Peter MacNicol
Known for: Acting
Peter MacNicol is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play Crimes of the Heart. His film roles include Galen in Dragonslayer (1981), Stingo in Sophie's Choice (1982), Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II (1989), camp counselor Gary Granger in Addams Family Values (1993), and David Langley in Bean (1997). MacNicol was born in Dallas, Texas, on April 10, 1954. He attended the University of Dallas and the University of Minnesota, where he studied theater. After graduating, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. MacNicol made his Broadway debut in 1981 in the play Crimes of the Heart. He won a Theatre World Award for his performance. He went on to appear in a number of other Broadway productions, including The Real Thing (1984), The Crucible (1996), and The Pillowman (2005). MacNicol has also had a successful career in film and television. He has appeared in a number of films, including Sophie's Choice (1982), Ghostbusters II (1989), Addams Family Values (1993), and Bean (1997). He is best known for his role as the eccentric lawyer John Cage in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal (1997–2002), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001. MacNicol has also appeared in a number of other television shows, including 24 (2001), Numbers (2005), and Veep (2012-2019). He is a versatile actor who has shown his range in a variety of roles. MacNicol is married to Martha Cumming, and they have two children. He is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.
Filmography
Series
Grey's Anatomy
Robert Stark
2005
Series
American Dad!
Old Man Hanson (voice)
2005
Series
American Dad!
Santa's Elf (voice)
2005
Series
American Dad!
Angel (voice)
2005
Series
24
Tom Lennox
2001
Series
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Professor Elliott Randolph
2013
Series
Chicago Hope
Alan Birch
1994
Series
The Big Bang Theory
Robert Wolcott
2007
Series
Young Justice
Professor Ivo / M.O.N.Q.I. (voice)
2010
Series
Young Justice
Professor Ivo / Amazo / M.O.N.Q.I. (voice)
2010
Series
Young Justice
Professor Ivo (voice)
2010
Series
Cheers
Mario
1982
Series
Boston Legal
Dr. Sydney Field
2004
Series
Numb3rs
Larry Fleinhardt
2005
Series
Veep
Jeff Kane
2012
Series
The Mindy Project
Rabbi Adler
2012
Series
Star Wars Rebels
Tseebo (voice)
2014
Series
Tales from the Crypt
Austin Haggard (segment "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime")
1989
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Otto Octavius (voice)
2008
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Master Planner / Otto Octavius (voice)
2008
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Doctor Octopus (voice)
2008
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus (voice)
2008
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Master Planner (voice)
2008
Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Master Planner / Doctor Octopus (voice)
2008
Series
The Wild Thornberrys
Raju / Monkey (voice)
1998
Series
All Rise
Albert Campbell
2019
Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Ishmael
2017
Series
All's Fair
Robert DeLancie
2025
Series
Doc McStuffins
Egghead (voice)
2012
Series
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
Oliver / Forever Knight #1 (voice)
2010
Series
The Batman
Langstrom (voice)
2004
Series
Justice League Unlimited
David Clinton (voice)
2004
Series
Danny Phantom
Sidney Poindexter (voice)
2004
Series
CatDog
Runt (voice)
1998
Series
TFI Friday
1996
Series
Ally McBeal
John Cage
1997
Series
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Major (voice)
2000
Film
Battleship
Secretary of Defense
2012
Series
Faerie Tale Theatre
Martin
1982
Series
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
Nigel the Advisor (voice)
2017
Series
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
Nigel (voice)
2017
Series
The Angry Beavers
1997
Film
Ghostbusters II
Janosz Poha
1989
Film
Addams Family Values
Gary Granger
1993
Series
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
2000
Series
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
X the Eliminator (voice)
2000
Series
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
X, the Eliminator (voice)
2000
Series
Fairly Legal
Judge Smollet
2011
Series
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Steve Cooper
1987
Series
CSI: Cyber
Simon Sifter
2015
Series
G.I. Joe: Renegades
Firefly (voice)
2010
Film
Bean
David Langley
1997
Series
The Lyon's Den
2003
Film
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
The Invader (voice)
2024
Film
Sophie's Choice
Stingo
1982
Film
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright
Dewey Ottman (voices)
2013
Film
Recess: School's Out
Fenwick (voice)
2001
Film
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Thomas Renfield
1995
Film
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
Troopmaster (voice)
2005
Film
Baby Geniuses
Dan
1999
Film
Dragonslayer
Galen
1981
Film
Balto: Wolf Quest
Muru (voice)
2002
Series
The Powers That Be
Bradley Grist
1992
Film
Housesitter
Marty
1992
Film
Game Change
Rick Davis
2012
Film
Shell
Dr. Thaddeus Brand
2025
Film
Radioland Murders
Son Writer
1994
Film
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
Narrator (voice)
1999
Film
By Dawn's Early Light
Sedgwick
1990
Film
Batman: Arkham City (The Movie)
Mad Hatter
2011
Film
Breakin' All the Rules
Philip Gascon
2004
Film
The Spectacular Spider-Man: Attack of the Lizard
Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (voice)
2008
Film
Mojave Moon
Tire Repairman
1996
Film
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Fido (voice)
1999
Film
Roswell
Lewis Rickett
1994
Film
Heat
Cyrus Kinnick
1986
Film
Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story
Psycho Date
2023
Film
Secret of the Sundrop
Nigel the Advisor
2018
Film
Floss
Dr. Rivus
Film
Hard Promises
Stuart
1992
Film
Spider-Man: Re-Animated
Self
2009
Film
American Blue Note
Jack Solow
1989
Abducted: A Father's Love
Roy Dowd
1996
Film
Home Delivery
Howard Evans
2024
Film
Snowden's Christmas
Snowden (voice)
1999
Film
The Pooch and the Pauper
Liberty (voice)
2000
Film
Johnny Bull
Joe Kovacs
1986
Film
Silencing Mary
Lawrence Dixon
1998
Film
Voices & Visions: Walt Whitman
Narrator
1988
Film
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
Martin
1984
Film
24: Redemption
Tom Lennox
2008