Jeff Hiller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Hiller
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Hiller in 2023
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| Born | December 7, 1975 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
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| Education | Texas Lutheran University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
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Notable work
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Somebody Somewhere |
Jeff Hiller is an American actor, comedian, and improviser, born in 1975. He is widely recognized for his role as Joel in the TV show Somebody Somewhere. For this role, he received a Primetime Emmy Award, which is a very important award for TV actors.
Contents
About Jeff Hiller
Early Life and Comedy Beginnings
Jeff Hiller grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He finished his studies at Texas Lutheran University in 1998.
In 2001, Jeff began performing improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Improv comedy means making up scenes and jokes on the spot, without a script. He was part of several improv teams there, like People People and Police Chief Rumble. He also taught improv for ten years, helping others learn this fun skill.
Acting on Screen and Stage
Jeff Hiller has acted in many popular TV shows. These include 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, Psych, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He also appeared in movies like Morning Glory and Ghost Town.
On stage, Jeff played John Quincy Adams in the musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. This was a rock musical, which means it used rock music to tell a story. In 2018, he took over a role in the off-Broadway show Bright Colors and Bold Patterns.
Recent Projects and Achievements
From 2022 to 2024, Jeff Hiller starred as Joel in the TV series Somebody Somewhere. This show, created by Bridget Everett, won a Peabody Award for its quality. In 2025, Jeff Hiller won his first Emmy Award for his amazing performance as Joel.
His book, called Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail To Overnight Success, came out on June 10, 2025. A funny mistake happened with the first copies: the word "Certain" on the book's spine was misspelled. Jeff even joked about this on a TV show called The Daily Show.
Also in 2025, Jeff played Mr. McQueen in a new production of the musical Urinetown. He also appeared on NPR's Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! in June 2025. In August 2025, he was interviewed on the radio show Fresh Air by Terry Gross.
Family Life
Jeff Hiller is married to artist Neil Goldberg. They live together in New York City.
Jeff Hiller's Work
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dream Assassin | Waiter | Short |
| Ghost Town | |||
| 2009 | Adam | Rom | |
| 2010 | Morning Glory | Sam - Channel 9 Producer | |
| 2011 | Bad Seed | Jeff | Short |
| 2012 | Gayby | Showgirls Fan Customer | |
| 2013 | Gods Behaving Badly | First Follower | |
| That Thing with the Cat | Rick | ||
| Chasing Taste | Chef Micah | ||
| Snore (Downton Abbey) | Unnamed role | Short | |
| The Little Tin Man | Gregg | Independent film | |
| 2015 | The Last Ones | Brad | Short |
| The Poets | Leonard | Short | |
| 2016 | Sing! | Mark | Voice role |
| 2018 | Greta | Maitre D' Henri | |
| Set It Up | Mexican Restaurant Waiter | ||
| 2020 | First One In | Frazzled Salesman | |
| 2024 | Lost & Found in Cleveland | Graham Hargreaves |
TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | A2Z | Comedian Panelist | Episode: "Guns N' Roses" |
| 2005 | Starved | Gay Man | Episode: "3D" |
| 2006 | The P.A. | Jeff | 1 episode |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Hotel Clerk | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 2008–2009 | Guiding Light | Francois the Tailor | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Old Friends | Waiter | Episode: "Waverly Place" |
| Submissions Only | Gay 4 (Sonny) | Episode: "Old Lace" | |
| Wiener & Wiener | Man | Episode: "Always a Bridesmaid" | |
| Ugly Betty | Wilheldiva Fan | Episode: "Chica and the Man" | |
| 2011 | 30 Rock | Stewart | Episode: "Double-Edged Sword" |
| Community | Glee Club Guy | Episode: "Regional Holiday Music" | |
| Bored to Death | Emcee | Episode: "Forget the Herring" | |
| Death Valley | Security Guard | Episode: "Tick... Tick... BOOM!" | |
| Psych | Dwayne | Episode: "Last Night Gus" | |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Stan | Episode: "Boots on the Ground" and "To the Boy in the Blue Knit Cap" | |
| 2012 | Squad 85 | Macey | 3 episodes |
| Partners | Randy | 2 episodes | |
| NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Don | Episode: "The Return of Dragon Shumway" | |
| Best Friends Forever | The Host | Episode: "Fatal Blow Out" | |
| 2012–2013 | Campus Security | Lyle Moses | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Raptor Raptor | Unnamed role | Episode: "How to Get a Job" |
| Go On | Eric the Actor | Episode: "Urn-ed Run" | |
| 2014 | Dead Boss | Timothy | TV movie |
| The McCarthys | Phillip | 2 episodes | |
| UCB Comedy Originals | Unnamed roles | 2 episodes | |
| The Hotwives of Orlando | Antoine Donner | 4 episodes | |
| Long Distance | Matt | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | The Hotwives of Las Vegas | Antoine Donner | 3 episodes |
| Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | Wolfgang Ragekiss | Episode: "New-cronomicon" | |
| 2015–2016 | Impastor | Jeffrey | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Harry | Episode: "That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!" |
| 2016–2017 | Nightcap | Phil Miller | 20 episodes |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Subway Man | Episode: "Sweet Tea" |
| Broad City | Tim | Episode: "Sliding Doors" | |
| Playing House | Jeff | 3 episodes | |
| ASAP Fables | Lion | Episode: "The Lion and His Privilege" | |
| New York Is Dead | Dante | Web series | |
| 2018 | Human Kind Of | Various roles | 10 episodes |
| West 40s | Ryan | Episode: "Forty Candles" | |
| 2019 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Tomothy / Tomathy | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Little America | Man with Cold | Episode: "The Silence" |
| 2022–2024 | Somebody Somewhere | Joel | 21 episodes |
| 2022 | American Horror Story: NYC | Gideon Whitely | 9 episodes |
| Evil | Chuck | Episode: "The Demon of Parenthood" | |
| The Watcher | Therapist | Episode: "Haunting" | |
| 2023 | FBI: Most Wanted | Rudolph Varitek | Episode: "Black Mirror" |
| 2023–2024 | American Horror Stories | Mr. Nevins | Episode: "Bestie" |
| Niles Taylor | Episode: "The Thing Under the Bed" | ||
| 2025 | King of Drag | Himself; guest judge | Episode: "Comedy" |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Escape from Virtual Island | Waiter / Man No. 1 / Crowd (voice) | 11 episodes |
Awards and Recognitions
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Somebody Somewhere | Won | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won |
