Irwin, Bill 1950–

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Irwin, Bill 1950–

(William Irwin)

PERSONAL

Full name, William Mills Irwin; born April 11, 1950, in Santa Monica, CA; son of Horace G. (an aerospace engineer) and Elizabeth (a teacher; maiden name, Mills) Irwin; married Kimi Okada (a dancer and choreographer), April 19, 1977 (divorced); married Martha Roth (an actress, masseuse, and midwife); children: (second marriage) Santos Patrick Morales. Education: Oberlin College, B.A., 1974; attended the University of California, Los Angeles, 1968-70, the California Institute of the Arts, 1970-71, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College, 1974; trained for the stage.

Addresses:

Agent—International Creative Management, 40 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019; Innovative Artists, 235 Park Ave. South, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10003.

Career:

Actor, dancer, clown, writer, choreographer, and director. Kraken Theatre Ensemble, original member of company, 1971-75; Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, teaching assistant in theatre, 1974-75, then guest artist with Oberlin Dance Company; teacher and performer at public schools in San Francisco, CA, 1975-78; Pickle Family Circus, San Francisco, CA, founding member and performed as Willy the Clown, 1975-79; appeared in a postmodern mime show, New York City, 1979; Dance Theatre Workshop, New York City, performed with Oberlin Dance Collective, 1979, and teacher of professional workshops in physical comedy, beginning 1982; Roundabout Theatre Company, associate artist; street performer as mime and (as Carno the Magnificent Salamander) fire eater in San Francisco, CA. New York Festival of the Arts, New York City, member of arts advisory committee, 1988; Signature Theatre Company, New York City, playwright in residence, 2003-04; National Theatre of the Deaf, member of advisory board; New York Clown Theatre Festival, leader of celebrity clown panel. Appeared in advertisements. Some sources cite work with the Cirque de Soleil.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Awards, Honors:

Obie Award, special citation for inspired clowning, Village Voice, 1981; choreography fellow, National Endowment for the Arts, 1981 and 1983; Guggenheim fellow, 1984; MacArthur Foundation fellow, 1984-88; DramaLogue Award, performance, c. 1987, for Three Cuckolds; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actor in a play, 1989, for Waiting for Godot; Drama Desk Award, unique theatrical experience, New York Dance and Performance Award, New York Drama Critics Circle special citation, and Antoinette Perry Award nominations, best actor in a play, best director of a play, best choreography, and best play, all 1989, and Outer Critics Circle Award, special award, 1990, all for Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer); Obie Award, performance, 1993, for Texts for Nothing; Outer Critics Circle Award (with others), special achievement award, 1993, Antoinette Perry Award, live theatrical presentation, 1999, and Drama Desk Award, unique theatrical experience, 1999, all for Fool Moon; inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame, 1999; work featured in a special season of the Signature Theatre Company, 2003-04; Barrymore Award, outstanding leading actor in a play, Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, 2005, for Trumbo; Antoinette Perry Award, best performance by a leading actor in a play, 2005, Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a play, 2005, and Evening Standard Award nomination, best actor, 2006, all for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; National Theatre Artists Residency Program grant, Theatre Communications Group; honorary M.F.A., American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, CA.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

The Donner Party, It's Crossing, Kraken Theatre Ensemble, Oberlin, OH, 1971.

The Seeds of Atreus, Kraken Theatre Ensemble, 1971.

Circa, Oberlin Dance Collective, 1977.

Murdoch and the Regard of Flight, Oberlin Dance Collective, San Francisco, CA, 1977.

Not Quite/New York, New York City, 1980.

The Regard of Flight and the Clown Bagatelles, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1982.

5-6-7-8 … Dance!, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1983.

The Regard of Flight, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1983, later Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1985.

Sergeant, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1984.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (dance production), New York City, 1984.

Galy Gay, A Man's a Man, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA, 1985.

Medvedenko, The Sea Gull, La Jolla Playhouse, 1985.

The Courtroom, Theatre at St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1985.

Arlecchino, Three Cuckolds, La Jolla Playhouse, 1986.

The Clown Bagatelles, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1987.

The Regard of Flight, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 1987.

Lucky, Waiting for Godot, Lincoln Center, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City, 1988.

The postmodern hoofer, Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer) (also known as Largely New York), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1988, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Texts by Beckett (solo show), Public Theater, New York City, 1992.

Texts for Nothing, Public Theater, 1992.

Fool Moon, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1993-95, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1996, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1998.

Trinculo, The Tempest, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater, Delacorte Theater, New York City, 1995.

Nixon's Nixon, MCC Theatre, New York City, 1995.

Scapin, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, beginning 1995, Roundabout Theatre Company, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 1996-97.

Hip-Hop Wonderland, New York City, 1996.

George Pepper, "Red Peppers," Simon Gayforth, "Shadow Play," and Johnny Bolton, "Star Chamber," Tonight at 8 It's Tonight at 8:30, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 2000.

