Wallace Shawn

Early life and education

Shawn was born on November 12, 1943, in New York City, to a Jewish family. His parents were journalist Cecille (née Lyon) and William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker. He has younger twin siblings: composer Allen Shawn, and Mary, who is autistic and lives in an institution. His father's family had emigrated from Central Europe; his paternal grandfather, Benjamin W. Chon, was a Chicago-based cutlery merchant who married Anna Bransky.

Shawn grew up on Manhattan's Upper East Side. He attended The Collegiate School on Manhattan's West Side before transferring to The Putney School, a private liberal arts high school in Putney, Vermont. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from Harvard College. He studied philosophy, politics and economics, as well as Latin, at Magdalen College, Oxford, originally intending to become a diplomat. He traveled to India as an English teacher on a Fulbright program.

Career

Playwright

Shawn's early plays, such as Marie and Bruce (1978), portrayed emotional and sexual conflicts in an absurdist style, with language both lyrical and violent. In a conversation with Andre Gregory, parts of which were used to create My Dinner with Andre, Shawn said these plays depicted "my interior life as a raging beast." Critical response was extremely polarized: some critics hailed Shawn as a major writer, while John Simon called Marie and Bruce "garbage" and Shawn "one of the unsightliest actors in this city." His 1977 play A Thought in Three Parts caused controversy in London when the production was investigated by a vice squad and attacked in Parliament after allegations of pornographic content. Shawn received an Obie Award for playwrighting in 1975, for Our Late Night.

Shawn's later plays are more overtly political, drawing parallels between his characters' psychology and the behavior of governments and social classes. Among the best-known of these are Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985) and The Designated Mourner (1997). Shawn's political work has invited controversy, as he often presents the audience with several contradictory points of view. He has called Aunt Dan and Lemon a cautionary tale against fascism. Shawn's monologue The Fever, originally meant to be performed for small audiences in apartments, depicts a person who becomes sick while struggling to find a morally consistent way to live when faced with injustice, and harshly criticizes the United States' record in supporting oppressive anti-communist regimes. In 1997, Shawn discussed the political nature of Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Fever and The Designated Mourner in an interview in which he talked extensively about the thematic connections among them, as well as his own views on Marxist, communist and socialist politics, their relevance to American liberalism, and how governmental and individual responsibilities for finding solutions to the dichotomy between rich and poor in the world take hold in his characters. Aunt Dan and Lemon earned Shawn his second Obie Award for playwrighting in 1986, and The Fever won an Obie for Best American Play in 1991. Three of Shawn's plays have been adapted into films: The Designated Mourner (basically a film version of David Hare's stage production), Marie and Bruce and The Fever. Vanessa Redgrave stars in The Fever (2004), which first aired on HBO on June 13, 2007.

Shawn has also written political commentary for The Nation, and in 2004 he published the one-issue-only progressive political magazine Final Edition, which featured interviews with and articles by Jonathan Schell, Noam Chomsky, Mark Strand and Deborah Eisenberg. Shawn is credited as translator of Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera, which opened at Studio 54 in Manhattan on March 25, 2006. He appeared briefly in voiceover during "Song about the Futility of Human Endeavor". He published his first nonfiction work, Essays, on September 1, 2009. It is a collection of essays that express his perceptions of politics and other aspects of his life.

Acting

Shawn's involvement with theater began in 1970 when he met Andre Gregory, who has since directed several of his plays. As a stage actor, he has appeared mostly in his own plays and other projects with Gregory. He made his film debut in 1979, playing Diane Keaton's ex-husband in Woody Allen's Manhattan and an insurance agent in Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. His best-known film roles include Earl in Strange Invaders (1983) and Mr. Hall in Clueless (1995). After seeing his performance in My Dinner with Andre (1981), casting director Janet Hirshenson was so fond of his delivery of the word "inconceivable" that she cast him as Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), for whom the word is a catchphrase. Other roles include Baron Von Westphalen in Southland Tales, Cyrus Rose on Gossip Girl, Marty in Vegas Vacation (1997), and Ezra in The Haunted Mansion (2003).

