Michael Cusack
Cusack (born 25 October 1990) is an Australian animator, writer, producer, director, musician, and voice actor. He is known as the co-creator, co-star, and co-leader of the Adult Swim animated series Smiling Friends (2020–2026), in which he voices the characters Pim, Allan, and various others. He is also the creator, director, and writer of the Adult Swim animated series YOLO (2020–25) and the Hulu animated sitcom Koala Man (2023).
Michael Cusack

Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Michael Cusack
- Born
- 25 October 1990
- Birthplace
- Dapto, New South Wales, Australia
- Occupation
- * Animator
- Nationality
- Australia
- Languages
- English
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Cusack (born 25 October 1990) is an Australian animator, writer, producer, director, musician, and voice actor. He is known as the co-creator, co-star, and co-leader of the Adult Swim animated series Smiling Friends (2020–2026), in which he voices the characters Pim, Allan, and various others. He is also the creator, director, and writer of the Adult Swim animated series YOLO (2020–25) and the Hulu animated sitcom Koala Man (2023).
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Michael Cusack (born 1990) is an Australian actor, animator and film director, among other activities. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Michael Cusack • Born — 25 October 1990 • Birthplace — Dapto, New South Wales, Australia • Occupation — * Animator • writer • producer • director • musician • voice actor • Years Active — 2012–present
Early life
Early life
Cusack was born on 25 October 1990, and raised in Dapto, New South Wales, and later moved to Melbourne.
Career
Career
Cusack became interested in animation in his 20s and taught himself Adobe Flash using online tutorials. He uploaded his content to his YouTube channel and Newgrounds account. He created and portrayed Lucas the Magnificent, a parody of New Atheist "neckbeards", in live-action YouTube videos and on Twitter, beginning in 2014; he later stated that the character led to him meeting and befriending American animator Zach Hadel, as Lucas the Magnificent stated that he wanted Hadel to animate the intro of Lucas' potential Let's Play show. They began to collaborate online, then later in person when Cusack traveled to meet Hadel in Burbank, California. Cusack wrote, directed, animated, produced, and starred in the Rick and Morty special episode Bushworld Adventures, a parody of the series that aired on Adult Swim in 2018 as part of the network's April Fools' Day tradition. The success of Bushworld Adventures led him to create YOLO and Smiling Friends for the network, the latter alongside Hadel. He also voiced Knifey in the video game High on Life and its sequel, Nugget in the television film The Paloni Show Halloween Special, and Mammon in the online series Helluva Boss.
Personal life
Personal life
Cusack continues to reside in Melbourne although he regularly divides his time between Melbourne and Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2018 — Rick and Morty — Rick Sanchez, Morty Smith, Various — Episode: Bushworld Adventures Writer, director, producer, animator, compositor • Fresh Blood — Koala Man, Damo, Darren, various — Episode: Koala Man Writer, director • 2020–2025 — YOLO — Lucas the Magnificent, various — Creator, director, writer, executive producer, animator, storyboard artist • 2022–2026 — Smiling Friends — Pim, Allan, various — Co-creator, director, writer, storyboard artist, storyboard revisionist, art director, character design supervisor, designer, animator • 2023 — Koala Man — Koala Man, Liam, Damo, Darren, various — Creator, co-developer, writer, executive producer • 2024 — Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy — Servo — Mini-series • 2025 — Big City Greens — Jim Owner — Episode: "Flexed" • Kiff — Old Crumb — Episode: "Ye Olde Candy Shoppe of Horrors" • 2026 — Toon World Express — Episode: "Nearly Departed" Writer, director • Robot Chicken — Pim, Allan — Episode: "Robot Chicken Adult Swim Special" • TBA — Dad's House — Co-creator, executive producer
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2022 — High on Life — Knifey — Voice • 2026 — High on Life 2
Web
Web
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2012 — Question for Ted — Various — 2 episodes • YOLO — Sarah — Short • 2013–2015 — Weedheads — Various — 2 episodes • 2014–2025 — Damo and Darren — Damo, Darren, various — 7 episodes • 2014 — YOLO 2 — Sarah and Some Crazy Happy Woman — Short • 2018 — OneyPlays — Himself — 1 episode • Shrek Retold — Donkey — Animator • 2019 — The Cyanide & Happiness Show — Aladdin — 1 episode • 2021 — Smiling Friends: Free Draw — Self — Adult Swim special • 2020–2022 — The Official Podcast — Podcast, Guest • 2022 — The Create Unknown — 2 episodes • 2023–2024 — Helluva Boss — Mammon — 2 episodes • 2025–present — Crocodile and Cube: In The Studio — Crocodile — Also creator, writer, director • 2026 — Gameoverse — Snappers — Pilot episode

Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel speaking at the 2024 WonderCon, for "Adult Swim's Smiling Friends", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.
Gage Skidmore
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mike Bocchetti and Michael Cusack on X. 26 October 2025.
- 2.OneyNG on X. 26 October 2023.
- 3.Mathiesen, Craig. 'Why not Wollongong?' Disney backs irreverent Aussie superhero spoof. Sydney Morning Herald. 9 January 2023.
- 4.The Smiling Friends Troll: How This Atheist Gamer Got an Adult Swim Cameo. YouTube. 19 January 2022.
- 5.Zahed, Ramin. Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel Discuss Making 'Smiling Friends,' Their New Adult Swim Show. Animation Magazine. 4 January 2022.
- 6.Whalen, Andrew. 'Rick And Morty' April Fools' Day Episode, 'Bushworld Adventures,' Premieres Instead of Season 4. Newsweek. 2 April 2018.
- 7.Adult Swim's 'Smiling Friends' Turns Frowns Upside Down. Animation World Network.
- 8.Yayy I voiced that knife :) @SquanchGames #HighOnLife. 1536169174824759296.
- 9.Michael Cusack's animated series Koala Man is now streaming on Disney+. 8 January 2023.
- 10.The Robot Chicken Adult Swim Special Premieres 8/30 Next Day @HBOMax. X (formerly Twitter).
- 11.Milligan, Mercedes. Netflix Opens Doors to Adult Animated Comedy 'Dad's House' from 'Smiling Friends' & 'Italian Spiderman' Creators. Animation Magazine. 2026-04-29.
- 12.GLITCH. GAMEOVERSE [TRAILER]. Jan 23, 2026.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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