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Richard Schiff
American actor and director

Richard Schiff

The basics

Quick Facts

Intro
American actor and director
Gender
Male
Place of birth
Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Age
69 years
Stats
Height:
1.7653 m
Education
City College of New York
Manhattan, New York City, USA
William Esper Studio
USA
Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
(2000)
The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on The West Wing, a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his television directorial debut with The West Wing, directing an episode titled "Talking Points". He is on the National Advisory Board of the Council for a Livable World. He had a recurring role on the HBO series Ballers. Since September 2017 he has had a leading role in ABC's medical drama The Good Doctor, as Dr. Aaron Glassman, president of a fictional teaching hospital in San Jose, California. He also provided the voice and motion-capture for Odin in Santa Monica Studio's God of War: Ragnarök, released in 2022.

Early life

Schiff was born on May 27, 1955, in Bethesda, Maryland, and was raised in New York City. He is the second of three sons of Charlotte, a television and publishing executive, and Edward Schiff, a real estate lawyer. His brothers are producer Paul Schiff and talent manager David Schiff. His parents divorced, and Charlotte later married Clarence B. Jones, Martin Luther King Jr.'s lawyer. His early jobs before acting included driving a taxi in New York City and cleaning buses in the Greyhound terminal on 11th Avenue. "It was a Teamster job, from 11pm to 7am. ... We cleaned the grease off bus wheels with diesel fuel. I also laid cable for Manhattan Cable Television. I was a Teamster in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers". Schiff and his family are Jewish. His grandfather had alleged connections to the Jewish Mafia of New York. He studied acting at the William Esper Studio.

Career

Schiff initially studied directing. He directed several off-Broadway plays, including Antigone in 1983 with a just-graduated Angela Bassett. In the mid-1980s Schiff decided to try his hand at acting and landed several TV roles. He was seen by Steven Spielberg in an episode of the TV drama High Incident and was cast in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) which led to being cast more frequently and eventually to the role as White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler in the television series The West Wing. Schiff became known for his reclusive and intense approach to his craft as well as his low-key delivery style.

In 1995, Schiff portrayed a lawyer in Se7en. In 1996, he guest-starred on the TV series ER (Season 2, Episode 17), and appeared in NYPD Blue the following year. In 1996, he portrayed a corrupt probation officer in City Hall along with Al Pacino and John Cusack. Schiff portrayed a doctor alongside Eddie Murphy in the 1998 Dr. Dolittle remake. He also portrayed Col./Brig. Gen. Robert Laurel Smith in the 1998 HBO TV movie The Pentagon Wars, based on the real-life development of the US Army's Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The same year, Schiff appeared in the movie Deep Impact. Schiff appeared in one episode of Becker during its first season. In 2001, he acted in the movie What's the Worst That Could Happen? starring Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito. He played the part of the tough lawyer Mr. Turner in I Am Sam opposite Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer and co-starred in People I Know with Al Pacino.

Schiff appeared in Ray as Jerry Wexler, shaving his beard for the role. After working on The West Wing for six seasons, Schiff chose to leave the series, fulfilling his contractual obligations by appearing in half of the final season's episodes. That same year, he starred alongside Peter Krause in Civic Duty.

Richard Schiff
Schiff in May 2009

Schiff had a cameo appearance as himself in the second-season finale of the series Entourage. The scene has Schiff at lunch with his agent Ari Gold, where he declares a desire to act in action movies. He appeared again as a fictionalized version of himself in Entourage (2015). He also starred in the premiere run of Underneath the Lintel, a one-act, single-character play by Glen Berger, at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In February 2007, he appeared in the West End production of Underneath the Lintel in the Duchess Theatre in London, England, and appeared on BBC Radio Five Live and talked at length to Simon Mayo about his experiences acting in The West Wing and his new West End production. In 2007, he appeared as Philip Cowen in the season finale of Burn Notice. A radio version of Underneath the Lintel, performed by Schiff, was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on January 5, 2008. Schiff starred in Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey in fall 2008 as accountant Matt Friedman, opposite Margot White as Sally Talley. Later that year Schiff co-starred in Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson and Another Harvest Moon with Ernest Borgnine and appeared in the season finale of Eli Stone.

Schiff portrayed Charles Fischer in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in the Season 2 episode "Complications". The character was a collaborator of Skynet and a traitor to the resistance. He was sent back in time to the present as a reward for his service to Skynet. He played an Orthodox rabbi on an episode of In Plain Sight with former West Wing co-star Mary McCormack. In 2009, he co-starred in the movies Imagine That, with Eddie Murphy, and Solitary Man, with Michael Douglas and Susan Sarandon. Later in 2009, he returned to London to shoot two other movies: The Infidel, in which he starred opposite Omid Djalili, and Made in Dagenham, with Sally Hawkins and Bob Hoskins. Schiff also appeared as a hypnotist in one episode of Monk's seventh season.

