Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#768
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Zach Galifianakis represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 25 years in, and Zach is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Zach Galifianakis appears in 36 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Zach. The Gallerist is the clearest case: a film rated 10.0 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 comedy, drama, science fiction. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Cathy Yan, Dean Fleischer Camp, Jared Hess and others, Zach Galifianakis 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 Gallerist (2026) as Dalton Hardberry · Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020) as Self · Into the Wild (2007) as Kevin
Career snapshot
Ranked #768 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
36
2001–2026
Career length
25 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
10.0
The Gallerist
Average Nutevio score
6.6
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
10.0
The Gallerist
Most frequent director
Todd Phillips
4 films together
Longest collaboration
4×
With Todd Phillips
Most common genre
Comedy
29 titles
Average runtime
1h 40m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
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
6.7
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
2020s
7.3 average MV
The 2020s are where the work and the material meet. The Gallerist, Lilo & Stitch, Thelma the Unicorn — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2020s
7.3
Across 9 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2020s
7.3
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. The Hangover, Up in the Air, G-Force.
Most productive era
2010s
18 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 | 7.03 films | 6.84 films | 7.24 films |
| Action | 5.51 film | 6.55 films | — |
| Thriller | 6.01 film | — | — |
| Comedy | 6.26 films | 6.416 films | 7.27 films |
| Crime | 6.11 film | 6.02 films | 6.91 film |
| Romance | 6.25 films | 6.82 films | 5.41 film |
| Horror | 6.01 film | — | — |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
2001Heartbreakers
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Bill.
First Nutevio masterpiece · Highest rated performance · Career peak · Most recent film
2026The Gallerist
The first film here to clear 9.0 on our scale — a threshold fewer than one film in ten reaches. 10.0 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. The current state of the argument, as Dalton Hardberry.
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.
36 of 36 films
as Dalton Hardberry
Directed by Cathy Yan
as Ron (voice)
Directed by Jean-Philippe Vine
as Alan Garner
Directed by Todd Phillips
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
Dalton Hardberry
The Gallerist (2026)
Performance score9.7
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Dalton Hardberry gives Zach Galifianakis a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Ron (voice)
Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
Performance score8.0
Ron's Gone Wrong asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Ron (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Alan Garner
The Hangover (2009)
Performance score7.9
The Hangover asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Alan Garner is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Self
Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020)
Performance score7.8
Joker: Put on a Happy Face 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 Dalton Hardberry
Start here. The Gallerist is the clearest statement of what Zach Galifianakis does — accessible, 88 minutes, and rated 10.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Zach 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 Hangover (2009)
Keeps the comedy register of The Gallerist but asks for a colder reading of it.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Keeps the comedy register of The Hangover but asks for a colder reading of it.
Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020)
A deliberate change of key after Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
A deliberate change of key after Joker: Put on a Happy Face — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Todd Phillips
Director
4 films together
Notably The Hangover
Jay Roach
Director
2 films together
Notably The Campaign
James Bobin
Director
2 films together
Notably The Muppets
Jared Hess
Director
2 films together
Notably Thelma the Unicorn
David Mirkin
Director
1 film together
Notably Heartbreakers
David Twohy
Director
1 film together
Notably Below
Sean Penn
Director
1 film together
Notably Into the Wild
Tom Vaughan
Director
1 film together
Notably What Happens in Vegas
Miguel Arteta
Director
1 film together
Notably Youth in Revolt
Jason Reitman
Director
1 film together
Notably Up in the Air
Ryan Fleck
Director
1 film together
Notably It's Kind of a Funny Story
Chris Miller
Director
1 film together
Notably Puss in Boots
Matthew Weiner
Director
1 film together
Notably Are You Here
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Director
1 film together
Notably Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Greg Mottola
Director
1 film together
Notably Keeping Up with the Joneses
Justin Chadwick
Director
1 film together
Notably Tulip Fever
Ava DuVernay
Director
1 film together
Notably A Wrinkle in Time
Scott Aukerman
Director
1 film together
Notably Between Two Ferns: The Movie
Chris Butler
Director
1 film together
Notably Missing Link
David Wnendt
Director
1 film together
Notably The Sunlit Night
Jean-Philippe Vine
Director
1 film together
Notably Ron's Gone Wrong
Loren Bouchard
Director
1 film together
Notably The Bob's Burgers Movie
Damian Kulash
Director
1 film together
Notably The Beanie Bubble
Susanna Fogel
Director
1 film together
Notably Winner
Dean Fleischer Camp
Director
1 film together
Notably Lilo & Stitch
Cathy Yan
Director
1 film together
Notably The Gallerist
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Todd Phillips
Director
4 films together · 6.7 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 4 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The HangoverJames Bobin
Director
2 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The MuppetsJared Hess
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
Thelma the UnicornJay Roach
Director
2 films together · 5.8 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The CampaignCathy Yan
Director
1 film together · 10.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The GalleristSean Penn
Director
1 film together · 7.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Into the WildJean-Philippe Vine
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Ron's Gone WrongAlejandro G. Iñárritu
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)Dean Fleischer Camp
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Lilo & StitchSusanna Fogel
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
WinnerRyan Fleck
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
It's Kind of a Funny StoryLoren Bouchard
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Bob's Burgers MovieChris Butler
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Missing LinkJason Reitman
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Up in the AirChris Miller
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Puss in BootsJustin Chadwick
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Tulip FeverDamian Kulash
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Beanie BubbleGreg Mottola
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Keeping Up with the JonesesMiguel Arteta
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Youth in RevoltTom Vaughan
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
What Happens in VegasDavid Mirkin
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HeartbreakersDavid Twohy
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
BelowScott Aukerman
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Between Two Ferns: The MovieDavid Wnendt
Director
1 film together · 5.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Sunlit NightAva DuVernay
Director
1 film together · 5.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
A Wrinkle in TimeMatthew Weiner
Director
1 film together · 5.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Are You HereSix 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 Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
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 Crusty Trucker (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 Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Muppets Most Wanted
as Hobo Joe
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
The Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
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. Zach Galifianakis 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
25 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
29 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 Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
The Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Thelma the Unicorn
as Crusty Trucker (voice)
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
The Bob's Burgers Movie
as Felix Fischoeder (voice)
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
The Gallerist
as Dalton Hardberry
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Missing Link
as Mr. Susan Link (voice)
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Puss in Boots
as Humpty Dumpty (voice)
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
The Hangover
as Alan Garner
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
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Reference
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