Raphael Bob-Waksberg
The creator behind the show that turned Hollywood mockery into deep emotional storytelling.
Raphael Bob-Waksberg is best known as the creator and showrunner of the Netflix animated comedy series BoJack Horseman (2014–2020), for which he received four Critics' Choice Television Awards and was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. He also co-created the Amazon Prime Video animated series Undone (2019–2022) with Kate Purdy, and was an executive producer and writer on the Netflix/Adult Swim animated series Tuca & Bertie (2019–2022), created by BoJack Horseman production designer Lisa Hanawalt. In 2024, it was announced that Bob-Waksberg and Hanawalt reteamed to make Long Story Short, an animated comedy-drama about a family over time. The series premiered on August 22, 2025, to critical acclaim.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Raphael Matthew Bob-Waksberg
- Born
- 17 August 1984
- Birthplace
- San Mateo, California, U.S.
- Education
- Bard College
- Occupation
- Voice actor
- screenwriter
- producer
- actor
- comedian
- Years active
- 2002–present
Lore & Background
Bob-Waksberg was raised in Palo Alto, California with his two sisters, Becky and Amalia, in a Conservative Jewish family. His parents were involved in various Jewish causes; from 1982 to about 2010, his mother and grandmother ran a Judaica gift and book store titled Bob & Bob Fine Jewish Gifts and Books. His father, David Waksberg, helped Russian-speaking Jews emigrate to the United States and served as CEO of Jewish LearningWorks until his retirement in 2020.
His father has stated, 'When a friend asked me about [BoJack Horseman] after the first season, I said it was about teshuvah.' Bob-Waksberg replied to a question about his culture's influence on his art, 'Asking me that question is like asking a fish how much being in water has affected it.' He grew up 8 minutes away from Lisa Hanawalt, and was in the grade below hers at Gunn High School, which he described as 'one of those schools where if you didn't take five AP classes and get 1600 on your SATs, you were considered subpar.'
In 2019, he lamented that his high school class voted him 'Class Clown' rather than 'Funniest,' explaining, ''Class Clown' is like, 'Ahhhhh, look at me, look at me!' Whereas 'Funniest' is like, 'Oh, a subtle wit.'' He attended Bard College in New York for playwriting, where for three years he was roommates with Adam Conover, creator and host of Adam Ruins Everything. They were founding members of the sketch comedy group Olde English. Bob-Waksberg graduated with a degree in Theater and Performance in 2006. He is vegan.
Did You Know?
- Bob-Waksberg was nicknamed 'Raizin' at age 9 and used the name until age 22.
- His father described BoJack Horseman as 'about teshuvah' (a Hebrew term for repentance).
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in Bojack Horseman
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