Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#372
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Fred Armisen works on versatility rather than volume, and the catalogue keeps proving that the quieter choice was the correct one.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Fred Armisen appears in 47 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Fred. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the clearest case: a film rated 7.8 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for documentary, comedy, music. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Morgan Neville, Lee Kirk, Genndy Tartakovsky and others, Fred Armisen helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) as Cranky Kong (voice) · The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) as Deborahbot 5000 (voice) · Will & Harper (2024) as Self
Career snapshot
Ranked #372 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
47
2002–2026
Career length
24 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
7.8
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Average Nutevio score
5.7
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
7.8
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Most frequent director
Kevin Smith
3 films together
Longest collaboration
3×
With Kevin Smith
Most common genre
Comedy
40 titles
Average runtime
1h 33m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
6.8
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.3
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2000s
6.1 average MV
The 2000s are where the work and the material meet. Post Grad, Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Rocker — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2000s
6.1
Across 12 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2000s
6.1
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
2000s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Post Grad, Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Rocker.
Most productive era
2020s
22 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.02 films | 5.22 films | 5.83 films |
| Action | — | 5.66 films | — |
| Comedy | 6.112 films | 5.812 films | 4.816 films |
| Crime | — | 5.61 film | — |
| Romance | 6.05 films | — | 4.91 film |
| Horror | — | — | 4.01 film |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
2002Like Mike
Where our catalogue meets this career, as New Age Dad.
Highest rated performance · Career peak
2023The Super Mario Bros. Movie
7.8 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026Nimrods
The current state of the argument, as Jim.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
47 of 47 films
as Cranky Kong (voice)
Directed by Aaron Horvath
as Deborahbot 5000 (voice)
Directed by Mike Rianda
as Self
Directed by Josh Greenbaum
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Cranky Kong (voice)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Performance score7.6
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Cranky Kong (voice) gives Fred Armisen a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Deborahbot 5000 (voice)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
Performance score7.5
The Mitchells vs. the Machines asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Deborahbot 5000 (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Self
Will & Harper (2024)
Performance score7.2
Will & Harper asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Self is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Self
The Sparks Brothers (2021)
Performance score7.2
The Sparks Brothers asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Self is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Cranky Kong (voice)
Start here. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the clearest statement of what Fred Armisen does — accessible, 93 minutes, and rated 7.8 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Fred at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show (2019)
A deliberate change of key after The Super Mario Bros. Movie — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
A deliberate change of key after The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Sparks Brothers (2021)
A deliberate change of key after The Mitchells vs. the Machines — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Will & Harper (2024)
Keeps the documentary register of The Sparks Brothers but asks for a colder reading of it.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Kevin Smith
Director
3 films together
Notably Clerks III
Adam McKay
Director
2 films together
Notably Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Beth McCarthy-Miller
Director
2 films together
Notably SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
Alec Berg
Director
1 film together
Notably EuroTrip
Jesse Peretz
Director
1 film together
Notably The Ex
Steven Conrad
Director
1 film together
Notably The Promotion
Michael McCullers
Director
1 film together
Notably Baby Mama
P.J. Hogan
Director
1 film together
Notably Confessions of a Shopaholic
Vicky Jenson
Director
1 film together
Notably Post Grad
Will Gluck
Director
1 film together
Notably Easy A
Brad Peyton
Director
1 film together
Notably Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Larry Charles
Director
1 film together
Notably The Dictator
Jake Szymanski
Director
1 film together
Notably 7 Days in Hell
Ben Stiller
Director
1 film together
Notably Zoolander 2
Charlie Bean
Director
1 film together
Notably The Lego Ninjago Movie
Jonathan Dayton
Director
1 film together
Notably Battle of the Sexes
Kyle Newacheck
Director
1 film together
Notably Game Over, Man!
Tom Stern
Director
1 film together
Notably Adams
Brett Haley
Director
1 film together
Notably All Together Now
Claire Scanlon
Director
1 film together
Notably Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
Natasha Lyonne
Director
1 film together
Notably Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine
Edgar Wright
Director
1 film together
Notably The Sparks Brothers
Zoe Lister-Jones
Director
1 film together
Notably How It Ends
Mike Rianda
Director
1 film together
Notably The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Judd Apatow
Director
1 film together
Notably The Bubble
Aaron Horvath
Director
1 film together
Notably The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Josh Greenbaum
Director
1 film together
Notably Will & Harper
Jerry Seinfeld
Director
1 film together
Notably Unfrosted
Jared Hess
Director
1 film together
Notably Thelma the Unicorn
Brent Hodge
Director
1 film together
Notably Downey Wrote That
Genndy Tartakovsky
Director
1 film together
Notably Fixed
Lee Kirk
Director
1 film together
Notably Nimrods
Morgan Neville
Director
1 film together
Notably Lorne
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Kevin Smith
Director
3 films together · 5.8 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Clerks IIIAdam McKay
Director
2 films together · 6.3 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyBeth McCarthy-Miller
Director
2 films together · 6.0 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
SNL50: The Homecoming ConcertAaron Horvath
Director
1 film together · 7.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Super Mario Bros. MovieMike Rianda
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Mitchells vs. the MachinesJosh Greenbaum
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Will & HarperEdgar Wright
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Sparks BrothersJared Hess
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Thelma the UnicornMorgan Neville
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
LorneJonathan Dayton
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Battle of the SexesWill Gluck
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Easy ABrett Haley
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
All Together NowAlec Berg
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
EuroTripCharlie Bean
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Lego Ninjago MovieJake Szymanski
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
7 Days in HellP.J. Hogan
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Confessions of a ShopaholicClaire Scanlon
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the ReverendGenndy Tartakovsky
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
FixedLarry Charles
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The DictatorMichael McCullers
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Baby MamaKyle Newacheck
Director
1 film together · 5.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Game Over, Man!Jerry Seinfeld
Director
1 film together · 5.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
UnfrostedNatasha Lyonne
Director
1 film together · 5.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Sarah Cooper: Everything's FineSteven Conrad
Director
1 film together · 5.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The PromotionJesse Peretz
Director
1 film together · 5.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The ExBrad Peyton
Director
1 film together · 5.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty GaloreVicky Jenson
Director
1 film together · 5.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Post GradBen Stiller
Director
1 film together · 4.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Zoolander 2Zoe Lister-Jones
Director
1 film together · 4.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
How It EndsJudd Apatow
Director
1 film together · 4.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The BubbleTom Stern
Director
1 film together · 3.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
AdamsLee Kirk
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
NimrodsBrent Hodge
Director
1 film together · 0.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Downey Wrote ThatSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
as Deborahbot 5000 (voice)
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
Thelma the Unicorn
as Danny Stallion (voice)
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
as Cranky Kong (voice)
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Unfrosted
as Mike Puntz
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
as Cranky Kong (voice)
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Fred Armisen has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
24 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Comedy Legend
Awarded
40 catalogue titles in comedy, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
as Cranky Kong (voice)
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
as Cranky Kong (voice)
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Thelma the Unicorn
as Danny Stallion (voice)
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Thelma the Unicorn
as Danny Stallion (voice)
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
as Deborahbot 5000 (voice)
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
as Freidrich
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Battle of the Sexes
as Rheo Blair
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
as Cranky Kong (voice)
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
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Have your say
Community
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Reference
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