Honestly, it’s a bit of a trip when you realize how long Will Forte has been a fixture on our screens. We’ve seen him go from the weirdest guy on Saturday Night Live to a legitimate, beard-sporting dramatic lead. But as of right now, in early 2026, Will Forte is 55 years old. He’ll be hitting 56 on June 17, 2026.
It’s weird, right? He still has that manic, youthful energy that makes you think he’s perpetually stuck in his late 30s, probably while wearing a ridiculous wig or screaming about a MacGruber-style explosion. But the math doesn't lie. Orville Willis Forte IV was born in 1970 in Alameda, California.
The 1970 Vintage: Why His Age Matters
Forte belongs to that specific generation of comedy legends—think Tina Fey or Maya Rudolph—who basically redefined what funny looked like in the early 2000s. Being 55 in 2026 puts him in a fascinating spot in his career. He’s no longer the "new guy" at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He’s the veteran.
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Most people get his age wrong because he spent so much of his career playing characters who were either emotionally stunted or literally the last man on earth. When you see him in The Last Man on Earth, you aren't thinking about his birth certificate. You’re thinking about how he managed to make a beard made of trash look like a fashion choice.
A Career Built on the Long Game
Forte didn't just wake up funny. He actually started out as a financial broker. Imagine that for a second. Will Forte, the man who played "The Falconer," sitting in a cubicle at Smith Barney Shearson. He hated it. Obviously.
He was miserable, so he quit and pivoted to comedy at an age when most people are trying to climb the corporate ladder. He was already in his 30s when he joined SNL in 2002. That’s actually relatively "old" for a featured player starting out, but that maturity—mixed with absolute lunacy—is what made him stand out.
Will Forte Age and the Family Life Shift
One reason fans are suddenly Googling his age more often is his personal life. It’s been a big few years for him. He married Olivia Modling in 2021, and they’ve since had two daughters, Zoe and Cecilia.
There’s a pretty notable age gap there—Olivia was born in 1993, making her about 23 years younger than Will. In Hollywood, that’s almost a cliché, but Forte has always been pretty open about how fatherhood at this stage of his life changed his perspective.
Being a dad to toddlers in your mid-50s is a different kind of stamina test. He’s talked about it in interviews, basically saying that his kids have influenced the roles he takes now. He wants to do more stuff they can actually watch, like The Great North or his voice work in Win or Lose.
The MacGruber Factor
You can't talk about Will Forte without talking about MacGruber. Even at 55, he’s still tethered to that character. There’s something timelessly stupid about a guy who can’t defuse a bomb because he’s too busy being petty. It’s the kind of comedy that doesn’t age, even if the actor does.
What’s Next for the 55-Year-Old Star?
Forte isn't slowing down just because he's eligible for AARP mailers soon. 2026 is actually looking like a massive year for him.
- Coyote vs. Acme: After all the drama with Warner Bros. shelving this movie, it’s finally slated for a theatrical release in August 2026. Forte plays the lawyer for Wile E. Coyote.
- The Breadwinner: He’s got this project in post-production right now.
- The Four Seasons: He's collaborating with Tina Fey and Steve Carell on this Netflix series, which is basically a comedy nerd's fever dream.
If you’re tracking his career, it’s clear he’s moving into a "distinguished" era, but without losing the "dirtbag" charm that made him famous.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see how much he's changed (or hasn't), go back and watch his first season of SNL from 2002 and then jump straight into Sweet Tooth or MacGruber (the series). The face has a few more lines, but the eyes are still just as wild. Keep an eye out for the Coyote vs. Acme trailer dropping later this year—it’s the comeback story the industry has been waiting for.