Will Arnett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Arnett
Arnett in 2019
Born	William Emerson Arnett (1970-05-04) May 4, 1970 (age 55) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	Canada United States
Occupation	Actor comedian producer
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Penelope Ann Miller ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 1995)​ Amy Poehler ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2016)​
Partner(s)	Alessandra Brawn (2019–present)
Children	3

William Emerson Arnett (born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is well-known for playing Gob Bluth in the TV show Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019). He also voiced the main character in the animated series BoJack Horseman (2014–2020).

Arnett has been nominated for many awards, including seven Primetime Emmy Awards. He also played Devon Banks in the sitcom 30 Rock (2007–2013). He starred in other TV shows like Up All Night (2011–2012) and The Millers (2013–2014). He also helped create and produce shows like Running Wilde (2010–2011) and Flaked (2016–2017).

Arnett has been in movies such as Let's Go to Prison (2006) and Blades of Glory (2007). He is known for his deep voice. He has voiced characters in many animated films. These include Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Ratatouille (2007), and The Lego Movie franchise (2014–2019). Since 2020, he has hosted the reality show Lego Masters. He also co-hosts the comedy podcast SmartLess with Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman.

Early Life

Will Arnett was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Edith Alexandra "Alix" and Emerson James "Jim" Arnett. His father was a lawyer and worked for Molson Breweries. Will has two older sisters and a younger brother. His family has lived in Manitoba for many generations.

Arnett went to Lakefield College School for a short time. He was asked to leave because he caused trouble. He later took theater classes at the Tarragon Theatre. He graduated from Leaside High School. As a teenager, his mother encouraged him to try acting. He enjoyed auditioning for commercials. In 1990, he moved to New York City to study acting. He performed in plays there. His first acting role was in an independent film called Erie.

Career Highlights

Early Career (1996–2002)

In 1996, Arnett made his first TV pilot, but it was not chosen for a series. In 1999, he was in another pilot for The Mike O'Malley Show. This show was picked up but cancelled quickly. After a few more pilots that didn't work out, Arnett felt very frustrated. He decided he would not audition for pilots anymore. However, his agent convinced him to try out for Arrested Development. Before that, in 2002, Arnett had guest roles in The Sopranos and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Arrested Development and Other Roles (2003–2013)

Arnett at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

In 2003, Arnett became very famous for his role as George Oscar "Gob" Bluth II in the comedy series Arrested Development. In 2006, he was nominated for his first Emmy Award for this role. The show was very popular with critics and gained a strong fan base. Arnett also played Max the Magician in Sesame Street. This was a fun reference to his character Gob Bluth.

His work on Arrested Development led to bigger roles in movies. He often plays funny, confident characters. In 2006, Arnett starred in his first main movie role in Let's Go to Prison. He also had a major role in the basketball comedy Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell. Arnett guest-starred in 30 Rock as Devon Banks. He was nominated for four Emmy Awards for this role.

Arnett at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2012

Arnett's unique deep voice is often used for voice-overs. He has done voices for TV ads and movie trailers. He was the voice of Ghost Writer in the Nickelodeon series Danny Phantom (2005). He also voiced Duncan Schiesst in the animated show Freak Show. Arnett has voiced characters in many animated movies. These include Vlad in Horton Hears a Who! and The Missing Link in Monsters vs. Aliens. He was also Horst in Ratatouille and Mr. Perkins in Despicable Me.

In 2009, he voiced the main character in the video game Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. He also voiced Ennis Hofftard in the animated comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up. Arnett played supporting roles in films like Hot Rod. In 2010, Arnett and his Arrested Development co-star Jason Bateman started a production company called DumbDumb Productions. They focus on making digital videos. In 2012, their documentary Mansome was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. Arnett also starred in the NBC comedy series Up All Night.

BoJack Horseman and Recent Work (2014–Present)

Arnett at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con promoting The Lego Batman Movie.

From 2014 to 2020, Arnett voiced the main character in the popular Netflix animated show BoJack Horseman. He also played Vern Fenwick in the 2014 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 2016 sequel. Arnett starred in the CBS sitcom The Millers for two seasons. In 2017, he played Mr. Quagmire in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events. He also co-created and starred in the Netflix series Flaked (2016).

Arnett voiced Batman in The Lego Movie (2014). He played Batman again in The Lego Batman Movie (2017) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). He also voiced Batman in an episode of the animated series Unikitty!. In July 2020, Arnett, along with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, started a comedy podcast called SmartLess. In 2021, Arnett appeared in a live reenactment of an episode of The Facts of Life. He also joined the cast of the film Next Goal Wins in 2021. Arnett is also set to star in a new project called Is This Thing On?, which he will write.

Influences

Arnett has said that Steve Martin and Chevy Chase are his two biggest comedy inspirations.

Personal Life

Arnett lives in Los Angeles, California. He is a citizen of both Canada and the United States. He lived in New York City for 20 years before moving to Los Angeles. In 2015, he bought land in Beverly Hills and built a new home. In 2021, he sold that home and moved to Benedict Canyon.

Marriages and Family

Arnett has been married twice and has three children. He was briefly married to Penelope Ann Miller from 1994 to 1995.

He started dating Amy Poehler in 2000. They married on August 29, 2003. They have two sons, born in 2008 and 2010. Arnett and Poehler separated in 2012 and their divorce was finalized in 2016. During their marriage, they appeared together in several TV shows and movies. These include Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Blades of Glory.

Arnett began a relationship with Alessandra Brawn in 2019. They have one child together.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Honors and Recognition

In April 2007, talk show host Conan O'Brien and his writing team named Will Arnett as one of their favorite guests ever. He shared this honor with Norm Macdonald and Harland Williams.

Images for kids

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  Arnett in 2019

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  Arnett at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

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  Arnett at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2012

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  Arnett at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con promoting The Lego Batman Movie.

See also

In Spanish: Will Arnett para niños