Wallace Shawn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Shawn in May 2014 | |
| Born | Wallace Michael Shawn (1943-11-12)November 12, 1943 (age 81) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Partner | Deborah Eisenberg[1] (1972–present) |
| Father | William Shawn |
| Relatives | Allen Shawn (brother) |
Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is known for playing Vizzini inThe Princess Bride (1987), Mr. Hall inClueless (1995), Dr. John Sturgis inYoung Sheldon (2018–2024), and voicingRex in theToy Story franchise (1995–present).
Shawn also appeared inThe Bostonians (1984),Prick Up Your Ears (1987),Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989),Vanya on 42nd Street (1994),My Favorite Martian (1999),The Double (2013),Maggie's Plan (2015), andMarriage Story (2019). He appeared in sixWoody Allen films includingManhattan (1979),Radio Days (1987), andRifkin's Festival (2020). His television work includes recurring roles as Jeff Engels inThe Cosby Show (1987–1991),Grand Nagus Zek inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Cyrus Rose inGossip Girl (2008–2012), and Father Frank Ignatius inEvil (2022–2024).
Shawn is also a playwright; his plays include theObie Award–winningAunt Dan and Lemon (1985),The Designated Mourner (1996) andGrasses of a Thousand Colors (2008). He wrote and starred, withAndre Gregory, in the 1981 avant-garde dramaMy Dinner with Andre, and played the title role inA Master Builder (2013), a film adaptation ofHenrik Ibsen'splay.[2]Haymarket Books published his booksEssays (2009) andNight Thoughts (2017).
Shawn was born on November 12, 1943, in New York City, to aJewish family.[3][4][5][6] His parents were journalist Cecille (née Lyon) andWilliam Shawn, the longtime editor ofThe New Yorker. He has younger twin siblings: composerAllen Shawn,[7] and Mary, who isautistic and lives in an institution.[8] His father's family had emigrated from Central Europe; his paternal grandfather, Benjamin W. Chon, was a Chicago-based cutlery merchant who married Anna Bransky.[9]
Shawn grew up onManhattan'sUpper East Side.[10] He attendedThe Putney School, a private liberal arts high school inPutney, Vermont. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history fromHarvard College. He studiedphilosophy, politics and economics, as well as Latin, atMagdalen College, Oxford, originally intending to become a diplomat. He traveled to India as an English teacher on aFulbright program.[11]
Shawn's early plays, such asMarie and Bruce (1978), portrayed emotional and sexual conflicts in anabsurdist style, with language both lyrical and violent. In a conversation withAndre Gregory, parts of which were used to createMy Dinner with Andre, Shawn said these plays depicted "my interior life as a raging beast." Critical response was extremely polarized: some critics hailed Shawn as a major writer, whileJohn Simon calledMarie and Bruce "garbage" and Shawn "one of the unsightliest actors in this city."[12] His 1977 playA Thought in Three Parts caused controversy in London when the production was investigated by avice squad and attacked in Parliament after allegations of pornographic content.[13] Shawn received anObie Award for playwrighting in 1975, forOur Late Night.[14]
Shawn's later plays are more overtly political, drawing parallels between his characters' psychology and the behavior of governments and social classes. Among the best-known of these areAunt Dan and Lemon (1985) andThe Designated Mourner (1997). Shawn's political work has invited controversy, as he often presents the audience with several contradictory points of view. He has calledAunt Dan and Lemon a cautionary tale againstfascism. Shawn's monologueThe Fever, originally meant to be performed for small audiences in apartments, depicts a person who becomes sick while struggling to find a morally consistent way to live when faced with injustice, and harshly criticizes the United States' record in supporting oppressiveanti-communist regimes. In 1997, Shawn discussed the political nature ofAunt Dan and Lemon,The Fever andThe Designated Mourner in an interview in which he talked extensively about the thematic connections among them, as well as his own views onMarxist,communist andsocialist politics, their relevance toAmerican liberalism, and how governmental and individual responsibilities for finding solutions to the dichotomy between rich and poor in the world take hold in his characters.[15]Aunt Dan and Lemon earned Shawn his second Obie Award for playwrighting in 1986,[16] andThe Fever won an Obie for Best American Play in 1991.[17] Three of Shawn's plays have been adapted into films:The Designated Mourner (basically a film version ofDavid Hare's stage production),Marie and Bruce andThe Fever.Vanessa Redgrave stars inThe Fever (2004),[18] which first aired onHBO on June 13, 2007.[19]
