Andy Samberg was born in Berkeley, California, to Marjorie (Marrow), a teacher, and Joe Samberg, a photographer. With Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, Samberg is one of three Los Angeles, California-based writer-performer-filmmakers–all childhood friends–dubbed the Lonely Island, whose short films were showcased on the popular untelevised television network show and Web site Channel 101.com. Some of their popular shorts included The O.C. (2003) parody “The ‘Bu” and their full-length pilot, “Awesometown.” They met Jimmy Fallon while writing for 2004 MTV Video Music Awards (2004), who then suggested that they audition for “Saturday Night Live”. Andy was then cast as a featured performer, and Samberg’s Lonely Island cohorts Jorma and Akiva were hired as writers for the show. Near the end of his first season of “SNL,” Andy started filming the lead role in the film Hot Rod (2007), the first major motion picture by the Lonely Island team, with the production support of Lorne Michaels. In 2016, Andy starred in the pop music mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). Taccone and Schaffer co-starred in and co-directed the film.