# David Wain
**David Wain** (born 1969 in [Shaker Heights, Ohio](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaker-heights-ohio)) is an American director, screenwriter, actor and comedian. He co-created and co-starred in the MTV sketch series *The State* and the [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central) series *Stella*, and has directed feature films including *Wet Hot American Summer* (2001), *The Ten* (2007), *Role Models* (2008), *Wanderlust* (2012), *They Came Together* (2014) and *A Futile and Stupid Gesture* (2018).[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008153697.html) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain) The French national library's authority record lists him as directeur, scénariste et acteur, director, screenwriter and actor, born 1969.[3](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb16146331j)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, Shaker Heights, Ohio[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008153697.html) |
| Full name | David Benjamin Wain[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wain-david-1969) |
| Education | New York University film student, graduated 1991[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Sketch comedy | Co-creator and co-star of *The State* (MTV, 1993–97) and *Stella* (Comedy Central)[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wain-david-1969) • [6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) |
| Features directed | Five cataloged by the AFI (2001–2014) plus *A Futile and Stupid Gesture* (2018); his official bio counts seven, the newest *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass*[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain) • [6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) |
| Television | Executive producer, writer, director and guest star of *Childrens Hospital*: seven seasons on Adult Swim, six Emmy Awards[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) |
| Netflix series | Co-creator and sole director of *Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp* and *Ten Years Later*, eight parts each[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) |
## Early life and education
Wain grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he began what his official biography calls a lifelong hobby of magic.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) He studied film at New York University, graduating in 1991, and met the other members of the comedy troupe that became The State while a student there.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true) After graduating, he debuted his short film *Aisle Six* at the 1993 [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival).[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) Biographical sources differ on the short's date: Encyclopedia.com credits him as director and producer of *Aisle Six* in 1991, while the Sundance debut is dated 1993 in his own account.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wain-david-1969) • [6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal)
## The State and Stella
Wain formed the comedy troupe The New Group with college friends; on graduation the group changed its name to THE STATE and, as he tells it, through a series of lucky breaks ended up with its own series on MTV.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Encyclopedia.com credits him as director, producer and editor of *The State* on MTV from 1993 to 1997.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wain-david-1969) The troupe's move from MTV to CBS, in Wain's words, imploded, and the group was de-activated without an official breakup, although all eleven members later reunited for live shows.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio)
Around 1997, Wain, Michael Ian Black and [Michael Showalter](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-showalter) started a weekly nightclub comedy show called STELLA at Fez Under Time Cafe, which ran until 2005 and spawned shorts and a Comedy Central series.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Wain's official bio describes both *The State* and *Stella* as having enduring cult followings.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal)
## Film directing career
*Wet Hot American Summer* (2001), co-written and co-produced with Michael Showalter, is set on the last day of summer camp in 1981 and features [Janeane Garofalo](https://www.edgepedia.org/janeane-garofalo), David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd and [Christopher Meloni](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-meloni), along with roles for [Elizabeth Banks](https://www.edgepedia.org/elizabeth-banks) and Bradley Cooper.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) The AFI Catalog lists Wain as director of *Wet Hot American Summer*, *The Ten* (2007), *Role Models* (2008), *Wanderlust* (2012) and *They Came Together* (2014), with writing credits on all five and producing credits on *The Ten* and *Wanderlust*.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain)
*The Ten*, written and produced with [Ken Marino](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-marino), presents ten comedic stories inspired by the [Ten Commandments](https://www.edgepedia.org/ten-commandments), starring [Paul Rudd](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-rudd), Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba and Liev Schreiber.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) **Role Models**, Wain's first bigger-budget studio movie, stars Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Jane Lynch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J. Thompson and Elizabeth Banks; it was a Critics Choice nominee for Best Comedy.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) IMDb identifies *Role Models* as his most successful feature.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true) *Wanderlust*, directed, produced and co-written with Ken Marino, stars Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Alan Alda, Justin Theroux and Malin Akerman.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Wain co-wrote *They Came Together* with Michael Showalter, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd; the AFI Catalog dates it 2014 while his own bio places it in 2013.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain) In 2018 he directed *A Futile and Stupid Gesture*, a Netflix biopic about National Lampoon founder Doug Kenney starring Will Forte.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio)
## Television and streaming work
Wain voiced [The Warden](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-warden) on [Adult Swim](https://www.edgepedia.org/adult-swim)'s animated series *Superjail* and created roughly 40 episodes of the web series *Wainy Days*, in which he also appears as himself.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true) On *Childrens Hospital*, starring [Rob Corddry](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-corddry), Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler and Malin Akerman, he served as executive producer, writer, director and frequent guest star, playing Rabbi Jewy McJewJew among other roles; the show ran seven seasons on Adult Swim, won six Emmy Awards, and spawned the spin-offs *Medical Police* and *Newsreaders*.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true)
The cult following of *Wet Hot American Summer* enabled reuniting the original cast for two Netflix mini-series, *First Day of Camp* and *Ten Years Later*, each of eight parts, which Wain co-created with Michael Showalter and solely directed; he also plays the counselor Yaron in them.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) • [6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) More recently he was executive producer and sole director of *Mr. Throwback*, a Peacock comedy series starring [Stephen Curry](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-curry), Ego Nwodim and [Adam Pally](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-pally).[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal)
## Recurring collaborators and themes
Paul Rudd appears across the filmography, from *Wet Hot American Summer* through *The Ten*, *Role Models*, *Wanderlust* and *They Came Together*.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Michael Showalter is his most frequent writing partner, co-writing *Wet Hot American Summer* and *They Came Together* and co-creating the Netflix series, while Ken Marino co-wrote *The Ten* and *Wanderlust*.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Elizabeth Banks appears in both *Wet Hot American Summer* and *Role Models*, and Amy Poehler in *Wet Hot American Summer* and *They Came Together*.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) Wain himself acts in much of what he directs, from *Stella* and *Wainy Days* to *Childrens Hospital* and the Netflix camp series.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true)
## By the numbers
The count of his features depends on the catalog: his official bio says he has directed seven feature films, the newest being *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass*, while the AFI Catalog lists five (2001–2014) and IMDb says five.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true) *Childrens Hospital* ran seven seasons and won six Emmy Awards.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) The only critical nomination recorded in these sources is *Role Models*' Critics Choice nomination for Best Comedy.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio)
## What has changed since 2023
Recent work includes the feature *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass*, starring Zoey Deutch, John Slattery and Jon Hamm, and the Peacock series *Mr. Throwback*.[6](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal) Wain is co-creator of a new stage musical, *Three Months Later*, and plays drums with the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio) After 26 years in New York he lives in Los Angeles with his two sons.[7](https://davidwain.com/bio)
## References
1. [Wain, David, 1969-, Library of Congress Authorities](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008153697.html)
2. [David Wain, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/267820-David-Wain)
3. [Notice de personne "Wain, David (1969-....)", BnF Catalogue général](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb16146331j)
4. [Wain, David 1969–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/wain-david-1969)
5. [David Wain, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906476/?showAllCredits=true)
6. [Bio (formal), davidwain.com](https://davidwain.com/bio-formal)
7. [Bio, davidwain.com](https://davidwain.com/bio)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of the United States and Canada › Contemporary film directors › Directors debuting in the 1990s and 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license