Rob Schneider

Early life and education

Robert Michael Schneider was born in San Francisco, California, on October 31, 1963, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Pacifica. His parents were Pilar (née Monroe), a former kindergarten teacher and ex-school board president, and Marvin Schneider, a real estate broker. His father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic. Schneider's maternal grandmother was a Filipina who met and married his grandfather, a white American army private, while he was stationed in the Philippines. His mixed background has been a common theme throughout his career. Schneider graduated from Terra Nova High School in 1982 and then attended San Francisco State University. His older brother, John, is a producer.

Career

Early career

Schneider began his career doing stand-up comedy in San Francisco. He made his debut appearance on television in 1987, on HBO's 13th Annual Young Comedians special, which was hosted by comedian Dennis Miller.

''Saturday Night Live''

After being hired as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 1988, Schneider was part of the show's comedy team from 1990 to 1994. He played such roles as "Tiny Elvis", "Orgasm Guy", and Richard Laymer, the office worker beside the photocopier who addressed each of his fellow employees with an endless stream of annoying gossip. Schneider is featured in the video release The Bad Boys of Saturday Night Live, along with colleagues Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Chris Farley.

Recurring ''SNL'' characters

• The Richmeister, an office worker who annoys people by giving them nicknames as they make copies.
• Carlo, from the Il Cantore Restaurant sketches
• The Sensitive Naked Man, a nude man who gives advice to other characters

Feature films, sitcoms, and endorsements

During and after leaving SNL, Schneider played supporting roles in a series of films including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Surf Ninjas (1993), Demolition Man (1993), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Judge Dredd (1995), and Down Periscope (1996). He also appeared in a recurring part on the television series Coach. In 1996, he co-starred in the NBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly, an American take on the hit British series of the same name. The U.S. version ran for two seasons.

Schneider starred in the 1999 feature film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, a tale of a fish-tank cleaner who incurs a massive debt and is forced to become a "man-whore." This was followed by The Animal (2001), about a man given animal powers by a mad scientist; The Hot Chick (2002), wherein the body of a petty thief named Clive Maxtone (played by Schneider) is mystically switched with the body of a pretty, but mean-spirited high school cheerleader named Jessica Spencer (played by Rachel McAdams in her film debut); and the sequel Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005). The latter movie was not well received by critics or moviegoers, and as a result, Schneider won a 2005 Worst Actor Razzie Award for his role in the film.

In 2006, Schneider co-starred in the baseball-themed family comedy The Benchwarmers, along with his fellow SNL alumnus David Spade as well as Jon Heder. Other film roles include Schneider's appearance with Jim Henson's Muppets in the 1999 film Muppets from Space, and his role as a San Francisco hobo in the 2004 remake of Around the World in 80 Days.

Schneider's directorial debut, the comedy Big Stan, was released in some overseas markets during the fall of 2008, with a U.S. release in early 2009. In the film, he starred as a real estate con artist who is arrested for perpetrating real-estate scams. He is sentenced to prison, so he takes a crash-course in martial arts to survive incarceration.

Schneider has also appeared in numerous comedies starring his SNL comrade Adam Sandler, including The Waterboy (1998), Grown Ups (2010) and Hubie Halloween (2020). The comedic characters Schneider plays in these films include an overly enthusiastic Cajun man who proclaims the catch-phrase, "You can do it!"; an amiable Middle Eastern delivery boy; a prison inmate; and Sandler's one-eyed Hawaiian sidekick, Ula. Schneider has uttered the line "You can do it!" as a running gag in Sandler's films The Waterboy, Little Nicky, 50 First Dates, The Longest Yard, and Bedtime Stories, as well as in a deleted scene from Click (a sample of Schneider saying the phrase also turns up in the song "Original Prankster" by The Offspring). Returning the favor, Sandler appeared in a cameo to spout the same line in Schneider's The Animal. Schneider narrated Sandler's 2002 animated movie Eight Crazy Nights, and voiced the part of a Chinese waiter. Schneider also had an uncredited cameo as a Canadian-Japanese wedding-chapel minister in the 2007 Sandler-Kevin James comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, and played a Palestinian cab driver who serves as the title character's nemesis in the 2008 Sandler film You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

Schneider played a variety of roles in the 2005 television special Back to Norm, starring another former SNL player Norm Macdonald, and appeared on episodes of the popular television shows Seinfeld and Ally McBeal. Schneider hosted the Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit '97 television special, and the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, and was a frequent guest on NBC's late-night variety program The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In Schneider's appearance with Leno on the July 24, 2007, episode of The Tonight Show, he showed up in drag as actress Lindsay Lohan after the latter cancelled following a controversial arrest for driving under the influence.

