Thomas McGowan (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He first became known for his stage career both on and off Broadway. In 1991, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut performance in La Bête. In 2011, McGowan was chosen to step into the role of the Wizard in Wicked on Broadway. In 2014, McGowan starred in Harvey Fierstein's original Broadway play Casa Valentina which was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Since then he has appeared in the Broadway revivals of She Loves Me (2016) and Kiss Me, Kate (2019).
He is also known for his recurring role on the Emmy Award winning NBC show Frasier, as KACL station manager Kenny Daly. He has also appeared on a variety of shows including Everybody Loves Raymond, The Practice, ER, Desperate Housewives, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, Veep and The Good Fight.
He has appeared in films such as Heavyweights, Sleepless in Seattle, The Birdcage, As Good as It Gets, True Crime, Ghost World, and Bad Santa.
Career On Broadway he appeared in La Bête (1991), for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. Off Broadway, he won an Obie Award for his performance in Nicky Silver's play The Food Chain. He played the role of Pat Finley in the 1995 movie Heavyweights and the role of Patrick Fisher in the 2006 movie Twelve and Holding. He also portrayed Wally in the unaired 1997 Dilbert pitch pilot.https://defector.com/i-watched-the-lost-live-action-dilbert-pilot-episode
McGowan has been performing the role of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in various companies of Wicked since 2009. He first played the Wizard in the original Second National Tour production, beginning March 7, 2009."Dodd, Yorke, Caskey and McGowan to Star in Wicked's Second North American Tour" , playbill.com, February 9, 2009 He finished with the touring company on December 6, 2009, transferring to the San Francisco production, playing the Wizard from December 22, 2009, through September 5, 2010, when the production closed. He then returned to the Second National Tour, resuming performances on January 11, 2011, and concluding his performances on the tour on April 17, 2011. McGowan joined the Broadway company of the show from May 3, 2011, through February 5, 2012. Thereafter, he moved to the show's First National Tour, playing the role from August 2012 through April 2013. He has since performed the role on Broadway intermittently, including from August 13, 2013, through February 22, 2014, and onward from July 15, 2014. McGowan played the role in the West End production of the show from September 21, 2015, through March 12, 2016.
McGowan was in the 2016 Broadway revival of She Loves Me as Ladislav Sipos. McGowan played the character Falstaff in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre in August 2023.
Personal life McGowan grew up in Belmar, New Jersey.Marks, Peter. "On Stage, and Off", The New York Times, September 8, 1995. Accessed August 9, 2008. "Fortunately, the 36-year-old actor, a native of Belmar, N.J., needs a lot of padding on his 200-plus-pound frame to play Otto, whose eating compulsion feeds into one of the central themes of Nicky Silver's new comedy, which opened last month to largely enthusiastic reviews." He graduated from Belmar's St. Rose High School in 1977. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Hofstra University and the Yale School of Drama, from which he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1988. He and his wife, Cathy, have a son, Mark (born May 5, 1992) and a daughter, Mary (born February 10, 1995).
