Paul Shaffer

Paul Shaffer

Known for
Acting
Born
November 28, 1949 (age 76)
Birthplace
Fort William, Ontario, Canada

Biography

Paul Shaffer is a Canadian musician, composer, vocalist, and band leader, among the highlights being the de facto leader of the early Saturday Night Live house band, and serving for 33 years (1982-2015) as the leader of David Letterman's house band.

Known For

Filmography

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Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer

Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer

Movie · as Self

2026
You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution... poster

You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...

Movie · as Self

2026
Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been poster

Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been

Movie · as Self

2026
Marty, Life Is Short poster

Marty, Life Is Short

Movie · as Self

2026
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man poster

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man

Movie · as Self

2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music poster

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

Movie · as Self - SNL Band Member 1975 - 1980

2025
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert poster

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert

Movie · as Self

2025
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues poster

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

Movie · as Artie Fufkin

2025
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not poster

I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not

Movie · as Self

2023
The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story poster

The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story

Movie · as Self

2022
Finding Sandler poster

Finding Sandler

Movie · as Self

2022
Spector poster

Spector

TV · as Self · 4 eps

2020
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man poster

Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man

Movie · as Self

2019
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice poster

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

Movie · as Self (archive footage)

2019
The Masked Singer poster

The Masked Singer

TV · as Self - Video Message, Skeleton (archive footage)

2019
Paul Shaffer Plus One poster

Paul Shaffer Plus One

TV · as self · 9 eps

2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show poster

The Kelly Clarkson Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2018
Love, Gilda poster

Love, Gilda

Movie · as Self

2018
Always at The Carlyle poster

Always at The Carlyle

Movie · as Self

2018
Bachman poster

Bachman

Movie · as Self

2018
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert 2014-2017 poster

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert 2014-2017

Movie · as Self

2017
Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs poster

Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs

Movie · as Self

2016
Todd Who? poster

Todd Who?

Movie · as Himself

2016
Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens poster

Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens

Movie · as Paul Shaffer

2015
Being Canadian poster

Being Canadian

Movie · as Self

2015
A Very Murray Christmas poster

A Very Murray Christmas

Movie · as Paul Schaffer

2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert poster

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep

2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon poster

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

TV · as Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band, Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep

2012
12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief poster

12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief

Movie · as Self

2012
Bachman & Turner - Live at the Roseland Ballroom poster

Bachman & Turner - Live at the Roseland Ballroom

Movie · as Keyboards

2010
Running Wilde poster

Running Wilde

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2009
Celebrity Ghost Stories poster

Celebrity Ghost Stories

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2008
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On poster

Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On

Movie · as Self

2007
Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary poster

Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary

Movie · as Self

2007
Fats and Friends poster

Fats and Friends

Movie · as Self

2006
Second City: First Family of Comedy poster

Second City: First Family of Comedy

TV · as Self · 3 eps

2005
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music poster

The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music

Movie · as Self

2005
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd poster

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd

Movie · as Blues Brothers Band (archive footage)

2005
Disney Heroes Volume 1 poster

Disney Heroes Volume 1

Movie · as Hermes (voice)

2005
How I Met Your Mother poster

How I Met Your Mother

TV · as Paul Shaffer · 1 ep

2004
Rockin' Pianos poster

Rockin' Pianos

Movie · as Self

2003
Hope & Faith poster

Hope & Faith

TV · as Himself · 1 ep

2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live! poster

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2002
The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase poster

The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase

Movie · as Self - Host

2001
The Concert for New York City poster

The Concert for New York City

Movie · as Self

2001
America: A Tribute to Heroes poster

America: A Tribute to Heroes

Movie · as Self

2001
50 Years of NBC Late Night poster

50 Years of NBC Late Night

Movie · as Self (archive footage)

2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent poster

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

TV · as Paul Shaffer · 1 ep

2001
Primetime Glick poster

Primetime Glick

TV · 1 ep

2000
Ed poster

Ed

TV · as Irv Nadler · 1 ep

1999
Man on the Moon poster

Man on the Moon

Movie · as Letterman Band (uncredited)

1999
Hercules: Zero to Hero poster

Hercules: Zero to Hero

Movie · as Hermes (voice) (archive sound)

1999
Where Are They Now?

Where Are They Now?

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1999
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn poster

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1999
Mark Twain Prize poster

Mark Twain Prize

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1998
Blues Brothers 2000 poster

Blues Brothers 2000

Movie · as Marco

1998
The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers' poster

The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers'

Movie · as Self

1998
Hercules poster

Hercules

TV · as Hermes (voice) · 10 eps

1998
Hollywood Squares poster

Hollywood Squares

TV · as Self - Panelist · 5 eps

1997
Hercules poster

Hercules

Movie · as Hermes (voice)

1997
The View poster

The View

TV · as Self · 2 eps

1996
Flash Gordon: Marooned on Mongo poster

Flash Gordon: Marooned on Mongo

Movie · as Dr. Hans Zarkov (voice)

1996
Flash Gordon poster

Flash Gordon

TV · as Dr. Zarkov (voice) · 26 eps

1995
The Weinerville New Year's Special: Lost in the Big Apple poster

The Weinerville New Year's Special: Lost in the Big Apple

Movie · as Self

1995
The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show poster

The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show

Movie · as Self

1993
The Best of the Blues Brothers poster

The Best of the Blues Brothers

Movie · as Self (archive footage)

1993
Friends of Gilda

Friends of Gilda

Movie · as Self

1993
Late Show with David Letterman poster

Late Show with David Letterman

TV · as Self - Musical Director · 4252 eps

1992
A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out poster

A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out

Movie · as Artie Fufkin

1990
Night of 100 Stars III poster

Night of 100 Stars III

Movie · as Self

1990
Seriously... Phil Collins poster

Seriously... Phil Collins

Movie · as Self

1990
Look Who's Talking Too poster

Look Who's Talking Too

Movie · as Taxi Businessman

1988
Scrooged poster

Scrooged

Movie · as Street Musician

1987
The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki poster

The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki

Movie · as Self

1987
Heartbeat poster

Heartbeat

Movie · as Filmmaker's Assistant

1985
Tears Are Not Enough poster

Tears Are Not Enough

Movie · as Self

1985
Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas poster

Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas

Movie · as Self

1984
This Is Spinal Tap poster

This Is Spinal Tap

Movie · as Artie Fufkin

1984
Jeopardy! poster

Jeopardy!

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1981
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever poster

Steve Martin's Best Show Ever

Movie · as Self / Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Boy

1980
Gilda Live poster

Gilda Live

Movie · as Don Kirshner / Arnie Schnachtman / Student Body President / The Candy Slice Group

1979
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video poster

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

Movie · as Church of Jack Lord Organist

1979
CBS News Sunday Morning poster

CBS News Sunday Morning

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1978
The Blues Brothers Live at Winterland poster

The Blues Brothers Live at Winterland

Movie

1977
A Year at the Top poster

A Year at the Top

TV · 5 eps

1975
Saturday Night Live poster

Saturday Night Live

TV · as Self - Host, Self - Cameo (uncredited), Igor (uncredited), Self (uncredited), Crowd Member (uncredited), Self - Pianist (uncredited), Musician at Plato’s Cave (uncredited), Don Kirshner / Paul (uncredited), Self - The Blues Brothers Band / Don Kirshner (uncredited), Self - The Blues Brothers Band (uncredited), Don Kirshner / Self (uncredited), Danny Kreutzman (uncredited), Various (uncredited), Self - Musician, Self - Various Characters · 1 ep

1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1956
Tony Awards poster

Tony Awards

TV · as Self - Performer · 1 ep