Wallace Shawn, born November 12, 1943, in New York City, is an American actor, playwright, and essayist known for his distinctive voice, intellectual wit, and sharp social commentary. The son of longtime New Yorker editor William Shawn and journalist Cecille Lyon Shawn, he was raised in a literate and cultured environment that fostered his early interest in writing and performance.
Educated at The Putney School in Vermont and later at Harvard University, he studied history and philosophy before pursuing postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, where his exposure to British theater deepened his creative sensibilities. Shawn initially worked as a teacher in India and as a translator before gaining recognition as a playwright in the 1970s, with works such as Our Late Night and A Thought in Three Parts showcasing his provocative and philosophical style.
Movies
- 1979 Manhattan
- 1979 Starting Over
- 1979 All That Jazz
- 1980 Simon
- 1980 Atlantic City
- 1981 Cheaper to Keep Her
- 1981 My Dinner with Andre
- 1981 Strong Medicine
- 1982 A Little Sex
- 1983 Lovesick
- 1983 The First Time
- 1983 Strange Invaders
- 1983 Deal of the Century
- 1984 Crackers
- 1984 The Hotel
- 1984 The Bostonians
- 1984 Micki & Maude
- 1985 Heaven Help Us (Catholic Boys)
- 1985 Head Office
- 1987 The Bedroom Window
- 1987 Radio Days
- 1987 Nice Girls Don’t Explode
- 1987 Prick Up Your Ear
- 1987 The Princess Bride
- 1988 The Moderns
- 1989 She’s Out of Control
- 1989 Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
- 1989 We’re No Angels
- 1991 Shadows and Fog
- 1992 Unbecoming Age
- 1992 Nickel & Dime
- 1992 The Double 0 Kid
- 1992 Mom and Dad Save the World
- 1993 The Cemetery Club
- 1993 The Meteor Man
- 1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
- 1994 Vanya on 42nd Street
- 1995 Just Like Dad
- 1995 The Wife
- 1995 Napoleon
- 1995 Canadian Bacon
- 1995 Clueless
- 1995 A Goofy Movie
- 1995 Toy Story
- 1996 All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
- 1996 House Arrest
- 1997 Vegas Vacation
- 1997 Just Write
- 1997 Critical Care
- 1997 The Designated Mourner
- 1998 The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story (voice)
- 1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man
- 1999 My Favorite Martian
- 1999 Toy Story 2
- 2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
- 2000 The Prime Gig
- 2001 The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
- 2001 Monsters, Inc. (voice)
- 2002 Personal Velocity: Three Portraits
- 2003 Duplex
- 2003 The Haunted Mansion
- 2004 Teacher’s Pet (voice)
- 2004 Melinda and Melinda
- 2004 The Incredibles (voice)
- 2004 Marie and Bruce
- 2004 The Fever
- 2005 Chicken Little (voice)
- 2006 Southland Tales
- 2006 Air Buddies (voice)
- 2006 Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers (voice)
- 2007 Happily N’Ever After (voice)
- 2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman
- 2008 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
- 2008 Mia and the Migoo (voice)
- 2008 Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King (voice)
- 2009 Jack and the Beanstalk
- 2009 Capitalism: A Love Story
- 2010 Furry Vengeance
- 2010 Toy Story 3 (voice)
- 2010 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (voice)
- 2010 Tea Time
- 2011 The Speed of Thought
- 2011 Hawaiian Vacation (voice)
- 2011 Small Fry
- 2012 Partysaurus Rex
- 2012 A Late Quartet
- 2012 Vamps
- 2013 Admission
- 2013 The Double
- 2013 A Master Builder
- 2014 Don Peyote
- 2015 Maggie’s Plan
- 2015 Robo-Dog
- 2016 Drawing Home
- 2017 Animal Crackers (voice)
- 2017 The Only Living Boy in New York
- 2017 Someone Else’s Wedding
- 2018 Book Club
- 2019 Toy Story 4 (voice)
- 2019 Marriage Story
- 2020 Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
- 2020 Rifkin’s Festival
- 2021 The Addams Family 2 (voice)
- 2023 Dancing on the Silk Razor
His later plays, including Marie and Bruce, Aunt Dan and Lemon, and The Fever, established him as one of America’s most idiosyncratic dramatists, blending moral inquiry with dark humor and political introspection. As an actor, he achieved fame for his roles in My Dinner with Andre (1981), which he co-wrote with André Gregory, and for his memorable performances in The Princess Bride (1987) as Vizzini,
Clueless (1995) as Mr. Hall, and the Toy Story films as the voice of Rex the dinosaur. Shawn’s television appearances have ranged from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to Gossip Girl and The Good Wife, reflecting his versatility across genres.
