Wallace Shawn

Wallace Shawn is an American character actor and playwright known for his distinctive, expressive face and his portrayals of eccentric, intellectual, or awkward characters. He made his film debut at age 36 in Woody Allen's *Manhattan* (1979), playing Diane Keaton's ex-husband in a brief but memorable role. Born Wallace Michael Shawn on November 12, 1943, in New York City, he was the son of Cecille (Lyon) Shawn, a journalist, and William Shawn, a long-time editor of *The New Yorker*. His brother, Allen Shawn, became a composer. Educated at Harvard University and Magdalen College, Oxford, Wallace initially taught English in India on a Fulbright scholarship and later taught English, Latin, and drama in New York before pursuing a career in theater.

Shawn's early work in theater included the play *Our Late Night*, which premiered off-Broadway in 1975 and earned him an Obie Award. He went on to write and perform in several other plays, including *A Thought in Three Parts* (1976), *The Mandrake* (1977), *Marie and Bruce* (1979), *Aunt Dan and Lemon* (1985), and *The Fever* (1990–91), for which he received a second Obie for "Best New Play." He is also known for his collaborations with director Andre Gregory, including the film *My Dinner with Andre* (1981), co-written with his brother Allan, and *Vanya on 42nd Street* (1994), both directed by Louis Malle.

Shawn has appeared in a wide range of films, including *A Little Sex* (1982), *The Bostonians* (1984), *Prick Up Your Ears* (1987), *The Princess Bride* (1987), *The Moderns* (1988), *Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle* (1994), and *Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills* (1989). He has also appeared in several Woody Allen films, including *Radio Days* (1987), *Shadows and Fog* (1991), *The Curse of the Jade Scorpion* (2001), *Melinda and Melinda* (2004), and *Rifkin's Festival* (2020). In animated films, he has provided voices for *Toy Story* (1995–2019), *The Incredibles* (2004), *Chicken Little* (2005), and *Animal Crackers* (2017), among others.

On television, he has contributed voice work to series such as *Family Guy* (1999–), *Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness* (2011–2013), and *The Bug Diaries* (2019), and has appeared in guest roles on shows like *Taxi*, *Homicide: Life on the Streets*, *Ally McBeal*, *Law & Order: Criminal Intent*, *Sex and the City*, and *Mr. Robot*. He has also had recurring roles in *The Cosby Show* (1984), *Clueless* (1996), *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993), *Crossing Jordan* (2001), *Gossip Girl* (2007), and *Young Sheldon* (2017), where he played Dr. Sturgis. In 2013, he co-starred in and adapted for the screen Ibsen's *A Master Builder*, and has continued to appear in films such as *Maggie's Plan* (2015), *Marriage Story* (2019), and *Book Club* (2018).