Harland Williams (comedian)

Harland Williams
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Harland Williams
Annie Awards Harland head.jpg
Williams at the 34th Annie Awards, 2007. Photo by John B. Mueller[1]
Born Harland Reesor Williams
November 14, 1962 (age 56)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Actor, comedian, singer, author, artist, musician, radio personality
Years active 1992–present
Website harlandwilliams.com
Harland Reesor Williams (born November 14, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, singer, author, artist, musician and radio personality.


Contents
1 Personal life
2 Career
3 Filmography
4 References
5 External links
Personal life
Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine Mary (née O'Donnell), a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, a lawyer who served as a member of the Ontario legislature from 1975 to 1985.[2] He is the middle child of five with two older and two younger sisters.

Harland holds dual citizenship with Canada and the United States.

He is the author and illustrator of his own series of children's books involving a little brontosaurus named Jimbo. Williams' love of art drove him to create the series, in which the curious, young dinosaur embarks on a series of amazing adventures and learns important life lessons in the process. The artistically inclined Williams had refined his passion for drawing and painting at Canada's Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. Finding a creative outlet in poetry and painting while working as a forest ranger for five years after dropping out of Sheridan College, Williams set his goals to leave the forest as a stand-up comic and actor, soon moving to Los Angeles to pursue his newfound calling.

Williams is cousin to Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn, and together they have a hobby band called The Cousins.

Career
Williams is known for his movie roles, which include Dumb and Dumber, Freddy Got Fingered, There's Something About Mary, Half Baked, RocketMan, Sorority Boys, Down Periscope, and Employee of The Month. Williams starred as the security guard in the music video for the 2001 Barenaked Ladies song "Falling for the First Time". He has performed his stand-up comedy routines on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central and at comedy clubs throughout the country.

His improvisational skills led to him winning the award for 'Best Improviser' on an episode of NBC's prime time series Thank God You're Here in 2007.

Williams's ventures include voicing 'Monster' on Nickelodeon's animated series Robot and Monster and starring as Warwick the Warlock in Disney's direct-to-DVD movie Spooky Buddies.

He has a free, bi-weekly podcast called The Harland Highway.

Rocker Parry Gripp of the rock band Nerf Herder wrote a song in homage to Williams, entitled "I Wanna Be Your Harland Williams".[3]

He has appeared on Tom Green's House Tonight and on the Adam Carolla Podcast numerous times.[4] He is known for his performance of bird sounds on Carolla's show.

In August 2012 he began filming in Vancouver a 13-part CityTV comedy series called Package Deal, in which he stars.[5]

Williams created the Disney Junior series Puppy Dog Pals that debuted in 2017.[6]

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
1994 Dumb and Dumber State Trooper
1995 Simon Simon Hemple
1996 Down Periscope E.T. "Sonar" Lovacelli
1997 RocketMan Fred Z. Randall
Wag the Dog Pet Wrangler
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself 1 episode
Ned's Newt Newton (voice) First cartoon voice role; Main voice role; Episodes 1–35
1998 Half Baked Kenny Davis
There's Something About Mary Hitchhiker (uncredited)
Dog Park Callum
Mr. Headmistress Tucker
1999 Superstar Slater
2000 The Whole Nine Yards Special Agent Steve Hanson
Big Money Hustlas Officer Harry Cox
Becoming Dick Richard Breggs
2001 Freddy Got Fingered Darren
Gary & Mike Mike Bonner (voice)
2002 Back by Midnight Sheriff Hubbard
Sorority Boys Doofer/Roberta
2003 Family Tree Jake
Kart Racer Zee
2005 Lucky 13 Bleckman
Because of Winn-Dixie Policeman
Robots Lugnut (voice)
2006 Employee of the Month Russell Porpis-Gunders
Surf School Rip
2007 Meet the Robinsons Carl (voice)
The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
2008 Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation Derek
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Giraffe (voice)
2009 Fudgy Wudgy Fudge Face Elmore P. Fudge
My Life in Ruins Big Al Sawchuck
2009 The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Gerard the Exterminator (voice)
2011 Spooky Buddies Warwick the Warlock
Lloyd the Conqueror Vulcan
Dahmer Vs. Gacy God
Dan Vs. Hiram Episode: Technology
Robot Chicken Professor Cornelius Q. Quibblefingers (voice) 1 episode; also writes 4 episodes
2012 The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange Apple (voice)
Robot and Monster Monster (voice) Main Role
2014 Back in the Day Skunk
2015 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Captain Frost (voice)
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Helper Hue (voice)
2016 Sausage Party Ketchup Bottle/Drug Dealer/Baba Ganoush (voice)
Skylanders Academy Hugo (voice)
2017–present Puppy Dog Pals Bob (voice) Also show creator