Jorma Taccone

As a founding member of the enduring comedy trio, The Lonely Island, Jorma Taccone was one of the first filmmakers to transform being an Internet sensation into mainstream success. Along with Lonely Island partners and "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) co-writers Andy Samberg and Akiva Shaeffer, Taccone helped revolutionize the short film format, turning digital shorts like "Dick in a Box" into Emmy Award-winning skits. After launching his career in 2001 with the Lonely Island website, he eventually caught the eye of "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels, who hired Taccone and his cohorts as writers on "SNL" in 2005. The trio made an instant splash and helped return the late night mainstay to cultural relevance. Meanwhile, the multi-talented Taccone established himself as an able comedic actor with his first foray into feature film acting, "Hot Rod" (2007). Taccone eventually landed the pivotal role of monkey-boy Cha-Ka in "Land of the Lost" (2009), one of the year's most hyped movies, which helped propel the typically behind-the-scenes actor into the limelight.