Jeffrey Tambor filmography and biography

Date of birth: 8 July 1944, San Francisco, California, USA

Jeffrey Tambor biography

An incisive talent when it comes to playing bent, off-the-wall characters, Jeffrey Tambor has been captivating audiences for nearly four decades. Born and raised in San Francisco, he studied acting at San Francisco State University and earned his Bachelors of Arts degree there. Following his Masters at Wayne State University, he started building up his resume in repertory theater. He was first seen on episodic TV in the mid-'70s in both comedies (Taxi, Barney Miller) and dramas (Kojak, Starsky and Hutch). A large, somewhat looming fellow, his sly-eyed look and leering gaze, matched with a bright set of pearly teeth and stark pattern baldness, made him a natural for broad, warped comedy. The folks at Threes Company brought Jeffrey back time and time again, standing toe-to-toe with John Ritter and stealing many of their scenes with his noticeably bizarre gents. He was so right for the show that he was signed to a co-starring role on the show's spin-off The Ropers with Norman Fell and Audra Lindley. He and Patty McCormack played the Ropers' chagrined neighbors. On the legitimate stage, he has been an earnest player over the years with performances in "Sly Fox" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" on Broadway in addition to roles in "Measure for Measure," "A Flea in Her Ear" and "The Seagull." On the side, Jeffrey has directed a number of stage productions and teaches acting in the Los Angeles area. Although not as well known for his film work, he made a strong dramatic impression in his film debut _...And Justice for All (1979)_ in which he played Al Pacino's half-crazed law partner. He went on to enhance a number of other movies including _Dreamchasers (1982)_, Mr. Mom, Brenda Starr, Radioland Murders, Doctor Dolittle, Pollock. More recently he played the Mayor of Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Emmy-nominated for his quirky work on The Larry Sanders Show, Jeffrey's fondness and talent for the weird and wacky has recently found a nesting roost. Quite at home amid the insanity in the series Arrested Development, he recently copped another Emmy nomination as the patriarch of the highly dysfunctional Bluth family.

Jeffrey Tambor trivia

- Was a teacher at Milton Katselas' Beverly Hills Playhouse.
- In spite of his typically obnoxious or exasperating characters, Tambor is one of the most respected and well-liked character actors working today.
- Played multiple characters on "Three's Company."
- He became a father and grandfather in December 2004. His wife Kasia gave birth to son Gabriel Kasper on December 10 and his daughter Molly Tambor gave birth to son Mason Jay Moore on December 14.
- Directed a production of "Burn This" at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles and is the co-owner of Skylight Books in the Los Feliz area.
- He originally played Tom Abernathy in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed amp; Fabulous. However, when the scene needed to be re-shot, he was shooting Arrested Development, so the scene was re-shot with Stephen Tobolowsky. The version of the scene with Jeffrey can be seen on the DVD.
- Children: Molly Tambor (b. 1975) and Gabriel Kasper (b. December 10th 2004).
- He was nominated for a 1974 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Principal Role for his performance in "The Play's The Thing" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
- His wife Kasia gave birth to their second child, a girl named Eve Julia, on December 10th 2006.
- His wife, Kasia, gave birth to their third and fourth children, twin sons Hugo Bernard and Eli Nicholas, on October 4, 2009. Tambor had revealed the pregnancy in June 2009.
- (2007) Sold his five-bedroom Cape Cod-style house in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood for $3.3 million. He had purchased the house in early 2005 for $2,749,000.
- He purchased a four-bed, five-bath, 3,591 sq ft home in Topanga, California in 2008 for $1.675 million.

Jeffrey Tambor quotes

- (On Mr. Mom) No one had any idea it was gonna be a runaway hit. And that's an actor's life. I thought Meet Joe Black was gonna be one of the big changes for me, and it was gonna be a runaway hit - and it wasn't. And with Mr. Mom, I said, "There's just no way." And it turned out to be a huge hit. Huge!
- (On making Meet Joe Black) That scene that I have with Brad [Pitt] - that one out by the sea where I confess to him that I really screwed up and I've sort of betrayed them - is one of my favorite scenes that I've ever done. He was just so wonderful. He's great. I mean, this was years ago, but he's very modest. He's a real hardworking actor. I think he was going through something difficult at that time, and he never brought his personal stuff - not once! - on the set. He was a real pro. I remember doing that scene, and as I was acting, I thought, "I understand why this guy's a movie star." Because there was just something that he did when the cameras rolled. There was some kind of energy that was really magnificent, a real aura about him. Those movie stars, they have that "thing."
- (On making The Larry Sanders Show) Those were seven of the greatest years of my life. I learned so much, and it affirmed everything I thought comedy was. It was really a tremendous experience....And I loved (my character) Hank Kingsley. He was very real to me. There was just something about that character. I really believed him. I didn't think he was a buffoon. I understood the inner workings of him, so I sort of felt sorry for him, the poor guy. He was very important to me.

Jeffrey Tambor filmography