David Wain

Co-founded the sketch troupe The State in college, then carried its anarchic, character-driven comedy into film with Wet Hot American Summer (2001), a fond parody of summer-camp movies that became a cult classic and spawned two spin-off series over a decade later. Wain also directed Role Models and Wanderlust, formed the comedy trio Stella with fellow State alumni Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, and fronts a garage band, the Middle Aged Dad Jam Band, on drums — a comedy career that never stopped feeling like a bunch of friends messing around.