Over the years, Andy Samberg has become arguably one of the funniest comedians in Hollywood today. He’s come a long way since he sang “I’m On A Boat” with The Lonely Island. In fact, many people might not realize that The Lonely Island was not just a thing that was made forSaturday Night Live, but instead just Andy and his childhood friends fooling around and having fun until they accidentally got famous — thanks to the internet.
Since hisSaturday Night Livedays, Andy has gone from a writer, to a cast member, to becoming a superstar in his own right. Andy has become a household name, and he’s arguably still the same Andy, just a little more famous but with his best friends still by his side.
These are 18 little known facts about Andy Samberg’s private life.
18 He Changed His Name When He Was 5
Andy Samberg was born on August 18, 1978 as David A. J. Samberg. When he was just five years old, he decided that he no longer wanted to be known as David, and changed his name to Andy, and that’s what he’s been known as ever since.
17 He Discovered Saturday Night Live As A Kid
When Andy was eight years old, he discovered Saturday Night Live. He saw his parents watching it late at night when he would be trying to sneak past them to watch wrestling on TV. He was hooked from the very beginning, as he became obsessed with the show, and he tried so hard to be funny like those on the show.
16 He Loved Creative Writing Growing Up
Between his love forSNLand his love for all things comedy, Andy soon discovered that he had an interest in creative writing. When he was in high school, that when his love for writing really blossomed, as they were the only classes that he really put all of his time and effort into.
15 He Went To Two Colleges
Once he graduated from high school in 1996, he attended the University of California Santa Cruz. He was there for two years before he decided to transfer to New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Andy graduated in 2000 where he received a degree in experimental film.
14 The Lonely Island Began In Middle School
When Andy was in junior high school, he met his two best friends, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The three of them would always be kidding and joking around while in school, coming up with sketches that they would perform for their friends and all of their classmates. That was the beginning of The Lonely Island.
13 They Drew A Lot Of Attention To Their Videos
As the three best friends got older, they continued to come up with their hilarious comedy sketches, but instead of performing them to friends and classmates, they decided to start recording them, calling them “digital shorts.” They would post these shorts on the internet for the world to see.
12 They Were Invited To Write For The MTV Movie Awards
With their digital shorts gaining a lot of momentum and attention online, Andy and the rest of The Lonely Island were given the opportunity of a lifetime. In 2005, the three of them were invited by MTV — who loved their online content — to write for the MTV Movie Awards that year.
11 They Were Introduced To SNL Through Jimmy Fallon
The host of the MTV Movie Awards that year was Jimmy Fallon. He was so impressed by Andy and the guys that he introduced them to Lorne Michaels, the creator ofSaturday Night Live. As a result, he agreed to have all three of them audition. They nailed it and they were cast as writers on the show.
10 He Married A Musician
Andy first met his wife, Joanna Newsom at one of her concerts, as she’s an indie singer-songwriter. The two of them hit it off immediately, and wound up dating for five years before Andy ultimately proposed in February of 2013. The two quickly tied the knot not long after on September 21, 2013 in Big Sur, California.
9 He Popularized Digital Shorts On SNL
Once the guys of The Lonely Island became writers onSaturday Night Live, they had to do what they already did best, and that was create their hilarious digital shorts. In fact, the three of them were credited with popularizing digital shorts on the show, which really wasn’t a big thing prior to them joining.
