Biography
Peter MacNicol is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play Crimes of the Heart. His film roles include Galen in Dragonslayer (1981), Stingo in Sophie's Choice (1982), Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II (1989), camp counselor Gary Granger in Addams Family Values (1993), and David Langley in Bean (1997).
MacNicol was born in Dallas, Texas, on April 10, 1954. He attended the University of Dallas and the University of Minnesota, where he studied theater. After graduating, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.
MacNicol made his Broadway debut in 1981 in the play Crimes of the Heart. He won a Theatre World Award for his performance. He went on to appear in a number of other Broadway productions, including The Real Thing (1984), The Crucible (1996), and The Pillowman (2005).
MacNicol has also had a successful career in film and television. He has appeared in a number of films, including Sophie's Choice (1982), Ghostbusters II (1989), Addams Family Values (1993), and Bean (1997). He is best known for his role as the eccentric lawyer John Cage in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal (1997β2002), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001.
MacNicol has also appeared in a number of other television shows, including 24 (2001), Numbers (2005), and Veep (2012-2019). He is a versatile actor who has shown his range in a variety of roles.
MacNicol is married to Martha Cumming, and they have two children. He is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.
Filmography (76)
Shell
2025
All's Fair
2025
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
2024
Home Delivery
2024
Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story
2023
All Rise
2019
Secret of the Sundrop
2018
A Series of Unfortunate Events
2017
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
2017
CSI: Cyber
2015
Star Wars Rebels
2014
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright
2013
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2013
Game Change
2012
Battleship
2012
The Mindy Project
2012
Doc McStuffins
2012
Veep
2012
Fairly Legal
2011
Young Justice
2010
G.I. Joe: Renegades
2010
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
2010
The Spectacular Spider-Man: Attack of the Lizard
2008
The Spectacular Spider-Man
2008
The Big Bang Theory
2007
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
2005
Numb3rs
2005
American Dad!
2005
Grey's Anatomy
2005
Breakin' All the Rules
2004
Danny Phantom
2004
Boston Legal
2004
Justice League Unlimited
2004
The Batman
2004
The Lyon's Den
2003
Balto: Wolf Quest
2002
Recess: School's Out
2001
24
2001
The Pooch and the Pauper
2000
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
2000
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
2000
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
1999
Baby Geniuses
1999
Olive, the Other Reindeer
1999
Snowden's Christmas
1999
Silencing Mary
1998
The Wild Thornberrys
1998
CatDog
1998
Bean
1997
Ally McBeal
1997
The Angry Beavers
1997
Mojave Moon
1996
Abducted: A Father's Love
1996
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
1995
Roswell
1994
Radioland Murders
1994
Chicago Hope
1994
Addams Family Values
1993
Housesitter
1992
Hard Promises
1992
The Powers That Be
1992
By Dawn's Early Light
1990
Ghostbusters II
1989
American Blue Note
1989
Tales from the Crypt
1989
Voices & Visions: Walt Whitman
1988
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
1987
Heat
1986
Johnny Bull
1986
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984
Sophie's Choice
1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
Cheers
1982
Dragonslayer
1981
Floss
Spider-Man: Re-Animated