Jim Breuer (born June 21, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, radio host, writer, and musician. Born in Valley Stream, New York, he began performing stand-up in the late 1980s and developed a style built around animated storytelling, physical comedy, character voices, and observations about family life, popular culture, and heavy metal. His performances often blur the line between conventional stand-up and extended comic anecdotes.
Breuer gained national attention after joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1995. He remained with the NBC sketch-comedy program until 1998, becoming especially associated with the recurring character Goat Boy, an excitable half-man, half-goat figure. He also became known for his impression of actor Joe Pesci. Although his time on the show was relatively brief, the exposure established Breuer as one of the recognizable comic performers of the 1990s.
His film career developed alongside his television work. Breuer had a supporting role in the 1995 comedy film The B.B., and became more widely known through the 1998 stoner comedy Half Baked, in which he played Brian alongside Dave Chappelle. He later appeared in films including Dick, Titan A.E., Beer League, and Zookeeper, as well as making television appearances and providing voice work. In 1998, he also hosted The Jim Breuer Show on MTV, combining stand-up performances, sketches, and guest appearances.
Comedy remained Breuer's primary medium. He headlined Comedy Central's Pulp Comics: Jim Breuer and released the specials Hardcore in 2002, Let's Clear the Air in 2009, And Laughter for All in 2013, Comic Frenzy in 2015, and Somebody Had to Say It in 2021. His material increasingly centered on marriage, parenthood, aging, and the contradictions of maintaining a youthful rock-and-roll identity while living as a family man. His 2010 memoir, I'm Not High: But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories About Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior, extended this autobiographical approach into book form.
Breuer has also maintained a strong connection with radio and podcasting. He hosted Breuer Unleashed on SiriusXM and has been a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. His documentary More Than Me grew out of a 2008 tour made with his father, while The Jim Breuer Road Journals presented a broader view of his life on the road.
Music, especially classic heavy metal, is a major part of Breuer's public identity. In 2016, he released Songs from the Garage with the Loud & Rowdy through Metal Blade Records. Produced by Rob Caggiano, the album combined hard-rock and metal arrangements with comic songs about family, middle age, and everyday frustrations. AC/DC singer Brian Johnson appeared on the album, making the project a notable meeting point between Breuer's comedy career and his long-standing enthusiasm for rock music.
Breuer's career is defined by this combination of stand-up, character performance, broadcasting, and music. Rather than treating his interests as separate pursuits, he has built a persona around the energetic collision of domestic life, comedy, and heavy-metal fandom.