| Jeff Garlin | |
|---|---|
Garlin at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon, on March 19, 2010. |
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| Birth name | Jeffrey Garlin |
| Born | June 5, 1962 Chicago, IL, U.S. |
| Medium | Film, television, stand-up |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1983-present |
Jeffrey "Jeff" Garlin (born June 5, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, voice artist, director, writer and author, best known for his role as Jeff Greene on the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. He is also a producer on the show.
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Garlin was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 5, 1962 and grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois where his father had a plumbing supply business and his mother was active in community theater. Garlin is Jewish[1] and attended Hebrew school.[2][3] He graduated from Fort Lauderdale's Nova High School in 1980. He attended Broward Community College followed by a stint at the University of Miami, but eventually dropped out. He began performing stand-up comedy there.[4]
Garlin has a variety of television and film appearances to his credit, as an actor and a stand-up, including Dr. Katz, Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond, Late Show with David Letterman, Tom Goes to the Mayor, The Life and Times of Tim, The Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Entourage. Garlin appeared with Eddie Murphy in Daddy Day Care and appeared in Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal, starring Julia Roberts and David Duchovny.
Garlin went on to appear in a small cameo role in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999. Other cameo appearances include Run Ronnie Run, After the Sunset, Fat Albert, and Sleepover.
His feature directorial debut, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (which he also wrote), premiered to favorable reviews at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. It opened in September 2007. The film co-stars Sarah Silverman and Bonnie Hunt, with supporting appearances by Paul Mazursky, Dan Castellaneta, and Amy Sedaris.
In 2005, Garlin played a small role in Fun with Dick and Jane as a man who falls victim to Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni's crime spree.
In 2006, Garlin also directed This Filthy World, a one-man show performed by director John Waters. Garlin also was a voice actor in WALL-E, an animated film by Pixar that was released June 27, 2008, as the Captain of the Axiom spaceship. According to an interview, Garlin developed a harmful nodule in his throat due to the long process of recording his voice for this role.[5]
He has become a recurring character on Wizards of Waverly Place as Uncle Kelbo appearing in an episode in season 1 and in an episode in season 2. He also stars in season 3, with Shakira in the episode, "Dude Looks Like Shakira".
In 2008, Garlin appeared in The Rocker as Stan. During 2008, he also played Ed Lawson in the Happy Madison film, Strange Wilderness. He lent his voice to Disney/Pixar's film Toy Story 3, as Buttercup.[6] Garlin also appeared as Sid, alongside Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, in the 2010 comedy-action film The Bounty Hunter.
When asked about whether or not he would return as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Garlin states:
"No, I would not. I would go back on there if Conan called me and told me that he hated me and never wanted to see me again."[7]
On television, Garlin is a co-star and executive producer in the critically acclaimed HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show stars Larry David, the co-creator of Seinfeld. Garlin co-stars in the show as Larry David's manager.
Regarding the show and his role, Garlin states:
Originally, I approached Larry David with the idea for the show, and my intent was to direct it and not even be in it. He's the one that insisted that I play his manager and be an executive producer. It totally has changed my life, and I'm indebted to him forever, and every time I work on that show, not only am I lucky, I laugh my ass off and I have a great time. And it's probably the most fun I'll ever have as an actor, ever.[8]
Garlin spent three seasons on NBC's Mad About You in the role of Marvin. In addition to his acting career, Garlin has also directed both Jon Stewart (Unleavened) and Denis Leary (Lock-n-Load) in their respective HBO specials, as well as an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.[9] Garlin has also had his own HBO half-hour comedy special.
On February 23, 2010, Garlin released a book, My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World, a memoir which documents his journey to lessen both his physical and carbon footprint.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Spring Break | Gut Gut | Uncredited |
| 1992 | Straight Talk | Bob | |
| Hero | News Vendor | ||
| 1993 | RoboCop 3 | Donut Jerk | |
| 1994 | Little Big League | Opposing Little League Manager | |
| 1995 | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Agent Reese | |
| 1997 | The Love Bug | Highway Patrolman | |
| 1998 | Senseless | Arlo Vickers | |
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Cyclops | |
| Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm | Jeff Greene | ||
| 2000 | Bounce | Emcee | |
| 2002 | Run Ronnie Run | Birthday Woman's Friend | |
| Naked Movie | Writer #1 | ||
| The Third Wheel | Office Worker | Uncredited | |
| Full Frontal | Harvey | ||
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Phil | |
| 2004 | Sleepover | Mr. Corky | |
| Outing Riley | Partner in Architects' Firm | Uncredited | |
| After the Sunset | Ron | ||
| Fat Albert | Jer | Uncredited | |
| 2005 | Fun with Dick and Jane | Boss | |
| 2006 | The Jeff Garlin Program | Jeff | |
| I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | James Aaron | ||
| The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators! | Villain | ||
| 2007 | Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot | Lenny | |
| 2008 | Strange Wilderness | Ed Lawson | |
| The Rocker | Stan | ||
| WALL-E | Captain | Voice only | |
| 2010 | The Bounty Hunter | Sid | |
| Toy Story 3 | Buttercup | Voice only | |
| 2011 | Hawaiian Vacation | Buttercup | Voice only |
| Cars 2 | Otis[10] | Voice Only | |
| Sin Bin | Dean Theatard | ||
| 2012 | ParaNorman | Perry Babcock | Voice only |