It's been a busy year for funny guy Andy Samberg.

In May, the Berkeley, Calif., native and viral video sensation completed his sixth season on "Saturday Night Live." Then, he and his Lonely Island jokers, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, released a comedy rap album, "Turtleneck and Chain." And this summer at the cineplex, he can be seen in "Friends With Benefits," opposite Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, and in "What's Your Number?" (Sept. 30) with Anna Faris.

Now comes a really fin-tastic gig: Beginning Sunday, Samberg will host Discovery Channel's popular Shark Week celebration. More specifically, he'll serve as what the network calls its Chief Shark Officer (CSO).

Is he stoked? Absolutely.

"Everyone loves Shark Week," he says. "It's the Bill Cosby of weeklong television blocks dedicated to sea animals."

As CSO, Samberg will have his own special ("Shark City," 8 p.m. Thursday) and appear in a series of promo spots shot in the Bahamas, where he actually swam among the toothy creatures. Recently, he spoke to us from Massachusetts, where he was shooting yet another film -- "I Hate You Dad" -- with Adam Sandler.

Q: Do any special perks come with the role of CSO?

A: I did get to fly for free to the Bahamas, but once I got there, I swam with some sharks, which kind of cancels the other out. Really, though, it's just a thrilling adventure being the face of Shark Week, aka the American dream.

Q: Were you worried about becoming human chum?

A: They were reef sharks, which tend to be relatively mellow. So the risk was pretty low. Still, there was part of me that wondered if our [film] crew had ever heard of Photoshop. Like, aren't we living in an era where we don't really have to do this? Can't we just fake it?

Q: So how did you get through it?

A: Really, I was just so focused on the camera and doing my thing that I didn't have time to worry. I was a lot less scared than maybe I should have been. I heard that, a few weeks later, there was an attack out there.

Q: Ever come across any sharks while growing up in Berkeley?

A: Not in the water, if you know what I mean. But I went to Berkeley High School and there was some pretty sharky behavior going on there.

Q: Do you think your role as Shark Week CSO will lead to future career opportunities?

A: I don't know about that, but I expect to get free tickets and food for life at every San Jose Sharks game. Please get on that right away, and make the arrangements.