William Emerson "Will" Arnett (born May 4th, 1970) is a Canadian actor best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the FOX comedy Arrested Development. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major film roles. He recently played supporting roles in the comedy films Semi-Pro, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod. He starred in 2006's Let's Go to Prison and 2007's The Brothers Solomon. Arnett has also appeared in episodes of 30 Rock and has done work as a voiceover artist for commercials, films, television programs, and video games.
Will Arnett | |
|---|---|
 Arnett at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival | |
| Born | William Emerson Arnett |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Spouse(s) | Penelope Ann Miller (1994–1995) Amy Poehler (2003–present) |
Early life
Arnett was born in Toronto,[1] the son of Alexandra and E. James Arnett, a corporate lawyer, and brewer among many other occupations.[2][3] In Toronto, he attended French-speaking schools.[4] He still speaks French, but has stated that he is not currently fluent in the language.[5] He graduated from Leaside High School and briefly attended Lakefield College School in Lakefield, Ontario.[6] He attended Concordia University in Montreal for a semester, but dropped out. When he was a teenager, Arnett's mother encouraged him to pursue an acting career and he began to audition for commercials in Toronto. He decided that he really enjoyed acting and that it was something that he wanted to do with his life. At age 20, in 1990, Arnett moved from Toronto to New York in order to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[7] He began appearing in plays in New York and his first acting role was in the Felicity Huffman independent film Erie, which was filmed on the Erie Canal.[8]
Career
Early struggles
In February 1996, Will Arnett began acting in television pilots. His first was a pilot with Kevin Pollak and his wife, Lucy Webb, for CBS, that was not picked up.[8] The pilot was The Underworld which revolved around "The head of an organized crime family [who] hounds an ex-con who only wants to go straight."[9] After the show was not picked up, he appeared in the movie Southie, which was written by Arnett's friend Dave McLaughlin. In 1999, Arnett was cast in another pilot for The Mike O'Malley Show on NBC. Arnett was a regular on the series, playing the protagonist's friend Jimmy. The show was picked up, but it was canceled after only two episodes.[8] Arnett has referred to 2000, the year after that show was cancelled, as "the darkest year of [his] life" and he admits that he "didn't get a lot of work" and "drank those years away."[8] Arnett considers the summer of 2000 to have been a turning point for him because a friend helped pull him out of his battle with alcoholism and he began to get his career back on track.
In 2001, Arnett was cast in another television pilot, Loomis, for CBS. The pilot starred comedian Cheri Oteri as a local news reporter, and Arnett played her slacker brother. The pilot was not picked up. In 2002, Arnett was cast in a fourth television pilot. This pilot was for the CBS sitcom Still Standing; but even though the show was picked up and ran for many years, his character was cut from the series after the pilot.[1] Arnett became so frustrated, after his fourth failed pilot, that he "swore off pilots"[1] altogether, until his agent persuaded him to audition for the pilot for Arrested Development.
