Nathaniel Wales Faxon is an American actor, comedian, director, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He won theΒ Academy Award for Best Adapted ScreenplayΒ for co-writingΒ The DescendantsΒ (2011) and starred in the FOX comedy seriesΒ Ben and KateΒ (2012β2013), theΒ FXΒ comedy series MarriedΒ (2014β2015) and voices Elfo in theΒ NetflixΒ adult animated television series DisenchantmentΒ (2018β2023).
He is an alumnus of theΒ Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupeΒ The Groundlings, where he began performing in 2001.
He's best known for his appearances in comedic films such asΒ Orange County (2002), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox StoryΒ (2007),Β Bad TeacherΒ (2011), Zookeeper (2011), Tammy (2014), Tape (2014), Life of the Party (2018), Father of the Year (2018), and several Broken LizardΒ films includingΒ BeerfestΒ (2006). He also appeared in Charlie's Angels (2019).
He co-starred inΒ Darren Star's semi-autobiographical satireΒ Grosse PointeΒ and had recurring roles in several television series such asΒ The Cleveland Show,Β Joey,Β Up All NightΒ andΒ Reno 911!.
He has been featured in a series of prominentΒ Holiday InnΒ commercials featuringΒ Joe BuckΒ as well as an ad byΒ Blockbuster. However, he did not get a significant lead role until 2012 when he starred as the titular Ben inΒ Ben and Kate.
He starred alongsideΒ Judy GreerΒ in theΒ FXΒ comedy seriesΒ Married (2014), which ran for two seasons. He's had major recurring roles as Jeremy de Longpre on the series Allen Gregory, Nick on Netflix's Friends from College, The Swede on Our Flag Means Death, Arthur on Loot, and Marshall on the series A League of Their Own. He's also had a recurring role as Neville, Jackie's love interest, on The Conners.
He provides the voice for Captain Underpants and Mr. Krupp in The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants as well as the Captain Underpants specials. He also provides the voice for Chief on the series Housebroken.
He co-wrote and co-directedΒ The Way, Way BackΒ (2013) andΒ DownhillΒ (2020) with writing partnerΒ Jim Rash.