# Peter Segal

Peter Segal (born 1962) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Segal has directed the comedic films Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994), Tommy Boy (1995), My Fellow Americans (1996), The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Anger Management (2003), 50 First Dates (2004), The Longest Yard (2005), Get Smart (2008), Grudge Match (2013), and My Spy (2020).

## Early life and education

Segal grew up in New York City, where his father was head of publicity at MGM. In the 1970s, Segal and his family moved to Los Angeles. Segal attended the University of Southern California, where he double majored in Broadcast Journalism and English.
Segal graduated from the USC School of Cinema and Television.

## Career

Segal began his career writing and directing television. In 2002, he created the NBC sitcom Hidden Hills (2002–2003). In 1995, he formed his production company, Callahan Filmworks, along with long-time producing partner Michael Ewing.
Segal made his feature film directorial debut in 1994 with Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, starring Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy.
Segal went on to direct Chris Farley and David Spade in Tommy Boy (1995). Though it received mixed reviews at the time of release, and was considered a commercial disappointment, Tommy Boy's reputation has grown over the years and it is considered in some quarters a "now-iconic cult classic."
Segal directed the comedy film My Fellow Americans (1996), starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner and Lauren Bacall. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 60 reviews and with an average rating of 5.3/10 and the critical consensus: "It doesn't commit any impeachable offenses, but My Fellow Americans lacks strong regulatory oversight of its toothless political satire and misuse of comedic talent." Co-star Garner was not impressed by Segal, writing in his memoirs that Segal "was a self appointed genius who didn't know his ass from second base and Jack and I both knew it."
Segal next directed the comedy Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), starring Eddie Murphy. The film was a substantial commercial success, grossing $42.5 million in its opening weekend, the then-highest opening weekend for an Eddie Murphy film. The film went on to generate a total gross of $166.3 million worldwide. Critically, however, the film did not fare as well: on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 27% and an average rating of 4.5/10, based on reviews from 89 critics. The site's consensus states that "While Eddie Murphy is still hilarious as the entire Klump family, the movie falls apart because of uneven pacing, a poor script, and skits that rely on being gross rather than funny." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100, a score that indicates generally unfavorable reviews, based on reviews from 34 critics.
Segal directed Adam Sandler for the first time in Anger Management (2003), which also starred Jack Nicholson. When asked by the BBC who was the most famous person in his contacts book, Segal replied, "I have to say, it's very obvious now, it's Jack Nicholson. I've kept his number on my speed dial just so I can show it to friends. I could call him up out of the blue, but I'm worried he might say 'Pete who?'"
Segal collaborated with Sandler again in 50 First Dates (2004), which also starred Drew Barrymore.
Segal collaborated with Sandler for the third time in The Longest Yard (2005), a remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The film has become the second highest grossing sports comedy in history.
After directing three of Sandler's films, Segal's next film became Get Smart (2008). It is an adaptation of the '60s television series of the same name that was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Segal stated in an interview with AMC that he loved the show so much as a kid. The film starred Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin and Terence Stamp.
Segal also directed Grudge Match (2013), which starred Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger and Jon Bernthal.

## Personal life

When asked in a September 2014 interview by the BBC if he believes in God, Segal replied: "I do. I'm very spiritual and I'm Jewish by faith. I'm not a practising Jew, I'm more of a recreational Jew. I celebrate the holidays and I try to inform my kids about their heritage because I think we all at some point have to defend our heritage and if they get picked on I want them to know why."

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult | Yes | No |
| 1995 | Tommy Boy | Yes | No |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | Yes | No |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Yes | No |
| 2003 | Anger Management | Yes | No |
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Yes | No |
| 2005 | The Longest Yard | Yes | No |
| 2008 | Get Smart | Yes | Executive |
| 2013 | Grudge Match | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Second Act | Yes | Executive |
| 2020 | My Spy | Yes | Yes |
| 2024 | My Spy: The Eternal City | Yes | Yes |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult | 1# Producer of 'Sawdust & Mildew' |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | TV Technician |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Scared Popcorn Man |

### Television

| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
| 1987 | Bikini II: The Saga Continues | Yes | Yes | Yes | TV short |
| 1993 | The Jackie Thomas Show | Yes | Yes | No | Episodes "Write This Way" and "Aloha, Io-wahu" |
| 2002–2003 | Hidden Hills | No | Executive | Yes | Also creator; Wrote episode "Pilot" |
| 2014–2016 | Shameless | Yes | No | No | Episodes "Strangers on a Train", "The Two Lisas" and "Pimp's Paradise" |
| 2014–2016 | Survivor's Remorse | Yes | No | No | Episodes "How to Build a Brand", "Grown-Ass Man", "Starts and Stops" and "The Night of the Crash" |
| 2016 | Angie Tribeca | Yes | No | No | Episode "Commissioner Bigfish" |
| 2021 | Heels | Yes | Executive | No | Directed 7 episodes |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
| 1989 | Premiere: Inside the Summer Blockbusters | Uncredited | Contributing | No |
| 1992 | The Road Warriors | Yes | Executive | No |
| 2010 | In Security | Yes | Executive | Yes |
| 2012 | Prodigy Bully | Yes | Executive | No |
| 2015 | Ken Jeong Made Me Do It | Yes | Executive | No |
TV specials
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
| 1991 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1992 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1993 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Sebastian Maniscalco: Is It Me? | Yes | No | No |