Bill Irwin

William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, clown,[1][2] and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has also made a number of appearances on film and television, and he won a Tony Award for his role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Broadway. He is also known as Mr. Noodle on the Sesame Street segment Elmo's World, has appeared in the Sesame Street film short Does Air Move Things?,[3] and regularly appeared as a therapist on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[4]

Bill Irwin
Irwin in 2018
Born	William Mills Irwin (1950-04-11) April 11, 1950 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, clown, comedian
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Kimi Okada ​ ( m. 1977; div. 1982) Martha Roth ( m. 1990)
Children	1

Early life

Irwin was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Elizabeth (née Mills), a teacher, and Horace G. Irwin, an aerospace engineer.[5] He graduated from Oberlin College in 1974 and attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College the following year. In 1975, he helped found the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, California.[6] In 1979, Irwin left the company to pursue stage work.

Career

Creator and writer

Irwin has created several highly regarded stage shows that incorporate elements of clowning, often in collaboration with composer Doug Skinner. These works included The Regard of Flight (1982), which ran on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in April 1987 for 17 performances.[7] Largely New York (1989), Fool Moon (1993),[8]The Harlequin Studies (2003),[9] and Mr. Fox: A Rumination (2004).[10] Mr. Fox is a production that Irwin has worked on for years, a biography of 19th century clown George Washington Lafayette Fox that also has autobiographical elements. In 2013, he teamed with his occasional partner David Shiner to create and perform in the Off-Broadway "clowning revue-with-music" Old Hats along with actress and musician Nellie McKay.[11][12] Old Hats won the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue.[13] Old Hats was revived in New York City in 2016 with Shiner and Irwin returning and a new third performer, musician Shaina Taub, in between sketches Taub performed original songs with a band.[14]

He adapted Molière's play Les Fourberies de Scapin as a comedy called Scapin, and has played the title role in several productions. He appeared in the play at the Off-Broadway Roundabout Theatre Company Laura Pels Theatre in January through March 1997, after performing in the play at the Seattle Rep.[15] His adaptation allowed him to interpolate his signature clowning routines into the course of the action.

In 1996, Irwin performed with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps at the 1996 Summer Olympics, in a "band on the run" sequence where he played Dr. Hubert Peterson of the fictitious Federation of United Marching Associations of America.[16]

Actor

Irwin in 2013

Although Irwin is best known for his theatrical clown work, he has also been featured in a number of dramatic plays. Irwin appeared with Steve Martin and Robin Williams in the Lincoln Center Off-Broadway production of Waiting for Godot, in 1988, in the role of Lucky.[17] Lucky's only lines consist of a famous 500-word-long monologue, an ironic element for Irwin since much of his clown-based stage work was silent.

He directed the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company production of A Flea in Her Ear. He appeared in 2002 with Sally Field in the replacement cast of The Goat or Who is Sylvia?[18] In 2005, he starred as George alongside Kathleen Turner in a revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.[19] He played Vladimir (Didi) in the 2009 Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot,[20] and Mr. McAfee in the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie. In 2011, he appeared in King Lear at the Public Theatre.[21]

Film and television

Irwin's first featured film role was in 1980, appearing as Harold Hamgravy in Robert Altman's Popeye starring Robin Williams. He has appeared in over 20 films, mainly in supporting roles. Irwin's principal film roles include playing Eddie Collins in Eight Men Out, which tells the true story of the "Black Sox" gambling scandal of 1919, and My Blue Heaven, a 1990 comedy with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. Irwin tap-danced in a leading role in 1991's Stepping Out with Liza Minnelli, appeared as a mime in the Paul Mazursky film Scenes from a Mall alongside Woody Allen and Bette Midler, and played Charlie Sheen's father in Hot Shots! His authentic vaudevillian skills landed him a role in the Sam Shepard film Silent Tongue in 1994, and he appeared in film adaptations of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Laramie Project and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played an ex-brain surgeon and house salesman in the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In 2006, Irwin played the solitary Mr. Leeds in M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water and had a small role in 2007's Across the Universe. He received critical acclaim for his role as Paul, father to Anne Hathaway's character Kym, in the 2008 drama Rachel Getting Married.[6][22]

Irwin's most notable television roles have been Enrico Ballati, "The Flying Man", on the television series Northern Exposure, Mr. Noodle in the Elmo's World segment of the PBS children's show Sesame Street, and the "Dick & Jane" serial killer Nate Haskell on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He was featured in the 1988 music video of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin (along with McFerrin and Robin Williams). Irwin was also featured in HBO's 1997 production Subway Stories. He has also appeared on The Cosby Show, Saturday Night Live, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Law & Order and Lights Out.

