Jim Piddock | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | Drama Studio London King's College, London University |
Occupation(s) | Actor, producer, writer, and author |
Years active | 1978–present |
Spouse | Ann Cusack [ citation needed ] |
Children | 1 |
Jim Piddock (born April 8, 1956) is an English actor, producer and writer who began his career on the stage in the United Kingdom before immigrating to the United States in 1981.
Piddock was born on April 8, 1956, in Rochester, Kent, the son of Celia Mary (née O'Callaghan) and Charles Frederick Piddock. [1]
Piddock began his acting career on the stage in the UK before immigrating to the US in his early twenties. He made his US theatrical debut in a one-man show, The Boy's Own Story, in 1982. He also appeared in Lethal Weapon 2 , Independence Day , The Prestige , Austin Powers in Goldmember , The Five-Year Engagement , Think Like a Man Too , and several Christopher Guest films, including Best in Show and A Mighty Wind . [2] [3]
Piddock made his theatrical debut in the US in The Boy's Own Story, a one-man show about a football goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco. That same year (1982), he was cast in Noël Coward's Present Laughter , and other Broadway and Off-Broadway shows followed, including the original US production of Noises Off,The Knack at the Roundabout Theatre, Make and Break, and Design For Living. [2] [3]
I spent the first few years of my career pretty much doing nothing but stage work. I started in rep companies in England then did a one-man show in the US which led very quickly to doing several Broadway shows. I got very lucky early on. They were fun shows to do. I was in the first ever production of Noises Off in America and my first ever job in New York was being directed by and appearing with George C. Scott. [4]
In November 2007, he appeared at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, starring on stage in a production of What About Dick? alongside an all British expat cast, including Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer and Tracey Ullman. [5] When the play officially premiered in 2012, with the addition of Russell Brand, he was again in the cast. [6] He also appeared in 2009 at the Montalban Theatre and on Broadway in An Evening Without Monty Python. [2] [3]
Of his transition into television, Piddock said:
I'd always wanted to end up working in film and TV. I guess I could have stayed in New York and probably had a long and fruitful career in the theatre but in the mid-1980s I felt like it was time to change gears and I'd certainly not been short-changed in terms of getting to perform live. [7]
He has appeared in close to a hundred TV shows, including The Haunting of Bly Manor , Modern Family , A Confession , Designated Survivor , Get Shorty , Training Day , Mom , Childrens Hospital , The Royals , Touch , Two and a Half Men , Castle , ER , Law & Order: LA , Party Down , Chuck , Dollhouse , Without a Trace , Monk , Lost , Crossing Jordan , Citizen Baines , Friends , Yes, Dear , Angel , The Geena Davis Show , Murder She Wrote , Coach , Tour of Duty , Max Headroom , and The Twilight Zone . He has also appeared in several TV films and mini-series, including From The Earth to the Moon , A Mom for Christmas , She Creature on HBO, and The Women of Windsor . [2] [3] He also created, wrote and produced the BBC series Too Much Sun. [2] [3]
His film appearances include Get Him to the Greek , Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger . Falling Up , The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising , Who's Your Caddy? , Epic Movie , Meet the Spartans , The Prestige , Love for Rent , A Different Loyalty , See This Movie , Austin Powers in Goldmember , Multiplicity , Independence Day , Traces of Red , and Lethal Weapon 2 . He also appeared in the Christopher Guest comedies Best in Show as the Dog Show commentator with Fred Willard, A Mighty Wind , For Your Consideration , and Mascots , the last of which he co-wrote and produced. [2] [3]
As a voice actor, Piddock provided the voice of Major Zero in the English version of the video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as well as Agent One in Return to Castle Wolfenstein for Xbox and PlayStation 2. In film he provided the voice of Bolero the Bull in the film Garfield 2 and of Kenneth Loring, the fictional artistic director of Forever Young Films, in the commentary of the directors' cut of the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. He also voiced the part of King Mufasa's hornbill majordomo, Zazu in the Disney games Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games and The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure , Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in the DC Comics animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood , and voiced Chic for the animated science fiction film Dead Space: Downfall , based on the video game Dead Space . [8]
Piddock appeared in 2012's The Five-Year Engagement , which starred Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, playing Blunt's father, The Cold Light of Day starring Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver , 1915, Kill Your Friends , and The Dictator with Sacha Baron Cohen. [2] [3]
In August 2012, it was announced [9] that Piddock would be co-writing, acting, and producing a new TV comedy series with Christopher Guest for HBO and the BBC titled Family Tree . [2] [3] The show subsequently aired in 2013.
