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Mike McShane

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Mike McShane
Born
Michael McShane

(1955-06-25) June 25, 1955 (age 69)
Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, comedian
Years active1986–present

Michael McShane (born June 25, 1955) is an American actor, singer, and improvisational comedian. He appeared on the original British version of the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–97) and went on to appear in films such as Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Richie Rich (1994), and Office Space (1999). McShane has also been involved in several Disney productions, including Tom and Huck (1995), the television series Brotherly Love (1995–97), Tower of Terror (1997), and A Bug's Life (1998). He also voiced the Revolting Slob in the Canadian-American variety television series Crashbox.

McShane voiced Marlon, Caracticus P. Doom and various other characters in Cosgrove Hall Films's Avenger Penguins (1993–94), Gareb in Todd McFarlane's Spawn (1997–99), and Quosmir in Dave The Barbarian (2004–05).

Career

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McShane studied drama at San Joaquin Delta College and San Francisco State University,[1] performing with Faultline Theatre, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater and the Eureka Theatre. McShane is also an alumnus of Los Angeles Theatresports.

McShane gained exposure in 1988 on the British show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. He remained a regular performer on the show for the next ten years. McShane and fellow Whose Line regular Tony Slattery starred in the comedy sketch show S&M in 1991. In 1992 McShane starred in the sitcom The Big One alongside another Whose Line performer Sandi Toksvig.

Other TV roles include a guest appearance on Seinfeld as Kramer's nemesis Franklin Delano Romanowski (FDR). McShane played Friar Tuck in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves in 1991, had a small role as a doomed hypnotherapist in the 1999 film Office Space, and played the friendly scientist, Professor Keenbean, in the 1994 movie Richie Rich. In 1998 he appeared in an episode of Frasier as Frank, the manager of the Shangri-La apartments. He also co-starred with Sir John Gielgud, Emily Watson and Rosemary Harris in "A Summer's Day Dream" for BBC "Performance" series.

In 1995, McShane starred as Harley in the BBC Screen Two TV Movie Crazy For A Kiss, about a young boy who is sent to a mental institution for teenagers in McShane's home state of Kansas. McShane appeared in Tom and Huck as Muff Potter and on Brotherly Love as the experienced but wisecracking mechanic, Lloyd.

In 1997 he appeared in Tower of Terror, a TV movie starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst based on the Disney attraction, as "Q".

McShane also appeared with Dunst in the 1999 comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous, playing a quick-tempered beauty pageant judge who serves as caretaker for his learning disabled brother.

McShane provided voice work for the anime Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, as D's sarcastic possessed left hand. He also provided the voice of Detective Twitch in the HBO animated series Spawn. Other voice work by McShane includes the characters of Tuck and Roll, the twin pill bugs in A Bug's Life[2] and the video game of the same name in 1998. He also provided the voice of Shalulu in Disney's redub of Castle in the Sky, and Baron Rakan Harkonnen in the 2001 strategy game Emperor: Battle for Dune. He provided the voice for Cid in the video games Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2.

McShane appeared as the voice of Audrey II (as well as playing a number of peripheral characters) in the London revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Southwark between December 2006 and February 2007. The show was a critical success and was sold out for the duration of its run, and Mike had been contracted to continue in the role following the show's transfer to the West End at the Duke of York theatre. In September 2007 he took part in the British Library's celebration of Jack Kerouac, reading excerpts from On The Road on the 50th anniversary of its publication.

In 2008, McShane appeared as a guest performer in Paul Merton's Impro Chums, a live improv show, and was asked to join the permanent company for three UK tours, and is still ongoing with the group. and as Dr. Vaabit in episode 5 of BBC's sitcom Lab Rats,[3] and has appeared twice on the BBC radio programme Just a Minute.

In September 2012, McShane appeared as the character Grayle in the television series Doctor Who in the series 7 episode "The Angels Take Manhattan". In November 2012, Mike starred as a CIA military consultant in BBC Three comedy series Bluestone 42. In February 2013, Mike created the role of Louis B. Mayer in the new musical "The Tailor Made Man" at The Arts Theatre in London's West End, garnering rave reviews.

