John Michael Higgins

For the Australian metallurgist, see John Michael Higgins (metallurgist). For other people, see John Higgins (disambiguation).

John Michael Higgins
Born	(1963-02-12) February 12, 1963 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupations	Actor voice actor Game Show Host
Years active	1985–present

John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor and voice actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim. He portrayed Peter Lovett in the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced, and provided the voice of Iknik Blackstone Varrick in The Legend of Korra. He also starred in the NBC sitcom Great News as Chuck Pierce for 2 seasons.

Career

In 1991, Higgins was featured in Broadway's La Bête and, in 2000, he was seen Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in a production of Edward Albee's Tiny Alice. He also originated the title role in Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey Off-Broadway in 1994.

Higgins' numerous television credits include recurring characters on Ally McBeal, Brother's Keeper, Boston Legal and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show. In Season 8 of Seinfeld, he portrayed Elaine's boyfriend Kurt. He also played attorney Wayne Jarvis in five episodes of Arrested Development. Higgins arranged the dense vocal harmonies sung by the nine-part ("neuftet") New Main Street Singers in 2003's A Mighty Wind, a change from the writers' original concept to have the group sing in unison, leveraged by Higgins' musical talent.

Recently, Higgins has gained more recognition by being featured in the films Fun with Dick and Jane and The Break-Up, for which he also wrote vocal arrangements. His work as a voice actor includes the role of Judge Mentok in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law and 2401 Penitent Tangent in Halo 2 and Riddler in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Higgins is also remembered for portraying David Letterman in the HBO TV film The Late Shift. Higgins could also be seen in the pre-show video for the Epcot attraction Test Track. However, the ride was refurbished in 2012 and the pre-show room was removed.

Higgins directs and appears on the stage from time to time as well. In 2004, he played Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in the American premiere of David Hare's Stuff Happens at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. In 2003, he played the title role in A. R. Gurney's Big Bill at New York's Lincoln Center Theater.

Higgins has been featured in TV ads for DirecTV alongside fellow Christopher Guest co-star Ed Begley Jr. and for Old Navy. He also stars in season 2 of TNT's Raising the Bar as an openly gay, rule-obsessed judge. Higgins took part in The Suite Life on Deck, taking the role as the obnoxious and secluded Mr. Tipton.

In 2011, Higgins was cast in Happily Divorced opposite Fran Drescher. He played Fran's gay ex-husband, Peter Lovett, a character based on Drescher's real-life gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.