Besides his efforts in movies and television, Schneider released his first comedy album Registered Offender in July 2010. Registered Offender is composed of audio sketches and songs, with Schneider himself doing all of the character voices on the recording. He also revived his stand-up comedy career in 2010 with an international tour of theaters, clubs, and casinos.

Schneider appeared in the music video for country singer Neal McCoy's "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On", as the song's title character. McCoy and Schneider met while the two went on a USO tour in support of U.S. troops two months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Schneider starred as the title character in the CBS sitcom Rob, which was loosely based on his real life. The series ran for eight episodes starting on January 12, 2012, and was canceled in May. In 2015, he produced, directed and starred in Real Rob, a sitcom that follows his life and includes his real-life wife Patricia and daughter Miranda. Netflix released a season of 8 episodes, and a second season in 2017.

Schneider is the official celebrity spokesperson for the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and the Ten Ren Tea company in Taipei.

Schneider was spokesperson for State Farm Insurance, but was dropped in 2014 due to his anti-vaccination views.

In May 2016, Schneider was featured as a special guest on the Let's Play webseries Game Grumps, alongside his wife Patricia, commentating over Midway's Mortal Kombat Trilogy. They reappeared on the show in November 2017, then commentating over Konami's Contra.

In 2021, Schneider competed on season six of The Masked Singer as the wild card contestant "Hamster". A running gag is that "Hamster" would pantomime urinating on Nick Cannon and get affectionate with him. When unmasked on the fifth week, Schneider dedicated his performance of Luis Miguel's Sabor a Mí to Patricia and his daughters Miranda, Madeline, and Elle. In addition, Schneider did a variation of his Townie character's "You can do it" line by quoting Hamster's final words "You can do it Masked Singer, all night long!"

In 2022, he starred, produced, and directed in Daddy Daughter Trip, which served as his third film as a director and also starred his wife Patricia and daughter Miranda. The film was to be exclusively shown in Harkins Theaters.

Stand-up

Rob Schneider has performed numerous stand-up comedy shows.

In December 2023, Schneider was hired to perform a standup show at an event organized by the Senate Working Group. The performance was scheduled to last 30 minutes, but the show was cancelled after 10 minutes due to offensive content. Attendees were sent letters of apology after the performance.

Personal life

In 1988, Schneider eloped to Las Vegas with former model London King, who gave birth to their daughter, musician Elle King, in 1989. The couple divorced in 1990 and he had little connection with his daughter as a child, but as an adult the two rekindled a "beautiful and really wonderful, great loving relationship." In 2021, King gave birth to a son, Schneider's first grandchild. In August 2024, King discussed her childhood and her relationship with her father on an episode of Bunnie Xo's podcast Dumb Blonde. She described her relationship with Schneider as an "ebb and flow" and at that point, the two were "not flowing." On growing up with Schneider, she said she would stay summers with him on film sets but that the two rarely spent time together as he was working and that she refused to spend any more summers with him after he decided to send her to weight loss camp. She also mentioned that Schneider would often forget her birthday and that she did not agree with his then-recent comments about women, transgender people, and vaccines. Schneider later issued a public apology to her during an interview with Tucker Carlson, saying he loved her and that he hoped she could forgive him for his shortcomings as a father. In response, King said that her father apologizing on Carlson's show is "like a double negative... means nothing".