On May 17, 2013, Radio 5 Live's breakfast show accidentally announced Mike McShane had died. This was following the death of Paul Shane on May 16, 2013. A retraction was issued.

In 2014, McShane was in the horror comedy film Love in the Time of Monsters. From November 2014 through March 2015, he appeared in the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

In August 2015 McShane appeared at an Edinburgh Fringe gala regarding mental health issues. At the same time he paid tribute to his friend Robin Williams. McShane said: “I worked with Robin when we were young and he came to see me backstage in the past, too. Any improviser my age or younger was inspired by him...Even with his condition he was still doing benefit gigs, making servicemen laugh and championing young acts. He would pick you up and make you feel like the exploration of your imagination and expression was a good thing. Laughter is good. It's group consensus and a release of tension.”[4]

In 2016, McShane starred as Sam in the Western web series Red Bird.

Filmography

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Film

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Mike McShane' film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Castle in the Sky Charles (voice)
1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream Recording Engineer
1990 The Spirit of '76 Angry Driver
Best Shots Friendly Bob
1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Friar Tuck
1994 Richie Rich Professor Keenbean
1995 Tom and Huck Muff Potter
Balto Extra voices
1997 Princess Mononoke Additional voices
Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas! Maxwell Baxter Direct-to-Video
Todd McFarlane's Spawn Twitch Williams / Gareb (voice) Direct-to-Video
1998 Todd McFarlane's Spawn 2 Gareb (voice)
A Bug's Life Tuck / Roll (voice) [5]
1999 Todd McFarlane's Spawn 3: The Ultimate Battle Gareb (voice)
Office Space Dr. Swanson
Drop Dead Gorgeous Harold Vilmes / Judge #2 Double role
2000 The Gold Cup Jerry
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Left Hand (voice)
2002 Big Trouble Bruce
2002 Thunder Pig Thunderpig (voice) Short film
2002 Treasure Planet Hands (voice)
2003 Kaena: The Prophecy Assad (voice)
2003 The Battle of Shaker Heights Mr. Norway
2003 Evil Alien Conquerors Rabirr
2004 Memron Ken Clay Mockumentary
2004 Death and Texas Prison Guard
2005 Thru the Moebius Strip Hymo (voice)
2006 Happily N'Ever After Rumplestiltskin (voice)
2007 Careless Naked Man
2009 The Witch Father Short film
2014 Love in the Time of Monsters Slavko

