James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He played Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012.
He co-wrote The Descendants (2011) alongside Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon for which they received the Academy Award, Independent Spirit Award and Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. They were also nominated for the BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics' Choice Movie Award. Rash has since, with Faxon, written and directed the comedy films The Way, Way Back (2013), and Downhill (2020).
Early life Rash grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both he and his sister were adopted.Interview with Paul F. Tompkins, 'Speakeasy' He attended Charlotte Latin School. After graduating, he spent a post-graduate year at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994.
Career Rash played Mr. Grayson/Stitches in the 2005 film Sky High, Fenton on That '70s Show and That '90s Show, and Andrew the "whore house guy" on Reno 911!. He appeared in the final episode of Friends, and played Head T.A. Philip in Slackers. From 2009 to 2015, Rash starred on Community as Craig Pelton, the dean of the community college in which the show takes place.
Rash and comedy partner Nat Faxon moved into screenwriting with a pilot in 2005 for a series entitled Adopted, which did not take off.Profile , charlotteobserver.com; accessed October 6, 2017. They wrote the screenplay for The Descendants (2011), based on the novel of the same name, which appeared on the 2008 edition of the Black List (the most popular unproduced scripts in Hollywood at that time). The film was released to critical acclaim, receiving a Golden Globe nomination and winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Both Rash and Faxon co-wrote and co-directed the film The Way Way Back (2013), which received a standing ovation at its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Parts of the film are based on Rash's teenage life. The ensemble comedy starred Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, and Sam Rockwell. The film was a success, earning a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy nomination.
In 2020, Rash and Faxon reunited for Downhill, an adaptation of the film Force Majeure (2014) by Swedish director Ruben Östlund. The film starred Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Rash and Faxon co-wrote the script with Jesse Armstrong. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival where it received mixed reviews, with critics comparing the film to the original.
Rash has voiced the Marquess of Queensberry for all four seasons of the Adult Swim animated comedy Mike Tyson Mysteries. From 2017 to 2021, he voiced Gyro Gearloose in the reboot of DuckTales. In 2023, Rash voiced the Fixer, the enforcer for the Conglomerate and recurring character in My Dad the Bounty Hunter. He also voiced a video game announcer in the same series.
In 2026, Rash wrote and directed Miss You, Love You starring Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells.
Personal life Rash is gay. During a September 2022 interview promoting Bros, he stated he came out "well over 10-plus years ago".
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2000 Auto Motives Accountant 2002 Hiding in Walls Jane's Assistant One Hour Photo Amateur Porn Guy Slackers Head T.A. Philip Minority Report Technician S1m0ne Studio Executive 2003 Wrong Hollywood Number Caller Short film George & Gracie George 2005 Sky High Mr. Grayson/Stitches 2007 Smiley Face Talent Agency Secretary Balls of Fury Techie 2008 The Onion Movie Bryce's Manager 2009 The Slammin' Salmon Disgruntled Businessman 2011 The Descendants Co-writer 2013 The Way Way Back Lewis Also co-writer, co-director and executive producer 2014 Yellowbird Karl Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 2015 Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run Cecil Turtle Voice, direct-to-video 2016 Captain America: Civil War Professor Wilkes Cameo 2017 Thoroughbreds Producer Bernard and Huey Bernard 2019 Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs Prince Average Voice2020 Downhill Co-director and co-writer Lazy Susan Phil 2021 Long Weekend Larry Home Sweet Home Alone Bell Choir Leader 2022 Bros Robert 2024 Fly Me to the Moon Lance Vespertine 2026 Miss You, Love You Director, writer
Television Year Title Role Notes 1995 Cybill Production Assistant Episode: "Local Hero" 1997 Tracey Takes On... Pollster Episode: "Movies" 1997–98 The Naked Truth Harris Van Doren 3 episodes 1998 Working Carl Episode: "Good Val Hunting"1999 Becker Eddie Blatt Episode: "Becker the Elder" Clueless Bart Episode: "Big Sissies" Katie Joplin Mitchell Tuit 7 episodes Thanks Cotton 6 episodes 2000 The Hughleys Census Guy Episode: "Scary Hughleys"2001 Loomis Derek Pilot The Practice Quimby Episode: "Vanished: Part 1" 2002 Less Than Perfect Rob McLyle Episode: "Claude the Liar" 2002–06 That '70s Show Fenton 6 episodes2003 Alligator Point Pilot CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Todd Benton Episode: "Random Acts of Violence" The Guardian Court Therapist Episode: "All the Rage" Baby Bob