Peter MacNicol

A diminutive, curly-haired character actor who excels at playing smarmy sycophants, Peter MacNicol first registered in films as Stingo, the puppyish writer involved with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, in "Sophie's Choice" (1982), although he had made his film debut as a sorcerer's young apprentice in the likable fantasy "Dragonslayer" the previous year. Raised in Dallas, MacNicol first practiced his craft in regional theater, serving two seasons at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater before working at the Long Wharf in New Haven and at the Dallas Theater Center.

Moving east, he made his NYC stage debut in the Broadway production of Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" (1981) and went on to perform frequently at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. MacNicol segued into TV with the superior TV-movie, "Johnny Bull" (ABC, 1986). Developed at the National Playwrights Conference of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Company, this drama afforded the younger actor an opportunity to work with old pros Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst.

Though MacNicol initially established himself in dramatic fare, he would spend a substantial portion of his film and TV career in comedies, doing guest shots on "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Cheers", and landing his first stint as a regular on Norman Lear's political satire "The Powers That Be" (NBC, 1992-93), playing an obnoxious senatorial aide. For one season (1994-95), he played the hospital counsel coping with single fatherhood on "Chicago Hope" (CBS) whose shocking death left many fans of the show upset. MacNichol eventually returned to the weekly grind in 1997 as the quirky law firm head John 'Biscuit' Cage on the hit Fox series "Ally McBeal", created and written by "Chicago Hope" creator David E Kelley. The eccentric lawyer was a perfect match for the performer's comedic gifts and he earned successive Emmy nominations in 1999. 2000 and 2001, (finally taking home the statue in 2001). Additionally, MacNicol moved behind the cameras to helm episodes.

Despite his small screen successes, MacNicol has enjoyed several triumphs in feature character roles that have provided showcases for his quirky persona. He received good notices for his lively portrayal of a bewitched art restorer with an impenetrable accent in the blockbuster sequel "Ghostbusters II" (1989), and turned in gemlike comic supporting roles as a perky camp counselor in "Addams Family Values" (1993), the bug-eating sidekick Renfield in Mel Brooks' "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" (1995), and a museum curator exasperated by his oddball houseguest (Rowan Atkinson) in "Bean" (1997).

• Also Credited As:
  Peter C. MacNicol
• Born:
  April 10, 1958 in Texas
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Voice actor, Director

Family

• Father: John MacNicol.
• Mother: Barbara MacNicol.

Education

• University of Minnesota at Minneapolis-St Paul, Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota

Milestones

• 1963 Acted for the first time at age nine; played a statue of St. Peter in a play (date approximate)
• 1980 NYC stage debut in the Off-Broadway production of Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart"; recreated role on Broadway
• 1980 Moved to New York City
• 1981 Feature film debut as the star of the fantasy adventure "Dragonslayer"
• 1982 Breakthrough movie role, Stingo, a playwright enamored of the title character (portrayed by Meryl Streep), in "Sophie's Choice"
• 1986 TV-movie debut, "Johnny Bull" (ABC), starring Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst, directed by Claudia Weill; developed at the National Playwrights Conference of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
• 1989 Played a major supporting role as an art restorer with an impenetrable accent in the popular genre sequel, "Ghostbusters II"
• 1992 TV series debut as a regular as a US Senator's press aide in the Norman Lear-produced NBC sitcom "The Powers That Be"
• 1993 Offered an hilarious turn as a peppy camp counselor (teamed on screen with Christine Baranski) in "Addams Family Values"
• 1994 Returned to regular series work as hospital attorney Alan Birch on the David E. Kelley-produced medical drama "Chicago Hope" (CBS); asked to leave show after only one season; Kelley had character murdered in a surprise twist
• 1995 Played Renfield to Leslie Nielsen's Transylvanian bloodsucker in Mel Brooks' spoof "Dracula: Dead and Loving It"
• 1997 Joined cast of the hit Fox series "Ally McBeal" as law firm head John 'Biscuit' Cage; earned Emmy nominations in 1999, 2000 and 2001
• 1997 Co-starred as a harried museum curator who mistakens a bumbling security guard (Rowan Atkinson) for an art expert in the boisterous comedy "Bean"
• 1998 Made TV directorial debut with an episode of "Ally McBeal" (Fox)
• 1999 Voiced the title snowman in "Snowden's Christmas" (CBS) and Fido in "Olive the Other Reindeer" (Fox)
• 2001 Appeared in the PBS production "The Ponder Heart"
• 2003 Voiced X, the Eliminator in the animated series "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law"
• 2005 Cast as Dr. Larry Fleinhardt on "Numb3rs" (CBS)
• 2006 Joined the cast of Fox's "24" as a high-ranking government official
• Did TV guest shots on "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Cheers"
• Performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, playing the title role in "Richard II"; also appeared in "Romeo and Juliet" and "Twelfth Night"
• Raised in Dallas, Texas
• Worked in regional theater including "Another Country" at the Long Wharf, "Tartuffe" at Alaska Rep, and "All the King's Men" at the Dallas Theater Center
• Worked two seasons at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota