Richard Schiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Schiff
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Schiff at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Knife Fight
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| Born | May 27, 1955 Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
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| Alma mater | City College of New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Sheila Kelley
(m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Clarence B. Jones (stepfather) |
Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor. He is very well known for playing Toby Ziegler on the TV show The West Wing. For this role, he won an Emmy Award, which is a big award for TV actors.
Richard Schiff also directed an episode of The West Wing. He has been in many other popular TV shows and movies. These include Ballers and The Good Doctor, where he played Dr. Aaron Glassman. In 2022, he even voiced Odin in the video game God of War: Ragnarök.
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About Richard Schiff's Early Life
Richard Schiff was born on May 27, 1955, in Bethesda, Maryland. He grew up in New York City. He is the second of three sons. His mother, Charlotte, worked in TV and publishing. His father, Edward Schiff, was a real estate lawyer.
After his parents divorced, his mother married Clarence B. Jones. Clarence B. Jones was a lawyer for Martin Luther King Jr.. Before becoming an actor, Richard Schiff had many different jobs. He drove a taxi in New York City. He also cleaned buses at a Greyhound station. He even laid cable for a TV company.
Schiff and his family are Jewish. He studied acting at the William Esper Studio.
Richard Schiff's Acting Career
Richard Schiff first studied how to direct plays. In 1983, he directed several plays that were not on Broadway. One play was Antigone, starring Angela Bassett. In the mid-1980s, Schiff decided to try acting himself. He soon got several roles on TV.
A famous director, Steven Spielberg, saw him in a TV show. This led to Schiff being cast in the movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997. This helped him get more acting jobs. Eventually, he landed the role of Toby Ziegler in The West Wing. He became known for his serious acting style.
Key Roles in Movies and TV
In 1995, Schiff played a lawyer in the movie Se7en. He also appeared in TV shows like ER and NYPD Blue. In 1996, he was in City Hall with Al Pacino. He played a doctor in Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. He was also in the movie Deep Impact in 1998.
After working on The West Wing for six seasons, Schiff decided to leave. He still appeared in some episodes of the final season. He also played Jerry Wexler in the movie Ray.
Schiff had a small role as himself in the TV series Entourage. He also acted in a play called Underneath the Lintel in London. In 2007, he was in the TV show Burn Notice. He played a hypnotist in an episode of Monk.
In 2009, he was in the movies Imagine That (again with Eddie Murphy) and Solitary Man. He also filmed The Infidel and Made in Dagenham in London.
Later Work and Recent Projects
Richard Schiff continued to work a lot in TV. He had roles in shows like Past Life, The Cape, and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. He also played an ex-CIA agent in the movie Johnny English Reborn.
In 2012, he appeared in three episodes of NCIS. He played a bad guy named Harper Dearing. He was also in the TV series House of Lies and Once Upon a Time.
From 2017 to 2024, Schiff had a main role in the medical drama The Good Doctor. He played Dr. Aaron Glassman, the president of a hospital. His real-life wife, Sheila Kelley, played his character's wife on the show. Their daughter, Ruby, also appeared in the final season.
In 2022, he provided the voice and motion-capture for Odin in the video game God of War Ragnarök. This means his movements and facial expressions were used for the character.
Richard Schiff's Personal Life
Richard Schiff married actress Sheila Kelley in 1996. They have two children: a son named Gus, born in 1994, and a daughter named Ruby, born in 2000.
Schiff supports the Democratic political candidates. He supported Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.
In November 2020, Richard Schiff and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. He was hospitalized for a short time but later recovered.
Images for kids
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Schiff at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Knife Fight
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Schiff in May 2009
See also
In Spanish: Richard Schiff para niños