Shawn has also written political commentary forThe Nation, and in 2004 he published the one-issue-only progressive political magazineFinal Edition, which featured interviews with and articles byJonathan Schell,Noam Chomsky,Mark Strand andDeborah Eisenberg. Shawn is credited as translator ofBertolt Brecht'sThe Threepenny Opera, which opened atStudio 54 inManhattan on March 25, 2006. He appeared briefly in voiceover during "Song about the Futility of Human Endeavor". He published his first nonfiction work,Essays, on September 1, 2009. It is a collection of essays that express his perceptions of politics and other aspects of his life.[20]
Shawn's involvement with theater began in 1970 when he metAndre Gregory, who has since directed several of his plays. As a stage actor, he has appeared mostly in his own plays and other projects with Gregory. He made his film debut in 1979, playingDiane Keaton's ex-husband inWoody Allen'sManhattan and an insurance agent inBob Fosse'sAll That Jazz. His best-known film roles include Earl inStrange Invaders (1983) and Mr. Hall inClueless (1995). After seeing his performance inMy Dinner with Andre (1981), casting director Janet Hirshenson was so fond of his delivery of the word "inconceivable" that she cast him as Vizzini inThe Princess Bride (1987), for whom the word is a catchphrase. Other roles include Baron Von Westphalen inSouthland Tales, Cyrus Rose onGossip Girl, Marty inVegas Vacation (1997), and Ezra inThe Haunted Mansion (2003).[21][22][23]
His rare non-comedic film roles include two collaborations withAndre Gregory andLouis Malle: the semi-autobiographical dialogueMy Dinner with Andre, and a combined production-and-backstage-drama ofUncle Vanya titledVanya on 42nd Street. Shawn quite often appears on television, where he has appeared in many genres and series. He has had recurring roles as theGrand Nagus Zek onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stuart Best onMurphy Brown, Jeff Engels onThe Cosby Show, Dr. Howard Stiles onCrossing Jordan, Arnie Ross onTaxi, Charles Lester on bothThe Good Wife andThe Good Fight, a reprisal of his role as Mr. Hall onClueless (based on the film), and Father Frank Ignatius onEvil. He appeared in the 1985 music video forChaka Khan's "This Is My Night". On February 4, 2010, Shawn appeared as Alan Rubin onThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart.A Master Builder opened in New York City in June 2014. In 2018, he joined the cast ofYoung Sheldon in the recurring role of Meemaw's boyfriend and Sheldon's physics professor, Dr. John Sturgis.[2][24]
Shawn stars in Woody Allen's 2020 filmRifkin's Festival, set inSan Sebastian, Spain.[25]
Shawn was honored in 2005 with thePEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a Master American Dramatist.[26]
Shawn is a voice actor for animated films and television series, including theToy Story franchise,Monsters, Inc. (during the outtakes in the closing credits),Kingdom Hearts III,The Incredibles,A Goofy Movie,Family Guy,Happily N'Ever After,Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers,Regular Show,BoJack Horseman andAnimal Crackers.
Shawn said thatToy Story directorJohn Lasseter might have seen bothMy Dinner with Andre andThe Princess Bride and seen him as "excitable" like Shawn's character, Rex.[27]
InThe Fox and the Hound, Shawn was originally to voice Boomer, but dropped out and was replaced byPaul Winchell.[28] InCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, he replacedJon Lovitz as the voice ofCalico. He also provided the voice of Mr. Mustela inThe Addams Family 2.[29]
Shawn has written many plays withsocialist themes;[30] much of his work examines the "connective tissue between private psychology and the politics of inequality".[31][15] He identifies as a socialist in the essay "Why I Call Myself a Socialist: Is the World Really a Stage?", which was published online and later in hisEssays.[30]
In June 2013, Shawn and many other public figures appeared in a video showing support forChelsea Manning, a U.S. Army soldier imprisoned for leaking classified material.[32]
Shawn voiced his support for thePalestinian people during the2014 Gaza War.[33] He has been on the advisory board ofJewish Voice for Peace.[34]
On October 16, 2023, Shawn spoke at a Washington D.C. rally organized by Jewish Voice for Peace andIfNotNow.[35] The rally called for a ceasefire in theGaza war and for PresidentJoe Biden to support a ceasefire.[35] Also that month, Shawn was among the artists to sign theArtists4Ceasefire campaign's open letter urging Biden to push for a ceasefire.[36]
