David Lawrence McCary is an American comedian, writer, producer, and director born on July 2, 1985, in San Diego, California. He built his reputation through years of work on Saturday Night Live and as co-founder of the sketch comedy group Good Neighbor.
He is also widely known as the husband of two-time Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone.
Who is Dave McCary?
Dave McCary is an American comedian, director, writer, and producer who rose to prominence through his work behind the camera at Saturday Night Live and later as a feature film director.
His feature directorial debut, Brigsby Bear, earned him critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017. Since then, he has grown into one of Hollywood’s most productive independent film producers.
McCary co-founded the production company Fruit Tree with his wife, actress Emma Stone, in August 2020. The company quickly became a significant force in independent cinema, backing acclaimed films and television series.
His Good Neighbor sketch comedy collective, formed in 2007, gained over two billion YouTube views. That early digital success opened the door to his long SNL career and, eventually, to his feature film work.
Early Life of Dave McCary
David Lawrence McCary was born on July 2, 1985, in San Diego, California, to Gary Lee McCary and Diane Lee McCary (née Phillips). He grew up with a passion for storytelling and comedy from a young age.
During his childhood in Southern California, McCary formed a close friendship with Kyle Mooney, who would later become his most frequent creative collaborator. The two shared a natural interest in comedy and filmmaking that defined both of their careers.
McCary eventually relocated to Wisconsin, where he graduated from Monroe High School in 2003. He later enrolled at the Brooks Institute of Photography, though he left after two years to pursue his creative ambitions more directly.
He and Mooney lived together while Mooney attended the University of Southern California. That period of shared creative energy led directly to the formation of Good Neighbor in 2007.
Dave McCary Age
Dave McCary is 41 years old as of 2026, born on July 2, 1985. His zodiac sign is Cancer, a sign often associated with creativity and strong emotional intelligence.
His career spanning nearly two decades reflects the sustained ambition he developed early in life.
Dave McCary Ethnicity and Nationality
McCary is an American national, born and raised in the United States. His background is American, and he has spent his entire career working within the U.S. entertainment industry.
His family roots, through both his mother Diane and his father Gary, are tied to the San Diego region of Southern California.
Dave McCary Height and Weight
Dave McCary stands at approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, which is around 1.78 meters. His weight is reportedly around 73 kilograms, or approximately 161 pounds.
He carries a lean build typical of someone active behind the scenes in a fast-paced industry.
Dave McCary Education
McCary graduated from Monroe High School in Monroe, Wisconsin, in 2003. He subsequently attended the Brooks Institute of Photography, a creative arts school in California, before departing after two years.
He did not complete a formal degree program, choosing instead to channel his energy into the sketch comedy work that would define his professional path. His time living alongside Kyle Mooney near the University of Southern California campus proved more formative than any classroom.
Dave McCary Career
Dave McCary’s professional career began with the founding of Good Neighbor in 2007 and has since expanded to include landmark work on Saturday Night Live, a celebrated feature film directorial debut, and a thriving production company with deals at major studios.
Early Career and Good Neighbor
In 2007, McCary joined forces with Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, and Nick Rutherford to form the sketch comedy group Good Neighbor. The group produced a large body of comedic short films and sketch videos that circulated widely online.
Good Neighbor caught the attention of major industry figures early on. Steven Spielberg and comedian Louis C.K. both personally acknowledged the group’s work, a remarkable level of recognition for an independent online comedy collective.
By 2010, McCary had begun directing installments of Epic Rap Battles of History, the popular YouTube web series. He served as the primary director for the show’s first two seasons, from 2010 to 2013.
In 2013, Good Neighbor filmed a pilot for Comedy Central called The Good Neighbor Show, produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay under their Gary Sanchez Productions banner. SNL then moved to bring the entire group aboard, working with Comedy Central to release them from their contract.
Saturday Night Live
McCary joined Saturday Night Live in 2013 as a segment director, starting with the show’s thirty-ninth season. Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett joined as featured players that same year, while Nick Rutherford became a staff writer.
Over his five seasons at the show, McCary directed more than 100 episodes’ worth of pre-taped sketches and digital shorts. His work contributed to over two billion YouTube views across the show’s online content during his tenure.
One of his standout contributions was directing the Emmy Award-winning digital short “Come Back Barack,” which featured Chance The Rapper. That piece demonstrated his ability to blend cinematic storytelling with the show’s distinctive comedic voice.
McCary earned three Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series during his time at SNL in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He also won two Writers Guild of America awards for his writing work in 2017 and 2018. He left the show at the conclusion of season 43 in 2018.
Brigsby Bear, Fruit Tree, and Recent Work
In 2017, McCary made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy-drama Brigsby Bear, written by Kyle Mooney and Kevin Costello. The film starred Mooney alongside Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Matt Walsh, and Michaela Watkins.
Brigsby Bear premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2017. It received a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, a Golden Camera nomination at the Cannes International Film Festival, and a spot on the National Board of Review’s Top 10 Independent Films of 2017. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film at Sundance for theatrical distribution.