Schiff starred in Past Life. He also had a recurring role in Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior as FBI Director Jack Fickler. Schiff had a recurring role in The Cape. He also has guest-starred on Any Human Heart with Jim Broadbent playing the role of a psychiatrist and on White Collar's second-season episode 15. He also played the role of an ex-CIA agent in a terrorist organization in Johnny English Reborn. In April 2011, Schiff returned to the London West End in the play Smash! He played opposite Rob Lowe in the drama Knife Fight, and starred opposite Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson and Bruce Willis in Fire with Fire. Schiff played an important plot character in three episodes of CBS's NCIS, bridging seasons 9 and 10, as Harper Dearing, the replacement for Osama bin Laden on the Most Wanted Wall for attacks against the United States Navy.

Schiff was cast to star in the Showtime series House of Lies, starring Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle. He also starred in the TV movie Innocent with Bill Pullman. He had a recurring guest role in the TV series Once Upon A Time and joined Helen Hunt and former West Wing star Bradley Whitford in the movie Decoding Annie Parker. Schiff starred in the political series Chasing The Hill.

In late 2012 and early 2013, he portrayed George Aaronow in a Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross. He portrayed Erie Smith in a revival of the Eugene O'Neill play, Hughie, at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in February and March 2013, and Dr. Emil Hamilton in Zack Snyder's 2013 Superman film, Man of Steel. In September 2014, Schiff returned to the West End in a revival of Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet, co-starring Lindsay Lohan. In 2015, Schiff appeared as Dwayne Johnson's character's boss on HBO's Ballers. Around the same time, he also had roles in the films Kill the Messenger, The Automatic Hate, and Take Me to the River.

Schiff had a regular role on the TNT's crime drama Murder in the First as David Hertzberg. The show also starred Taye Diggs, Kathleen Robertson, and Tom Felton.

He provided the facial and motion capture, and voice for Odin in Santa Monica Studio's game God of War Ragnarök, released in 2022.

Personal life

Schiff and actress Sheila Kelley married in 1996. Kelley played Schiff's character's love interest, and later his wife, on The Good Doctor. They have a son, Gus, born in 1994, and a daughter, Ruby, born in August 2000.

Schiff has supported Democratic candidates, but has said he is not a registered member of the party. He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Previously, he had endorsed then-Senator Joe Biden, before Biden dropped out. In 2016, Schiff supported Senator Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries. He endorsed Cynthia Nixon's bid for Governor of New York in the 2018 election. Schiff supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

On November 10, 2020, Schiff announced that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 on Election Day and were quarantining at their home in Vancouver. The following Monday, he announced he was hospitalized, but "showing improvements" while Kelley was at home "doing better", but still sick. On November 19, 2020, Schiff was released from the hospital.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Arena BrainsDeli ClerkShort film
1988Medium StraightPat Harding
1990Young Guns IIRat Bag
1992Stop! Or My Mom Will ShootGun Clerk
Rapid FireArt Teacher
The Public EyeThompson Street Photographer
Malcolm XJFK Reporter
The BodyguardSkip Thomas
HoffaGovernment Attorney
1993SkinnerEddie
My LifeYoung Bill Ivanovich
Ghost in the MachineScanner Technician
1994The Hudsucker ProxyMailroom Screamer
SpeedTrain Driver
Major League IICommercial Director
1995Tank GirlTrooper In Trench
Rough MagicMarvin Wiggins
Se7enMark Swarr
1996City HallLarry Schwartz
The ArrivalCalvin
The Trigger EffectGun Shop Clerk
MichaelItalian Waiter
1997TouchJerry
VolcanoHaskins
The Lost World: Jurassic ParkEddie Carr
1998Dr. DolittleGene Reiss
Living Out LoudPhil 'Philly' Francato
Deep ImpactDon Beiderman
1999Forces of NatureJoe
Crazy in AlabamaNorman
2000Gun ShyElliot
Whatever It TakesP.E. Teacher
2001I Am SamMr. Turner
What's the Worst That Could Happen?Walter Greenbaum
2002People I KnowElliot Sharansky
2004RayJerry Wexler
2004With ItVirgil LaRoccaShort film
2006Civic DutyTom Hilary
2007WaitingJohnShort film
Martian ChildMr. Lefkowitz
2008Last Chance HarveyMarvin
2009Imagine ThatCarl Simons
Solitary ManSteve Heller
Another Harvest MoonJeffery
2010The InfidelLenny Goldberg
Made in DagenhamRobert Tooley
2011Johnny English RebornTitus Fisher
2012Knife FightDimitris Vargas
2013Decoding Annie ParkerMr. Allen
The Frozen GroundRoy Hazelwood
Man of SteelEmil Hamilton
2014Kill the MessengerRichard Zuckerman / Walter Pincus
The GamblerJeweler
Before I DisappearBruce Warham
2015The Automatic HateRonald Green
EntourageHimself
Take Me to the RiverDon
2016American FableJonathan
2017Alien CodeMiles DriskollAKA The Men
Shock and AweThe Usual
GeostormSenator Thomas Cross
2019ClemencyMarty Lumetta
After ClassJeff Cohen
2022Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverU.S. Secretary of State