Television

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Mike McShane' television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1988-1997 Whose Line Is It Anyway? himself 43 episodes
1991 Arena Fatty Arbuckle / The God of Hollywood Episode: "Hollywood Babylon"
Documentary series
1992 The Big One James Howard 7 episodes
1992 The Comic Strip Presents... Bernard Matthews Episode: "Wild Turkey"
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Anton Dvorak Episode: "Prague, August 1917"
1993-1994 Avenger Penguins Marlon / Caractacus P. Doom / Barracuda Stink (voice) 9 episodes
1994 The All New Alexei Sayle Show Uncle Frank 1 episode
1994 Broadway Stories Narrator 10 episodes
1992-1994 Performance Franklyn Heimer / Hal 2 episodes
1994-1995 Jackanory Storyteller 5 episodes
1995 Screen Two Harley Episode: "Crazy for a Kiss"
1996 ER Hugo Episode: "The Match Game"
1996 The Wonderful World of Disney Chris 'Q' Todd Episode: "Tower of Terror"
1995-1997 Brotherly Love Lloyd Burwell 40 episodes
1997 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Timid Man / Customer #1 / Mallard (voice) 2 episodes
1997-1998 Seinfeld Franklin Delano Romanowski 2 episodes
1997-1998 Frasier Frank Episode: "How to Bury a Millionaire"
1998 Caroline in the City Boo Episode: "Caroline and the Fright Before Christmas"
1999 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Klounberg Episode: "Honey, I'm Not Just Clowning Around"
1997-1999 Todd McFarlane's Spawn Gareb / Twitch Williams / Cain / Minister 17 episodes
2000-2001 Clerks: The Animated Series Locksmith / Officer Big Mac / Priest / Randal's Japanese husband / X (voice) 3 episodes
2000 The Drew Carey Show Ray 2 episodes
2000 3rd Rock from the Sun Phil Episode: "InDickscretion"
2001 The Legend of Tarzan Thug (voice) Episode: "Tarzan and the Missing Link"
2002 Animated Tales of the World Narrator Episode: "A Story from Taiwan: Aunt Tiger"
2002 The Court Ohio Attorney General Episode: "Life Sentence"
2001 Samurai Jack Drake Nightshade (voice) 3 episodes
2002 Believe Nothing Professor Brinsley Episode: "Double First"
2002 John Doe Ray Brunellas Episode: "John Deux"
2003 King of the Hill Mountain Man (voice) Episode: "Full Metal Dust Jacket"
2003 Oliver Beene Fat Man Episode: "Home, a Loan"
2004 Dave the Barbarian Quozmir / Ted / Enchanted Tree (voice) 3 episodes
2005 Malcolm in the Middle Dr. Phelps Episode: "Living Will"
2006-2007 Holly Hobbie & Friends Jim Bidderman / Station Manager 2 episodes
2008 Lab Rats Dr. Vaabit Episode: "A Bee"
2009 Nick Jr. IDs Episode: "Pilot"
2010 Glenn Martin, DDS Judge (voice) Episode: "The Tooth Shall Set You Free"
2010 American Dad! Brian P. Mahon (voice) Episode: "Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth"
2012 Doctor Who Grayle Episode: "The Angels Take Manhattan"
2013 Third String Kicker Ned Finkelstein Episode: "Ned Finkelstein: World's Worst Lawyer"
2013 Bluestone 42 Carter 1 episode
2014 You'll Be Fine Evan Edwards Episode: "Company Policy"
2015 Wayward Pines Big Bill 4 episodes
2016 The Crossroads of History Priest Episode: "King Louis XIV"
2016 Red Bird Sam 3 episodes
2019 NCIS: Los Angeles Warden John Newton Episode: "The One That Got Away"
2020 Barbarians Aldarich (voice) 2 episodes
2022 NCIS Dr. Matthew Heller Episode: "Unearth"

Videos games

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Mike McShane' video game credits
Year Title Voice role Description
1997 Blade Runner Marcus Eisenduller / Hawker's Barkeep / Sergeant Walls Based on the game it is not a direct adaptation of Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner
1998 A Bug's Life Tuck / Roll Based on the Disney/Pixar 1998 film of the same name
2001 Emperor: Battle for Dune Baron Rakan Harkonnen Sequel to Dune videogame
2001 Final Fantasy X Cid Developed and published by Square as the tenth main entry in the Final Fantasy series[6]
2003 Final Fantasy X-2 Cid

Podcast

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Mike McShane' podcast credits
Year Title Role Notes
2021 The Zip Code Plays: Los Ángeles William Mulholland Episode: "90026: Echo Park - $10 and a Tambourine"

References

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  1. ^ McShane, Mike (2015). "Barbara Dickson; Mike McShane; Dr Sarah Coombes; Giles Abbott". BBC Radio 4 Midweek (Interview). Interviewed by Libby Purves. London: BBC. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  2. ^ Sterngold, James (December 4, 1998). "AT THE MOVIES; Bug's Word: Yaddanyafoo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  3. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information Week 32 Thursday 7 August 2008". www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ English, Paul (August 15, 2015). "Robin Williams' comedian pal headlines Fringe gala on mental health". Daily Record.
  5. ^ Sterngold, James (December 4, 1998). "AT THE MOVIES; Bug's Word: Yaddanyafoo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "Michael McShane (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
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