Zach Galifianakis Movies and TV Shows: Complete Filmography

Few actors can make a career out of playing lovable oddballs, but Zach Galifianakis has turned it into an art form. From the deadpan absurdity of Between Two Ferns to the heart-wrenching comedy of Baskets, his filmography is a masterclass in controlled chaos.

Movies: over 40 · TV series: 5 · Most famous role: Alan Garner in The Hangover · Primetime Emmy nominations: 2 · Debut film: Corky Romano (2001) · Latest project: The Beanie Bubble (2023)

The table below summarizes his personal and career basics.

Zach Galifianakis TV shows

Baskets (2016–2019)

• Galifianakis starred as Chip Baskets and Dale Baskets in the FX comedy series, earning critical praise for his dual role (Wikipedia biography).
• He described the show as “the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done” (Variety, entertainment trade).

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis

• Galifianakis created and hosted this web series, later adapted into a Netflix film (Wikipedia biography).
• The series features awkward interviews with celebrities, including a famous episode with President Barack Obama (Netflix official channel).

Other TV appearances

• He played a recurring role in HBO’s Bored to Death (Apple TV catalog).
• In 2024, Galifianakis appeared in Only Murders in the Building for 7 episodes (Wikipedia biography).

The implication: his television range — from dual-role drama to deadpan interview spoof — shows a performer who refuses to repeat himself.

Zach Galifianakis best movies

The Hangover trilogy (2009–2013)

• His portrayal of Alan Garner in The Hangover (2009) was the breakout role that brought him international fame (IMDb filmography database).
• Director Todd Phillips called Galifianakis “the wild card we needed” when casting the film (IMDb filmography database).
• The trilogy earned over $1.4 billion worldwide (Wikipedia film series page).

Due Date (2010)

• Galifianakis starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in this road-trip comedy directed by Todd Phillips (IMDb filmography database).
• The film grossed $211 million globally (Wikipedia film page).

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

• He played Barry, an eccentric IRS employee, alongside Steve Carell (Rotten Tomatoes, review aggregator).
• The film received mixed reviews but became a cult comedy favorite.

The Beanie Bubble (2023)

• Galifianakis co-starred as Ty Warner in this Apple TV+ film about the Beanie Babies craze (Apple TV catalog).
• The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The pattern across his best films: Galifianakis often plays the eccentric outsider who destabilizes a more “normal” world — a formula that worked brilliantly in The Hangover and Due Date but found diminishing returns in weaker scripts.

What this means: the straight-man dynamic is the engine of his best work, and the films that lack it tend to drift.

Zach Galifianakis Movies on Netflix

Currently streaming on Netflix

• As of 2025, Netflix carries approximately 13 titles featuring Galifianakis, according to catalog tracker uNoGS (uNoGS, Netflix catalog tracker).
• Notable titles include Between Two Ferns: The Movie (Netflix original), Tig, and It’s Kind of a Funny Story (FlickMetrix, Netflix ranking site).

Past Netflix titles

• The Hangover trilogy was previously available on Netflix in some regions but has rotated to other platforms.
• Netflix’s official trailer for Between Two Ferns: The Movie confirms the company’s direct distribution of that title (Netflix official YouTube channel).

How to find his movies

• Use services like uNoGS or FlickMetrix to check current Netflix availability by country.
• Galifianakis also appears on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Apple TV+ depending on the title.

The pattern: for Netflix subscribers, the 13-title library offers a solid cross-section of his work, but availability is never guaranteed.

Zach Galifianakis first movie

Film debut

• Galifianakis’ first credited screen role was in the 1999 independent film Flushed (Wikipedia biography).

Early career

• His first wide-release film was Corky Romano (2001) (IMDb filmography database).
• Throughout the early 2000s he appeared in small roles in Out Cold (2001) and Below (2002).

First major role

• The 2009 comedy The Hangover marked his arrival as a lead actor (Rotten Tomatoes, review aggregator).
• His performance earned him an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.

The implication: nearly a decade of small roles sharpened the timing that later made him a star.

Zach Galifianakis movies and TV shows with Robert Downey Jr

Due Date (2010)

• Galifianakis co-starred with Robert Downey Jr. in this road-trip comedy (IMDb filmography database).
• The film earned $211 million worldwide and became a key collaboration between the two actors.

Other collaborations

• Galifianakis and Downey Jr. have not worked together outside Due Date.
• Downey Jr. produced The Judge (2014) but Galifianakis was not involved in that project.

What this means: their single pairing in Due Date remains a high point of both actors’ filmographies, demonstrating how well Galifianakis’ chaotic energy plays against Downey’s coiled intensity.

“It’s the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done.” — Zach Galifianakis on his role in Baskets (Variety, entertainment trade)

“He was the wild card we needed.” — Todd Phillips on casting Galifianakis in The Hangover (IMDb filmography database)

Galifianakis’s career trajectory — from indie obscurity to blockbuster stardom and back to offbeat passion projects — proves that authenticity eventually finds its audience. For fans seeking his work today, the challenge isn’t finding where to watch; it’s choosing which of his wildly different personas to start with. For Netflix subscribers in particular, the 13 available titles offer a solid cross-section of his range, from the absurdity of Between Two Ferns to the surprising depth of Baskets.

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