Stephen Root

Birthday: 17 November 1951, Sarasota, Florida, USA

Height: 173 cm

One of the most prolific character actors working today, Stephen Root has worked alongside many of the biggest names in Hollywood. Born in Sarasota, Root majored in acting and broadcasting at the University of Florida and remains a die-hard Gator fan. After three years of touring the U.S. and Canada with the National Shakespeare Company, Root settled in New York, honing his craft in many regional theaters and starring off-Broadway in 'Journey's End' and 'The Au Pair Man'. His Broadway debut came in 'So Long On Lonely Street', which was followed by the Tony award-winning production of 'All My Sons', with Richard Kiley. A starring role as 'Boolie', in the Broadway national touring company of 'Driving Miss Daisy' with Julie Harris, brought Root to Los Angeles where he now resides. Back on the boards, he recently starred with Helen Hunt and Lyle Lovett in ;Much Ado About Nothing', an LA Shakespeare Production. His first acting role on screen came in George A. Romero's cult horror classic Monkey Shines (1988). After that, many more under-the-radar supporting roles came his way until he found some moderate fame in the acclaimed series NewsRadio (1995), where he played the somewhat eccentric owner of a radio station, Jimmy James, with Dave Foley as the station manager. The show ran from 1995 to 1999. Root has played more eccentric characters in recent years, voicing several characters in the hit animated TV series King of the Hill (1997), a show created by and starring Mike Judge. Judge would later cast Root in another cult classic film, 1999's Office Space (1999), where Root played the squirrelly and unforgettable Milton Waddams, a man who is pushed around at work and has a fetish for Swingline staplers. More recently Root has worked with such directors as the Coen brothers and Kevin Smith creating more oddball characters as well as making guest appearances on numerous TV shows. Hide

[on coming up with the voice for "Bill", his character on King of the Hill (1997)] I have done a lot Show more [on coming up with the voice for "Bill", his character on King of the Hill (1997)] I have done a lot of Southern theater; I came out of the University Of Florida. I did do a lot of Southern plays in New York and regional stuff on the East Coast, so I had done "Driving Miss Daisy" and all of these things. So it was kind of an amalgamation of those things. I actually auditioned for "Dale" first. It didn't feel right to me, so I said, "Let me try this guy". That felt a lot more comfortable. Hide

My whole career, I've tried to bounce back and forth between everything, and not get typed out. I've Show more My whole career, I've tried to bounce back and forth between everything, and not get typed out. I've done a pretty good job of not getting typed. So I'll do a lot of comedy, and then I'll not do comedy for a year, do The West Wing (1999) and then do something else. You have to remind casting directors out here that you don't just do one thing. There's a lot of people who do just one thing. Hide

[on his role in Ghost (1990)] That was fun. It was one of the first couple of films that I did in Ne Show more [on his role in Ghost (1990)] That was fun. It was one of the first couple of films that I did in New York. Doing Broadway, you are able to get in to some film auditions at the same time. I did Ghost (1990) and 'Crocodile' Dundee II (1988) within two or three months of each other. It was great to work with 'Demi (Moore)'. We both had little kids at the time. We talked mostly about that. Hide

I'm actually a Midwest kid. My dad was in construction, so we moved around every couple of years. I' Show more I'm actually a Midwest kid. My dad was in construction, so we moved around every couple of years. I've lived in Muncie, Indiana, Sioux City, Iowa, Kansas City MO, Glen Rock, Wyoming; all over the Midwest. My Dad moved down to Florida when I was in senior high. It was cheap to go to college in Florida, so I became a Gator for four years. That's where I started doing theater. Hide

(2007) My goal as an actor was to work-to be a working actor, whether it was in theater, and, well, Show more (2007) My goal as an actor was to work-to be a working actor, whether it was in theater, and, well, I didn't even consider film and television when I was in New York, but what came along, came along. So, in that sense, I have achieved my goal of being a working actor. And luckily enough, I have recognition to be able to do jobs that I want to do instead of doing jobs for money, which is an enviable position to be in. It's what you work for your whole life anyway, to take jobs that interest you and not jobs that are just crap. Hide

[on making Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)] Well, it was a lot of hard work. It was like pit Show more [on making Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)] Well, it was a lot of hard work. It was like pitching 100 baseballs every day. We were all iced up by the end of the day. It's hard to throw overhand so many times. 'Vince (Vaughn)' started throwing with his left hand one day, because he was just done. It was a very physical shoot. It was fun, but it wasn't without its aches and pains. Hide

[on his early TV work] I enjoyed doing Night Court (1984), because Harry Anderson actually wrote me Show more [on his early TV work] I enjoyed doing Night Court (1984), because Harry Anderson actually wrote me a second episode that I came and did for them. They were all fun. I did a lot of '(Steven) Bochco' stuff-Civil Wars (1991), NYPD Blue (1993). It was all fun. I got to do Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). I was a lawyer one day and a Klingon the next. Hide

Stephen Root's FILMOGRAPHY

as Actor (681)

The Newsroom - Season 1

Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness - Season 2

Home Improvement - Season 3

NYPD Blue - Season 8

Robot Chicken - Season 4

NYPD Blue - Season 6

Norm - Season 1

The Good Wife - Season 5

The Big Bang Theory - Season 10

Robot Chicken - Season 6