Jim Piddock
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| Jim Piddock | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 April 1956 Rochester, Kent, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
James Anthony "Jim" Piddock (born 8 April 1956) is an English actor, writer, and producer who began his career on the stage in England, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1981.
[edit] Life and career
Piddock was born in Rochester, Kent, the son of Celia Mary (née O'Callaghan) and Charles Frederick Piddock.[1] He made his theatrical debut in the U.S. in The Boy's Own Story, a one-man show about a football (soccer) goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco. The show won Piddock the Bay Area Critics' Best Actor Award. The show was then produced Off-Broadway. That same year (1982), he was cast in Noel 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.
Piddock then moved to Los Angeles and began to appear in TV shows, including The Tracey Ullman Show, Coach, Max Headroom, The Twilight Zone, Murder She Wrote, Mad About You, Angel, Yes Dear, ER, Friends, The Geena Davis Show, Crossing Jordan, The Drew Carey Show, Lost, Monk, Without A Trace, Dollhouse, Party Down, Children's Hospital and Castle. He also starred in several TV film and mini-series, including From The Earth To The Moon, A Mom For Christmas, She Creature on HBO and The Women Of Windsor.
He appeared in his first film in 1989, Lethal Weapon 2 as the South African consulate. Other film roles soon followed, including Independence Day, Traces Of Red, Multiplicity, Burn Hollywood Burn, Austin Powers 3, A Different Loyalty, Love For Rent, See This Movie, The Prestige, Epic Movie, Who's Your Caddy?, and The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising. He has also appeared in the Christopher Guest comedies Best In Show (as the Dog Show commentator with Fred Willard), A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
As a voice actor, he 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. Regarding films he provided the voice of Bolero the Bull in the film Garfield 2, and the fictional artistic director of Forever Young Films, Kenneth Loring, doing the commentary in the directors' cut of the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple. In The Disney games the voice of Zazu in Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games and The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure. In the DC Comics animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, he voiced the part of Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
In November 2007, he was seen onstage at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, starring in 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. He then appeared in 2009 at the Montalban Theatre and on Broadway in "An Evening Without Monty Python"
He has also produced or written a number of films, including Traces Of Red, One Good Turn, A Different Loyalty, The Man and Tooth Fairy. He also created, wrote and produced the BBC series Too Much Sun.
He voiced as "Chic" for the animated science fiction film Dead Space: Downfall (2008) base on the Video Game Dead Space.
Jim Piddock is currently (2011) shooting "Five Year Engagement", starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, playing Blunt's father.
