Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawnis an American actor, voice actor, playwright, essayist and comedian. He is best known for appearing in film roles, such as Wally Shawn in the Louis Malle-directed comedy-drama My Dinner with Andre, Vizzini in The Princess Bride, Ezra in The Haunted Mansion, providing the voice of Rex in the Toy Story franchise, providing the voice of Gilbert Huph in The Incredibles, and providing the voice of Calico in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. He also...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth12 November 1943
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I never planned to be an actor. It turned out I could make a living doing it.
I spend most of my time thinking about things like laundry and buying stationery supplies.
I'm a very lucky man. It's a beautiful thing for a writer, to see people allowing your words to enter their own unconscious and their souls.
In my early 20s, I studied history and politics, and I really thought that perhaps I would devote my life to that.
My father was a jazz listener, and I think, at least before I was 5, I was not so into that. Although there were records that emphasized percussion that I liked, like Baby Dodds.
'The Princess Bride' is by far the most popular film I've ever done. I don't think I'll ever top it.
I wrote my first play at the age of 10, 55 years ago, and I've always found it a fantastic relief to imagine I know what things would be like from the point of view of other individuals and to send out signals from where I actually am not. Playwrights never need to write from the place where they are.
I'm not proud to be me, I'm not excited to be me, but I find that I am me, and like most other individuals, I send out little signals; I tell everyone else how everything looks from where I am.
In real life, every person is the leading man or woman. We don't think of ourselves as supporting or character actors.
I have an enormous appetite to see life as I know it presented in front of my eyes.
I don't see that many plays, and for me, musicals are rarely pleasing.
I know that I am one and I've made a living as an actor and I enjoy being an actor, but when I'm not actually doing it, I forget that I do it.
I never grew up thinking, 'One day I will play so and so' because I wasn't expecting to be an actor at all.
I don't have a television, and I'm just not too up on television.