James Downey

James Downey

WriterProducerActor
Born
October 6, 1952

James Woodward Downey is a multiple Emmy-winning television writer and performer, and occasional film actor. He joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1976 (sharing an office with Bill Murray), and continued with the show until 2013. From 1982 through 1983, he was the Head Writer…

Actor

The Chair Company(2025)as Douglas
One Battle After Another(2025)as Sandy Irvine
Happy Gilmore 2(2025)as Championship Tour Starter
Our Cartoon President(2018)as Adam Schiff
Veep(2012)as Jim Caldwell

Production Department

Night of Too Many Stars(2003)

Script and Continuity Department

Tommy Boy(1995)

Additional Crew

Lorne(2026)
The Good Cop(2018)

Thanks

Saturday Night(2010)

Self

Lorne(2026)as Irwin Segelstein
78th Writers Guild Awards (New York)(2026)as Self - Presenter
Letterman(2022)as Self, Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon(2014)as Self
Downey Wrote That(2025)as Self - SNL Writer

Archive Footage

SNL50: The Anniversary Special(2025)as Self
60 Minutes(1968)as Self - Former Lampoon Writer (segment: Harvard Lampoon)
Saturday Night Live: Just Shorts(2009)as Ben Samberg, Newspaper Vendor
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Commercial Parodies(2006)as Various Characters
Saturday Night Live(1975)as Global Century Investor, Arthur Grayson

Credit Score: James Downey

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Audience Member
Tue Oct 11 1977 – Sat May 16 2026
#NameScoreYearWinNomKnownWinsNomsVotes
1Saturday Night Live2000.0019758.09835457612
2There Will Be Blood60.0020088.228707656
3One Battle After Another36.0020257.7613398900
4Happy Gilmore 22.5020256.100117630
5Dirty Work2.5019986.40033177
6Billy Madison2.5019956.400167542
7The Chair Company1.5020257.30017409
8The Brain Machine1.2519723.100598
9Wayne's World 21.0019936.20092131