Host, The Elegance of Tap and the Comedy of Tap, Theatre at Town Hall, New York City, 2000.

Texts by Beckett (solo show), Classic Stage Company, New York City, 2000.

Martin, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, Golden Theatre, New York City, 2002.

Nick, The Guys, Flea Theater, New York City, 2002.

G. L. Fox and Humpty Clown, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, New York City, 2003, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, Waterford, CT, 2003, versions produced in a workshop in Seattle, WA, 1992, and in readings.

Harlequin, The Harlequin Studies, Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, 2003.

The Regard Evening (update of The Regard of Flight), Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, 2003.

Dalton Trumbo (title role), Trumbo, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Plays and Players Theater, Philadelphia, PA, 2005.

Frosch, Die Fledermaus (operetta), Metropolitan Opera, New York City, 2005-2006.

George, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (also known as Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA, 2005, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 2005, Apollo Theatre, London, 2006.

Appeared in other productions, including Strike Up the Band, Philadelphia, PA. Appeared in benefits and galas.

Major Tours:

Scapin, U.S. cities, c. 1997-98.

Fool Moon, U.S. and European cities, beginning c. 1998.

George, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (also known as Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), U.S. cities, 2007.

Stage Director:

The Regard of Flight and the Clown Bagatelles, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1982.

The Regard of Flight, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1983, later Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1985.

The Courtroom, Theatre at St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1985.

(With Michael Greif) Three Cuckolds, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA, 1986.

The Regard of Flight, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1987.

Fool Moon, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1993-95, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1996, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1998, U.S. and European cities, beginning c. 1998.

Scapin, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, beginning 1995, Roundabout Theatre Company, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 1996-97.

A Flea in Her Ear, Roundabout Theatre, New York City, 1998.

Texts by Beckett (solo show), Classic Stage Company, New York City, 2000.

Stage Producer:

Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer) (also known as Largely New York), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1988, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Stage Choreographer:

Circa, Oberlin Dance Collective, 1977.

Murdoch and the Regard of Flight, Oberlin Dance Collective, San Francisco, CA, 1977.

The Courtroom, Theatre at St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1985.

Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer) (also known as Largely New York), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1988, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Stage Work; Other:

Circus and clown consultant, Times and Appetites of Toulouse-Lautrec, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1985.

(With Skip Sweeney) Video designer, Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer) (also known as Largely New York), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1988, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Television Appearances; Series:

Mr. Noodle, Sesame Street (also known as Canadian Sesame Street, The New Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, and Les amis de Sesame), PBS, 1998—.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Himself, "Katherine Anne Porter: The Eye of Memory," American Masters, PBS, 1986.

(In archive footage from "As Seen on TV" from Alive from Off Center), Signal to Noise: Life with Television, PBS, 1986.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Harry Woods, The Laramie Project, HBO, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Performer, "The Regard of Flight" (also known as "The Clown Bagatelles"), Great Performances, PBS, 1983.

New Vaudevillians III, Disney Channel, 1988.

Pierrot, clown, and Miranda's father, The Circus, HBO, 1989.

The maestro, "The Last Mile," Great Performances' 20th Anniversary Special, PBS, 1992.

Himself, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years (also known as Bob Hope: A 90th Birthday Celebration), NBC, 1993.

Master of ceremonies and performer, "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall," Great Performances, PBS, 1993.

Host, Silent Sunday Nights, TCM, 1995.

"Subway Car from Hell," Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (also known as Subway and SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground), HBO, 1997.

Broadway '99: Launching the Tony Awards, PBS, 1999.

Himself, "Bill Irwin: Clown Prince," Great Performances, PBS, 2004.

(Uncredited) Mr. Noodle, Sesame Street Presents: The Street We Live On, PBS, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 41st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1987.

The 42nd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1988.

The 59th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2005.

Presenter, The 60th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2006.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Himself, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1980, 1982.

Himself, "As Seen on TV," Alive from Off Center, PBS, 1987.

Eddie Bartholomew, "The Show Must Go On," The Cosby Show, NBC, 1987.

Enrico Ballati (the flying man), "Get Real," Northern Exposure, CBS, 1991.

Enrico Ballati (the flying man), "On Our Own," Northern Exposure, CBS, 1992.

Broker, "35 Hours," The Adventures of Pete & Pete (also known as Pete and Pete), Nickelodeon, 1993.

Gene Kelly, "The Loft," Tribeca, Fox, 1993.

Himself, "Vaudeville," American Masters, PBS, 1997.

Pickles, "Pickles and Ice Cream," 3rd Rock from the Sun (also known as Life as We Know It and 3rd Rock), NBC, 1997.

Himself, "Bill Irwin: Texts for Nothing," EGG: The Arts Show (also known as Egg: The Arts Show), PBS, c. 2000.

Nate Royce, "Masquerade," Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI), NBC, 2006.

