Wallace Shawn

American actor and writer (born 1943) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wallace Shawn

Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is known for playing Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), Mr. Hall in Clueless (1995), Dr. John Sturgis in Young Sheldon (2018–2024), and voicing Rex in the Toy Story franchise (1995–present).

Quick Facts Born, Alma mater ...
Wallace Shawn
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Shawn in May 2014
Born
Wallace Michael Shawn

(1943-11-12) November 12, 1943 (age 81)
Alma materHarvard University (AB)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • essayist
  • playwright
  • screenwriter
Years active1965–present
PartnerDeborah Eisenberg[1] (1972–present)
FatherWilliam Shawn
RelativesAllen Shawn (brother)
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Shawn also appeared in The 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), and Marriage Story (2019). He appeared in six Woody Allen films including Manhattan (1979), Radio Days (1987), and Rifkin's Festival (2020). His television work includes recurring roles as Jeff Engels in The Cosby Show (1987–1991), Grand Nagus Zek in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Cyrus Rose in Gossip Girl (2008–2012), and Father Frank Ignatius in Evil (2022–2024).

Shawn is also a playwright; his plays include the Obie Award–winning Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985), The Designated Mourner (1996) and Grasses of a Thousand Colors (2008). He wrote and starred, with Andre Gregory, in the 1981 avant-garde drama My Dinner with Andre, and played the title role in A Master Builder (2013), a film adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play.[2] Haymarket Books published his books Essays (2009) and Night Thoughts (2017).

Early life

Shawn was born on November 12, 1943, in New York City, to a Jewish family.[3][4][5][6] His parents were journalist Cecille (née Lyon) and William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker. He has younger twin siblings: composer Allen Shawn,[7] and Mary, who is autistic 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 on Manhattan's Upper East Side.[10] He attended The Putney School, a private liberal arts high school in Putney, Vermont. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from Harvard College. He studied philosophy, politics and economics, as well as Latin, at Magdalen College, Oxford, originally intending to become a diplomat. He traveled to India as an English teacher on a Fulbright program.[11]

Career

Summarize
Perspective

Playwright

Shawn's early plays, such as Marie and Bruce (1978), portrayed emotional and sexual conflicts in an absurdist style, with language both lyrical and violent. In a conversation with Andre Gregory, parts of which were used to create My 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, while John Simon called Marie and Bruce "garbage" and Shawn "one of the unsightliest actors in this city."[12] His 1977 play A Thought in Three Parts caused controversy in London when the production was investigated by a vice squad and attacked in Parliament after allegations of pornographic content.[13] Shawn received an Obie Award for playwrighting in 1975, for Our 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 are Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985) and The Designated Mourner (1997). Shawn's political work has invited controversy, as he often presents the audience with several contradictory points of view. He has called Aunt Dan and Lemon a cautionary tale against fascism. Shawn's monologue The 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 oppressive anti-communist regimes. In 1997, Shawn discussed the political nature of Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Fever and The Designated Mourner in an interview in which he talked extensively about the thematic connections among them, as well as his own views on Marxist, communist and socialist politics, their relevance to American 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] and The 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 of David Hare's stage production), Marie and Bruce and The Fever. Vanessa Redgrave stars in The Fever (2004),[18] which first aired on HBO on June 13, 2007.[19]

Shawn has also written political commentary for The Nation, and in 2004 he published the one-issue-only progressive political magazine Final Edition, which featured interviews with and articles by Jonathan Schell, Noam Chomsky, Mark Strand and Deborah Eisenberg. Shawn is credited as translator of Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera, which opened at Studio 54 in Manhattan 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]

Acting

Shawn's involvement with theater began in 1970 when he met Andre 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, playing Diane Keaton's ex-husband in Woody Allen's Manhattan and an insurance agent in Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. His best-known film roles include Earl in Strange Invaders (1983) and Mr. Hall in Clueless (1995). After seeing his performance in My Dinner with Andre (1981), casting director Janet Hirshenson was so fond of his delivery of the word "inconceivable" that she cast him as Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), for whom the word is a catchphrase. Other roles include Baron Von Westphalen in Southland Tales, Cyrus Rose on Gossip Girl, Marty in Vegas Vacation (1997), and Ezra in The Haunted Mansion (2003).[21][22][23]

