Peter MacNicol

Joined the cast of Fox's "24" as a high-ranking government official

Cast as Dr. Larry Fleinhardt on "Numb3rs" (CBS)

Voiced X, the Eliminator in the animated series "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law"

Appeared in the PBS production "The Ponder Heart"

Voiced the title snowman in "Snowden's Christmas" (CBS) and Fido in "Olive the Other Reindeer" (Fox)

Made TV directorial debut with an episode of "Ally McBeal" (Fox)

Co-starred as a harried museum curator who mistakens a bumbling security guard (Rowan Atkinson) for an art expert in the boisterous comedy "Bean"

Joined cast of the hit Fox series "Ally McBeal" as law firm head John 'Biscuit' Cage; earned Emmy nominations in 1999, 2000 and 2001

Played Renfield to Leslie Nielsen's Transylvanian bloodsucker in Mel Brooks' spoof "Dracula: Dead and Loving It"

Returned to regular series work as hospital attorney Alan Birch on the David E. Kelley-produced medical drama "Chicago Hope" (CBS); asked to leave show after only one season; Kelley had character murdered in a surprise twist

Offered an hilarious turn as a peppy camp counselor (teamed on screen with Christine Baranski) in "Addams Family Values"

TV series debut as a regular as a US Senator's press aide in the Norman Lear-produced NBC sitcom "The Powers That Be"

Played a major supporting role as an art restorer with an impenetrable accent in the popular genre sequel, "Ghostbusters II"

TV-movie debut, "Johnny Bull" (ABC), starring Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst, directed by Claudia Weill; developed at the National Playwrights Conference of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center

Breakthrough movie role, Stingo, a playwright enamored of the title character (portrayed by Meryl Streep), in "Sophie's Choice"

Feature film debut as the star of the fantasy adventure "Dragonslayer"

Moved to New York City

NYC stage debut in the Off-Broadway production of Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart"; recreated role on Broadway

Acted for the first time at age nine; played a statue of St. Peter in a play (date approximate)

Did TV guest shots on "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Cheers"

Performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival, playing the title role in "Richard II"; also appeared in "Romeo and Juliet" and "Twelfth Night"

Raised in Dallas, Texas

Worked in regional theater including "Another Country" at the Long Wharf, "Tartuffe" at Alaska Rep, and "All the King's Men" at the Dallas Theater Center

Worked two seasons at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota