Nick Kroll Bio
Nicholas Kroll (born June 5, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for the FX comedy series The League (2009–2015), creating and starring in the Comedy Central series Kroll Show (2013–2015), and starring in and co-creating the animated Netflix series Big Mouth (2017–2025) and Human Resources (2022–2023) and the Hulu sketch comedy series History of the World, Part II (2023). He has also acted or voice-acted in films such as I Love You, Man (2009), Get Him to the Greek (2010), Adult Beginners (2014), Vacation (2015), Sausage Party and Sing (both 2016), Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), The House (2017), The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019), Sing 2 and How It Ends (both 2021), The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022), First Time Female Director (2023), Red One (2024), and Smurfs (2025).
Early Life and Background
Kroll was born in Rye, New York, on June 5, 1978, to Lynn and Jules Kroll. His father is a billionaire businessman who founded the corporate investigations and risk consulting firm Kroll Inc. The youngest child in the family, Kroll has a brother, Jeremy, and two sisters, Vanessa and Dana. He grew up in a Conservative Jewish family and attended the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester. He went on to high school at Rye Country Day School. During this time, he also briefly attended The Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont, where he developed a fondness for hiking. In 2001, Kroll graduated from Georgetown University. He described himself as a history major who minored in art and Spanish, but found himself gravitating toward media studies as time went on.
Path to Hollywood
Early in his career, Kroll contributed writing for Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show and MTV’s Human Giant. In November and December 2008, he toured with Aziz Ansari on his Glow in the Dark comedy tour in the United States. Kroll’s live work is a mix of standup, sketch, and characters. In 2011, Comedy Central aired his stand-up special Thank You Very Cool. He has studied and performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City and Los Angeles and co-hosted the stand-up show Welcome to Our Week with Jessi Klein. He is well known as a performer for his characters such as Bobby Bottleservice, who has been featured in a number of online videos for the Funny or Die website, including the Ed Hardy Boyz and an audition tape for the MTV show Jersey Shore. Other characters include Ref Jeff and Fabrice Fabrice, and Gil Faizon of The Oh, Hello Show, which he created with writing partner John Mulaney. His character work features prominently in Kroll Show, a sketch comedy show on Comedy Central. Kroll was honored with the Breakout Star of the Year award from the 2013 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Nick Kroll Career
Early Career (2004–2012)
Kroll’s first significant career success came when he co-starred in the ABC sitcom Cavemen, based on the Geico insurance TV-commercial characters. Although the show was cancelled after seven episodes, he called his role the most important experience of his professional career. He went on to VH1’s Best Week Ever and to guest-starring roles on Parks and Recreation, Community, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and New Girl. He made appearances on numerous Comedy Central series such as Reno 911!, John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show, and The Benson Interruption, both performing as himself and in character. Kroll had a starring role as Rodney Ruxin in the FXX comedy series The League, which aired from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015. Concurrently, he created and starred in his own Comedy Central sketch series, Kroll Show, which aired from January 16, 2013, to March 24, 2015. Kroll had a recurring role on Childrens Hospital on Adult Swim.
Breakthrough (2013–Present)
In 2017, Kroll co-created, wrote, and starred in Big Mouth, an animated television show on Netflix. The show features the experiences of a group of seventh graders in the throes of puberty. Two of the main characters are based on, and named after, Kroll and his best friend from childhood, Andrew Goldberg. Kroll plays Nick, as well as Coach Steve, Maurice the Hormone Monster, Lola, Rick the Hormone Monster, the Jansen twins, and Lady Liberty, in addition to several further minor and one-off characters. Kroll toured the U.S. alongside John Mulaney in a show called Oh, Hello, with both in character as Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland respectively. The show premiered on Broadway on September 23, 2016, and ran for six months to positive reviews. The Broadway performance was filmed and released on Netflix in 2017.
Notable Works and Milestones
Kroll’s signature work includes his role in Big Mouth, which has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. He has received recognition for his character work and comedic performances, further solidifying his status in the entertainment industry.
Nick Kroll Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Nick Kroll has received various nominations for his work in television and film, showcasing his talent and versatility as a performer.
Nick Kroll Awards Won
Nick Kroll has been recognized with several awards throughout his career, highlighting his contributions to comedy and entertainment.
Nick Kroll Family
Nick Kroll is married to landscape artist Lily Kwong, whom he met in 2018. They married in November 2020 and welcomed their son in January 2021. In November 2023, they announced the birth of their daughter. Kroll’s father is Jules Kroll, a prominent businessman.
Personal Life
Before marrying Lily Kwong, Kroll dated comedian and actress Amy Poehler from May 2013 until their breakup in 2015. Kroll’s brother-in-law is journalist Roger Bennett, and through his wife, he is related to fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra.
