Jeff Richmond

Jeffrey Wayne Richmond is an American composer, director, producer, and comedian who grew up in Portage County, Ohio. He graduated from James A. Garfield High School in Garrettsville in 1979, where he received the John Philip Sousa award. During that period he also played a founding role in the Garrettsville Community Players, contributing as a director and choreographer to the organization's early productions. Richmond went on to attend Kent State University in Kent, Ohio in the early 1980s, where he co-wrote several musicals and composed a score for William Shakespeare's Othello.

Richmond began his professional career at The Second City and Child's Play Touring Theatre, the latter of which recognized him with its Victor Award in 2012. He subsequently served as music director for the late-night television variety program Saturday Night Live, a position he held until 2006. It was at The Second City that he met Tina Fey; the two dated for seven years before marrying on June 3, 2001, and they have two daughters together.

Following his departure from SNL, Richmond became a central creative force behind 30 Rock, the sitcom created by and starring Fey. He composed the program's music, executive produced the series, and directed five episodes: "Argus," "Plan B," "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell," "Today You Are a Man," and "A Goon's Deed in a Weary World." He also appeared on the show in a recurring capacity as the character Alfonso Disparioso. His work on the first three seasons of 30 Rock earned him three Emmy Awards, and he received an additional Emmy nomination for composing the series' theme song. In 2008, Richmond composed the score for the film Baby Mama, which starred Fey and Amy Poehler. He later executive produced and composed the music for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, another Fey-created sitcom.

Richmond's Broadway work centers on the stage adaptation of Mean Girls, for which he wrote the music. The production held its out-of-town tryout in Washington, D.C., began Broadway previews on March 12, 2018, and officially opened on April 8, 2018. His score earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre in 2018. Mean Girls subsequently premiered on London's West End in June 2024. Richmond has also been noted for his appearances as the recurring character "Russian Hat Guy" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.