Jason Woliner

Jason Woliner is an American director,[1] writer and a former child actor. He is best known for being in the sketch comedy show Human Giant, as a non-performing member who instead worked behind the scenes as director, and his work directing Duolingo on Ice,[2] the new multilingual musical, which will be on tour globally in 2024. Woliner won a Golden Globe award for directing Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Jason Woliner
Woliner in July 2011
Born (1980-06-01) June 1, 1980 (age 43)
Occupation(s)Director, writer, actor
Years active
  • 1989–1996
  • 2014
(actor)
2005–present (director)
Known forHuman Giant
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Early life and education edit

Woliner attended Pelham Memorial High School and for higher study at Sarah Lawrence College from 1998 to 2000 before dropping out to pursue a directing career.[3] His first acting credit was at age nine, appearing in Weekend at Bernie's.

Career edit

After leaving school, Woliner began making films and videos, both on his own and with comedians in New York, which led to the formation of Human Giant. The first three Human Giant videos ("Shutterbugs", "Illusionators", and the "Shittiest Mixtape Boombox Blast") caught the eyes of executives at MTV, who offered the group a pilot. The show ran for two seasons.

He was the non-performing member of the comedy group Human Giant and directed the bulk of their output. After that, he directed, co-wrote, and acted as showrunner on the cult Adult Swim series Eagleheart starring Chris Elliott. Woliner has directed episodes of Fox's The Last Man on Earth, NBC's Parks and Recreation, and Comedy Central's Nathan for You and Jon Benjamin Has a Van, among others. In 2020, he directed Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

He has collaborated with writer-performer Brett Gelman on a series of horror/comedy specials for Adult Swim. The first of these, titled Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends, aired in April 2014, and the second special, titled Dinner with Family with Brett Gelman and Brett Gelman's Family, aired in February 2015. The third special, Brett Gelman's Dinner in America, aired in July 2016. Woliner and Gelman wrote the specials together; Gelman stars and Woliner directed.

In 2020, he directed the comedy film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture with Sacha Baron Cohen.[4] In 2023, Woliner directed Paul T. Goldman, a hybrid documentary-comedy series for Peacock.[5]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Films directed, written, or produced by Jason Woliner
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer
2006Other MusicYesNoNo
2007An Evening with P. OswaltYesNoNo
2014Food ClubYesYesYes
2020Borat Subsequent Moviefilm[6]YesNoNo
Acting roles by Jason Woliner
YearTitleRole
1989Weekend at Bernie'sBratty Kid
1990Shining Time Station: 'Tis a GiftMatt
1996BulletYoung Boy #3 - Buck Teeth
2014Food ClubCaptain Woliner

Special thanks

Television edit

Television work by Jason Woliner
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerEditorNotes
1989–91Shining Time StationNoNoNoNoMatt Jones; 22 episodes
2005–10ShutterbugsYesYesYesNo11 episodes
2007–08Human GiantYesYesYesYes14 episodes
2009The Electric CompanyYesNoNoNoEpisode: "Scent of a Human"
DelocatedNoNoNoYesEpisode: "Pilot"
Raaaaaaaandy!YesYesNoYes3 episodes
2009–10Parks and RecreationYesNoNoNo3 episodes
2010Funny or Die PresentsYesYesYesYes6 episodes
PlayersYesNoYesNo10 episodes
2011Saturday Night LiveYesYesNoNoEpisode: "Ed Helms/Paul Simon"
Jon Benjamin Has a VanYesNoNoNo2 episodes
EagleheartYesYesYesNo25 episodes[7]
2012New GirlYesNoNoNoEpisode: "Menzies"
2013Good Morning Tri-StateYesNoNoNoTelevision short
Nathan for YouYesNoNoNo2 episodes
2014Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and FriendsYesYesNoNoTelevision short
Tim & Eric's Bedtime StoriesNoYesNoNo7 episodes
2015The Jack and Triumph ShowNoNoYesNo6 episodes
W/ Bob & DavidYesNoNoNo4 episodes
Master of NoneNoYesYesNo10 episodes
2015–18The Last Man on EarthYesNoNoNo12 episodes
2019What We Do in the ShadowsYesNoNoNo2 episodes
Trade Show ShowYesNoNoNo6 episodes
2023Paul T. GoldmanYesYesYesNo6 episodes[8]
TV specials by Jason Woliner
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerEditor
2009Patton Oswalt: My Weakness Is StrongYesNoNoYes
2010Intimate Moments for a Sensual EveningYesNoNoYes
MTV Movie & TV AwardsYesYesYesNo
2011Patton Oswalt: Finest HourYesNoNoNo
2012Aziz Ansari: Dangerously DeliciousYesNoNoNo

References edit

External links edit