Paul Shaffer is a Canadian musician, composer, vocalist, and band leader, among the highlights being the de facto leader of the early Saturday Night Live house band, and serving for 33 years (1982-2015) as the leader of David Letterman's house band.

KNOWN FOR

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2025
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2026
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1986
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2023
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
Saturday Night Live
1987
Jeopardy!
2006
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2008
The View
2018
Hollywood Squares
1998
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2019
How I Met Your Mother
2013

FILMOGRAPHY

All
Movies
TV
Acting
107
Writing
2
Sound
8
Crew
1
2026
You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...
as Self
2026
Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been
as Self
2026
Marty, Life Is Short
as Self
2026
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
as Self
2026
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self - Musical Guest
2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
as Self - SNL Band Member 1975 - 1980
2025
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
as Self
2025
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
as Artie Fufkin
2025
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not
as Self
2025
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band
2025
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self - Musical Guest
2023
The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story
as Self
2023
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2022
Finding Sandler
as Self
2022
Spector
as Self
2020
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man
as Self
2020
The Masked Singer
as Self - Video Message
2019
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
as Self (archive footage)
2019
The Masked Singer
as Skeleton (archive footage)
2019
Paul Shaffer Plus One
as self
2019
The Masked Singer
as Skeleton
2019
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2018
Love, Gilda
as Self
2018
Always at The Carlyle
as Self
2018
Bachman
as Self
2018
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert 2014-2017
as Self
2018
The View
as Self
2017
Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs
as Self
2016
Todd Who?
as Himself
2016
Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens
as Paul Shaffer
2016
Mark Twain Prize
as Self
2015
Being Canadian
as Self
2015
A Very Murray Christmas
as Paul Schaffer
2013
How I Met Your Mother
as Paul Shaffer
2012
12-12-12 | The Concert for Sandy Relief
as Self
2012
Bachman & Turner - Live at the Roseland Ballroom
as Keyboards
2012
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
2011
Celebrity Ghost Stories
as Self
2010
Running Wilde
as Self
2008
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
as Self
2008
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Paul Shaffer
2007
Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary
as Self
2007
Fats and Friends
as Self
2006
Jeopardy!
as Self
2006
Second City: First Family of Comedy
as Self
2005
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
as Self
2005
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
as Blues Brothers Band (archive footage)
2005
Disney Heroes Volume 1
as Hermes (voice)
2005
Hope & Faith
as Himself
2004
Rockin' Pianos
as Self
2004
Tony Awards
as Self - Performer
2002
The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase
as Self - Host
2002
Ed
as Irv Nadler
2001
The Concert for New York City
as Self
2001
America | A Tribute to Heroes
as Self
2001
50 Years of NBC Late Night
as Self (archive footage)
2001
Primetime Glick
2000
Where Are They Now?
as Self
2000
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
as Self
1999
Man on the Moon
as Letterman Band (uncredited)
1999
Hercules: Zero to Hero
as Hermes (voice) (archive sound)
1998
Blues Brothers 2000
as Marco
1998
The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers'
as Self
1998
Hercules
as Hermes (voice)
1998
Hollywood Squares
as Self - Panelist
1997
Hercules
as Hermes (voice)
1996
Flash Gordon: Marooned on Mongo
as Dr. Hans Zarkov (voice)
1996
Flash Gordon
as Dr. Zarkov (voice)
1995
The Weinerville New Year's Special: Lost in the Big Apple
as Self
1995
The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show
as Self
1994
CBS News Sunday Morning
as Self
1993
The Best of the Blues Brothers
as Self (archive footage)
1993
Friends of Gilda
as Self
1993
Late Show with David Letterman
as Self - Musical Director
1992
A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out
as Artie Fufkin
1990
Night of 100 Stars III
as Self
1990
Seriously... Phil Collins
as Self
1990
Look Who's Talking Too
as Taxi Businessman
1988
Scrooged
as Street Musician
1987
The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki
as Self
1987
Heartbeat
as Filmmaker's Assistant
1987
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
1986
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1985
Tears Are Not Enough
as Self
1985
Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas
as Self
1984
This Is Spinal Tap
as Artie Fufkin
1981
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
as Self / Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Boy
1980
Gilda Live
as Don Kirshner / Arnie Schnachtman / Student Body President / The Candy Slice Group
1980
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Musician
1979
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
as Church of Jack Lord Organist
1979
Saturday Night Live
as Don Kirshner / Self (uncredited)
1979
Saturday Night Live
as Danny Kreutzman (uncredited)
1979
Saturday Night Live
as Various (uncredited)
1979
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Various Characters
1978
The Blues Brothers Live at Winterland
1978
Saturday Night Live
as Don Kirshner / Paul (uncredited)
1978
Saturday Night Live
as Self - The Blues Brothers Band / Don Kirshner (uncredited)
1978
Saturday Night Live
as Don Kirshner (uncredited)
1978
Saturday Night Live
as Paul (uncredited)
1978
Saturday Night Live
as Self - The Blues Brothers Band (uncredited)
1977
A Year at the Top
1976
Saturday Night Live
as Igor (uncredited)
1976
Saturday Night Live
as Self (uncredited)
1976
Saturday Night Live
as Crowd Member (uncredited)
1976
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Pianist (uncredited)
1976
Saturday Night Live
as Musician at Plato’s Cave (uncredited)
Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
as Self