5 Best Will Forte Movies And TV Shows, Ranked

Will Forte first made a name for himself on "Saturday Night Live," delivering plenty of stellar moments during his eight-season tenure as a cast member from 2002 to 2010. While he might have been best known for the recurring character of MacGruber, he was also the show's secret weapon: Forte was able to embody all sorts of awkward characters, like Jeff Montgomery in the "Trick-or-Treat" sketch with Jon Hamm, where he uses the spirit of Halloween to inform his neighbors of a dark secret.

Forte hasn't been short on work since departing "SNL." If a show or movie needs someone to bring the house down with cringe comedy and a commitment to absurdism, Forte is the guy to call. In fact, when Looper interviewed Forte, he described what he thinks is his bread and butter: "I'm so used to doing very absurd and usually very dirty stuff." "Bob's Burgers," "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson," "Gravity Falls," "Keanu," and "30 Rock" are just some of the projects where Forte shows up, rolls out some awesome jokes, and then leaves us wanting more. 

But what are the best Will Forte movies and TV shows? Sure, a quick cameo can be hilarious, but which projects give you the best sense of who Forte is as a performer? There are plenty of great options to choose from, but we narrowed it down to this top five based on online reviews, a fellow sketch comedian's opinion, and where Forte gets the most time to shine. 

• Cast: Will Forte, Nicole Sullivan, Christopher Miller

• Creators: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Bill Lawrence

• Rating: TV-14

• Number of Episodes: 33

• Where to watch: HBO Max

The same year Will Forte first appeared on "Saturday Night Live," he had another show come out that was far more absurdist. First airing on MTV in 2003, "Clone High" was a high-concept animated series that follows a group of high schoolers who all happen to be clones of famous historical figures. The show is stylized in a way reminiscent of "very special" episodes of various teen dramas like "Dawson's Creek," and according to fans, it's the best animated MTV show to be canceled after one season.

Forte voices Abe Lincoln, who's in love with Cleopatra (Christa Miller, later Mitra Jouhari) while ignoring the very obvious advances of Joan of Arc (Nicole Sullivan). He's the awkward protagonist just trying to fit in and live up to the expectations set forth by the first Abraham Lincoln. That's the other thing that makes "Clone High" work so well: there's genuine pathos with these ridiculous characters. Their angst isn't just played for laughs, and you really start to feel for them. But the comedy is the reason to watch, and it's a great blend of silly nonsense and smart historical references, as when John F. Kennedy (Christopher Miller) proudly proclaims, "Nothing bad ever happens to the Kennedys!"

"Clone High" was canceled after just one season, but it was brought back on Max (now HBO Max) in 2023. Unfortunately, it only lasted two more seasons there before getting the plug pulled again. One would have hoped that by the 2020s, the world might catch up with the surrealist nature of "Clone High," but this show seems destined to remain a cult favorite.

• Cast: Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, Jon Daly

• Director: David Wain

• Rating: TV-MA

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix

It's rare to see Will Forte in a leading role. He's amazing as a zany side character, but a main character needs to have at least some grounding so that the audience can relate to them. Forte proved he could balance both wonderfully in 2018's "A Futile and Stupid Gesture," a unique biopic about Douglas Kenney (Forte), founder of the National Lampoon humor magazine.

The film regularly breaks the fourth wall, with characters commenting on how things depicted in the film didn't actually happen in real life. It's a superb skewering of biopic conventions that tidy a messy reality into a digestible film, while Forte's performance as Kenney also challenges the idea of what a comedic genius looks like. Forte infuses Kenney with a manic energy that sometimes makes him hilarious and in other instances utterly contemptible. 

In addition to Forte's performance, "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" is worth watching for the cavalcade of cameos, as well-known actors portray famous '70s comedians. Joel McHale portraying his old "Community" co-star Chevy Chase is a highlight, while Seth Green, Max Greenfield, and Natasha Lyonne also appear. It's one of the best comedy movies on Netflix because even though it'll make you laugh throughout, you'll find yourself surprisingly moved by the end. 

• Cast: Will Forte, Kristen Schaal, January Jones

• Creator: Will Forte

• Rating: TV-14

• Number of Episodes: 67

• Where to watch: Hulu

What if the last man on Earth was a total jerk? That's basically the question posited by Fox's hilarious series, which Will Forte actually created himself, with his frequent collaborators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller producing. Forte plays Phil Miller, a guy who just wants companionship after a lethal virus wipes out humanity. As the first season progresses, he discovers more and more people are alive, and somehow, every single time, he manages to alienate himself from the survivors.

"The Last Man on Earth" is a testament to Forte's ability to make us care for people who aren't exactly likable. Even though Phil marries Carol (Kristen Schaal) early in the series, he still tries to get with some of the other female survivors whom he finds more attractive. It's a portrait of a man who figured that the apocalypse would finally be his chance to come out on top, but even when there are few options remaining, he's still a loser.

"The Last Man on Earth" is truly one of the best post-apocalyptic shows ever made because of what it has to say about loneliness and our need for community. Phil can be selfish, but most people watching can probably identify some aspects of themselves in him. As the series continues, we see him take one step forward and two steps back in terms of becoming a better person. There's always the hope that a person can learn from their mistakes, even when it feels like the world has left them behind. 

• Cast: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe

• Director: Jorma Taccone

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Where to watch: HBO Max

How many times can you repeat pretty much the same sketch before people get sick of it? Based on how frequently "Saturday Night Live" has gone back to the Domingo well, the answer is plenty. But you can often get great results through a steady formula, as the "MacGruber" sketches show, and the character of MacGruber lends himself so naturally to an action film parody that he finally starred in one in 2010. 

Will Forte plays the titular hero, who's always near a bomb that detonates before he can defuse it. It's the perfect send-up of action flicks like "Lethal Weapon" from the 1980s and '90s, while also making fun of "Road House," "Die Hard," "Top Gun," and others. The more you're familiar with those kinds of tentpoles, the better time you'll have with "MacGruber."

Since "MacGruber" sketches end after a few minutes, he needs to be fleshed out more here. The solution is to make him a dumb action hero who's ruled by ego more than anything else. It plays perfectly into Forte's wheelhouse of characters who are hilarious but also have a lot of growing up to do. He's a complete narcissist, but once again, Forte's strength as a performer is getting audiences to like guys who have some pretty significant flaws. 

• Cast: Will Forte, Bruce Dern, Bob Odenkirk

• Director: Alexander Payne

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 115 minutes

• Where to watch: Paramount+

It might seem odd to end a list of the best Will Forte movies and TV shows with what's maybe his least funny role to date, but "Nebraska" is just that good. The movie's still funny, but it's more of a down-home, subdued type of humor rather than the manic energy Forte's projects typically get affiliated with. Forte plays David Grant, son of Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), who's trying to get to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim a $1 million prize he insists he won through the mail. Even though it's clearly a scam, David humors his father as an excuse to get to spend time with him, seeing as he's getting older and doesn't have much time left. 

Forte plays against type: he's largely a straight man to Woody and some of the other eclectic characters they encounter on their journey. But once you see Forte offer dramatic depth, you'll wish he did these kinds of roles more often. For the first time, it's a chance to see Forte as he truly is; as he told Rolling Stone, "The character in ['Nebraska'] is the closest to who I am in real life."

It's good to hear that Forte isn't actually a narcissistic jerk in real life. And rest assured, he still has plenty of funny moments in "Nebraska." We all know Forte can play absurd, but to watch him go completely against what audiences know him for, and excel, is truly a sight to see.