Nick Bakay

Nick Bakay was born on October 8, 1959, in Buffalo, New York. He pursued higher education at Kenyon College in Ohio, graduating in 1981, and later earned an MFA from the Professional Acting Program at SMU in Dallas, Texas, in 1983. Following his studies, Bakay moved to New York, where he began his career in theater while also contributing as an editor for National Lampoon magazine. His writing for National Lampoon included features, fake letters, and a comic strip titled “The Evil Clown.” This early work led to writing and acting roles in cable series such as “Night After Night” (1989) and “Sports Monster” (1991), and he later served as a writer and announcer on “The Dennis Miller Show” (1992), prompting his relocation to Los Angeles.

His career gained significant momentum through his voice-acting roles, notably as Salem Saberhagen in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996–2003) and “Sabrina: The Animated Series” (1999), and as Norbert Beaver in “The Angry Beavers” (1997–2001). Beyond voice acting, Bakay has held significant behind-the-scenes roles as a writer and producer. He was a producer on the CBS sitcom “The King of Queens” (2000–2006), contributing to over 100 episodes. He also co-wrote the films “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009) and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” (2015) alongside Kevin James. Bakay’s production credits further expanded with roles as executive producer for “Mom” (2013–2021) and “Young Sheldon” (2017–2024), and as consulting producer for “The Kominsky Method” (2018–2021).

Bakay continues to be active in the entertainment industry, taking on various writing, acting, and producing roles. His recent executive producer and showrunner work on the series “Bookie” (2023–2025) and upcoming projects like “Leanne” (2025) demonstrate his ongoing presence and influence in television. He has also maintained an interest in sports, writing columns for NFL.com and ESPN.com, and appearing on sports-related television programs.