James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He was raised in Chesterton, Indiana. His material is often about fatherhood, observations, laziness, and food. He is also regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines. He has had several successful comedy specials, including Mr. Universe, Obsessed, and Cinco, all three of which received Grammy nominations. His memoir, Dad Is Fat (2013) and his most recent book, Food: A Love Story (2014), are both published by Crown Publishers. He co-created and starred in a TV Land television series based on his life called The Jim Gaffigan Show.
He collaborates extensively with his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan, and together they have five children. They are Catholic, a topic that comes up in his comedy, and live in Manhattan, New York City.
Gaffigan was born on July 7, 1966 in Elgin, Illinois, the son of Marsha Mitchell and Michael A. Gaffigan. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. His father, a banker, was the first in his family to attend college, and he encouraged his children to seek careers that promised job security. However, at about the age of five, Jim announced that when he grew up, he wanted to be an "actress."