Career breakthrough
In 2003, Will Arnett finally found success in television when he was cast in the role of George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development. Arnett's character was one of the show's most popular and he was nominated for an Emmy for his role. His character was also # 33 on Tv's top 50 catch phrases with the line "I've made a huge mistake" The show was canceled due to low ratings, despite its critical acclaim and cult following. His favorite episodes of the show are "Pier Pressure" and "Afternoon Delight."[10]
After the cancellation of Arrested Development, Arnett leveraged his newly gained credibility into a number of large roles in feature films. Although he had worked largely as a dramatic actor in films before Arrested Development, the roles he has taken since have been mostly comic, often playing smug antagonists. Occasionally Arnett did do small dramatic roles in television after "Arrested Development", such as when he played an FBI agent on a couple of episodes of The Sopranos. Despite the fact that Arnett has emerged as a comic actor, Arnett "never considered himself a comic" and considers himself an "actor first."[11]
Arnett's first major starring role was in Let's Go to Prison, a comedy film directed by Bob Odenkirk. The film was made on a small budget of $4 million.[12] It made over $4 million at the box office and over $13 million in rentals, making it a minor success.[13] One of Arnett's recent films was Blades of Glory, an ice skating comedy in which Arnett and his wife Amy Poehler played supporting roles to Will Ferrell. In an ironic twist they played a brother/sister skating duo whose relationship seemed to cross a few lines more often than not. The film was number one at the box office during its first two weeks[14] and grossed approximately $118 million domestically[15] and $36 million on home video.[16]
Arnett appeared as a guest star on King of the Hill and 30 Rock. On 30 Rock, he played Devon Banks, a scheming network executive who plays a rival to Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy. His role as Devon Banks earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series. Arnett also played supporting roles in the films Spring Breakdown, Hot Rod, The Comebacks, and On Broadway. In On Broadway, he once again worked with director Dave McLaughlin who is a close friend of Arnett's and gave him one of his first movie roles in Southie.[4]
Arnett's next starring role was in the comedy The Brothers Solomon, in which he again teamed with director Bob Odenkirk and starred opposite Saturday Night Live's Will Forte. He recently appeared in a major supporting role in the basketball comedy Semi-Pro, his second film with Will Ferrell.[17] He plays Lou Redwood, the commentator of the team, who is "a former player, a bit of a womanizer, and a boozer".[18] Arnett was signed on for a supporting role in Ye Olde Times, along with Jack Black, but the project has fallen through.[19]
Will Arnett is signed on to many new projects in which he will play starring roles. He is signed on to Jeff the Demon for New Line Cinema, in which he will play a demon who is summoned by a pair of high school losers.[20] He is also signed on to the lead role in The Ambassador for DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures, in which he will play "a former U.S. vice president's privileged son, who is assigned an ambassadorship in Europe, where he quickly becomes the quintessential ugly American."[21] Arnett is also signed on for the lead in Space Invader for Fox Atomic, which will center on a love triangle set on a space station.[22] He is also attached to lead roles in the projects Dad Can't Lose, Get 'Em Wet, and Most Likely to Succeed.[20] Arnett was originally attached to play the lead role of David Miller in the film We're the Millers, but he had to pass on the project due to "scheduling reasons" and the part went to Steve Buscemi.[23] Arnett has also stated in an interview that he's "working with Mitch [Hurwitz] on something right now",[12] but the details of the project have not yet been revealed, although there seems to be an Arrested Development film in production, with Arnett set to reprise his role of GOB. Arnett has also stated in interviews that he is not sure that he would return to television for another series anytime soon.[10]
On November 17, it was announced that Will Arnett will try to win over real-life wife Amy Poehler in a guest spot on Parks and Recreation , TVGuide.com has confirmed. Arnett will play Chris, an MRI technologist and possible love interest for Poehler's Leslie Knope. Justin Theroux will appear in the same episode as yet another suitor. Arnett is signed on for one episode, slated to air in early January. [24]
Voice work
Arnett has a distinctive gravelly voice and has done voice-over work for CBS TV promos, film trailers and numerous advertisements, including Lamisil medication. Perhaps most recognizable is Arnett's voice saying, "It's not more than you need, just more than you're used to" in ads for GMC trucks.[25]
Arnett has also lent his voice to a number of television shows. In 2005, he guest starred in Nickelodeon's hit series 'Danny Phantom' as Ghostwriter. In 2006, Arnett voiced the character Duncan Schiesst for the Comedy Central animated program Freak Show, which was created by and also stars the voice of his former Arrested Development co-star, David Cross. Recently, Arnett took the role of announcer for the faux trailer "Don't" in the movie Grindhouse. He also lent his voice to the films Horton Hears a Who! and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.[26]
He also has voiced 'The Missing Link' in Dreamworks newest film Monsters vs. Aliens. In 2007, he voiced Horst in the Disney Pixar film Ratatouille.
Arnett was to have been the voice of the K.I.T.T. in Universal's Knight Rider, a sequel to the popular 1980s television series. Because the production featured a Ford Mustang as K.I.T.T. rather than a General Motors product, he opted to withdraw from the project.[27] He was replaced by Val Kilmer.
