Jim Meskimen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim Meskimen
Meskimen at the 2014 Annie Awards
Born	James Ross Meskimen (1959-09-10) September 10, 1959 (age 65) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor comedian impressionist
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Tamra Shockley ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	1
Parents	Freeman Meskimen (father) Marion Ross (mother)

James Ross Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist. He is known for his many roles in movies and TV shows. He has also voiced characters in popular animated series and video games. Jim Meskimen is especially famous for his amazing ability to imitate the voices of many different celebrities.

Early Life and First Steps

James Ross Meskimen was born in Santa Monica, California, on September 10, 1959. His mother is the famous actress Marion Ross, who you might know from the TV show Happy Days.

In 1983, after living in Madrid for a while, Jim met actor Harvey Keitel. This meeting inspired him to become an actor himself. So, he moved to New York City to start his acting journey.

Career Highlights

Starting in Art and Voice Acting

When Jim first moved to New York, he worked as a visual artist. He created illustrations, cartoons, and commercial art for different companies. One of his first big jobs was designing characters for the cartoon series Thundercats. He even helped expand the story for the show.

While working on Thundercats, Jim visited a recording session. He saw voice actors like Bob McFadden and Earl Hammond at work. This experience made him want to try voice acting. Soon, he started doing voiceovers for radio and TV commercials.

He became the voice for many brands in the 1980s and 1990s. He was even the voice of the channel that later became Comedy Central. He also created a character called Doctor Swatch for Swatch Watch commercials.

On-Camera and Improv Work

In 1986, Jim became an on-camera spokesperson for Skaggs Alfa Beta grocery stores. He also worked as an interviewer, creating funny, unscripted ads for banks and other businesses. These ads won many awards!

During his time in New York (1983-1993), Jim also studied and performed improv comedy. He did hundreds of live shows with groups like INTERPLAY. He even appeared several times on the British TV show Whose Line Is It, Anyway? with his friend Christopher Smith.

Moving to Film and TV

In 1993, Jim and his family moved back to Los Angeles. He wanted to focus on a career in TV and movies. His first film role was in Ron Howard's movie The Paper.

Director Ron Howard liked Jim's work so much that he cast him in five more films. These included the Oscar-nominated Apollo 13, The Grinch, and Frost/Nixon. Jim also appeared in an early episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

In 2003, Jim started working with JibJab Media, known for their funny animated videos. He voiced characters in their popular hits like Arnold for President. He also worked on their Emmy and BAFTA award-winning children's series Ask The Storybots.

Jim has appeared on many major TV shows. Some of these include Friends, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, This is Us, NCIS, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Young Sheldon, and The Big Bang Theory.

Voice Acting in Games and Cartoons

Jim's voice has been heard in many video games and animated shows. He has voiced characters in Star Trek: Resurgence, Marvel Avengers Assemble, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shaggy and Scooby Doo: Get a Clue, Pinky & The Brain, Phineas & Ferb, Legend of Korra, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. He also worked on two reboots of Thundercats.

Impressions and Live Shows

Jim became globally famous for his YouTube video, Shakespeare in Celebrity Voices. This video led to many new opportunities. In 2013, he performed his improvised celebrity impressions on America’s Got Talent at Radio City Music Hall. He even received a standing ovation!

He has also performed his own live show called JIMPRESSIONS. He has taken this show to Hollywood, Australia, and the U.K.

In 2017, Jim wrote a short film called "Son to Son," which won festival awards. He starred in the film with actor Nick Lane.

Recent Work

For many years, starting in 2016, Jim provided the voice of Colonel Harland Sanders for KFC ads. He is also a talented audiobook narrator. He has narrated hundreds of audiobooks and won awards for his work. From 2005 to 2009, he directed many multi-cast audiobooks. One of these, "Battlefield Earth," won an Audie Award in 2017.

Since 2020, Jim has continued to act in TV shows. He appeared in Gaslit with Sean Penn and Julia Roberts, Hunters, and as Cary Hubbard in AppleTV+'s The Big Door Prize.

Personal Life

Jim Meskimen lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Tamra. Tamra is a co-founder of The Acting Center, an acting school in Sherman Oaks, California. They have one daughter, Taylor Meskimen, who is also an actress, singer, and award-winning audiobook narrator. As mentioned before, his mother is the famous actress Marion Ross from Happy Days.