His rare non-comedic film roles include two collaborations with Andre Gregory and Louis Malle: the semi-autobiographical dialogue My Dinner with Andre, and a combined production-and-backstage-drama of Uncle Vanya titled Vanya on 42nd Street. Shawn quite often appears on television, where he has appeared in many genres and series. He has had recurring roles as the Grand Nagus Zek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stuart Best on Murphy Brown, Jeff Engels on The Cosby Show, Dr. Howard Stiles on Crossing Jordan, Arnie Ross on Taxi, Charles Lester on both The Good Wife and The Good Fight, a reprisal of his role as Mr. Hall on Clueless (based on the film), and Father Frank Ignatius on Evil. He appeared in the 1985 music video for Chaka Khan's "This Is My Night". On February 4, 2010, Shawn appeared as Alan Rubin on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. A Master Builder opened in New York City in June 2014. In 2018, he joined the cast of Young 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 film Rifkin's Festival, set in San Sebastian, Spain.[25]

Shawn was honored in 2005 with the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a Master American Dramatist.[26]

Voice acting

Shawn is a voice actor for animated films and television series, including the Toy 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 and Animal Crackers.

Shawn said that Toy Story director John Lasseter might have seen both My Dinner with Andre and The Princess Bride and seen him as "excitable" like Shawn's character, Rex.[27]

In The Fox and the Hound, Shawn was originally to voice Boomer, but dropped out and was replaced by Paul Winchell.[28] In Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, he replaced Jon Lovitz as the voice of Calico. He also provided the voice of Mr. Mustela in The Addams Family 2.[29]

Political activity

Summarize
Perspective

Shawn has written many plays with socialist 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 his Essays.[30]

In June 2013, Shawn and many other public figures appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army soldier imprisoned for leaking classified material.[32]

Shawn voiced his support for the Palestinian people during the 2014 Gaza War.[33] He has been on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace.[34]

On October 16, 2023, Shawn spoke at a Washington D.C. rally organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow.[35] The rally called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and for President Joe Biden to support a ceasefire.[35] Also that month, Shawn was among the artists to sign the Artists4Ceasefire 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 the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's influence in Democratic Party primaries.[37]

In a January 2025 interview, Shawn compared 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]

