moved between formats instead of relying on a single character or genre.
Broadway roles in Hamilton and Spamalot
His stage career includes two high-profile Broadway productions. In 2017, he played King George III in Hamilton from January 17 to April 13, when Brian d’Arcy James returned to the role.
He returned to Broadway in the 2023 revival of Monty Python’s Spamalot. Killam played Sir Lancelot and several additional comic characters from October 31, 2023, through January 7, 2024. Alex Brightman then took over the role.
The stage credits fit his background well. Both roles depend on comic timing, character work, and musical performance, skills he had developed long before reaching Broadway.
Marriage to Cobie Smulders and family life
The comedian is married to actress Cobie Smulders, known for her roles in How I Met Your Mother and her Marvel appearances. The couple married on September 8, 2012, and they have two daughters. Public interviews show that they have continued balancing family life with active acting careers.
Their connection to How I Met Your Mother often causes confusion. Killam appeared on the series as Gary Blauman, but the pair did not first meet while filming the sitcom. He has said they knew each other before his recurring appearances on the show.
Their daughters were born in 2009 and 2015, and the couple married in Solvang, California.
What he is doing in 2026
His recent work shows that television comedy remains a major focus. He is a main cast member of Stumble, NBC’s mockumentary-style comedy about junior-college cheerleading, playing the football-coach husband of Jenn Lyon’s cheer coach. The series premiered on November 7, 2025, and its first season runs 13 episodes.
He has also continued his recurring role as Ludo Radovic, Morgan’s ex-husband, in ABC’s High Potential, including second-season episodes that aired in 2026.
Those projects keep him connected to several audiences at once: SNL fans, network-comedy viewers, family audiences, and people discovering him through newer streaming releases.
The career in perspective
Killam’s résumé is unusual because no single format has contained it. He began acting as a child, moved into sketch comedy, became an SNL regular, directed a feature film, worked on Broadway, and returned to network comedy.
For U.S. viewers checking on him in 2026, the short version is simple: he is still working steadily, with recent roles on both ABC and NBC series.
Frequently asked questions
He is 44 years old. He was born on April 1, 1982, in Culver City, California.
He is married to Canadian actress Cobie Smulders. They married in September 2012 and have two daughters.
His run ended in 2016 after six seasons. He later said the exit surprised him because he expected another season. His work directing Killing Gunther was discussed as one factor in the timing.
Yes. He played King George III on Broadway in 2017 before Brian d’Arcy James returned to the role in April.
Major credits include Saturday Night Live, Single Parents, The Heat, 12 Years a Slave, Night School, High Potential, and Stumble. He has also done extensive voice work, including Nature Cat.
