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Jeffrey Tambor
| Biography |
Jeffrey Tambor is a character actor with a comic touch, recognized by his shiny head, portly build, and booming voice. He tends to play stuffy characters, uptight bosses, or somewhat askew schemers. In his most famous roles, he was the Ed McMahonesque sidekick on The Larry Sanders Show and the unethical patriarch of the Bluth family on Arrested Development.
He studied and taught acting for years, and worked on stage with such actors as George C. Scott, Meryl Streep, Sam Waterston, and Judith Light. He was 33, with 15 years experience as a professional actor, when he first appeared on television, performing an autopsy on an episode of Kojak.
With his droll delivery, though, Tambor was more cut out for comedy than coroners. He appeared in four episodes of Three's Company in different roles, and then played the comic next-door neighbor and foil for Norman Fell and Audra Lindley in their spin-off, The Ropers. He played a cross-dressing attorney (and later judge) on Hill Street Blues. He played the Dabney Coleman role in the TV series of 9 to 5 (until he was replaced by Peter Bonerz). He was the news producer on Max Headroom, played stuffy sorts on The Golden Girls and L.A. Law, and voiced various villains on Jonny Quest.
On the big screen he supplied chuckles in Mr. Mom, Three O'Clock High, City Slickers, There's Something About Mary, and Funky Monkey. In more dramatic roles, he played Hellboy's obnoxious boss, and Al Pacino's mentally disturbed law partner in And Justice for All (Tambor's first film). He voiced the Mayor of Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and King Neptune in The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie.
He donated $250 to Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign. |
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