In April 2024, Shawn narrated a political ad by a group of organizations opposing theAmerican Israel Public Affairs Committee's influence inDemocratic Party primaries.[37]
In a January 2025 interview, Shawncompared Israel to Nazi Germany, saying the Israelis were "doing evil that is just as great as what the Nazis did. And in some ways, it's worse, because they kind of boast about it. Hitler had the decency to try to keep it secret... the Israelis are almost proud of it, and it's demonically evil."[38][39][40]
Shawn's longtime companion is writerDeborah Eisenberg.[41] Shawn is aJewish atheist.[3][4][5][6] As of 2012[update], he lived in theChelsea neighborhood ofManhattan.[42]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Taxi | Arnie Ross | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days | Professor Silverfish | Television film |
| Saigon: Year of the Cat | Frank Judd | ||
| 1987–91 | The Cosby Show | Jeff Engels | 5 episodes |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Riley Baker | Episode: "A Bus Named Desire" |
| One Life to Live | Professor Marvel | Unknown episodes | |
| 1993 | Eligible Dentist | Pilot | |
| The Pink Panther | The Little Man (voice) | Episode: "Ice Blue Pink/Pink Trek" | |
| Matrix | Mr. Gonley | Episode: "Lapses in Memory" | |
| 1993–99 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Grand Nagus Zek | 7 episodes |
| 1994 | The Nanny | Charles Haste | Episode: "Pishke Business" |
| 1994–97 | Murphy Brown | Stuart Best | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Kalamazoo | Bobby | Short |
| Something Wilder | Roof Inspector | Episode: "Dr. Roof" | |
| Just Like Dad | Stan Speigel | Television film | |
| 1996 | Toy Story Treats | Rex (voice) | 18 episodes |
| 1996–97 | Clueless | Mr. Hall | 17 episodes |
| 1997 | King of the Hill | Philip Ny (voice) | Episode: "How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying" |
| 1998 | Blind Men | Pilot | |
| Noah | Zack | Television film | |
| The Lionhearts | Various (voice) | 5 episodes | |
| 1999 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Frank Hopper | Episode: "A Case of Do or Die" |
| Cosby | Mr. Fleming | 2 episodes | |
| 2000–01 | Teacher's Pet | Crosby Strickler (voice) | 17 episodes[43] |
| 2001 | Ally McBeal | Mr. Dune | Episode: "Falling Up" |
| Blonde | I. E. Shinn | 2 episodes | |
| Three Sisters | Dean Webb | Episode: "Don't Be Thrown" | |
| 2001–06 | Crossing Jordan | Howard Stiles | 8 episodes |
| 2001, 2006, 2011 | Family Guy | Bertram (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Sun Gods | Spaulding | Pilot |
| Teamo Supremo | Gauntlet (voice) | Episode: "Running the Gauntlet" | |
| Mr. St. Nick | Mimir | Television film | |
| 2003 | Monte Walsh | Colonel Wilson | |
| Stanley | Mr. Goldberg (voice) | Episode: "Going-Away Goose/Time to Climb!" | |
| 2004 | Sex and the City | Martin Grable | Episode: "Splat!" |
| Karroll's Christmas | Zeb Rosecog | Television film | |
| 2005 | Fat Actress | Sigmund von Oy | Episode: "The Koi Effect" |
| Stargate SG-1 | Arlos Kadawam | Episode: "The Ties That Bind" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Lonny Moon | Episode: "They Asked Me Why I Believe in You" | |
| 2006 | The 12th Man | Marty | Pilot |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Film Professor | Episode: "Weeping Willow" | |
| 2008 | The Return of Jezebel James | Garson Leeds | Episode: "I'm with Blank" |
| Cashmere Mafia | Animal Handler | Episode: "Dog Eat Dog" | |
| 2008–09 | The L Word | William Halsey | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Roy Batters | Episode: "Snatched" |
| Life on Mars | Stephen Morrell – "The Sorcerer" | Episode: "Let All the Children Boogie" | |
| ER | Teddy Lempell | Episode: "The Beginning of the End" | |
| 2010 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Alan Rubin | Episode: "Anthony Weiner" |
| Damages | Sterling Biddle | Episode: "Don't Forget to Thank Mr. Zedeck" | |
| 2008–12 | Gossip Girl | Cyrus Rose | 11 episodes |
| 2011–12 | Eureka | Warren Hughes | 3 episodes |
| 2011–16 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Taotie (voice) | 9 episodes[43] |
| 2012 | Fish Hooks | Rat King (voice) | Episode: "Guys' Night Out" |
| 2013–15 | The Good Wife | Charles Lester | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Adventure Time | Rasheeta (voice) | Episode: "Puhoy" |
| The Fog of Courage | Eustace Bagge (voice) | [43] | |
| Uncle Grandpa | Ule Gapa (voice) | Episode: "Belly Bros" | |
| Toy Story of Terror! | Rex (voice) | Television special[43] | |
| 2014 | Toy Story That Time Forgot | ||
| Phineas and Ferb | Saul (voice) | Episode: "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer"[43] | |