In 1996, Schneider established the Rob Schneider Music Foundation. The foundation returned music education to Pacifica's elementary schools by paying the teachers' salaries and providing funds for instruments and other equipment. Prior to Schneider's efforts, the school system had been without music education programs for years. He also once co-owned the DNA Lounge, a San Francisco nightclub.

In 2002, he married former model Helena Schneider but the union was short-lived.

In 2005, Schneider began dating television producer Patricia Azarcoya Arce. On April 23, 2011, the two married in Beverly Hills, California. They have two daughters, born in 2012 and 2016. The family supports Mexican soccer club Tigres, which is based in Patricia's hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. The family reside in Arizona. In January 2026, it was announced that Azarcoya filed for divorce from Schneider.

In 2023, Schneider converted to Catholicism.

Political views and positions

In 2013, Schneider switched political parties from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, explaining: "The state of California is a mess, and the super majority of Democrats is not working. I've been a lifelong Democrat and I have to switch over because it no longer serves the people of this great state." He endorsed Republican candidate Tim Donnelly for the 2014 California gubernatorial election.

In an interview on Larry King Now in 2017, Schneider said he was an independent but leaned more conservative.

In July 2023, Schneider endorsed independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. In August 2024, following the suspension of Kennedy's campaign, Schneider endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump. Schneider was a headliner at the 2024 Moms for Liberty convention.

Anti-vaccination and health activism

Schneider has been a critic of childhood vaccinations. In an interview with News10 in Sacramento, Schneider opined that "The efficacy of these shots have not been proven... And the toxicity of these thingswe're having more and more side effects. We're having more and more autism." He also views the actions from the state of California to mandate vaccinations as government overreach.

In 2015, Schneider actively opposed the passage of two California laws, California Assembly Bill 2109 and California Senate Bill 277, which both made childhood vaccination exemptions harder to obtain. On September 28, 2012, Schneider and California State Assemblyman Tim Donnelly spoke at the "Medical Freedom Rally", where they urged California Governor Jerry Brown to veto Assembly Bill 2109, which would have made it more difficult for parents to use philosophical reasons for exemptions from mandatory childhood vaccinations. While the bill was not vetoed, Governor Brown added a signing message instructing the Department of Health to add a religious exemption and to make sure the process was not overly burdensome to parents.

While fighting California Senate Bill 277, which removed exemptions to mandatory vaccinations due to personal beliefs, Schneider left a phone message to California state Assemblywoman and bill co-author Lorena Gonzalez saying that he would spend money against her in her next re-election. Gonzalez, in an interview with The Washington Times, said that she found the message to be disturbing, but upon calling back, she said, "he was actually much nicer to me, but let's be honest... that is 20 mins of my life I'll never get back arguing that vaccines don't cause autism with Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo."

In October 2025, he tweeted that "there were no Children's Hospitals when I was a kid. Because kids weren't sick." Others responded, pointing out that many such hospitals existed even before his birth, and that the first children's hospital in the United States, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, opened in 1855.

Removed off stage

In June 2024, Schneider performed in Saskatchewan at a fundraising event for the Hospitals of Regina Foundation fundraiser (a Canadian medical not-for-profit organization), where he told jokes about vaccines, women, and transgender people. He was removed from the stage in the middle of his set by event organizers, who later apologized for his behaviour. Schneider has defended his jokes, stating "I'm doing it right."

Paris Olympics boycott

In July 2024, Schneider posted on the social media platform X, "I am sorry to say to ALL the world's GREATEST ATHLETES, I wish you ALL THE BEST, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan. I sincerely hope THESE @Olympics get the same amount of viewers as @cspan". This was in reaction to the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, which was accused of including drag queen performers burlesquing The Last Supper painting.

Transgender views

In 2023, Schneider made posts on social media criticizing the transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, calling her transgender identity "cultural appropriation".

In August 2024, Schneider was a speaker at the 2024 national summit for the anti-transgender group Moms for Liberty.

