Bill Irwin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Irwin
Irwin at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con
Born	William Mills Irwin (1950-04-11) April 11, 1950 (age 75) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor choreographer clown comedian
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Kimi Okada ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1982)​ Martha Roth ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	1

William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, choreographer, and comedian. He is also a famous clown. He started his career performing on stage in a style similar to old-time variety shows called vaudeville. He is known for helping to bring back American circus performances in the 1970s.

Bill Irwin has appeared in many movies and TV shows. He won a special award called a Tony Award for his acting in the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Many kids know him as Mr. Noodle from the Sesame Street part called Elmo's World. He also played Dr. Peter Lindstrom on the TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. From 2017 to 2019, he was Cary Loudermilk in the TV series Legion.

Early Life and Start in Circus

Bill Irwin was born in Santa Monica, California. His mother was a teacher, and his father was an engineer who designed parts for airplanes. He finished college in 1974. The next year, he went to a special school called Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

In 1975, Bill Irwin helped start the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, California. He learned a lot from working with the circus. He also performed in schools, which helped him become a professional artist. In 1979, he left the circus to work more on stage plays.

Career Highlights

Creating and Writing Shows

Bill Irwin has created many popular stage shows that include clowning. He often worked with a composer named Doug Skinner. Some of his famous shows include The Regard of Flight (1982), Largely New York (1989), and Fool Moon (1993).

In 2013, he worked with another clown, David Shiner, to create a show called Old Hats. This show was a mix of clowning and music. Old Hats won an award called the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue in 2013. The show was so popular that it came back to New York City in 2016.

Bill Irwin also changed a play by Molière called Les Fourberies de Scapin into a comedy called Scapin. He played the main character in several performances. He added his own special clowning moves to the play.

Acting on Stage

Irwin in 2013

Even though Bill Irwin is famous for his clowning, he has also acted in many serious plays. In 1988, he performed with famous actors like Steve Martin and Robin Williams in the play Waiting for Godot. He played a character named Lucky. Lucky's only lines were a very long speech, which was interesting because Bill Irwin's clown acts often had no talking.

In 2005, he starred in a new version of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He played the character George and won a Tony Award for his performance. He also appeared in King Lear in 2011 and Endgame in 2023.

Movies and Television

Bill Irwin's first movie role was in 1980 in Popeye, which starred Robin Williams. He has been in more than 20 movies, often playing supporting roles. He played Eddie Collins in Eight Men Out, a movie about a baseball scandal. He also appeared in the comedy My Blue Heaven with Steve Martin.

In 1991, he tap-danced in the movie Stepping Out with Liza Minnelli. He was also in Hot Shots! (1991) and played a mime in Scenes from a Mall. He appeared in movie versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

On TV, Bill Irwin is best known as Mr. Noodle on Elmo's World from Sesame Street. He also played Enrico Ballati, "The Flying Man," on Northern Exposure. He has been a regular guest star as Dr. Peter Lindstrom on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 2013. He also had a recurring role as Nate Haskell on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

In 2014, Bill Irwin provided the voice for the robot TARS in the movie Interstellar. He also controlled the robot's movements in most scenes. From 2017 to 2019, he was a main character, Cary Loudermilk, in the TV series Legion. In 2020, he appeared as Su'Kal in Star Trek: Discovery. In 2022, he was a guest star on The Gilded Age.

Personal Life

Bill Irwin is married to Martha Roth. She is an actress who later became a nurse. They met when he was getting treatment for a stiff neck. They have an adopted son named Santos Patrick Morales Irwin, who was born in 1991.

Awards and Recognition

Bill Irwin has received many awards for his work.

• In 1984, he was given a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship. He was the first performance artist to receive this five-year award.
• For his show Largely New York, he won a New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation in 1988 and a Drama Desk Award in 1989.
• In 1999, he and David Shiner won a special Tony Award for their show Fool Moon.
• In 2005, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• In 2010, The New Victory Theater gave him the first-ever New Victory Arts Award. He was honored for helping to bring arts to kids.

Filmography and Stage Work

Film Roles

Television Roles

Music Videos

Stage Work

See also

In Spanish: Bill Irwin para niños