His rare non-comedic film roles include two collaborations with Andre Gregory and Louis Malle: the semi-autobiographical dialogue My Dinner with Andre, and a combined production-and-backstage-drama of Uncle Vanya titled Vanya on 42nd Street. Shawn quite often appears on television, where he has appeared in many genres and series. He has had recurring roles as the Grand Nagus Zek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stuart Best on Murphy Brown, Jeff Engels on The Cosby Show, Dr. Howard Stiles on Crossing Jordan, Arnie Ross on Taxi, Charles Lester on both The Good Wife and The Good Fight, a reprisal of his role as Mr. Hall on Clueless (based on the film), and Father Frank Ignatius on Evil. He appeared in the 1985 music video for Chaka Khan's "This Is My Night". On February 4, 2010, Shawn appeared as Alan Rubin on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. A Master Builder opened in New York City in June 2014. In 2018, he joined the cast of Young Sheldon in the recurring role of Meemaw's boyfriend and Sheldon's physics professor, Dr. John Sturgis.

Shawn stars in Woody Allen's 2020 film Rifkin's Festival, set in San Sebastian, Spain.

Shawn was honored in 2005 with the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a Master American Dramatist.

Voice acting

Shawn is a voice actor for animated films and television series, including the Toy Story franchise, Monsters, Inc. (during the outtakes in the closing credits), Kingdom Hearts III, The Incredibles, A Goofy Movie, Family Guy, Happily N'Ever After, Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers, Regular Show, BoJack Horseman and Animal Crackers.

Shawn said that Toy Story director John Lasseter might have seen both My Dinner with Andre and The Princess Bride and seen him as "excitable" like Shawn's character, Rex.

In The Fox and the Hound, Shawn was originally to voice Boomer, but dropped out and was replaced by Paul Winchell. In Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, he replaced Jon Lovitz as the voice of Calico. He also provided the voice of Mr. Mustela in The Addams Family 2.

Political activity

Shawn has written many plays with socialist themes; much of his work examines the "connective tissue between private psychology and the politics of inequality". He identifies as a socialist in the essay "Why I Call Myself a Socialist: Is the World Really a Stage?", which was published online and later in his Essays.

In June 2013, Shawn and many other public figures appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army soldier imprisoned for leaking classified material.

Shawn voiced his support for the Palestinian people during the 2014 Gaza War. He has been on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace.

On October 16, 2023, Shawn spoke at a Washington, D.C., rally organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. The rally called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and for President Joe Biden to support a ceasefire. Also that month, Shawn was among the artists to sign the Artists4Ceasefire campaign's open letter urging Biden to push for a ceasefire.

In April 2024, Shawn narrated a political ad by a group of organizations opposing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's influence in Democratic Party primaries.

In a January 2025 interview, Shawn compared Israel to Nazi Germany, saying the Israelis were "doing evil that is just as great as what the Nazis did. And in some ways, it's worse, because they kind of boast about it. Hitler had the decency to try to keep it secret... the Israelis are almost proud of it, and it's demonically evil."

Personal life

Shawn's longtime companion is writer Deborah Eisenberg. Shawn is a Jewish atheist. , he lived in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