In August 2020, McCary and Emma Stone co-founded the production company Fruit Tree, alongside producer Ali Herting. The company immediately secured a two-year first-look television deal with A24 and quickly built an ambitious slate of projects.
Fruit Tree’s output grew steadily and impressively. Projects under its banner include the 2022 Sundance Film Festival premiere of When You Finish Saving the World, Julio Torres’ Problemista (2023), Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow (2024), Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain (2024), and the Showtime series The Curse (2023-2024), on which both McCary and Stone served as executive producers.
In October 2024, Fruit Tree signed a first-look film deal with Universal Pictures, expanding the company’s reach from independent film into major studio territory. That same deal includes an untitled feature film starring Emma Stone and directed by McCary for Universal.
In March 2025, Fruit Tree secured an additional first-look TV development deal with Fremantle, making the international production and distribution company the primary home for the banner’s scripted TV projects.
McCary also returned to SNL in 2024 to direct the pre-taped sketch “Papyrus 2,” featuring Ryan Gosling, and received a fourth Primetime Emmy nomination that year for his work on the show.
Dave McCary Discography / Filmography
McCary’s directing credits include Brigsby Bear (2017) and the HBO stand-up special My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres (2019).
As a producer, his credits span When You Finish Saving the World (2022), Problemista (2023), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), A Real Pain (2024), and the Fremantle/A24 collaboration Saturday Morning All Star Hits! (2022).
His television executive producing credits include The Curse (2023-2024), Fantasmas (2024), and The Yogurt Shop Murders (2025).
Dave McCary Awards and Recognition
McCary earned three consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series between 2016 and 2018 for his SNL work. He received a fourth Emmy nomination in 2024, also for Saturday Night Live.
His work on SNL also earned him two Writers Guild of America awards, in 2017 and 2018. Brigsby Bear brought additional recognition: a Grand Jury nomination at Sundance, a Golden Camera nomination at Cannes, and placement on the National Board of Review’s Top 10 Independent Films of 2017 list.
In total, McCary has accumulated five wins and nineteen nominations across major awards bodies.
Dave McCary Wife
Dave McCary met actress Emma Stone in December 2016, when she hosted Saturday Night Live and McCary directed her in a pre-taped segment called “Wells for Boys.” Their professional collaboration turned personal, and by October 2017, the couple confirmed they were dating.
McCary announced their engagement in December 2019 via a now-deleted Instagram post showing Stone’s engagement ring. The couple married in the spring of 2020, keeping the ceremony private and out of the press.
Both McCary and Stone are known for guarding their private life carefully. Yet they regularly attend red carpet events together, including the 2024 Oscars, the 2025 Oscars, and the 2026 ceremony, at which they appeared together in March 2026.
The pair launched Fruit Tree as a joint creative venture in August 2020, the same year they married. They share both a personal and professional partnership built on a foundation of shared artistic values and mutual support.
Dave McCary Children
Dave McCary and Emma Stone welcomed their daughter, Louise Jean McCary, on March 13, 2021. The name is widely believed to pay tribute to Stone’s grandmother, Jean Louise.
Stone referenced her daughter prominently in her Academy Awards acceptance speech in March 2024, saying Louise had turned their lives “technicolor.” Louise was born under the Pisces star sign.
McCary and Stone have kept details about their daughter largely out of the public eye, consistent with the private approach both have maintained throughout their relationship.
Dave McCary Net Worth
Dave McCary’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026. His income comes from multiple streams built over nearly two decades in the entertainment industry.
His five seasons as a segment director and writer at Saturday Night Live provided a sustained base of earnings from one of television’s most storied productions.
Dave’s feature directorial debut, Brigsby Bear, added both critical credibility and financial returns after Sony Pictures Classics acquired it at Sundance.
Through Fruit Tree, McCary shares in the revenues generated by a growing slate of films and television projects. The company’s first-look film deal with Universal Pictures and TV development deal with Fremantle, both secured in late 2024 and early 2025, signal continued expansion in the years ahead.
Dave McCary Social Media
McCary maintains a notably low-key social media presence relative to his profile in the industry. He has an Instagram account at @davemccary, where he posts occasionally.
His overall approach to social media reflects the same preference for privacy that he and Emma Stone maintain across their personal lives.
The Bottom Line
Dave McCary directed Brigsby Bear, which premiered at Sundance in 2017 and earned a Grand Jury nomination, a Cannes selection, and a spot on the National Board of Review’s year-end list. That debut established him as one of independent film’s most distinctive directorial voices.
He built Good Neighbor from scratch in 2007 alongside childhood friends, and the group’s videos accumulated over two billion YouTube views before he transitioned to SNL and then to features. His four Primetime Emmy nominations reflect the consistent quality of his work across comedy television.
Fruit Tree, the production company he co-founded with Emma Stone in 2020, signed first-look deals with both Universal Pictures and Fremantle in 2024 and 2025. An untitled feature he will direct for Universal marks his next major step in front of the camera’s other side.
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