In 2011, Irwin guest starred in the pilot episode of the CBS television drama A Gifted Man.[23] He starred in the 2013 medical drama TNT television series, Monday Mornings as Buck Tierney.[24] In 2014, he guest starred in the episode "The One Percent Solution" of CBS' Elementary.

Irwin voices the robot TARS in the film Interstellar and puppeteers the robot in most scenes (those which are not computer-generated). He is featured in the PBS series Great Performances, in the episode titled "Bill Irwin, Clown Prince", initially broadcast in December 2004.[25]

He regularly appears on the NBC crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as therapist Dr. Peter Lindstrom. Lindstrom normally appears on the show while counseling main character Lieutenant Olivia Benson.[4] Irwin also appeared on the television series Sleepy Hollow, playing the character of Atticus Nevins. In 2017 and 2018, he appeared in the FX television series Legion.

Personal life

Irwin's faith is Judaism. He is married to Martha Roth, an "actress-turned-nurse midwife", whom he met while seeking treatment for a stiff neck.[26] They have an adopted son, Santos Patrick Morales Irwin, who was born in 1991.[26]

Awards and honors

Irwin was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship in 1981 and 1983. In 1984, he was named a Guggenheim Fellow and was the first performance artist to be awarded a 5-year MacArthur Fellowship. For Largely New York, he won a New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation in 1988, and an Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award in 1989. This show also received five nominations for Tony Awards.[27]

In 1992, he won an Obie Award for his performance in Texts for Nothing. Together with David Shiner, he won a special Tony Award for Live Theatrical Presentation in 1999 for their show Fool Moon.[28] In 1993, this show had already won a Drama Desk Award for "Unique Theatrical Experience" and an Outer Critics Circle "Special Achievement" Award.

In 2000, the Jazz Tap Ensemble in Los Angeles received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) "for a commission of a new work by Bill Irwin."[29] In 2004, the Signature Theatre Company, New York, received a $40,000 NEA grant for "the world premiere production of 'Mr. Fox: A Rumination' by Bill Irwin."[30]

In 2005, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his appearance as George in the revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.[31]

Irwin received a 2008 CFCA Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in Rachel Getting Married. In 2010, The New Victory Theater presented Irwin with the first-ever New Victory Arts Award.[32] He was honored for "bringing the arts to kids and kids to the arts." Nathan Lane and Jonathan Demme spoke at the ceremony. Irwin is also on the board of The New 42nd Street, Inc.

Filmography and stage work

Film roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1980	Popeye	Ham Gravy, the Old Boyfriend
1988	A New Life	Eric
1988	Eight Men Out	Eddie Collins
1988	Don't Worry, Be Happy	Himself	Music Video; Bobby McFerrin
1990	My Blue Heaven	Kirby
1991	Scenes from a Mall	Mime
1991	Hot Shots!	Buzz Harley
1991	Stepping Out	Geoffrey
1993	Silent Tongue	Comic
1993	Manhattan by Numbers	Floyd
1993	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit	Unnamed Brother #1	Uncredited
1994	Water Ride	The Man in the Gray Hat	Short film
1998	Illuminata	Marco
1999	Just the Ticket	Ray Charles
1999	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Tom Snout
2000	How the Grinch Stole Christmas	Lou Lou Who
2001	Elmo's World: The Wild Wild West	Mr. Noodle	Direct-to-Video
2002	Igby Goes Down	Lt. Smith
2004	The Truth About Miranda	Emile
2004	The Manchurian Candidate	Scoutmaster
2005	Elmo Visits the Doctor	Mr. Noodle	Direct-to-Video
2006	Elmo's World: Reach for the Sky	Mr. Noodle	Direct-to-Video
2006	Lady in the Water	Mr. Leeds
2006	Elmo's World: Pets!	Mr. Noodle	Direct-to-Video
2007	Dark Matter	Hal Silver
2007	Elmo's World: What Makes You Happy?	Mr. Noodle	Direct-to-Video
2007	Across the Universe	Uncle Teddy
2008	Rachel Getting Married	Paul
2010	Goldstar, Ohio	Chief Jeff 'Goob' Garver	Short film
2011	Higher Ground	Pastor Bud
2011	Elmo's World: Penguins and Friends	Additional Voices	Direct-to-Video
2011	Elmo's World: People in Your Neighborhood	Additional Voices	Direct-to-Video
2012	Elmo's World - Favorite Things	Additional Voices	Direct-to-Video
2014	Interstellar	TARS (voice)	Provides puppetry for TARS and CASE
2014	Frozen on Broadway: First Look	Director	Short film
2015	Identity Theft	Mark	Short film
2015	Ricki and the Flash	Single Dad
2016	Old Hats	Himself

