Michael Cusack (animator)

Michael R. Cusack is an Australian animator, voice actor, writer, director, producer, photographer, and musician. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the Adult Swim animated comedy series Smiling Friends (2022–present), alongside Zach Hadel, and as the creator and star of the Adult Swim animated comedy series YOLO (2020–present) and the Hulu animated comedy series Koala Man (2023–present).

Early life
Cusack was born and raised in Dapto, New South Wales, and later moved to Melbourne. He grew up watching South Park, The Simpsons, and Futurama.

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, Nugget in the television film The Paloni Show Halloween Special, and Mammon in the online series Helluva Boss.

Personal life
Cusack continues to reside in Melbourne.