In 2009, Arnett has become a regular voice cast in the Fox comedy series, Sit Down, Shut Up. He voices Ennis Hofftard, a bodybuilder who teaches English and always attempts to chase women.[28] The series premiered on April 19, 2009.[28] Jason Bateman, Kristin Chenoweth, Will Forte, Tom Kenny, Nick Kroll, Cheri Oteri, Kenan Thompson and Henry Winkler are the other main cast members.[28]
Personal life
Arnett lists Steve Martin and Chevy Chase as his two biggest comic influences.[10] His favorite band is Built to Spill, his favorite movie is Shaun of the Dead, his favorite television show is Law & Order.[10] Arnett grew up watching hockey in Canada, and is an avid Toronto Maple Leafs supporter.[29]
Arnett has two sisters who are three years older and a brother younger by nine years.[30] His father James Arnett was a corporate lawyer and became the president and CEO of Molson Breweries in 1997, until he stepped down in 2000.[31] James had previously worked as a director for the company[32] and he attended Harvard Law School.[33]
In 1994, Arnett married actress Penelope Ann Miller, and they divorced in 1995.[4] Arnett dated actress Missy Yager, with whom he lived for four years. They starred on The Mike O'Malley Show together and broke up around the time that the show began.[8]
Arnett began dating comic actress Amy Poehler in 2000; Arnett moved to New York in 2001 when she became a featured player on NBC's Saturday Night Live.[8] On August 29, 2003, Arnett and Poehler married.[4] Poehler appeared in four episodes of Arrested Development in 2004 and 2005. She played a woman whom his character G.O.B. marries during a drunken night of increasingly outrageous dares. Arnett and Poehler starred alongside each other in the films Blades of Glory, Horton Hears a Who!, On Broadway, Spring Breakdown, and Monsters vs. Aliens.[26] He and Poehler have two dogs, Puzzle and Suki.[10] On October 25, 2008, the couple had a baby boy, Archibald "Archie" William Emerson Arnett, in New York City.[34]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Erie | (Role unknown) | |
| 1996 | Close Up | Dave | |
| Ed's Next Move | Weather Video Guy | ||
| 1998 | The Broken Giant | Ezra Caton | |
| Weekend Getaway | Chuck | short film | |
| 1999 | Southie | Whitey | |
| The Waiting Game | Lenny | ||
| 2000 | The Acting Class | Will Bennett | |
| 2001 | Series 7: The Contenders | Narrator | |
| 2005 | Monster-in-Law | Kit | |
| 2006 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | Lone Gunslinger Vulture | voice only |
| RV | Todd Mallory | ||
| The Great New Wonderful | Danny | ||
| Let's Go to Prison | Nelson Biederman IV | ||
| 2007 | Blades of Glory | Stranz Van Waldenberg | |
| Grindhouse | Announcer | voice only, segment: "Don't" | |
| On Broadway | Tom | ||
| Ratatouille | Horst | voice only | |
| Hot Rod | Jonathan | ||
| Wristcutters: A Love Story | Messiah | ||
| The Brothers Solomon | John Solomon | ||
| The Comebacks | Mailman | ||
| 2008 | Semi-Pro | Lou Redwood | |
| Horton Hears a Who! | Vlad Vladikoff | voice only | |
| The Rocker | Lex | ||
| 2009 | Monsters vs. Aliens | The Missing Link | voice only |
| Spring Breakdown | Ted | direct-to-video | |
| G-Force | Kip Killian | ||
| Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | Subject #11 | ||
| 2010 | When in Rome | Antonio | completed |
| Jonah Hex | TBA | post-production | |
| Despicable Me | Mr. Perkins | post-production (voice only) |
Television
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Underworld | (Role Unknown) | Series regular, failed television pilot |
| 1999 | Sex and the City | Jack | Guest star, episode: "La Douleur Exquise!" |
| The Mike O'Malley Show | Jimmy | Series regular | |
| 2000 | Third Watch | Kenny | Guest star, episode: "Spring Forward, Fall Back" |
| 2001 | Loomis | (Role Unknown) | Series regular, failed television pilot |
| Boston Public | Hand Salesman | Guest star, episode: "Chapter Twenty-nine" | |
| 2002 | Still Standing | (Role Unknown) | Appeared in the pilot and was intended to be a series regular, but his role was cut out of the pilot and he did not appear in later episodes |