Jim Meskimen is a practicing Scientologist.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

• 3rd Rock from the Sun – Alan (Season 2 Episode 4)
• Anger Management – Daniel
• Community – Christopher Walken/Tommy Lee Jones impersonator (Season 3 Episode 11)
• Friends – Bill (Season 10 Episode 2)
• Even Stevens - Dr. Dean
• Good Omens - George H. W. Bush (voice)
• Hot in Cleveland – Professor Zucker
• Kickin' It - Principal Bucket (Season 2, Episode 9)
• Mad – Gandalf, Droopy, Benedict Arnold, additional voices
• Malcolm in the Middle – Waiter
• NCIS - Dr. Farrel Emerson
• Parks and Recreation – Martin Housely
• Phineas and Ferb – Additional voices
• Random! Cartoons – Thom Cat, Neighbor John, Stumpy ("Thom Cat" short)
• Robot Chicken – Frank, Jon Corzine, Heimlich's Father, Sorting Hat
• Rock, Paper, Scissors - Abraham Lincoln
• Rules of Engagement – Mr. Wrigley
• Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! – Agent 1, Robi
• The Big Bang Theory – Doctor, Man (voice), Las Vegas Wedding Chapel Minister
• The Boondocks – Bill O'Reilly, Chris Hansen, Additional voices
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Prof. Jeremy Mansfield (Season 4 Episode 3), Werner (Season 6 Episodes 2 and 3 and 11)
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest – Additional voices
• Time Squad – George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush
• Two and a Half Men – Gangster #2 (voice)
• Whose Line Is it Anyway? – Himself
• Family Matters – Mission Controller (Season 9 Episodes 21 and 22)

Video Game Roles

• Armored Core V - Jack Batty, Men of Honor Unit B, Zodiac No. 8
• Baldur's Gate – Edwin Odesseiron, Jebadoh, Khalid, Thaldorn
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn – Edwin Odesseiron
• Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal – Edwin Odesseiron, Khalid
• Batman: Arkham City – Officer Tom Miller
• Batman: Arkham Knight – Additional voices
• Batman: Arkham Origins – SWAT Officers, Cops
• Call of Duty: Black Ops – John F. Kennedy
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – Secretary of Defense David Petraeus
• Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight – Various
• Destroy All Humans! 2 - Additional voices
• Diablo III – Additional voices
• Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Additional voices
• Disney Infinity 3.0 – Ultron
• Disney Think Fast – Genie
• Disney Speedstorm - Genie
• Epic Mickey – Voice
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two – Mad Doctor
• EverQuest II – Guild Patron Volarian, Baron Zafimus, Sergeant-at-Arms Ironcast, Commission Deputy Halford, Naturalist Tummyfill, Borthen, Amren Talbot, Morte Winghammer, Green Hood Trap Master, Banker Izark, Ubani, Overseer Travog
• Fantastic 4 – Doctor Doom, Additional voices
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Additional voices
• Gothic 3 - Additional voices
• Hitman: Blood Money – Additional voices
• Kinect Disneyland Adventures – Genie
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix – Genie (Kingdom Hearts Re:coded cinematics)
• Lego Jurassic World – Additional voices
• Lego The Lord of the Rings – Various
• Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Additional voices
• Madagascar: The Video Game – Albino Crocodile, Guard, Jogger, Sailor
• Marvel Dimension of Heroes - Ultron
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite - Ultron, Ultron Sigma, Ultron Omega
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - Ultron, Ultimo
• MAG - SVER Executive
• Minecraft Story Mode - Milo
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl - Nigel Thornberry (voiceover added in the June 2022 update)
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 - Nigel Thornberry
• Robots - Ratchet, Additional voices
• Shark Tale: The Video Game – Lino, Additional Tenant Fish
• Shrek the Third - Captain Hook, Attendant 2, Geek
• Skylanders: Trap Team – Additional voices
• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom - Genie
• Syndicate - Additional voices
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan - Wingnut, Stone Warriors
• The Lego Movie Videogame – Batman, Additional voices
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II – Elven King Thranduil
• The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king - King Thranduil
• Ultimate Spider-Man – Additional voices

Internet Roles

• Jib Jab – George W. Bush

Music Roles

• Bugs Bunny and Friends Sing The Beatles – Elmer Fudd

See also

In Spanish: Jim Meskimen para niños