Dougy Episode: "Reality Bites" Coupling Stalker Episode: "Check/Mate" 2003–09, 2020 Reno 911! Andrew 15 episodes2004 Friends Nervous Passenger on Plane Episode: "The Last One" Grim & Evil Various Voice, Episode: "A Kick in the Asgard" NCIS Dr. Joel Sanderson Episode: "Left For Dead"2005 Will & Grace Brent Episode: "Love is in the Airplane" Jake in Progress Freddie Blake Episode: "Rivals and Departures" Adopted Pilot; co-creator and executive producer 2006 Saturday Night Live Guest writer on episode "Dane Cook / The Killers" 2006–07 Help Me Help You Jonathan 14 episodes 2008 Hackett Pilot Eli Stone Bradley Kitsis Episode: "I Want Your Sex" Samantha Who? Artist Episode: "The Gallery Show" 2009, 2016 American Dad! Bouncer, Puddin' Voice, 2 episodes 2009–15 Community Dean Craig Pelton 90 episodes; also wrote "Basic Human Anatomy" co-directed 2 episodes 2010 Open Books Kyle Pilot 2011 Worst. Prom. Ever. Pizza Pete Television film 2011–14 The Soup Various roles 7 episodes 2012 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated JR Kipple Voice, episode: "The Night the Clown Cried II - Tears of Doom" The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange Pineapple Joe Voice, episode: "Follow the Bouncing Orange" 2012–13 The Looney Tunes Show Cecil Turtle Voice, 2 episodes 2012–15 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Principal Slimovitz Voice, 34 episodes2013–14 The Writers' Room Himself (host) 12 episodes; also producer TripTank Tony, Sir Ruthert, Cowboy Dad Voice, 3 episodes 2013, 2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Various roles 2 episodes 2014–15 Glee Lee Paulblatt 2 episodes 2014–20 Mike Tyson Mysteries Marquess of Queensberry Main voice role 2015–16 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Sinker Voice, 2 episodes 2015 Rick and Morty Glaxo Slimslom Voice, episode: "Big Trouble In Little Sanchez"2016 Dr. Ken Devon Drake Episode: "Ken's an Expert Witness" Lucifer Richard Kester Episode: "Et Tu, Doctor?" The Odd Couple Joshua Norwall Episode: "Chess Nuts" The Grinder Bill Foosley Episode: "The Retooling of Dean Sanderson" Black-ish Cody Episode: "VIP"2017 Girlboss Mobias 4 episodes SuperMansion NASA Scientist Voice, episode: "Blazarmageddon" Animals. Chuckles Voice, episode: "Cats Part I" Nobodies Himself 5 episodes Curb Your Enthusiasm Hotel Day Manager Episode: "The Pickle Gambit" Beyond Stranger Things Himself (host) 7 episodes Superior Donuts Mr. Mathers Episode: "Error of Admission" 2017–21 DuckTales Gyro Gearloose, Bulby, Gizmoduck Armor Voice, 14 episodes 2017, 2021 Vampirina Mr. Thornberg Voice, 2 episodes 2018, 2024 Blaze and the Monster Machines Grandpa Pickle Voice, 2 episodes2018 Great News Fenton Pelt 2 episodes Big City Greens Ted Voice, episode: "Fill Bill" The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants Mr. Jerry Citizen Voice, episode: "Captain Underpants and the Jarring Jerkiness of the Judge J.O.R.T.S." Angie Tribeca Philip Grammbbowski Episode: "Trader Joes" 2018–20 Star Wars Resistance Flix, Pirate Voice, 13 episodes 2019–25 Harley Quinn Edward Nygma/Riddler, various voices Voice, 17 episodes2020 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Dr. Darren Watkins Episode: "Pimemento" Archibald's Next Big Thing Fritz Episode: "Impromptu Cruise" 2020–21 American Housewife Walker Montgomery 6 episodes 2021 Impeachment: American Crime Story Ken Bacon 4 episodes 2021–23 Tacoma FD CEO Frank Drake 2 episodes 2021–25 Solar Opposites Keith, Lance, Waiter Voice, 2 episodes2022 The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window Flight Attendant Episode: "Episode 8" Out of Office Edward Television film2023 My Dad the Bounty Hunter Fixer, various voices Voice, recurring role The Ghost and Molly McGee JR Voice, episode: "Dance Dad Revolution" 2023–25 Krapopolis Dionysus Voice, 4 episodes2023–24 That '90s Show Fenton 2 episodes Velma Mayor Dave Voice, 6 episodes Baby Shark's Big Show! Bentley, BeardVoice, 4 episodes 2024 Loot Emil Episode: "Mally's" Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Edward Nygma / Riddler Voice, episode: "Pilot, Hell Yeah!"2025 Ironheart Professor Wilkes Episode: "Take Me Home" Ballard Leo3 episodes Haunted Hotel Additional voices Voice, episode: "Ghost Hunters!"2025–26 Abbott Elementary Thomas 3 episodes Chibiverse Gyro Gearloose Voice, 2 episodes2026 Shifting Gears Damien Episode: "Friend" Strip Law 3 episodes Animal Control Arnie Episode: "Squirrels and Fat Cats" 2026-present President Curtis Special Agent Francis O'Doyle Voice
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Project Result2011 Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplay The Descendants 2011 BAFTA Award Best Adapted Screenplay 2011 Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay 2011 Independent Spirit Award Best Screenplay 2011 Writers Guild of America Award Best Adapted Screenplay 2011 Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Adapted Screenplay 2012 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Community 2014 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Informational Series or Special The Writers' Room
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