| Yes, Dear | Bobby | Guest star, episode: "Johnny Ampleseed" | |
| The Sopranos | Agent Mike Waldrup | Guest star, episodes: "For All Debts Public and Private", "No Show" | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Tony Damon | Guest star, episode: "Angels" | |
| 2003 | Undefeated | Scott Green's assistant | Small role, television movie |
| 2003–2006 | Arrested Development | George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II | Series regular |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Artemis Johnson | Guest star, episode: "Back Up Dancer" |
| 2005 | Odd Job Jack | Tiberius McKorkindale | Guest star, voice only, episodes: "The Biggest Bang", "Close Encounters of the Uncomfortable Kind" |
| Danny Phantom | Ghost Writer | Guest star, voice only, episode: "The Fright Before Christmas" | |
| 2006 | All-Star American Destiny Trek | TJ Cooter | Series regular, failed television pilot, voice only |
| Freak Show | Duncan Schiesst/Various | Series regular, voice only | |
| 2007 | King of the Hill | Portis | Guest star, voice only, episode: "Hank Gets Dusted" |
| 2007–2009 | 30 Rock | Devon Banks | Guest star, episodes: "Fireworks", "Jack Gets In the Game", "Succession", "Do Over", "Into the Crevasse", "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001" |
| 2008 | Sesame Street | Max the Magician | Guest star, episode: "Max the Magician" |
| 2009 | Sit Down, Shut Up | Ennis Hofftard | Series regular, voice only |
| Delocated | TV Announcer | Guest star, episode: "Good Buds" | |
| The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Brent Wilts | Pilot |
Video games
| Year(s) | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard | Matt Hazard |
| Monsters vs. Aliens | The Missing Link | |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Additional voices |
Arnett's Gamertag for the Xbox Live online gaming service is Bashman Jones.
Awards
| Year | For | Award | Category | Won | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | No | Shared with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | No | Shared with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter | |
| Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | No | |||
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | No |
Honors
New York magazine named Will Arnett and wife Amy Poehler "New Yorkers of the Year" for 2005 during their New York Magazine Culture Awards.[35]
In April 2007, during a panel hosted by The Paley Center for Media, talk show Conan O'Brien and his writing staff named Will Arnett as one of their three all-time favorite guests, sharing the honor with Norm Macdonald and Harland Williams.[36] Also in April 2007, Entertainment Weekly named Will Arnett a Future King of Comedy."[37] In May of 2007, Arnett ranked #9 on Best Week Ever's "Top 15 Sexiest Nerd Boys" poll.[38] In July of 2007, Premiere magazine named Arnett one of "The 20 Hottest New Faces in Comedy."[39]
References
- ^ a b c Weisman, Jon. "Will Arnett", Variety, 2004-06-10. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ Will Arnett Biography (1970-)
- ^ "Will Arnett - TV IV", TV IV, 2007-02-25. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Will Arnett - Biography", Internet Movie Database, 2007-04-12. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ On Conan O'Brien he stated that he dubs his own voice in the French versions of his movies and TV shows. Arnett stated this on his November 22, 2006, appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
- ^ "Will Arnett", Notable Names Database, 2007-04-22. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ Chun, Wing. "The Will Arnett Interview, Page 2", Television Without Pity, 2005. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Chun, Wing. "The Will Arnett Interview, Page 4", Television Without Pity, 2005. Retrieved on September 30, 2007.
- ^ "The Underworld (1997) (TV)", Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e O'Neil, Tom. "Transcript: Our chat session with Will Arnett", The Los Angeles Times, 2006. Retrieved on May 7, 2007.