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1992 The Last of the Mohicans Rich Merchant 1992 Captain Ron Bill 1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer Reporter 1993 Sleepless in Seattle Keith 1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Alexander Woollcott 1995 Heavyweights Pat Finley 1996 The Birdcage Harry Radman 1997 Cold Around the Heart Gun Store Man 1997 As Good as It Gets Maitre D' 1997 Bean: The Movie Walter Huntley 1999 True Crime Tom Donaldson 2000 The Family Man Bill 2001 Ghost World Joe 2003 Bad Santa Harrison 2004 Dog Gone Love Star 2004 After the Sunset Ed 2005 12 and Holding Patrick Fisher 2009 Just Peck Mr. Kuhner 2015 Freeheld William Johnson 2016 She Loves Me Ladislav Sipos Filmed production
Television Year Title Role Notes1992–93 Down the Shore Eddie Cheever 29 episodes1994 Coach Edgar Episode: "Be a Good Sport"1994 Monty Clifford Walker 13 episodes 1996 The Show George Hart 4 episodes1996–97 Sabrina, The Teenage Witch Principal Larue 3 episodes1996–2004 Everybody Loves Raymond Bernie 17 episodes1997 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show RandyEpisode: "Honey, I Shrunk the Science Dude"1998 The Practice William Wright Episode: "The Pursuit of Dignity"1998–2004 Frasier Kenny Daly 42 episodes1999 Snoops Dirty Marty 2 episodes1999–2000 ER Joe Bernero 2 episodes2000 Bull Johnny Walker Episode: "In The Course of Human Events"2001 Welcome to New York Joe Gaffigan Episode: "The Brother"2001 King of the Hill David (voice) Episode: "Hank's Back Story"2001 The Huntress Ollie Drake Episode: "With Great Power"2001 Curb Your Enthusiasm John Tyler Episode: "The Thong"2003 The Pitts Officer Peltz Episode: "Squarewolves"2003 Judging Amy Mr. Moran Episode: "Picture of Perfect"2004 Complete Savages Reverend Dave Episode: "Carnival Knowledge"2004 Oliver Beene Bob "Simon Says" Brooks Episode: "Catskills"2004 8 Simple Rules Frank Episode: "Thanksgiving Guest"2005 Reba InspectorEpisode: "As Is"2005–07 The War at Home Joe 11 episodes2006 Just Legal Jeff Jacobs Episode: "The Bar"2006 Play Nice Performer TV movie2007 Hannah Montana Leo Episode: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get the Phone"2007 Brothers & Sisters Luther Reeves Episode: "An American Family" 2007 Boston Legal Noris Milk Episode: "Green Christmas"2008 Greek FredEpisode: "47 Hours and 11 Minutes"2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mark Episode: "Two and a Half Deaths"2009 Eli Stone Donnie GriffithsEpisode: "Sonoma"2010 Desperate Housewives Mayor Franklin Episode: "Down the Block There's a Riot"2011 Hot in Cleveland Robert Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor" 2012 Modern Family Principal Roth Episode: "Schooled"2015 Veep Congressman Moyes Episode: "B/ill" 2017 The Good Fight Jax Rindell 5 episodes2020 One Royal Holiday Ed Jordan TV movie2022 American Auto Ed Episode: "Earnings Call"2024 Doctor OdysseyBurt Episode: "Pilot"2025Sub/liminal
Theatre Year Title Role Venue Notes1988 Coriolanus Ensemble The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1989 The Winter's Tale Clown The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1991 La Bête Valere Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway 1995 The Food Chain Otto Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway 1997 Ivanov Mikhail Borkin Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway1998-2000 Chicago Amos Hart (replacement) Shubert Theatre (Broadway) 2002 A Few Stout Individuals Adam Badeau Peter Norton Space, Off-Broadway2009 Wicked The Wizard of Oz (replacement) US Tour2009-2010 The Wizard of Oz Orpheum Theatre2011 The Wizard of Oz (replacement) US Tour2011-2014 The Gershwin Theatre, Broadway2014 Casa Valentina Bessie Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway2014-2015 Wicked The Wizard of Oz (replacement) The Gershwin Theatre, Broadway2015-2016 Apollo Victoria Theatre, West End2016 She Loves Me Ladislav Sipos (replacement) Studio 54, Broadway 2017-2018 Wicked The Wizard of Oz (replacement) US Tour2019 Kiss Me, Kate Gangster / Second Man (replacement) Studio 54, Broadway2023 The Merry Wives of Windsor Falstaff The Old Globe, San Diego2024 Wicked The Wizard of Oz (replacement) US Tour2025 The Gershwin Theatre, Broadway
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1991 Tony Awards Best Actor in a Play La Bête Drama Desk Awards Best Actor in a Play Outer Critics Circle Award Best Debut Performance 1996 Obie Award Best Performance The Food Chain
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