# Will Arnett
**Will Arnett** (full name William Emerson Arnett) is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, and voice actor, born in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, and best known for playing George Oscar "Gob" Bluth II on the Fox sitcom *Arrested Development*, voicing the title character of Netflix's animated series *BoJack Horseman*, and cohosting the podcast *SmartLess* with [Jason Bateman](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-bateman) and Sean Hayes.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) • [2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621221119)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) |
| Breakout role | Gob Bluth on the Emmy Award-winning Fox sitcom *Arrested Development*, which earned him his first Emmy nomination[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) |
| Emmy record | 7 nominations listed by the Television Academy, including four for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series as Devon Banks on *30 Rock* (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett) |
| Signature voice roles | BoJack Horseman (2014–2020) and Batman in *The Lego Movie* films and *The Lego Batman Movie* (2017)[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/08/i-cried-for-an-hour-arrested-developments-will-arnett-on-divorce-fatherhood-and-friendship) |
| Podcast | *SmartLess* with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, running from 2020, with 327 episodes listed on IMDb[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits) |
| Production company | Electric Avenue, launched in August 2014; credits include *Flaked*, *Murderville*, *The Gong Show*, and *Hot Date*[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) • [6](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brunicoextranet/Matrix/playback/TJNLnPqJTn2O0v3qx8sP_BANFF_2024_PRESS_CLIPPINGS.pdf) |
| Dramatic turn | Lead role as Alex Novak in Bradley Cooper's *Is This Thing On?* (2025), which he also co-wrote[7](https://apnews.com/article/0277a2ff564fb83e28c0e7ff51decbaa) |
## Early life and career beginnings
Arnett was born in Toronto, Ontario, graduated from Leaside High School, dropped out of [Concordia University](https://www.edgepedia.org/concordia-university), and moved to New York to pursue acting.[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/19370/will-arnett) He moved to New York City in 1990 to study at the [Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-strasberg-theatre-and-film-institute), and rather than doing stand-up or sketch comedy he studied the craft hoping to become a dramatic actor.[9](https://observer.co.uk/culture/interviews/article/will-arnett-i-know-everything-about-bradley-cooper-and-he-knows-everything-about-me) • [10](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/will-arnett-always-intended-to-be-a-dramatic-actor/id256943801?i=1000741968916) As a struggling actor he made his film debut in the 1996 film *Close Up*.[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/19370/will-arnett) Before *Arrested Development*, he was a regular on the NBC comedy series *The Mike O'Malley Show*, and after a series of failed pilots he decided to stop shooting pilots until his agent convinced him to audition for *Arrested Development*.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett) • [11](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/will-arnett/bio/3000054965/)
## Arrested Development and television comedy
*Arrested Development*, the Emmy Award-winning Fox sitcom on which Arnett played the delusional failed magician Gob Bluth, made him famous; the role earned him his first Emmy nomination, and the show returned on Netflix in 2018 after a five-year hiatus with Arnett reprising the part.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) He recalled that while filming the series before its debut, the cast worried they might be making "the worst thing of all time"; fans now greet him with the character's chicken dance and his famous line about having made a "huge mistake."[12](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/will-arnett-recalls-filming-arrested-development-before-show-debut)
His recurring role as the villainous Devon Banks on NBC's *30 Rock* brought four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett) He also starred in Fox's *Running Wilde* opposite [Keri Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/keri-russell), writing alongside writer/director Mitch Hurwitz, led CBS's *The Millers*, appeared in NBC's *Up All Night* opposite [Christina Applegate](https://www.edgepedia.org/christina-applegate) and [Maya Rudolph](https://www.edgepedia.org/maya-rudolph), and made guest appearances on shows including *Parks and Recreation*, *Sex and the City*, *The Sopranos*, *Boston Public*, *Third Watch*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and *Will & Grace*.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett) • [1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/)