- ^ Spitznagel, Eric. "Spitznagel's Exclusive Interview, March 2007", Playboy Magazine, 2007-03-29. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- ^ a b Topel, Fred. "Interview Will Arnett Talks About "Let's Go to Prison"", About.com, 2006. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "Box Office Mojo - Let's Go to Prison - DVD / Home Video Rentals", Box Office Mojo, 2007-04-22. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ "'Blades' Stays on Top With $23 Million", Yahoo! News, 2007-04-08. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "Box Office Mojo - Blades of Glory", Box Office Mojo, 2007-04-13. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- ^ "Box Office Mojo - Blades of Glory - DVD/Home Video Rentals", Box Office Mojo, 2007-11-16. Retrieved on November 17, 2007.
- ^ Kit, Borys. "Arnett turning 'Semi-Pro' with Ferrell", The Hollywood Reporter, 2007-01-29. Retrieved on April 12th, 2007.
- ^ YouTube - OurStage: Will Arnett Interview
- ^ Kay, Jeremy. "Jack Black goes medieval with Kimmel's Ye Olde Times", Screen Daily, 2007-05-16. Retrieved on May 16, 2007.
- ^ a b McNary, Dave. "'Demon' seed is planted: Arnett conjures New Line's new laffer", Variety, 2005-11-13. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ "Will Arnett is The Ambassador", Comingsoon.net, 2006-04-10. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ McNary, Dave. "Arnett rockets into 'Invader': Film depicts love triangle on space station", Variety, 2007-02-14. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ Morris, Clint. "Buscemi Gets into the Millers", Moviehole.net, 2006-02-07. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- ^ Joyce Eng. "Will Arnett to Guest-Star on Parks and Recreation". TVGuide.com.
- ^ Will Arnett - Other works", Internet Movie Database, 2007-04-22. Retrieved on April 22, 2007.
- ^ a b Faraci, Derek. "CHUD.com", CHUD.com, 2007-03-29. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ Val Kilmer voices 'Knight Rider' - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety
- ^ a b c "Sit Down, Shut Up". Fox. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ Proteau, Adam. ""."Bleeding Blue and White in Hollywood", The Hockey News, 2006-04-26. Retrieved on May 25, 2007.
- ^ Chun, Wing. "The Will Arnett Interview, Page 12", Television Without Pity, 2005. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "Will Arnett - AskMen.com, AskMen.com, 2006. Retrieved on April 12, 2007
- ^ "Molson Coors Brewing Company", Answers.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "James Arnett|Fraiser Millner Casgrain LLP", Fraiser Millner Casgrain. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "Amy Poehler Gives Birth to Baby Boy - Babies, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett People.com". People Magazine. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "New Yorkers of the Year - New York Magazine Culture Awards", New York Magazine, 2005. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
- ^ "Simply Absurd: The Comedy of Late Night with Conan O'Brien @ The Museum of Television and Radio - 4.5.7", The Apiary, 2007-04-05. Retrieved on April 10, 2007.
- ^ Markovitz, Adam. "The Current (and Future) Kings of Comedy", Entertainment Weekly, 2007-04-10. Retrieved on April 10, 2007.
- ^ BWE PRESENTS: The Top 15 Sexiest Nerd Boys", Best Week Ever, 2007-05-17. Retrieved on May 17, 2007.
- ^ "The 20 Hottest New Faces of Comedy", Premiere, 2007-07-31. Retrieved on July 31, 2007.
External links
- Will Arnett at IMDb
- Will Arnett at Rotten Tomatoes
- Template:Tv.com person
- Gob Bluth Profile at The Inconvenient Bluth
Interviews
- 2007 Interview with Arnett at space-meat.com
- 2007 Interview with Arnett and Amy Poehler at Comingsoon.net
- 2007 Interview with Arnett and Poehler at CHUD.com
- 2007 Interview at Playboy Magazine
- 2006 Chat Session at The Los Angeles Times
- 2006 Interview at About.com
- 2006 Interview at TV Squad
- 2005 Interview at Television Without Pity