Television roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Struck by Lightning		Episode: "Frank Meets the Press"
1980	Saturday Night Live	The Dancing Man	Segment: "The Dancing Man"
1983	The Regard of Flight	Performer	TV Movie
1987	The Cosby Show	Eddie Bartholomew	Episode: "The Show Must Go On"
1990	The Circus	Pierrot The Clown / Miranda's Father	TV Movie
1991-1992	Northern Exposure	Enrico Bellati	2 episodes
1992	The Last Mile	The Maestro	TV Short
1992-2009	Sesame Street	Mr. Noodle, Air Mime, Professor Television	Recurring; 25 episodes
1993	Great Performances	Master of Ceremony	Episode: "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall"
1993	TriBeCa	Gene Kelly Clone	Episode: "The Loft"
1994	Monte Video	Clown	Episode: "Erntedankfest"
1996	The Adventures of Pete & Pete	The Broker	Episode: "35 Hours"
1997	Subway Stories	Bill Irwin	TV Movie; segment: "Subway Car from Hell"
1998	3rd Rock from the Sun	Pickles	Episode: "Pickles and Ice Cream"
2002	The Laramie Project	Harry Woods	TV Movie
2006	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Nate Royce	Episode: "Masquerade"
2008	Law & Order	Ellison Conway	Episode: "Bogeyman"
2008	Life on Mars	Dr. Schwahn	Episode: "Tuesday's Dead"
2008-2011	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Nate Haskell	Recurring
2011	The Good Wife	Fred Medkiff	Episode: "Ham Sandwich"
2011	Lights Out	Hal Brennan	Recurring
2011	A Gifted Man	Ron Vinetz	Episode: "Pilot"
2013	Monday Mornings	Dr. Buck Tierney	Main cast
2013-2017, 2020	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Dr. Peter Lindstrom	Recurring; 15 episodes
2014	Elementary	Richard Balsille	Episode: "The One Percent Solution"
2014	Blue Bloods	Cardinal Brennan	2 episodes
2015	South of Hell	Enos Abascal	Main cast
2015-2016	Sleepy Hollow	Atticus Nevins	4 episodes
2016	Confirmation	Jack Danforth	TV Movie
2016	Quarry	Harlowe	Episode: "Seldom Realized"
2017	Julie's Greenroom	Bill Irwin	2 episodes
2017	Doubt	Judge	2 episodes
2017–2019	Legion	Cary Loudermilk	Main cast
2018	This Is Us	ER Doctor	Episode: "Super Bowl Sunday"

Stage work

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Accidental Death of an Anarchist	The Sergeant	Broadway
1987	The Regard of Flight	writer and performer	Broadway
1988	Waiting for Godot	Lucky	Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination
1989	Largely New York	The Post-Modern Hoofer director, choreographer, and writer	Broadway Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Play, and Best Play
1993	Fool Moon	creator and performer	Broadway
1995	Fool Moon	creator and performer	Broadway
1998	Fool Moon	creator and performer	Broadway
2002	The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?	Martin	Broadway
2005	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	George	Broadway Tony Award Drama Desk Award nomination
2007	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	George	national tour
2009	Waiting for Godot	Vladimir	Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination
2009	Bye Bye Birdie	Harry MacAfee	Broadway
2011	King Lear	The Fool	Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination
2018	The Iceman Cometh	Ed Mosher	Broadway
2019	Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus	movement choreographer	Broadway