On 13 October 2016, Mascots , which he also co-wrote with Guest, stars in, and produced, premiered on Netflix. Since then he has appeared in several television shows, including Modern Family , Designated Survivor , Get Shorty , Training Day , Blunt Talk, and The Royals .
In 2021, he played Captain Carradine in the film Haunting of the Queen Mary , which was shot in the UK and the US and is due to be released in 2022.
Piddock wrote the story for and produced Tooth Fairy in 2010, New Line's action-comedy The Man , One Good Turn , Traces of Red , and the Cold War romantic thriller A Different Loyalty starring Rupert Everett and Sharon Stone, and which Piddock played a supporting role in.
In November 2019, it was announced that his screenplay Frankel would begin shooting in 2022 with Jeremy Irons playing the lead role of Sir Henry Cecil. [10]
His light-hearted and irreverent memoir, CAUGHT WITH MY PANTS DOWN and Other Tales from a Life in Hollywood, chronicling his four decades in the entertainment industry, is being released on March 23, 2022, in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. British comedian, actor, and writer, Russell Brand said of the book: "Jim has done that rare thing that perhaps only Michael Caine and David Niven have done before; conjured a funny, inclusive, whimsical, and magical tale." American actress Jean Smart wrote: "This laugh-out-loud book... entertains endlessly and most wisely". And British actor Hugh Bonneville described it as "hilarious, passionate, beautifully told, and memorably waspish."
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Lethal Weapon 2 | Consulate Envoy | |
1992 | Traces of Red | Mr. Martyn | Also writer |
1996 | Independence Day | Reginald | |
Multiplicity | Maitre d' | ||
1997 | Burn Hollywood Burn | Attendant #1 | |
2000 | Best in Show | Trevor Beckwith | |
2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Headmaster | |
2003 | A Mighty Wind | Leonard Crabbe | |
2004 | See This Movie | Martin Hughes | |
A Different Loyalty | George Quennell | Also writer and co-producer | |
2005 | Love for Rent | Frank Bauman | |
Death to the Supermodels | Self-help Ryan | Voice, direct-to-video | |
2006 | Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties | Bolero | Voice [11] |
For Your Consideration | Simon Whitset | ||
The Prestige | Prosecutor | ||
2007 | Epic Movie | Magneto | |
Who's Your Caddy? | Harrington | ||
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising | Old George | ||
2008 | Meet the Spartans | Loyalist / Simon Cowell Look-Alike | |
Dead Space: Downfall | Chic | Voice, direct-to-video [11] | |
2009 | Falling Up | Phillip Dowling | |
Endless Bummer | Mr. Newell | ||
2010 | You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Peter Wicklow | |
Get Him to the Greek | Limousine Driver in London | ||
Batman: Under the Red Hood | Alfred Pennyworth | Voice, direct-to-video [11] | |
2012 | The Cold Light of Day | Meckler | |
The Five-Year Engagement | George Barnes | ||
The Dictator | Unknown | Uncredited | |
2014 | Think Like a Man Too | Declan | |
2015 | 1915 | Jeffrey | |
Kill Your Friends | Derek Sommers | ||
2016 | Mascots | Owen Golly, Sr. | Also writer and executive producer |
2023 | Haunting of the Queen Mary | Captain Caradine |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Wildside | Bank Robber | Episode: "The Crimea of the Century" |
1985 | The Twilight Zone | Brian | Episode: "Take My Life... Please!/Devil's Alphabet/The Library" |
1986 | Fame | The Record Producer | Episode: "Fame and Fortune" |
1987 | The Tracey Ullman Show | Derrick | 2 episodes |
1988 | Max Headroom | Mr. Kelly | Episode: "Neurostim" |
CBS Summer Playhouse | Hank | Episode: "Old Money" | |
1989 | Tour of Duty | Maj. Shadlow | Episode: "Lonely at the Top" |
1990 | A Mom for Christmas | Wilkins | Television film |
1990–1991 | Coach | Alan / Attendant | 2 episodes |
1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Malcolm Brooker | Episode: "Murder in White" |
1994–1996 | Mad About You | Logic Professor / Hal Conway | 7 episodes |
1997–1998 | Team Knight Rider | Max Amendas | 2 episodes |
1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | John Hodge | Episode: "Can We Do This?" |
The New Batman Adventures | Martin | Voice, episode: "Cult of the Cat" [11] | |
1999 | Tracey Takes On... | Vicar | Episode: "Hair" |
2000 | The Geena Davis Show | Mr. Levenstein | Episode: "Piece of Cake" |
Angel | The Valet | Episode: "The Trial" | |
2001 | Yes, Dear | Vet | Episode: "Worst in Show" |
Friends | Dennis Phillips | Episode: "The One After I Do" | |