In September 2024, Schneider's daughter, Elle King, distanced herself from Schneider and criticized his comments.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "Rob Schneider - Biography".
2. "Rob Schneider Biography (1963–)". Film Reference.
3. Shister, Gail. (August 5, 1996). "Schneider Gets No Time Off For Good Behavior". Chicago Tribune.
4. Pfefferman, Naomi. (January 12, 2009). "A Conversation with Rob Schneider". 18doors.org.
5. Rotter, Joshua. (June 2, 2015). "Rob Schneider Gets Real".
6. Crystal Schelle. (May 23, 2023). "Rob Schneider wants you to forget your problems and laugh".
7. (2011). "13th Annual Young Comedians Show".
8. Garvey, Marianne. (September 1, 2022). "Rob Schneider says 'SNL' was 'over' after Kate McKinnon performed 'Hallelujah' as Hillary Clinton". [[CNN]].
9. Sharf, Zack. (October 13, 2022). "Rob Schneider Says Bill Murray 'Absolutely Hated Us' at 'SNL' and 'Really Hated' Adam Sandler and Chris Farley: 'I Mean, Seething'". [[Variety (magazine).
10. (December 21, 2021). "What Happened To The "Bad Boys Of SNL" (Why They Were Fired)".
11. (September 6, 2007). "The 10 Most Obnoxious Recurring SNL Characters".
12. {{IMDb name. 1705
13. "Rob Schneider (in Drag) Fills in for Lindsay Lohan on Tonight Show".
14. Hipes, Patrick. (November 20, 2015). ["Video] 'Real Rob' Trailer: Rob Schneider Goes All Hollywood On Netflix".
15. (September 29, 2015). "'Real Rob': Rob Schneider's Comedy Series Coming to Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter.
16. (July 27, 2016). "Netflix Renews 'Chelsea', 'Lady Dynamite' & 'Real Rob' For Season 2 -TCA". Deadline.
17. (August 23, 2017). "New to Netflix in September: 'Pulp Fiction', 'Jerry Before Seinfeld' and More".
18. (February 11, 2014). "Rob Schneider honored for helping boost travel to Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw.
19. Baum, Gary. (August 31, 2016). "How Hollywood Stars, Trump and Scientologists Inflame the Vaccine Wars: "It's Spurious but Effective"". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
20. Blake, Meredith. (September 25, 2014). "State Farm dumps pitchman Rob Schneider over anti-vaccine views".
21. Grobar, Matt. (August 12, 2022). "'Love's Second Act' Gets Cast; Rob Schneider Sets 'Daddy Daughter Trip' Release; Maria Carretero Joins Assembly; Clip From Colson Baker Action-Thriller 'One Way'; More – Film Briefs".
22. Leeman, Zachary. (April 15, 2024). "Republican Senator Walked Out of 'Gross and Vulgar' Rob Schneider Set Cut Short at GOP Event". [[Mediaite]].
23. (November 27, 2015). "Elle King to bring fiery blues attitude to Philadelphia". The Morning Call.
24. (December 10, 2015). "Elle King Is Swaggering Out of Her Father's Shadow". Stereogum.
25. "All About Elle King's Parents, Actor Rob Schneider and Former Model London King".
26. Morin, Alyssa. (September 5, 2021). "Elle King Welcomes Baby Boy With Fiancé Dan Tooker: Find Out His Unique Name".
27. "Rob Schneider offends hospital donors with anti-vax, transphobic comments".
28. "Everything Elle King Said About Dad Rob Schneider In Full Dumb Blonde Podcast".
29. "Rob Schneider apologizes to daughter Elle King for 'toxic' parenting - National".
30. Vallone, Sara. (September 22, 2024). "Singer Elle King responds to father Rob Schneider's public apology. 'Means nothing'". The Miami Herald.
31. "RSMF – About". Robschneidermusicfoundation.org.
32. (December 13, 2000). "DNA Lounge: Ancient History: 1906–1998".
33. Grčar, Anja. (January 4, 2022). "How Many Times Has Rob Schneider Been Married?".
34. Stevens, Kaitlins. (August 3, 2023). "Who Is Rob Schneider's Wife? All About Patricia Schneider". [[People Magazine.