Appeared as the postmodern hoofer in Sesame Street (also known as Canadian Sesame Street, The New Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, and Les amis de Sesame), PBS; as Gus, Boys Will Be Boys (also known as Second Chance), Fox; as Charley, Dave's World, CBS; as Senator Platt, Silver Spoons, NBC; and as Santa Claus, Who's the Boss?, ABC. Appeared in other programs, including The Moth, Trio; The Paul Daniels Magic Show, BBC; and The Tonight Show, NBC.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Bette Midler's "Mondo Beyondo" (also known as Mondo Beyondo), HBO, 1988.

Film Appearances:

Ham Gravy, Popeye, Paramount, 1980.

Edward "College Boy" Collins, Eight Men Out, Orion, 1988.

Eric, A New Life, Paramount, 1988.

(As William Irwin) Kirby, My Blue Heaven, Warner Bros., 1990.

Buzz Harley, Hot Shots! (also known as Hot Shots: An Important Movie!, Ases pelos ares, Des pilotes en l'air, Hot Shots! Die Mutter aller Filme, Hot shots!—Hoejdarna, Hot shots!—kaikkien elokuvien aeiti, Hot shots: la madre de todos los desmadres, Napihnjenci, and Top gang, ases muito loucos), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1991.

Geoffrey, Stepping Out (also known as Un amour de prof), Paramount, 1991.

Mime, Scenes from a Mall, Buena Vista, 1991.

Comic, Silent Tongue (also known as Le gardien des esprits), Trimark Pictures, 1993.

Floyd, Manhattan by Numbers, Pardis/Rising Star Productions, 1993.

(Uncredited) Unnamed first brother, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Buena Vista, 1993.

Man in the gray hat, Water Ride (short film), 1994.

Marco, Illuminata (also known as Haeivaehdys paratiisista and Kun espirippu sulkeutuu), Artisan Entertainment, 1998.

Ray Charles, Just the Ticket (also known as Gary & Linda and Scalpers), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1999.

Tom Snout, A Midsummer Night's Dream (also known as William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Sogno di una notte di mezza estate), Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1999.

Jules, Stanley's Gig, Lampedusa Films/Left Hook Productions, 2000.

Lou Lou Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas, " The Grinch, and Der Grinch), Universal, 2000.

Lieutenant Ernest Smith, Igby Goes Down, United Artists, 2002.

Himself, Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (documentary), 2003.

Emile, The Truth about Miranda, Wheelbarrow Films, 2004.

Scoutmaster, The Manchurian Candidate, Paramount, 2004.

Mr. Leeds, Lady in the Water, Warner Bros., 2006.

Herb, Dark Matter, Myriad Pictures, 2007.

Raving (short film), Plum Pictures, 2007.

Some sources cite an appearance in Ride with the Devil.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Himself, Reflections of Lady in the Water (short), Warner Home Video, 2006.

Music Videos:

Bobby McFerrin, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," 1988.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Let Me into Your Heart," 1996.

Audiobooks:

F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Caedmon/HarperAudio, 2001.

Franklin W. Dixon, The Hardy Boys #1: The Tower Treasure, Imagination Studio, 2002.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #2: The House on the Cliff, Imagination Studio, 2002.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #3: The Secret of the Old Mill, Imagination Studio, 2002.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #4: The Missing Chums, Imagination Studio, 2002.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #5: Hunting for Hidden Gold, Imagination Studio, 2003.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #6: The Shore Road Mystery, Imagination Studio, 2003.

Dixon, The Hardy Boys #7: The Secret of the Caves, Listening Library, 2003.

Christopher Moore, Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, HarperAudio, 2003.

WRITINGS

Writings for the Stage:

Circa, Oberlin Dance Collective, 1977.

(With Doug Skinner) Murdoch and the Regard of Flight, Oberlin Dance Collective, San Francisco, CA, 1977.

Not Quite/New York, New York City, 1980.

The Regard of Flight and the Clown Bagatelles, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1982.

The Regard of Flight, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1983, later Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1985.

The Courtroom, Theatre at St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1985.

(Adaptor with Leon Katz and Michael Greif) Three Cuckolds, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA, 1986.

The Clown Bagatelles, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1987.

The Regard of Flight, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 1987.

Largely/New York (The Further Adventures of a Post-Modern Hoofer) (also known as Largely New York), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1988, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1989.

(With David Shiner) Fool Moon, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1993-95, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1996, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1998, U.S. and European cities, beginning c. 1998.

(Adaptor with Mark O'Donnell) Scapin, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, beginning 1995, Roundabout Theatre Company, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 1996-97, U.S. cities, c. 1997-98.

Mr. Fox: A Rumination, Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, New York City, 2003, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, Waterford, CT, 2003, versions produced in a workshop in Seattle, WA, 1992, and in readings.

The Harlequin Studies, Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, New York City, 2003.

The Regard Evening (update of The Regard of Flight), Signature Theatre Company, Peter Norton Space, 2003.