Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. After performing with numerous comedy troupes in the Chicago area during the 1980s, he made his film debut in Major League (1989). During the 1990s, Flynn had supporting roles in the films Rookie of the Year (1993), The Fugitive (1993), and Magnolia (1999).
After a starring voice role as XR on the ABC and UPN animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000–2001), Flynn had his breakout with a recurring, later main, role as the Janitor on the first eight seasons of the NBC and ABC medical sitcom Scrubs (2001–2009). Following his breakout, he had a starring role in the comedy film Hoot (2006) and supporting roles in the films Mean Girls (2004) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).
Flynn received further mainstream recognition for his main role as Mike Heck on the ABC sitcom The Middle (2009–2018), which earned him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016. In the late 2010s and 2020s, Flynn starred in the Christian comedy film The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (2017) and had a main role as Fred Herbert on the NBC sitcom Abby's (2019).
Early life and education Flynn was born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a devout Catholic household. He moved to Waukegan, Illinois, at an early age.
As a student at Waukegan East High School in 1978, he and Mike Shklair won an Illinois Individual Events championship for Humorous Duet Acting. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, acted in plays, and participated on the Bradley University Speech Team.
After graduating in 1982, Flynn returned to Chicago to pursue an acting career.
Career In Chicago, Flynn acted with the Goodman and Steppenwolf theaters. He was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award (Actor in a Principal Role, for The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, 1986). He also performed at the Improv Olympic and the Second City Comedy Troupe.
In 1998, he founded the improv team Beer Shark Mice with David Koechner, which was still active as of 2015.
Although his role on Scrubs had been to that point the most visible, he had other small roles in a variety of different TV shows and movies, including That '70s Show, Baby's Day Out, CSI, My Boys, Seinfeld, and Smallville.
In The Fugitive, he plays a Chicago police officer who is killed by the one-armed man, Frederick Sykes while he is fighting Dr. Richard Kimble. This role was used in a subplot of the Scrubs episode "My Friend the Doctor" when J.D. notices Flynn's character in the film and believes that Flynn's Janitor character is the actor in the film. In 2008, Flynn worked with Harrison Ford again, playing a suspicious law enforcement official as FBI agent Smith in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Flynn had a minor role in Mean Girls as the father of Lindsay Lohan's character. He then played the part of an anonymous police officer in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy; this scene was cut out of the final version of the film, though it can be viewed in the straight-to-DVD spin-off film Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, and in the deleted scenes of the Anchorman DVD. He had a minor role in Major League as a longshoreman and fan of the Cleveland Indians. Flynn had a role on Phil Hendrie's animated pilot that was not picked up by FOX.
He was also first baseman Stan Okie in the movie Rookie of the Year.
Flynn appeared in an episode of The Drew Carey Show, playing the fake husband of future Scrubs co-star Christa Miller. He appeared in an episode of Seinfeld, playing a police officer.
Scrubs For Scrubs, Flynn auditioned for the role of Dr. Cox but was given the role of Janitor, instead. He was originally only cast for the first episode ("My First Day"), but he became a regular, playing a character known only as the Janitor, who devotes much of his energy to menacing young Dr. John "J.D." Dorian. His name is not revealed in the series until the season 8 finale when, upon J.D.'s first time asking about it, he simply says his name is Glenn Matthews. This is also speculated to be false for two reasons: first after J.D. leaves the shot, an orderly addresses the Janitor as "Tommy"; and second, while watching The Fugitive with Carla and Danni (Dr. Cox's sister-in-law, played by Tara Reid) in the season 3 episode 'My Friend The Doctor', J.D. notices the real-life Flynn's character in the train scene. When the Janitor confirms he was in the movie at the end of the episode, some fans speculated the Janitor's name in Scrubs is Neil Flynn, but this was dismissed by Flynn in an interview. Flynn was a series regular with Scrubs through the first eight seasons. When Scrubs was canceled by NBC and subsequently picked up by ABC, he signed a second position one-year deal for Scrubs season 9, which would have allowed him to continue on Scrubs if his pilot The Middle was not picked up. The Middle pilot was picked up, but he appeared as a guest star in Scrubs season 9 premiere.
The Middle Flynn played the supporting role of lower-class dad Mike Heck on ABC's The Middle (2009–2018). The character had three children and worked at the Orson Limestone Quarry in rural central Indiana.
For his work on The Middle, Flynn was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards.
Voice-over work Flynn has also done voice acting for the animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, though he is better known for voicing the popular characters Skidd McMarx and the Plumber in the first three Ratchet & Clank games for the PlayStation 2. He also made 2 guest appearances in Kim Possible.
Flynn voiced the character Max Flush on the FOX TV show Bob's Burgers in the episode "O.T.: The Outside Toilet".
As of 2015, he was providing the voice of Chuck, the foster father of the title character in the DC Comics animated web series Vixen.