TV
- 1982–83 Taxi (2 episodes)
- 1983 How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days (TV Movie)
- 1983 Saigon: Year of the Cat
- 1987–91 The Cosby Show (5 episodes)
- 1992 Civil Wars
- 1992 One Life to Live (Unknown episodes)
- 1993 Eligible Dentist
- 1993 The Pink Panther (voice)
- 1993 Matrix
- 1993–99 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (7 episodes)
- 1994 The Nanny
- 1994–97 Murphy Brown (4 episodes)
- 1995 Kalamazoo
- 1995 Something Wilder
- 1995 Just Like Dad (TV Movie)
- 1996 Toy Story (voice- 18 episodes)
- 1996–97 Clueless (17 episodes)
- 1997 King of the Hill (voice)
- 1998 Blind Men
- 1998 Noah (TV Movie)
- 1998 The Lionhearts (voice- 5 episodes)
- 1999 Homicide: Life on the Street
- 1999 Cosby (2 episodes)
- 2000–01 Teacher’s Pet (voice – 17 episodes)
- 2001 Ally McBeal Mr. Dune Episode: “Falling Up”
- 2001 Blonde (2 episodes)
- 2001 Three Sisters
- 2001–06 Crossing Jordan (8 episodes)
- 2001, 2006, 2011 Family Guy (voice- 3 episodes)
- 2002 Sun Gods
- 2002 Teamo Supremo Gauntlet (voice)
- 2002 Mr. St. Nick (TV Movie)
- 2003 Monte Walsh
- 2003 Stanley (voice)
- 2004 Sex and the City
- 2004 Karroll’s Christmas (TV Movie)
- 2005 Fat Actress
- 2005 Stargate SG-1
- 2005 Desperate Housewives
- 2006 The 12th Man
- 2006Law & Order: Criminal Intent
- 2008 The Return of Jezebel
- 2008 Cashmere
- 2008–09 The L Word (5 episodes)
- 2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- 2009 Life on Mars
- 2009 ER
- 2010 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- 12010 Damages
- 2008–12 Gossip Girl (11 episodes)
- 2011–12 Eureka (3 episodes)
- 2011–16 Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (voice- 9 episodes)
- 2012 Fish Hooks (voice)
- 2013–15 The Good Wife (3 episodes)
- 2013 Adventure Time (voice)
- 2013 The Fog of Courage (voice)
- 2013 Uncle Grandpa (voice)
- 2013 Toy Story of Terror! (voice)
- 2014 Toy Story That Time Forgot
- 2014 Phineas and Ferb Saul (voice)
- 2014 The Mysteries of Laura Kenneth
- 2014 Club Penguin: Monster Beach Party (voice)
- 2014 The 7D (voice)
- 2014 BoJack Horseman (voice)
- 2014 Christmas at Cartwright’s (TV Movie)
- 2014–18 Mozart in the Jungle (6 episodes)
- 2015 Club Penguin: Halloween Panic! (voice – TV Movie)
- 2016 The Night Shift
- 2016 Life in Pieces
- 2016 Regular Show (voice)
- 2016–19 The Stinky & Dirty Show (voice- 18 episodes)
- 2017 Cop and a Half: New Recruit (TV Movie)
- 2017 Mr. Robot
- 2017 Graves *3 episodes)
- 2017 She’s Gotta Have It (2 episodes)
- 2017–18 OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes (voice)
- 2017 Trollhunters (voice)
- 2017, 2019 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- 2018 The Good Fight
- 2018 Skylanders Academy (voice)
- 2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- 2018–24 Young Sheldon (52 episodes)
- 2019 Big City Greens (voice)
- 2019 The Simpsons (voice)
- 2019 Butterbean’s Cafe (voice)
- 2019 Forky Asks a Question (voice)
- 2020 Search Party (2 episodes)
- 2020 Esme & Roys (voice)
- 2020–21 Summer Camp Island (voices- 3 episodes)
- 2021–22 Amphibia (voice- 2 episodes)
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (voice)
- 2021 Gossip Girl
- 2022–24 Evil (10 episodes)
- 2022 Bubble Guppies (voice)
- 2025 Krapopolis (voice)
In his personal life, Shawn has long been partnered with writer and performer Deborah Eisenberg, with whom he shares both artistic and intellectual pursuits. A passionate political thinker, he has published essays on class, ethics, and democracy, earning respect as a writer unafraid to challenge privilege and societal complacency.
Shawn remains an active presence in both theater and film, continuing to contribute to the landscape of contemporary American arts through his unique blend of humor, intellect, and compassion.
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Wallace Shawn” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Shawn
- IMDB “Wallace Shawn” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001728/
- The Movie Database “Wallace Shawn” https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12900-wallace-shawn?language=en-US