## Voice work
Arnett's raspy baritone has been a defining instrument of his career, carrying him between roles as an actor, comedian, pitchman, and host.[13](https://assets.debut.disney.com/documents/Will%20Arnett%20Interview_GQ.pdf) He voiced the title character of Netflix's animated comedy *BoJack Horseman*, an alcoholic former star who happens to be a horse, which ran from 2014 to 2020 and brought him Emmy nominations, including as executive producer of the episodes "Free Churro" (2019) and "The View From Halfway Down" (2020).[4](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/08/i-cried-for-an-hour-arrested-developments-will-arnett-on-divorce-fatherhood-and-friendship) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett) He voiced Batman in *The Lego Movie* (2014), *The Lego Batman Movie* (2017), and *The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part* (2019).[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) Other voice credits include Surly in *The Nut Job*, *Monsters vs. Aliens*, *Horton Hears a Who*, *Ice Age 2: The Meltdown*, *Sit Down, Shut Up*, and commercials, most notably as the voice of GMC Trucks.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) In live action he played Vernon Fenwick in [Michael Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-bay)'s *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (2014) and its sequel *Out of the Shadows*.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/)
## SmartLess and hosting
Since 2020 Arnett has cohosted *SmartLess* with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, a podcast described as connecting people "from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity"; IMDb lists 327 episodes through 2026.[2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621221119) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits) The podcast has at times been among the most popular podcasts on the planet, according to a *GQ* profile that named him Performer of the Year in its December 2025/January 2026 issue.[13](https://assets.debut.disney.com/documents/Will%20Arnett%20Interview_GQ.pdf) A docuseries about the trio's podcast tour, *SmartLess: On the Road*, was ordered by [Discovery+](https://www.edgepedia.org/discovery) in 2021, and Arnett served as executive producer on the 2023 mini series.[14](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/will-arnett/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits) He has also hosted the Fox competition series *LEGO Masters*, which returned for a fourth season in 2023 and a fifth in 2025.[14](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/will-arnett/)
## Producing
In August 2014 Arnett launched Electric Avenue, a production company that develops and produces content across all platforms and landed a first-look deal at CBS TV Studios; its credits include *Flaked*, *Murderville*, *The Gong Show*, and *Hot Date*.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) • [6](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brunicoextranet/Matrix/playback/TJNLnPqJTn2O0v3qx8sP_BANFF_2024_PRESS_CLIPPINGS.pdf) He was also executive producer of the [David Spade](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-spade)-hosted game show *Snake Oil* (2023) and of Peacock's *Twisted Metal* (2023–2025, 22 episodes), on which he voices Sweet Tooth.[6](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brunicoextranet/Matrix/playback/TJNLnPqJTn2O0v3qx8sP_BANFF_2024_PRESS_CLIPPINGS.pdf) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits) On Netflix he co-created, co-wrote, and executive produced the comedy *Flaked*, in which he plays Chip, a self-appointed "guru."[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/)
## Is This Thing On? and a dramatic turn
In [Bradley Cooper](https://www.edgepedia.org/bradley-cooper)'s third feature as director, *Is This Thing On?* (2025), Arnett plays Alex Novak, a suburban New York dad who works in finance and, amid a failing marriage, stumbles into stand-up comedy at a fictionalized version of the Comedy Cellar.[7](https://apnews.com/article/0277a2ff564fb83e28c0e7ff51decbaa) Arnett co-wrote the film with his writing partner Mark Chappell and Cooper, and tried out material at the real Comedy Cellar for weeks in preparation.[15](https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/will-arnett-interview-is-this-thing-on) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/0277a2ff564fb83e28c0e7ff51decbaa) The story is loosely based on the true tale of Joseph Bishop, a pharmaceutical representative in Manchester, England, who fell into stand-up comedy about 25 years ago during a breakup and found the routines a form of therapy.[7](https://apnews.com/article/0277a2ff564fb83e28c0e7ff51decbaa) Critics received the film well, earning it a Certified Fresh 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers calling Arnett's performance his best work to date.[16](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/critics-seen-is-this-thing-on-commenting-will-arnett-heartbreaking-lovely-performance) Arnett described the role as a return to the dramatic acting he originally intended to pursue, and interviews around the release framed it as his first big dramatic turn.[10](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/will-arnett-always-intended-to-be-a-dramatic-actor/id256943801?i=1000741968916) • [17](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/arnett-tackling-first-dramatic-turn-210424532.html)