She Creature | Captain Dunn | Television film | |
Citizen Baines | Larry | Episode: "The Appraisal" | |
2002 | Maybe It's Me | Judge Parks | Episode: "The Quahog Festival Episode" |
The Drew Carey Show | Lord Mercer | 4 episodes | |
ER | Dr. Earl Whitehead | Episode: "Chaos Theory" | |
2003 | Crossing Jordan | Norman Gibson | Episode: "Family Ties" |
2004 | The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch | Troy Nixon | Television film |
2005 | Lost | Francis Heatherton | Episode: "Homecoming" |
2006 | That '70s Show | TV Announcer | Voice, episode: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"; uncredited |
Monk | Jake Colbert | Episode: "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing" | |
2007 | Without a Trace | Dr. McNeil | Episode: "Claus and Effect" |
2008 | The Middleman | Arthur Mendelson | Episode: "The Cursed Tuba Contingency" |
2009 | Dollhouse | Biz | Episode: "Stage Fright" |
2009–2011 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Doctor Sivana, Dr. Watson, Shazam | 4 episodes [11] |
2010 | Chuck | Curator of Classical Art | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Mask" |
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien | King Urien, Color Commentator, Chair Umpire | Voice, episode: "Duped" | |
Party Down | Leland Corke | Episode: "Not on Your Wife Opening Night" | |
Law & Order: LA | Jay Bickson | Episode: "Hollywood" | |
Castle | Lord Henry | Episode: "Punked" | |
2011 | Up All Night | Matthew Taylor | Episode: "New Car" |
Two and a Half Men | Edward | Episode: "One False Move, Zimbabwe!" | |
2012 | Touch | Dr. Knox | Episode: "Zone of Exclusion" |
Childrens Hospital | Cyrus Mittleman | Episode: "British Hospital" | |
2013 | Family Tree | Mr. Pfister | 5 episodes; also writer and executive producer |
NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Hobson Chipps | Episode: "Hawaii Die-0" | |
Work It | Carl | Episode: "My So-Called Mid-Life Crisis" | |
2014 | Turbo Fast | Sir Reginald, Rich Man #2 | Voice, episode: "The Escargot Affair" [11] |
Franklin & Bash | Dean Casseday | Episode: "Spirits in the Material World" | |
Mom | Kenneth | Episode: "Forged Resumes and the Recommended Dosage" | |
2015 | Man Seeking Woman | Unknown | Episode: "Stain" |
Marry Me | Chuck | Episode: "Date Me" | |
Instant Mom | Dr. Ian Houser | Episode: "Ghost Busted" | |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Lord Simultaneous, Sir John, Overmind, Warbot | Voice, 2 episodes [11] | |
The Grinder | Barrister Cromwell | Episode: "Buckingham Malice" | |
The Royals | Truman | 2 episodes | |
2016 | Blunt Talk | Unknown | Episode: "Your Therapist and His Pussy Are Here" |
2017 | Elementary | Tom Saunders | Voice, episode: "Fidelity"; uncredited |
Training Day | Abel Cribbs | Episode: "Sunset" | |
Get Shorty | Julian Pynter | Episode: "A Man of Letters" | |
Designated Survivor | Dr. Rune | Episode: "Line of Fire" | |
2017-2021 | The Tom and Jerry Show | Alistair | Voice, 3 episodes |
2018 | Modern Family | Malcolm Fennerman | Episode: "The Escape" |
2019 | A Confession | Judge Griffith Williams | Episode #1.6 |
2020 | The Haunting of Bly Manor | Father Stack | Episode: "The Pupil" |
Big City Greens | Additional voices | Voice, 2 episodes | |
2021 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Commander Mandel | Voice, episode: "First First Contact" |
2022 | The Blacklist | Harris Gramercy | Episode: "Caelum Bank (N°169)" |
2023 | Captain Fall | Additional voices | Voice, episode: "An Unconventional Cruise Line" |
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Shannara | Leah Servant | [11] |
2001 | The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure | Zazu | [11] |
2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Bilbo Baggins, Elrond | [11] |
2004 | The Bard's Tale | Additional voices | [12] |
2004 | Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Major Zero | English dub [11] |
2006 | Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops | ||
2010 | The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest | Elrond, Bilbo Baggins | [11] |
2011 | The Lord of the Rings: War in the North | [11] | |
2012 | Lego The Lord of the Rings | ||
2013 | Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure | Alfred Pennyworth | [11] |
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest, known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy films shot in mockumentary style. The series of films began with This Is Spinal Tap and continued with Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots.