| The Mysteries of Laura | Kenneth Walters | Episode: "The Mystery of the Sex Scandal" | |
| Club Penguin: Monster Beach Party | Gary the Gadget Guy (voice) | Television special[43] | |
| The 7D | Not-So-Magic Mirror (voice) | Episode: "Mirror, Mirror"[43] | |
| BoJack Horseman | Himself (voice) | Episode: "One Trick Pony" | |
| Christmas at Cartwright's | Harry Osbourne | Television film | |
| 2014–18 | Mozart in the Jungle | Winslow Elliot | 6 episodes |
| 2015 | Club Penguin: Halloween Panic! | Gary the Gadget Guy (voice) | Television special[43] |
| 2016 | The Night Shift | Mr. Neville | Episode: "Unexpected" |
| Life in Pieces | Samuel | Episode: "Eyebrow Anonymous Trapped Gem" | |
| Regular Show | The Evil Brain (voice) | Episode: "The Brain of Evil"[43] | |
| 2016–19 | The Stinky & Dirty Show | Tall (voice) | 18 episodes |
| 2017 | Cop and a Half: New Recruit | Principal Miller | Television film |
| Mr. Robot | Mr. Williams | Episode: "eps3.2_legacy.so" | |
| Graves | Jerry North | 3 episodes | |
| She's Gotta Have It | Julius Kemper | 2 episodes | |
| 2017–18 | OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | Wally the White,The Magic Court Narrator (voice)[43] | |
| Trollhunters | Unkar the Unfortunate (voice)[43] | ||
| 2017, 2019 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Herb Smith | |
| 2018 | The Good Fight | Charles Lester | Episode: "Day 471" |
| Skylanders Academy | Mabu Inspector (voice) | Episode: "Weekend at Eon's" | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Benjamin Edelman | Episode: "Alta Kockers" | |
| 2018–24 | Young Sheldon | Dr. John Sturgis | 52 episodes |
| 2019 | Big City Greens | Jyle Donelan (voice) | Episode: "Night Bill" |
| The Simpsons | Wallace the Hernia (voice) | Episode: "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" | |
| Butterbean's Cafe | Oopsie Doodle (voice) | Episode: "Oopsie Doodle!" | |
| Forky Asks a Question | Rex (voice) | Episode: "What Is Time?"[43] | |
| 2020 | Search Party | William Badpastor | 2 episodes |
| Esme & Roy | Grumbles (voice) | Episode: "Princess of Play" | |
| 2020–21 | Summer Camp Island | Morris Mole / Barry / Pete (voices) | 3 episodes |
| 2021–22 | Amphibia | Humphrey Westwood (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Gossip Girl | Cyrus Rose | Episode: "Final Cancellation" |
| 2022–24 | Evil | Father Frank Ignatius | 10 episodes |
| 2022 | Bubble Guppies | Professor Puny (voice) | Episode: "Search for the Great Silverback!" |
| 2025 | Krapopolis | John Fate (voice) | Episode: "John Fate Comes a-Knockin" |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Disney's Animated Storybook: Toy Story | Rex | |
| 1996 | Toy Story: The Video Game | ||
| Toy Story Activity Center | |||
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Gilbert Huph | |
| 2006 | Family Guy Video Game! | Bertram | |
| 2008 | The Princess Bride Game | Vizzini | |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3: The Video Game | Rex | |
| 2012 | Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | Rex, Gilbert Huph | |
| Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse | Bertram | ||
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | Rex | |
| 2014 | Disney Infinity 2.0 | ||
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | ||
| 2016 | King's Quest | Manny/Manannan | [48] |
| Disney Magic Kingdoms | Rex | ||
| 2018 | Lego The Incredibles | Gilbert Huph | Archive recordings |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Rex | [49][43] |
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Four Meals in May | 1967 |
| The Family Play | 1970 |
| The Hotel Play | 1970 |
| The Hospital Play | 1971 |
| Our Late Night | 1975 |
| A Thought in Three Parts | 1976 |
| The Mandrake (translation) | 1977 |
| Marie and Bruce | 1978 |
| Aunt Dan and Lemon | 1985 |
| The Fever | 1990 |
| The Designated Mourner | 1997 |
| The Threepenny Opera | 2006 |
| The Music Teacher | 2006 |
| Grasses of a Thousand Colors | 2008 |
| Evening at the Talk House | 2015 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–16 | Toy Story: The Musical | Rex | Voice |
| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Guggenheim Fellowship | Drama & Performance Art[50] | ||
| 1982 | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Screenplay | My Dinner with Andre | Won |
| 1994 | Best Actor | Vanya on 42nd Street | Nominated | |
| 1995 | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actor | Won |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Essays | Book collection of essays, by Haymarket Books |
| 2017 | Night Thoughts | Published by Haymarket Books |
| 2022 | Sleeping Among Sheep Under a Starry Sky | Book compilation of essays, published by Europa Editions |