## Recent and upcoming projects
Arnett joined [Pedro Pascal](https://www.edgepedia.org/pedro-pascal) in director [Tony Gilroy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-gilroy)'s film *Behemoth!* after [David Harbour](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-harbour) exited the project, in a cast that also includes Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Matthew Lillard, Margarita Levieva, and Alexa Swinton; the film is listed as completed for 2026 on IMDb.[18](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/arnett-joins-tony-gilroy-next-193000979.html) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits) In June 2026 it was reported that he had joined Kristen Stewart in Prime Video's limited series *The Challenger*, playing NASA official George Abbey opposite Stewart's Sally Ride in a drama about the 1986 Rogers Commission investigation of the Challenger disaster.[19](https://mande.net/above-the-line/will-arnett) • [20](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/will-arnett-star-alongside-kristen-stewart-challenger) He also appears as Phil Yorn in the 2026 TV series *The Madison* and as Doug in *The Morning Show* (2021–2025).[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits)
## Recognition and personal life
Arnett was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2019 under the Arts & [Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment) pillar.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/) He married actress and comedian [Amy Poehler](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-poehler) on August 29, 2003.[21](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/arnett-will-1970) He splits his time between New York and Los Angeles.[1](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/)
## References
1. [Will Arnett, Canada's Walk of Fame](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/will-arnett/)
2. [Will Arnett, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621221119)
3. [Will Arnett, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/will-arnett)
4. [Will Arnett interview, The Guardian (2022)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/08/i-cried-for-an-hour-arrested-developments-will-arnett-on-divorce-fatherhood-and-friendship)
5. [Will Arnett credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/fullcredits)
6. [Banff 2024 press clippings (Playback)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brunicoextranet/Matrix/playback/TJNLnPqJTn2O0v3qx8sP_BANFF_2024_PRESS_CLIPPINGS.pdf)
7. [Movie Review: Is This Thing On?, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/0277a2ff564fb83e28c0e7ff51decbaa)
8. [Will Arnett, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/19370/will-arnett)
9. [Will Arnett interview, The Observer](https://observer.co.uk/culture/interviews/article/will-arnett-i-know-everything-about-bradley-cooper-and-he-knows-everything-about-me)
10. [Will Arnett on Q with Tom Power, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/will-arnett-always-intended-to-be-a-dramatic-actor/id256943801?i=1000741968916)
11. [Will Arnett Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/will-arnett/bio/3000054965/)
12. [Will Arnett Recalls Filming Arrested Development, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/will-arnett-recalls-filming-arrested-development-before-show-debut)
13. [Will Arnett: Performer of the Year, GQ (December 2025/January 2026)](https://assets.debut.disney.com/documents/Will%20Arnett%20Interview_GQ.pdf)
14. [Will Arnett, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/will-arnett/)
15. [Will Arnett Gets Serious With Is This Thing On?, W Magazine](https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/will-arnett-interview-is-this-thing-on)
16. [Critics on Is This Thing On?, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/critics-seen-is-this-thing-on-commenting-will-arnett-heartbreaking-lovely-performance)
17. [Will Arnett on His First Dramatic Turn, Yahoo](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/arnett-tackling-first-dramatic-turn-210424532.html)
18. [Will Arnett Joins Behemoth!, Yahoo News](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/arnett-joins-tony-gilroy-next-193000979.html)
19. [Will Arnett Joins The Challenger, Above the Line](https://mande.net/above-the-line/will-arnett)
20. [Will Arnett to star in The Challenger, ABC Audio](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/will-arnett-star-alongside-kristen-stewart-challenger)
21. [Arnett, Will 1970–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/arnett-will-1970)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames A to Co*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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