Personal life

Shawn's longtime companion is writer Deborah Eisenberg.[41] Shawn is a Jewish atheist.[3][4][5][6] As of 2012, he lived in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.[42]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
YearTitleRoleNotes
1979ManhattanJeremiah
Starting OverWorkshop Member
All That JazzAssistant Insurance Man
1980SimonEric Van Dongen
Atlantic CityWaiterCredited as Wally Shawn
1981Cheaper to Keep HerMugger
My Dinner with AndreWally ShawnAlso writer
Strong MedicineBirthday Party GuestUncredited
1982A Little SexOliver
1983LovesickOtto Jaffe
The First TimeJules Goldfarb
Strange InvadersEarl
Deal of the Century Harold DeVoto
1984 Crackers Turtle
The Hotel New Hampshire Freud
The Bostonians Mr. Pardon
Micki & Maude Elliot Fibel
1985 Heaven Help Us (Catholic Boys) Father Abruzzi
Head Office Mike Hoover
1987 The Bedroom Window Henderson's Attorney
Radio Days Masked Avenger
Nice Girls Don't Explode Ellen
Prick Up Your Ears John Lahr
The Princess Bride Vizzini
1988 The Moderns Oiseau
1989 She's Out of Control Dr. Herman Fishbinder
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills Howard Saravian
We're No Angels Translator
1991 Shadows and Fog Simon Carr
1992 Unbecoming Age Dr. Block
Nickel & Dime Everett Willits
The Double 0 Kid Cashpot Direct-to-video
Mom and Dad Save the World Sibor
1993 The Cemetery Club Larry
The Meteor Man Mr. Little
1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Horatio Byrd
Vanya on 42nd Street Vanya
1995 Just Like Dad Stan Speigel
The Wife Cosmo
Napoleon Echidna American dub[43]
Canadian Bacon Canadian Prime Minister Clark MacDonald
Clueless Mr. Wendell Hall
A Goofy Movie Principal Mazur Voice[43]
Toy Story Rex
1996 All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 Labrador MC
House Arrest Vic Finley
1997 Vegas Vacation Marty
Just Write Arthur Blake
Critical Care Furnaceman
The Designated Mourner Writer
1998 The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story Tarzan Chimp (voice) Direct-to-video[43]
1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man
My Favorite Martian Dr. Elliot Coleye
Toy Story 2 Rex (voice)[43]
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins Direct-to-video
The Prime Gig Gene
2001 The Curse of the Jade Scorpion George Bond
Monsters, Inc. Rex (voice) Outtakes
2002 Personal Velocity: Three Portraits Mr. Gelb
2003 Duplex Herman
The Haunted Mansion Ezra
2004 Teacher's Pet Crosby Strickler (voice) [43]
Melinda and Melinda Sy
The Incredibles Gilbert Huph (voice) [43]
Marie and Bruce Writer
The Fever
2005 Chicken Little Principal Fetchit (voice) [43]
2006 Southland Tales Baron Von Westphalen
Air Buddies Billy (voice) Direct-to-video[43]
Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers Barnacle Paul (voice)
2007 Happily N'Ever After Munk (voice) [43]
I Could Never Be Your Woman Math Teacher Uncredited
2008 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mr. Gibson
Mia and the Migoo Migoo (voice) English dub[43]
Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King Mr. Gibbles (voice) Direct-to-video[43]
2009 Jack and the Beanstalk Broker / Booker / Lancelot Squarejaw
Capitalism: A Love Story Himself Documentary
2010 Furry Vengeance Dr. Christian Burr Uncredited
Toy Story 3 Rex (voice) [43]
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Calico (voice)
Tea Time Short film; writer
2011 The Speed of Thought Sandy
Hawaiian Vacation Rex (voice) Short film[43]
Small Fry
2012 Partysaurus Rex
A Late Quartet Gideon Rosen
Vamps Van Helsing
2013 Admission Clarence
The Double Mr. Papadopoulos
A Master Builder Halvard Solness Also writer and producer
2014 Don Peyote Psychotherapist
2015 Maggie's Plan Kliegler
Robo-Dog Mr. Willis Direct-to-video
2016 Drawing Home Mr. Garfield
2017 Animal Crackers Mr. Woodley (voice)
The Only Living Boy in New York David
Someone Else's Wedding Albert
2018 Book Club Derek [44]
2019 Toy Story 4 Rex (voice) [45][43]
Marriage Story Frank
2020 Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made Mr. Crocus [46]
Rifkin's Festival Mort Rifkin [47]
2021 The Addams Family 2 Mr. Mustela (voice) [29][43]
2023 Dancing on the Silk Razor Narrator Short film
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
YearTitleRoleNotes
1982–83TaxiArnie Ross2 episodes
1983How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three DaysProfessor SilverfishTelevision film
Saigon: Year of the CatFrank Judd
1987–91The Cosby ShowJeff Engels5 episodes
1992Civil WarsRiley BakerEpisode: "A Bus Named Desire"
One Life to LiveProfessor MarvelUnknown episodes
1993Eligible DentistPilot
The Pink PantherThe Little Man (voice)Episode: "Ice Blue Pink/Pink Trek"
MatrixMr. GonleyEpisode: "Lapses in Memory"
1993–99Star Trek: Deep Space NineGrand Nagus Zek7 episodes
1994The NannyCharles HasteEpisode: "Pishke Business"
1994–97Murphy BrownStuart Best4 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"
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Video games

More information Year, Title ...
YearTitleVoice roleNotes
1995Disney's Animated Storybook: Toy StoryRex
1996Toy Story: The Video Game
Toy Story Activity Center
2004The IncrediblesGilbert Huph
2006Family Guy Video Game!Bertram
2008The Princess Bride GameVizzini
2010Toy Story 3: The Video GameRex
2012Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar AdventureRex, Gilbert Huph
Family Guy: Back to the MultiverseBertram
2013Disney InfinityRex
2014Disney Infinity 2.0
2015Disney Infinity 3.0
2016King's QuestManny/Manannan[48]
Disney Magic KingdomsRex
2018Lego The IncrediblesGilbert HuphArchive recordings
2019Kingdom Hearts IIIRex[49][43]
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Theatre

More information Title, Year ...
TitleYear
Four Meals in May1967
The Family Play1970
The Hotel Play1970
The Hospital Play1971
Our Late Night1975
A Thought in Three Parts1976
The Mandrake (translation)1977
Marie and Bruce1978
Aunt Dan and Lemon1985
The Fever1990
The Designated Mourner1997
The Threepenny Opera2006
The Music Teacher2006
Grasses of a Thousand Colors2008
Evening at the Talk House2015
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Musical

More information Year, Title ...
YearTitleRoleNotes
2008–16Toy Story: The MusicalRexVoice
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Awards and nominations

More information Year, Association ...
Year Association Category Project Result
1978 Guggenheim Fellowship Drama & Performance Art[50]
1982Boston Society of Film Critics AwardsBest ScreenplayMy Dinner with AndreWon
1994Best ActorVanya on 42nd StreetNominated
1995 Chlotrudis Awards Best Actor Won
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Written works

More information Year, Title ...
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
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See also

References

Further reading

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