In 2012, Higgins was cast in The Legend of Korra as the voice of vain and eccentric business man Iknik Blackstone Varrick.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	National Lampoon's Class of '86	Various Characters
1988	Vampire's Kiss	Ed
1997	G.I. Jane	Chief of Staff
1997	Wag the Dog	John Levy
1999	Bicentennial Man	Bill Feingold
2000	Seven Days to Live	Social Worker
2000	Best in Show	Scott Donlan
2001	The Man Who Wasn't There	Emergency Room Physician	Uncredited
2002	Teddy Bears' Picnic	Whit Summers
2003	A Mighty Wind	Terry Bohner
2004	Jiminy Glick in Lalawood	Andre Devine
2004	After the Sunset	Hotel Manager	Uncredited
2004	Killer Diller	Deermont
2004	Blade: Trinity	Dr. Edgar Vance
2005	English as a Second Language	Norman Benjamin
2005	Fun with Dick and Jane	Garth
2006	The Break-Up	Richard Meyers
2006	For Your Consideration	Corey Taft
2007	Evan Almighty	Marty
2007	Fred Claus	Willie
2007	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	Record producer	Uncredited
2008	Yes Man	Nick
2009	Still Waiting...	Dennis
2009	The Ugly Truth	Larry
2009	Fired Up	Coach Keith
2009	Couples Retreat	Therapist
2010	The Burying Beetle	Philip	Short film
2011	Bad Teacher	Principal Wally Snur
2011	6 Month Rule	Paul
2011	We Bought a Zoo	Walter Ferris
2012	My Uncle Rafael	Damon
2012	Big Miracle	Wes Handrick
2012	Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse	Prince John (voice)
2012	Pitch Perfect	John Smith
2013	Rapture-Palooza	Mr. Lewis
2013	Super Buddies	Drex (voice)
2013	The Best Man Holiday	Stan
2014	A Million Ways to Die in the West	Dandy #1
2014	Planes: Fire & Rescue	Cad (voice)
2014	Tell	Huffman
2014	Breaking the Bank	Richard Grinding
2015	Pitch Perfect 2	John Smith
2016	Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?	Mayor Wally
2016	Sundown	Dad
2016	Internet Famous	Dave Larson
2016	Mascots	Upton French
2016	Almost Christmas	Brooks
2017	Shimmer Lake	Brad Dawkins
2017	Pitch Perfect 3	John Smith
2017	#REALITYHIGH	Principal Dixon
2018	Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold	The Riddler (voice)
2018	Status Update	Minor role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Miami Vice	Murray Phillips	Episode: "Hell Hath No Fury"
1991	Mathnet	I. M. Uppwardd	Episode: "The Case of the Poconos Paradise"
1994	The George Carlin Show	Dan Goodwin	Episode: "George Expresses Himself"
1996	Cybill	Chip	Episode: "Cybill Does Diary"
1996	The Late Shift	David Letterman	Television film
1997	Seinfeld	Kurt	Episode: "The Little Jerry"
1997	Weird Science	Timidius	Episode: "I, Chettus"
1997	Party of Five	Glenn	Episode: "S'Wunnerful Life"
1997–1998	Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show	Ar'nox	3 episodes
1998	From the Earth to the Moon	Master of Ceremonies	Episode: "The Original Wives Club"
1998	Nothing Sacred	Father Jesse	Episode: "HIV Priest! Film at Eleven"
1998	Guys Like Us	Mr. Levin	Episode: "Maestro's First Crush"
1998–1999	Brother's Keeper	Mark	3 episodes
1998–1999	Mad About You	Patrick	2 episodes
2000	Get Real	George Clark	Episode: "Guilt"
2000	Movie Stars	Kurt Mason	Episode: "Who's on First?"
2000–2002	Ally McBeal	Steven Milter	13 episodes
2001	Bette	Alex Berringer	Episode: "Big Business"
2001	Frasier	William	Episode: "It Takes Two to Tangle"
2001	Gideon's Crossing	Dr. Plummer	Episode: "The Mistake"
2002	George Lopez	Charles	Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Honey"
2002–2007	Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law	Mentok the Mindtaker, Zardo, Grape Ape, Various (voice)	30 episodes
2003	Monte Walsh	Robert Slocum	Television film
2003–2006	Arrested Development	Wayne Jarvis	5 episodes
2004	Game Over	Sully / Guidance Counselor / Proctor (voice)	4 episodes
2004	Higglytown Heroes	Tow Truck Driver Hero	Episode: "Smooth Operator"
2004	Monk	Roddy Lankman	Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Game Show"
2004	Boston Legal	Jerry Austin	2 episodes
2005	Joey	Albert	2 episodes
2006	So Notorious	Phillip Walker	Episode: "Whole"
2006	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Anthony Caprice	Episode: "Time of Your Death"
2008–2009	Kath & Kim	Phil Knight	17 episodes
2009	Numbers	Floyd Mayborne	Episode: "Dreamland"
2009	Raising the Bar	Judge Albert Farnsworth	9 episodes
2009–2010	Community	Professor Whitman	3 episodes
2010	Glee	Russell	Episode: "Dream On"
2010	Glenn Martin, DDS	Various (voice)	Episode: "Funshine, USA"
2010	Psych	Clive Prescott	Episode: "Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is"
2010	Batman: The Brave and the Bold	Riddler (voice)	2 episodes
2010	Human Target	Richard Applebaum	Episode: "The Other Side of the Mall"
2010–2011	Glory Daze	Brother Jerrod	2 episodes
2011	The Suite Life on Deck	Mr. Tipton	Episode: "Twister: Part 3"
2011	Man Up!	Mr. Tipton	Episode: "Camping"
2011–2013	Happily Divorced	Peter Lovett	34 episodes
2011–2013	The Good Wife	Rodney Jesko	2 episodes
2011–2014	Wilfred	Dr. Cahill	4 episodes
2012	Doc McStuffins	Star Blaster Zero (voice)	Episode: "Tea Party Tantrum/Blast Off!"
2012	Cars Toons	Stanley (voice)	Episode: "Time Travel Mater"
2012–2014	Sullivan & Son	Gary Barton	3 episodes
2014–2017	Bob's Burgers	Various voices	5 episodes
2013	Men at Work	Lindsey Tucker	Episode: "The New Boss"
2013	Good Morning Today	Reverend Jeremiah Phelps (voice)	Episode: "Episode Three"
2013–2014	The Legend of Korra	Varrick / Various (voice)	22 episodes
2014	Mike & Molly	Dr. Gayle Rosen	Episode: "Mind Over Molly"
2014	Terry the Tomboy	Doctor Larry	Television film
2014	Phineas and Ferb	Additional characters (voice)	Episode: "Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars"
2014	Franklin & Bash	Dominic	Episode: "Love Is the Drug"
2014	Jessie	Carlisle	Episode: "Between the Swoon and New York City"
2014–2017	Sofia the First	Flambeau (voice)	2 episodes
2014–2015	Instant Mom	Hoyt Ebnetter	3 episodes
2015	Turbo FAST	Pasadena Paul / Trash Fire Snail (voice)	Episode: "Groundhog, Stay!/Gone Guys Gone"
2015	Switched at Birth	Larry Shimingo	Episode: "Borrowing Your Enemy's Arrows"
2015	Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise	Evan	Television film
2015	Adam Ruins Everything	Sommelier	Episode: "Adam Ruins Restaurants"
2016	Angie Tribeca	Randy Zaius / Dr. Zaius	Episode: "The Thumb Affair"
2016	2 Broke Girls	Elliot	Episode: "And the Pity Party Bus"
2016	All Hail King Julien	Barty (voice)	5 episodes
2016	Tween Fest	Todd Crawford	8 episodes
2016	Awkward	Garrett Gibson	Episode: "Happy Campers. Happier Trails"
2017–2018	Great News	Chuck Pierce	23 episodes
2017	Niko and the Sword of Light	King Scampi (voice)	3 episodes
2017	The Tom and Jerry Show	Uncle Harry (voice)	Episode: "Say Uncle"
2018	Big Hero 6: The Series	Mini-Max (voice)
2018	America Says	Himself (host)
2018	Drunk History	Wilhelm Von Osten	Episode: "Animals"
2018	Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Warren Stone (voice)	Episode: "Newsworthy"

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004	Halo 2	2401 Penitent Tangent (voice)
2008	Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law	Mentok the Mindtaker (voice)

External links

• John Michael Higgins at IMDb
• P., Ken (April 12, 2002). "10 Questions: John Michael Higgins". IGN.