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988CheersTouristEpisode: "One Happy Chappy in a Snappy Serape"
1990Tales from the CryptLester MiddletonEpisode: "Korman's Kalamity"
1992Picket FencesJoey FeroEpisode: "Pilot"
L.A. LawDog Pound OperatorEpisode: "Helter Shelter"
1993South of SunsetBobby BruckEpisode: "Dream Girl"
Doogie Howser, M. D.Billy TishlerEpisode: "What Makes Doogie Run"
1994The John Larroquette ShowWilsonEpisode: "Don't Drink and Drive Nuclear Waste"
Murphy BrownMel WoodworthyEpisode: "Anything but Cured"
Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las VegasDeputy DanoTelevision film
Thunder AlleyPat PerkinsEpisode: "Blood Suckers"
Love & WarLester MichaelsEpisode: "The Bum"
1995Maybe This TimePearlmanEpisode: "Snitch Doggy-Dogg"
NYPD BlueVartan IlliescuEpisode: "Bombs Away"
Murder OneProfessor Stanley FletcherEpisode: "Chapter Nine"
1996ERMr. BartoliEpisode: "The Match Game"
Chicago HopeMark SarisonEpisode: "Quiet Riot"
Special Report: Journey to MarsEric AltmanTelevision film
1996–1997RelativityBarry Roth17 episodes
1997NYPD BlueSteve CameronEpisode: "Is Paris Burning?"
1998The PracticeBob ShowEpisode: "Trees in the Forest"
Brooklyn SouthChris McIntrickEpisode: "Cinnamon Buns"
Ally McBealBernie GilsonEpisode: "These Are the Days"
The Pentagon WarsLieutenant Colonel / Brigadier General Robert Laurel SmithTelevision film
The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeMr. GreenTelevision film
1999–2006The West WingToby Ziegler141 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
1999BeckerBarryEpisode: "Truth and Consequences"
RoswellAgent Stevens3 episodes
2005EntourageHimselfEpisode: "The Abyss"
2007Burn NoticePhillip Cowan2 episodes
2008Eli StoneDavid GreenEpisode: "Soul Free"
MonkDr. Lawrence ClimanEpisode: "Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized"
Terminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesCharles FischerEpisode: "Complications"
2009In Plain SightSamuel GarfinkelEpisode: "Aguna Matatala"
2010Past LifeDr. Malachi Talmadge9 episodes
SvetlanaDr. LawrenceEpisode: "Eco-Shlong"
Any Human HeartDr. Byrne2 episodes
2011The CapePatrick Portman3 episodes
White CollarAndrew StanzlerEpisode: "Power Play"
Criminal Minds: Suspect BehaviorJack Fickler4 episodes
Up All NightDr. Dean ChafinEpisode: "Parents"
2012–2016House of LiesHarrison 'Skip' Galweather9 episodes
2012Once Upon a TimeKing Leopold2 episodes
Fire with FireHarold GetherTelevision Movie
The Mindy ProjectDoctorEpisode: "Pilot"
2012NCISHarper Dearing3 episodes
2013BonesProfessor Leon WattersEpisode: "The Spark in the Park"
2014Murder in the FirstDavid Hertzberg10 episodes
Key and PeeleAmbassadorEpisode: "Sex Addict Wendell"
2014–2015ManhattanOccam9 episodes
2015Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of CampDean FairchildEpisode: "Auditions"
2015–2017RogueMarty Stein22 episodes
2015–2019BallersBrett Anderson26 episodes
The AffairJon Gottlief12 episodes
2016The GrinderGordon Stutz2 episodes
MomRobertEpisode: "Pure Evil and a Free Piece of Cheesecake"
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective AgencyDetective Zimmerfield5 episodes
2017When We RiseJudge Vaughn Walker2 episodes
Chicago JusticeFrank LindenEpisode: "Tycoon"
Jean-Claude Van JohnsonAlan Morris2 episodes
2017–presentThe Good DoctorDr. Aaron Glassman
2018Castle RockWarden Porter's Superior (voice)Episode: "Harvest"
2018–2019CounterpartRoland Fancher7 episodes
2020Psych 2: Lassie Come HomeDr. HirschTelevision film
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All VoteToby ZieglerTelevision special
2022Super PumpedRandall PearsonEpisodes: "Grow or Die" and "War"

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2022God of War RagnarökOdinFacial, motion capture & voice acting
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