Honors and awards 2017: American Forensic Association National Events Tournament Distinguished Alumni Award
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1989 Major League Longshoreman 1993 Rookie of the Year Stan Okie The Fugitive Transit Cop 1994 Baby's Day Out Cop in the park The Fence Dominick 1996 Chain Reaction State Trooper Neimitz 1997 Home Alone 3 Police Officer #1 1999 Magnolia Stanley Berry 2000 The Right Temptation Max 2001 The Removers Alien Mask Man 2002 It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas MovieHimself 2003 Brainwarp Detective Jim Fist Direct-to-video 2004 Mean Girls Chip Heron Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Cop Deleted scenes 2006 Hoot Mr. Eberhart 2007 Sex and Death 101 Zack Alive and Well Joel 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull FBI Agent Paul Smith 2009 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Weather News Network Producer Voice 2017 The Resurrection of Gavin Stone Waylon Stone 2020 Superman: Man of Tomorrow Jonathan KentVoice20225-25-77Dr. Callahan2023UnexpectedRupert
Television Year Title Role Notes 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse LAPD Officer Episode: "Kung Fu: The Next Generation" Sable Real Security Guard Episode: "Copycat" 1989 Tour of Duty SEAL Episode: "Sealed with a Kiss" Doogie Howser, M.D. Policeman #1 Episode: "Pilot" 1996 To Sir, with Love II Detective Dennis Television film 1996–1997 Early Edition Cop, Kellaher, Marilyn 3 episodes 1997 Seinfeld Cop #1 Episode: "The Summer of George" 1998 The Drew Carey Show Scott Honey Episode: "Kate's Family" Ellen George Episode: "It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay World!" 1999 That '70s Show The Bouncer Episode: "The Velvet Rope" Sliders Officer Phil Episode: "Easy Slider" Chicago Hope John Derricks Episode: "Vigilance and Care" 2000 Then Came You Cop Episode: "Then Came the Monthiversary" Family Law Jack Lumberg Episode: "Telling Lies" 2000–2001 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command XR Voice, 24 episodes 2001 The District George Ryerson Episode: "Vigilante" Norm Lee Episode: "Norm vs. Deception" 2001–2009, 2026 Scrubs Janitor Main cast (seasons 2–8), recurring (season 1), guest (season 9–10) 2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Officer Yarnell Episode: "Identity Crisis" Boston Public Walter Andrews Episode: "Chapter Thirty-Four" NYPD Blue Kevin Healey Episode: "Low Blow" It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie Janitor Television film 2002–2003 Clone High Janitor; various voices 12 episodes 2003–2004 Smallville Pete Dinsmore 2 episodes2003-2007Kim PossibleBeta, Tweed2 episodes 2005 King of the Hill Turpin Voice, episode: "Arlen City Bomber" Love, Inc. Nathan Episode: "Love, Inc." 2006 Joey Father O'Neill 2 episodes My Boys Danny Finn Episode: "When Heroes Fall from Grace" Re-Animated Head of Appleday Board Television film 2007 The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show Hitchhiker Episode: "T-Bones TV" 2009 Monkey Talk Kevin Television film 2009–2018 The Middle Michael "Mike" Heck Main cast 2012–2015Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Mr. Bannister Voice, 4 episodes 2013 Bob's Burgers Max Flush Voice, episode: "O.T.: The Outside Toilet" 2014 Surviving Jack Sport Teacher Episode: "She Drives Me Crazy" Key & Peele Doctor Episode: "Sex Addict Wendell" 2015 Undateable Customer Episode: "A Live Episode Walks Into a Bar" Jeopardy! Himself 3 episodes 2019 Abby's Fred Main cast 2021 Chicago Party Aunt Old Man in Bar Voice, episode: "Ribs for Her Pleasure" 2022 Girls5eva Chris Dutkowsky Episode: "Can't Wait 2 Wait"2023 Lopez vs Lopez Steve Episode: "Lopez vs Neighbors" Clone High Janitor Episode: "Clone Alone" The Santa Clauses Donner Voice, episode: "The Kribble Krabble Clause" 2023–present Shrinking Raymond 5 episodes
Web Year Title Role Notes 2015–2016 Vixen Chuck McCabe Voice, 6 episodes2022PBCGeneral Wayne McGintyEpisode: "Queen of Ethics"
Video games Year Title Role 2002 Ratchet & Clank Plumber, Skid McMarx, Robot Lieutenant, Inventor, Foreman 2003 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Plumber 2004 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Plumber, Skid McMarx, Taxi Driver, Gary2011Batman: Arkham City at 8 minutes 33 seconds; "Sounds like a plan. Anyone got anything to smoke?"Inmate
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult1999National Board of Review AwardsBest Acting by an Ensemble Magnolia2016Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesThe Middle
References
External links
Cast biography at scrubstv.com Beer, Shark, Mice at iO WEST