As Playwright

As Actor

Awards and nominations

Written works

References

References

1. Steindler, Catherine. (Spring 2013). "Interviews, Deborah Eisenberg, The Art of Fiction No. 218".
2. Ciampaglia, Dante A.. (August 1, 2014). "Film Review: A Master Builder". [[Architectural Record]].
3. (September 3, 2009). "Bag of Tricks".
4. (7 April 2009). "Interview: Wallace Shawn. He makes Woody look pretty, but he's a pop culture icon". The Jewish Chronicle.
5. (2016). "Celebrities: Wallace Shawn".
6. "Councils, Staff and Board of Jewish Voice for Peace". Jewish Voice for Peace.
7. "Allen Shawn – Klavierwerke".
8. Kakutani, Michiko. (January 30, 2007). "Allen Shawn – Wish I Could Be There: Notes From a Phobic Life – Books – Review". The New York Times.
9. Eric Pace. (9 December 1992). "William Shawn, 85, Is Dead: New Yorker's Gentle Despot".
10. (February 22, 2011). "Profile of actor and playwright Wallace Shawn | Harvard Magazine".
11. (23 December 2021). "Fulbright Program Celebrates 75 Years of Impact". States News Service.
12. Brantley, Ben. (April 5, 2011). "There's Room for Everyone Aboard a Marital Misery Tour". [[The New York Times]].
13. (2011). "Aunt Dan and Lemon".
14. 1975 Obie Awards https://www.obieawards.com/events/1970s/year-75/
15. McGrath, Patrick. (Spring 1997). "Wallace Shawn by Patrick McGrath".
16. Obie Awards [http://www.obieawards.com/events/1980s/year-86/ "1986 Winners"]
17. Obie Awards, [http://www.obieawards.com/events/1990s/year-91/ "1991 Winners"]
18. Richmond, Ray. (June 12, 2007). "Redgrave laid low by HBO's heavy "Fever"".
19. Kahn, Robert. (2007-07-08). "Fast Chat: Vanessa Redgrave". Newsday.
20. Jameson, A.D. (2010). "Wallace Shawn. Essays.". The Review of Contemporary Fiction.
21. Morris, Wesley. (2007-11-16). "Out on the edge, scavenging among 'Southland Tales". Boston Globe.
22. Itzkoff, Dave. (2008-11-17). "Wallace Shawn on 'Gossip Girl'? It's Not Inconceivable: The Arts/Cultural Desk". New York Times.
23. Chaney, Jen. (2003-11-28). "'The Haunted Mansion' A Familiar Fun House". Washington Post.
24. Nickolai, Nate. (June 4, 2019). "Woody Allen to Begin Filming New Movie This Summer". Variety.
25. (2005-05-10). "Quick Takes: Wallace Shawn honored by PEN". Los Angeles Times: Home Edition.
26. Segal, Steve. (December 4, 2019). "''Wallace Shawn talks acting, 'Princess Bride' and 'Toy Story' ahead of Steel City Con''". [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]].
27. (June 19, 2015). "We Bet You Didn't Know These Actors Voice Characters in Both Disney and Disney Pixar Movies". Oh My Disney.
28. Hughley, Marty. "DramaWatch: Wallace Shawn in a 'Fever' • Oregon ArtsWatch".
29. Shawn, Wallace. (February 3, 2011). "Why I Call Myself a Socialist: Is the World Really a Stage?".
30. Gavin, Patrick. (June 20, 2013). "Celeb video: 'I am Bradley Manning'".
31. Shawn, Wallace. (August 25, 2014). "Wallace Shawn on Gaza: "The Anger of the Palestinians Cannot Be Ended by Killing Their Children"". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
32. . (). ["Advisory Board"](https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/content/advisory-board). *Jewish Voice for Peace*.
33. White, Abbey. (October 17, 2023). "Wallace Shawn Calls for End of "Massacring" in Israel-Gaza Conflict at D.C. Rally: "I Don't Really Believe in Revenge"".
34. Veltman, Chloe. (October 21, 2023). "Entertainment industry A-listers sign a letter to Biden urging a cease-fire in Gaza". [[NPR]].
35. Ramirez, Nikki McCann. (2024-04-11). "Wallace Shawn Narrates Ad for Coalition Opposing America's Biggest Israel Lobby".
36. Cebi, Gizem. (5 February 2025). "'Demonically evil': US actor Wallace Shawn compares Israel's actions in Gaza to Nazi Germany". Anadolu Agency.
37. Phillips, Zoe G.. (4 February 2025). "'Princess Bride' Actor Wallace Shawn Compares Israeli Treatment of Gaza to Nazi Germany". The Hollywood Reporter.
38. Edelson, Daniel. (February 4, 2025). "Jewish actor Wallace Shawn attacks Israelis for 'doing evil that is just as great as what the Nazis did'".
39. Steindler, Catherine. (Spring 2013). "Interviews, Deborah Eisenberg, The Art of Fiction No. 218".
40. Als, Hilton. (Summer 2012). "Wallace Shawn, The Art of Theater No. 17". The Paris Review Foundation.
41. "Wallace Shawn (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
42. N'Duka, Amanda. (2017-08-15). "Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss & More Board Bill Holderman's ''Book Club''".
43. Schaffstall, Katherine. (2018-11-12). "''Toy Story 4'' Teaser Trailer Introduces New Toy Forky".
44. Zachary, Brandon. (2020-09-21). "REVIEW: ''Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made'' Is the Perfect Blend of Clever & Childish".
45. Galuppo, Mia. (2019-06-04). "Woody Allen Sets New Feature With Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon".
46. Dick, Jeremy. (July 2, 2021). "The Addams Family 2 Character Posters Take the Kooky Family on One Ooky Summer Vacation".
47. (2016). "[[King's Quest (2015 video game)". [[Sierra Entertainment]].
48. "Square Enix Press Center – Star-studded Voice Cast Unveiled for Disney and Square Enid's Kingdom Hearts III".
49. (1978-04-02). "Guggenheim Foundation Announces 1978 Awards". The New York Times.