Creating, writing, acting, and producing all at the same time is practically unheard of and by no means represents the norm. For many actors, television production is typically too difficult to take on multiple roles, which is why it happens less frequently. It is nearly unheard of for one individual to create, write, act, direct, and produce all at once. You’ll see actors taking on extra credits more in big-budget films, like when a talented actor simultaneously serves as the director or when a talented filmmaker takes on an on-screen part for themselves.

It appears that certain people have direct access to the creative energy of the world, though, and can create and star in their own TV series just fine. In each episode and each subsequent season, these folks consistently come up with innovative and unique methods to make us chuckle, weep, or simply identify with them until we are unable to take it anymore. The past several decades have given sitcom viewers some really inventive shows, whether it be a series about a fumbling office manager wanting to be friends with his workers or a series about the intricacies of a man’s everyday existence. Some of the top actors who contributed to their television programs’ production are listed below.

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7 Jerry Seinfeld — Seinfeld

     NBC

Seinfeld is a comedy series that was created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. 180 episodes over nine seasons were shown on NBC from July 1989 to May 1998. Three of Seinfeld’s acquaintances are featured in the program, which portrays him as a fictitious version of himself and is centered on his personal life: his longtime friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander), his former lover Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and his neighbor from across the hall Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). The majority of the action takes place in an Upper West Side apartment complex.

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Seinfeld places an emphasis on the little things that make up daily life. Throughout each episode, there are a few stand-up comedy bits performed by the fictional Seinfeld, who usually uses the episode’s events as inspiration. Food, and food-related humor, are also an integral part of the show and, per HypeBeast, a cookbook featuring “the show’s most talked-about food moments and culinary jokes” will be released on October 11, 2022.

6 Ricky Gervais — The Office (UK)

     BBC

The Office is a British mock-documentary comedy that premiered in the UK on BBC2 on July 9, 2001. The program, which was created, written, and produced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, focuses on the daily activities of office workers at the fictional Wernham Hogg paper company’s Slough division. David Brent, the series’ protagonist, is also portrayed by Gervais. The show focuses on issues of social awkwardness, the absurdities of human behavior, arrogance and conceit, frustration, desperation, and celebrity. A global Office franchise was created as a result of The Office’s popularity, which prompted a number of adaptations to be made for other television markets, including the popular and Emmy-winning American version on NBC with Steve Carell as Michael Scott (David Brent’s American equivalent).

5 Mindy Kaling — The Mindy Project

     Hulu

The Mindy Project is a six-season American romantic comedy television series that Mindy Kaling produced. It debuted on Fox in September 2012 and, per Variety, was picked up by Hulu after Fox canceled the show. As she attempts to combine her personal and professional lives in a tiny medical practice in New York City, OB/GYN Mindy Lahiri, played by Kaling, is the basis of the television series. Her character’s persona was modeled by Kaling’s own mother, an actual OB/GYN. Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), her best friend and potential love interest, whose religious values periodically create mild tension, helps Mindy experience life with the support of her eccentric colleagues.

4 Tina Fey — 30 Rock

In October 2006, Tina Fey developed 30 Rock, a satirical sitcom that aired on NBC until January 2013. The comedy, which is based on Fey’s experiences as the head writer for Saturday Night Live, is set in the backstage area of a fictitious live sketch comedy program. This series is portrayed as broadcasting on NBC and has a single-camera setup. The name of the program alludes to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. This is the location of the NBC Studios and serves as the setting for the writing, production, and performance of Saturday Night Live. A few of Fey’s supporting actors include Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan, and Alec Baldwin. Narratively, 30 Rock combines weird humor to spoof NBC, General Electric, and Comcast’s intricate forms of business.

3 Lena Dunham — Girls

     HBO

Lena Dunham is the creator and actress of the American comedy-drama television series Girls, which is executive produced by Judd Apatow. The television show features four young women who reside in New York City. The idea of the program and several key characteristics of the central role, such as her financial separation from her parents, her decision-making, and her becoming a writer, were all inspired by Dunham’s own experiences. The show’s first season debuted on HBO on April 15, 2012, and On April 16, 2017, the sixth and final season of Girls came to an end, giving fans a decent 62 episodes in all. The series has garnered favorable reviews and accolades, including the British Academy Television Award for ‘Best International Program’ and the Golden Globe Award for ‘Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.’

2 Martin Lawrence — Martin

     Fox

A five-season run of the American television comedy Martin was broadcast by Fox between 1992 through 1997. Martin Lawrence, a comedian and the program’s creator, played the title role of Martin Payne, a disc jockey. In the series, Martin must navigate life in Detroit, Michigan, with his girlfriend Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell). Martin first works for the fictitious radio station WZUP before transitioning to the free Public television network, Channel 51. Throughout the show, Martin’s self-centered and unrestrained character traits are frequently discussed. Episodes frequently focus on Martin’s improper actions and constant bashing of friends, neighbors, and anyone else he happens to encounter. In the end, though, Martin does care about his loved ones; he simply needs challenging circumstances to express it.

1 Chris Rock — Everybody Hates Chris

     The CW

Everybody Hates Chris is an American television period sitcom that was produced by comedian Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi. It was inspired by Rock’s memories of his adolescent years. Around the time Rock himself was a teenager, the show takes place between 1982 and 1987. It was picked up by UPN, where it debuted in 2005 for one season. Everybody Hates Chris’ final three seasons were shown on The CW after UPN and The WB combined to become a singular network. Terry Crews and Tichina Arnold play Chris’ parents, Julius and Rochelle. The real Rock gives sporadic narration throughout the program, occasionally adding his comments from when he was younger or just retelling the event. Everybody Hates Chris depicts Rock’s experiences growing up in a loving, close-knit African-American family in a drug- and gang-ridden Brooklyn neighborhood. It also shows his struggles in a public high school that has a predominance of white students on the other side of town. The show did so well that, in 2021, Deadline reported, “Chris Rock’s beloved autobiographical family sitcom Everybody Hates Chris is coming back as an animated series, with Rock expected to return as the narrator.”