References

1. Isherwood, Charles (4 March 2013). "Aging Clowns and Brand-New Gags: 'Old Hats,' With Bill Irwin and David Shiner". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
2. Brantley, Ben (8 November 2011). "A Fool, His King and the Madness That Engulfs Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
3. Gussow, Mel (11 May 2008). "How to Deal with Midlife: Keep Dancing". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
4. "Television". thebillirwin.com.
5. Bill Irwin Biography (1950-) filmreference.com
6. "Irwin Biography" tcm.com, accessed August 18, 2013
7. " The Regard of Flight on Broadway", playbillvault.com, accessed May 12, 2015.
8. Simonson, Robert; Jones, Kenneth (November 2, 1998). "Irwin and Shiner's 'Fool Moon' Rises on Bway's Atkinson, Nov. 17". Playbill.
9. Jones, Kenneth (August 7, 2003). "Bill Irwin's 'Harlequin Studies', Dissecting Theatre's Clown, Premieres Sept. 3 Off-Bway". Playbill.
10. Jones, Kenneth (April 13, 2004). "Be a Clown: Bill Irwin's 'Mr. Fox: A Rumination' Conjures Forgotten American Actor". Playbill.
11. Isherwood, Charles (March 4, 2013). "Aging Clowns and Brand-New Gags". The New York Times.
12. Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (April 2, 2013). "Off-Broadway Run of Acclaimed 'Old Hats', By Bill Irwin and David Shiner, Extended Again". Playbill.
13. Hetrick, Adam; Gans, Andrew (May 10, 2013). "Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, 'Pippin', 'Matilda', 'Vanya and Sonia' Win Drama Desk Awards". Playbill.
14. Genzlinger, Neil (February 18, 2016). "Review: 'Old Hats,' Mime and Mayhem From Irwin and Shiner". The New York Times.
15. Viagas, Robert (January 10, 1997). "Bill Irwin Scapin Opens Jan. 9 Off-Broadway". Playbill.
16. DCI Cadets 1996 Olympics Performance
17. Isenberg, Barbara. 'Godot' Leaves Them Waiting for Tickets" Los Angeles Times, November 22, 1988
18. Ehren, Christine (September 9, 2002). "Sally Field and Bill Irwin Prepare a New 'Goat' for Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
19. Simonson, Robert (September 4, 2005). "'Virginia Woolf' Howls Its Last on Broadway Sept. 4". Playbill.
20. Jones, Kenneth (April 30, 2009). "Irwin and Lane Are Waiting for Godot, Opening April 30". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015.
21. Hetrick, Adam (October 18, 2011). "'King Lear', With Sam Waterston, Kelli O'Hara, Bill Irwin and Frank Wood, Begins at the Public Oct. 18". Playbill.
22. "Filmography". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
23. Wallemberg, Christopher (September 17, 2011). "STAGE TO SCREENS: A 2011-12 TV Season Packed With Stage Stars". Playbill.
24. Ross, Robyn. "TNT Orders David E. Kelley's Medical Drama 'Monday Mornings'" May 2012
25. "Great Performances. 'Bill Irwin, Clown Prince' ". Public Broadcasting Service, 2004, accessed August 19, 2013
26. "Bill Irwin's Biography" bill-irwin.com, accessed July 25, 2014
27. Largely New York Listing for Tony Awards and Drama Desk" Internet Broadway Database, accessed August 18, 2013
28. Lefkowitz, David (June 6, 1999). "1999 Tony Winner: Special Award - 'Fool Moon'". Playbill.
29. "2000 Grant Awards: Creation & Presentation" Archived September 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine arts.gov, accessed August 18, 2013
30. "2004 Grant Awards: Creativity" Archived August 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine arts.gov, accessed August 18, 2013
31. Jones, Kenneth (June 5, 2005). "'Doubt' Is Best Play, 'Spamalot' Best Musical; Butz, Irwin, Clark, Jones, Nichols Win 2005 Tonys". Playbill.
32. "Philosophy". New Victory Theater. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.

External links

• Bill Irwin - Official Site
• Bill Irwin - Archival Site
• Bill Irwin on IMDb
• Bill Irwin at the Internet Broadway Database
• Bill Irwin at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• The Regard of Flight from The New York Times (Registration required) (1984)
• The Harlequin Studies (2003)
• Archive film of Bill Irwin performing Post-Modern Studies in 1983 at Jacob's Pillow
• "A Clown Changes Costume and, Presto: Playwright" - The New York Times