William Dwight Schultz is an American television, film and voice actor.
Timothy James Curry is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London and 1974 Los Angeles musical stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show.
Eric Idle is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and joined Cambridge University Footlights.
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became widely known for performances in genres from crime and drama to musicals and comedy.
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley, David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, and Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul.
Eugene Levy is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011, and was made Companion of the Order of Canada in 2022.
A Mighty Wind is a 2003 American mockumentary comedy film about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. Co-written, directed, and composed by Christopher Guest, the film is widely acknowledged to reference folk music producer Harold Leventhal as the inspiration for the character of Irving Steinbloom and more broadly parodies the American folk music revival of the early 1960s and its personalities. The film stars Guest and Levy alongside Bob Balaban, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer and Fred Willard.
Christopher George Hewett was an English actor and theatre director best known for his role as Lynn Aloysius Belvedere on the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere.
Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer, and comedian. She was the lone female singer of topical songs on the weekly BBC Television satirical show That Was the Week That Was, and won a BAFTA TV Award in 1964. For her work on Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Side by Side by Sondheim (1977) and King of Hearts (1978), both for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Other television roles include her recurring role as Gertrude Moon in the NBC sitcom Frasier (2000–04) and Joan Margaret in Grace & Frankie (2017–2022).
Ian David McShane is an English actor. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series Lovejoy (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in Deadwood (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, as well as Mr. Wednesday in American Gods (2017–2021). For the original series of Deadwood, McShane won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. For the film, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
Tony Jay was a British actor. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive raspy baritone voice, which often led to him being cast in villainous or authoritative roles. He was best known as the voice of Claude Frollo in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Megabyte in ReBoot (1994–2001), Shere Khan in The Jungle Book 2, the TV series TaleSpin, and the Elder God in the Legacy of Kain series of video games.
Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy is a British actor. His roles on American television include Shane Donovan on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom The Nanny, and the voice of Dennis the Goldfish on Stanley for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award. He had recurring roles as Christopher Plover on The Magicians and St. John Powell on Mad Men. Shaughnessy is a series regular on ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital in the role of villain Victor Cassadine; he signed a long-term contract to remain part of the show indefinitely.
Robert Elmer Balaban is an American actor, director, producer and writer. Aside from his acting career, Balaban has directed three feature films, in addition to numerous television episodes and films, and was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for Gosford Park (2001), in which he also appeared. He is also an author of children's novels.
Christopher McDonald is an American film, television, theatre and voice actor.
Edward Grant Shaud III is an American actor best known for his portrayal of the character of Miles Silverberg on the television sitcom Murphy Brown. He's also had notable roles in the films The Distinguished Gentleman and Antz, among other voice performances in The Wild Thornberrys, Godzilla: The Series and Batman: The Animated Series.
Alan Oppenheimer is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s.
John Michael Higgins is an American actor, game show host, and comedian whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim. He portrayed Peter Lovett in the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced and provided the voice of Iknik Blackstone Varrick in The Legend of Korra and Mini-Max in Big Hero 6: The Series. He also starred in the NBC sitcom Great News as Chuck Pierce for two seasons. Since 2018, he has hosted the game show America Says, which earned him a 2019 Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host. Higgins attended Amherst College, graduating in 1985 and was a member of the a cappella group the Zumbyes. Starting on April 17, 2023, he has also hosted the new version of the game show Split Second on Game Show Network.
Paolo Montalban is an American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella. He reprised that role in a stage version of the musical with Deborah Gibson and then Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother.
What About Dick? is a musical comedy and a parody of classic radio plays and period dramas such as Merchant Ivory Productions and Downton Abbey.