Who Are John Mulaney’s Parents? Inside the Family Dynamic of the Former ‘SNL’ Star
Let’s take a look at John’s parents and the family dynamic that shaped him into who he is today.
Published Nov. 6 2025, 1:31 p.m. ET
After entertaining audiences for years as a stand-up comedian, actor, SNL cast member, and star of his own short-lived sitcom, John Mulaney has conquered many aspects of Hollywood.
However, his life before the fame is not nearly as publicized, specifically how he grew up. So, let’s take a look at John’s parents and the family dynamic that shaped him into who he is today.
Who are John Mulaney’s parents?
John is the son of Ellen and Charles W. Mulaney Jr., who were both attorneys and parents to five children, one of whom died at birth.
Ellen and Charles met when they were both law students at Georgetown University and eventually attended Yale Law School together, where they were classmates with someone who would be a major name in politics — former President Bill Clinton, according to People.
The couple, who have been married for 50 years, went on to receive their juris doctor degrees in 1974 and embarked on their respective careers in law.
After starting out practicing a combination of administrative, corporate, and tax law, Ellen began working at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She is currently a senior law lecturer at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, per her university bio.
As for Charles, after law school, he joined the Chicago law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, where he still remains to this day, his company bio reads.
John has shared tales of his childhood in his stand-up routines and in interviews over the years.
In a 2024 interview with GQ, John opened up about his father’s initial reaction to learning his son wanted to be a stand-up comedian. “Best-case scenario, you’re like what, Steve Martin?” John recalled his father asking.
“I think he enjoyed seeing, ‘Oh, it’s a thing people do respect,’ which was fun for me to watch,” he told the outlet of how his father’s opinion changed over time. “I didn’t need them to suddenly become stage parents or love everything I say or even think that comedy’s important, or some s--t. I don’t need that.”
These days, John has his own family with wife Olivia Munn and their two children.
John and Olivia, who met years prior, officially began dating in early 2021 following John’s separation from his first wife. By November of that year, the couple welcomed their first child, son Malcolm.
In July 2024, months after their first red carpet debut at the Governor’s Awards, the couple revealed that they were married during the July 4th weekend in New York, per People.
September 2024 saw the addition to the couple’s family, when they welcomed their daughter Méi via surrogate.
Olivia shared with the outlet how John supported her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2024. “I don’t think he had a moment to himself, between being an incredibly hands-on father and going to and from the hospital — and he did it all happily.”