Quick Facts
LeoBiography
William Chott (born July 23, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Principal Hershel Laritate on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place.
Early life
During his school years, Chott appeared in numerous plays and musicals. He graduated from Ritenour High School, and has since been inducted into their Alumni Hall of Fame. He continued pursuing theater in college at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri, acting in a wide variety of plays. He was also in Chi Delta fraternity while at Central Methodist as well as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's Beta Mu chapter. He left Missouri in 1992, and headed to Chicago, IL where he quickly became involved with improvisational theater at ComedySportz, IO Theater, and the Second City comedy troupe. His contemporaries in the Chicago improv scene included Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Career
Chott toured the country with the Second City, and in 1995 he made his television debut on The Dana Carvey Show, among a repertory cast that included Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and Robert Smigel. His most lasting contribution to the program was as the announcer for The Ambiguously Gay Duo, a series of animated shorts created by Smigel and J.J. Sedelmaier, which continued to be produced by J.J. Sedelmaier Productions for Saturday Night Live after the quick cancellation of "The Dana Carvey Show."
His film roles include performances in Galaxy Quest, Dude Where's My Car, Brainwarp, Dante's Inferno, Wild Girls Gone, Dancing at the Blue Iguana and The Ringer.
His television appearances include Third Rock from the Sun, Freaks and Geeks, Popular, ER, Crossballs, Weekends at the DL, CSI, Wizards of Waverly Place, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, She Spies, Young Sheldon, This Is Us, and Monk.
Chott continues to teach and coach improvisational comedy in both Los Angeles and St. Louis, through his school The Improv Trick.
Partial filmography
- Crossfire (1998)
- Tomorrow Night (1998)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000)
- Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
- Outpost (2004)
- Nerd Hunter 3004 (2004)
- The Ringer (2005)
- Curious George (2006)
- Four Weddings and a Shaadi (2011)
- The Rum Diary (2011)
- Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012)
- Marshall the Miracle Dog (2015)