35. People Magazine Online. "Rob Schneider is married!".
36. (November 19, 2012). "Exclusive Details: Rob Schneider and Wife Welcome Baby!". Toofab.com.
37. (September 14, 2016). "Rob Schneider Welcomes Daughter Madeline Robbie".
38. "Rob Schneider cheers on Tigres at El Volcan {{!}} Goal.com".
39. (December 14, 2015). "Here's Why Rob Schneider Loves Mexican Soccer So Much".
40. (May 10, 2023). "Purchased from actor Rob Schneider, this renovated Scottsdale home is now on the market".
41. Robinson, KiMi. (January 28, 2026). "Rob Schneider's wife Patricia files for divorce after 15 years". USA Today.
42. Kandra, Deacon Greg. (November 2, 2023). "Rob Schneider: 'I am a new convert to Catholicism'".
43. (January 2, 2024). "Comedian Rob Schneider on Why He's Now a Catholic".
44. Klett, Leah MarieAnn. (December 1, 2023). "Rob Schneider discusses what his newfound faith in Christ means for his Hollywood career".
45. (October 1, 2013). "Hollywood star Rob Schneider turns Republican, citing Democratic 'disaster'". The Washington Times.
46. (November 10, 2017). "Rob Schneider clarifies his position on vaccines".
47. Kurtz, Judy. (July 26, 2023). "Rob Schneider backs RFK Jr.: 'Inspiring, hopeful, courageous'". [[The Hill (newspaper).
48. Flood, Brian. (August 23, 2024). "Comedian Rob Schneider urges fellow RFK supporters to vote Trump, slams Democrats in scathing message". Fox News.
49. (August 31, 2024). "The Women Trump Is Winning".
50. Hart, Benjamin. (July 1, 2012). "Rob Schneider Links Autism To Vaccines, Rails Against Big Government (Video)".
51. Medical Freedom. (February 21, 2012). "Rob Schneider and Tim Donnelly".
52. Brown, Jerry. (September 30, 2012). "AB2109 signing message".
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54. Chasmar, Jessica. (February 15, 2015). "Rob Schneider, anti-vaccine actor, leaves 'disturbing message' for lawmaker".
55. (October 24, 2025). "Rob Schneider gets dragged after claiming there were "NO Children's Hospitals" when he was growing up". The Daily Dot.
56. (June 5, 2024). "Attendee says Rob Schneider's jokes at Hospitals of Regina Foundation fundraiser were 'unacceptable'".
57. Lewis, Hilary. (August 21, 2024). "Rob Schneider Says People "Yelling," Walking Out of His Comedy Shows Means He's "Doing It Right"".
58. (July 28, 2024). "Paris Olympics organizers say they meant no disrespect with 'Last Supper' tableau".
59. (July 29, 2024). "S.F. comedian Rob Schneider outraged by Paris Olympics, claims it 'openly celebrates Satan'".
60. (September 7, 2023). "Rob Schneider's Comments on Dylan Mulvaney Spark Uproar".
61. (August 30, 2024). "Moms For Liberty Goes All In On Transphobia".
62. (September 6, 2024). "Elle King defends the LGBTQ+ community by rebuking her father Rob Schneider's homophobic beliefs (exclusive)".
63. (August 12, 2024). "Elle King Says Father Rob Schneider's "Anti-Gay Rights" Views Are "F***ed", Will Go Years Without Speaking to Him".
64. John Willis. (2000). "Screen World 1993: Comprehensive Pictorial and Statistical Record of the 1992 Movie Season". Hal Leonard.
65. (December 15, 2017). "Rob Schneider Looks Back at 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' 25 Years Later". usmagazine.com.
66. (April 21, 2008). "Schneider, Raymonde, Willis, in 'Wild Cherry' – EW.com".
67. (February 7, 2015). "Jungle Shuffle". Apple.
68. (September 15, 2015). "Pups United Digital".
69. "Pups United: A Fun-Filled Movie Sure to Delight Every Member of the Family (DVD Review)".
70. (May 23, 2016). "Lionsgate's 'Kung Fu Panda' Knockoff Looks Even Worse Than It Sounds".
71. (August 23, 2023). "Everything You Need to Know About ''Leo''".