# Jim Rash

James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, 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. He attended Charlotte Latin School. After graduating, he spent a post-graduate year at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He was a member of The Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improv comedy group.

## Career

Rash played Mr. Grayson/Stitches in the 2005 film Sky High, Fenton on That '70s Show, 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. 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 commercial and critical 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 Queensbury 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.

## Personal life

Rash stated he came out "well over 10-plus years ago" during an interview promoting Bros in September 2022.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Auto Motives | Accountant | |
| 2002 | Hiding in Walls | Jane's Assistant | |
| 2002 | One Hour Photo | Amateur Porn Guy | |
| 2002 | Slackers | Head T.A. Philip | |
| 2002 | Minority Report | Technician | |
| 2002 | S1m0ne | Studio Executive | |
| 2003 | Wrong Hollywood Number | Caller | Short film |
| 2003 | George & Gracie | George | |
| 2005 | Sky High | Mr. Grayson/Stitches | |
| 2007 | Smiley Face | Talent Agency Secretary | |
| 2007 | 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 |
| 2015 | Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run | Cecil Turtle | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Dean of M.I.T. | Cameo |
| 2017 | Thoroughbreds | — | Producer |
| 2017 | Bernard and Huey | Bernard | |
| 2019 | Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs | Prince Average | Voice |
| 2020 | Downhill | — | Co-director and co-writer |
| 2020 | Lazy Susan | Phil | |
| 2021 | Long Weekend | Larry | |
| 2021 | Home Sweet Home Alone | Bell Choir Leader | |
| 2022 | Bros | Robert | |
| 2024 | Fly Me to the Moon | Lance Vespertine | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Cybill | Production Assistant | Episode: "Local Hero" |
| 1997 | Tracey Takes On... | Pollster | Episode: "Movies" |
| 1997–1998 | The Naked Truth | Harris Van Doren | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Working | Carl | Episode: "Good Val Hunting" |
| 1999 | Becker | Eddie Blatt | Episode: "Becker the Elder" |
| 1999 | Clueless | Bart | Episode: "Big Sissies" |
| 1999 | Katie Joplin | Mitchell Tuit | 7 episodes |
| 1999 | Thanks | Cotton | 6 episodes |
| 2000 | The Hughleys | Census Guy | Episode: "Scary Hughleys" |
| 2001 | Loomis | Derek | Pilot |
| 2001 | The Practice | Quimby | Episode: "Vanished: Part 1" |
| 2002 | Less Than Perfect | Rob McLyle | Episode: "Claude the Liar" |
| 2002–2006 | That '70s Show | Fenton | 6 episodes |
| 2003 | Alligator Point | | Pilot |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Todd Benton | Episode: "Random Acts of Violence" |
| 2003 | The Guardian | Court Therapist | Episode: "All the Rage" |
| 2003 | Baby Bob | Dougy | Episode: "Reality Bites" |
| 2003 | Coupling | Stalker | Episode: "Check/Mate" |
| 2003–2009, 2020 | Reno 911! | Andrew | 15 episodes |
| 2004 | Friends | Nervous Passenger on Plane | Episode: "The Last One" |
| 2004 | Grim & Evil | Various | Voice, Episode: "A Kick in the Asgard" |
| 2004 | NCIS | Dr. Joel Sanderson | Episode: "Left For Dead" |
| 2005 | Will & Grace | Brent | Episode: "Love is in the Airplane" |
| 2005 | Jake in Progress | Freddie Blake | Episode: "Rivals and Departures" |
| 2005 | Adopted | | Pilot; co-creator and executive producer |
| 2006 | Saturday Night Live | | Guest writer on episode "Dane Cook / The Killers" |
| 2006–2007 | Help Me Help You | Jonathan | 14 episodes |
| 2008 | Hackett | | Pilot |
| 2008 | Eli Stone | Bradley Kitsis | Episode: "I Want Your Sex" |
| 2008 | Samantha Who? | Artist | Episode: "The Gallery Show" |
| 2009, 2016 | American Dad! | Bouncer, Puddin' | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | 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 |
| 2011–2014 | The Soup | Various roles | 7 episodes |
| 2012 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | JR Kipple | Voice, episode: "The Night the Clown Cried II - Tears of Doom" |
| 2012 | The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange | Pineapple Joe | Voice, episode: "Follow the Bouncing Orange" |
| 2012–2013 | The Looney Tunes Show | Cecil Turtle | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Principal Slimovitz | Voice, 34 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | The Writers' Room | Himself (host) | 12 episodes; also producer |
| 2013–2014 | TripTank | Tony, Sir Ruthert, Cowboy Dad | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Glee | Lee Paulblatt | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2020 | Mike Tyson Mysteries | Marquess of Queensberry | Main voice role |
| 2015–2016 | 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" |
| 2016 | Lucifer | Richard Kester | Episode: "Et Tu, Doctor?" |
| 2016 | The Odd Couple | Joshua Norwall | Episode: "Chess Mates" |
| 2016 | Black-ish | Cody | Episode: "VIP" |
| 2016 | The Grinder | Bill Foosley | Episode: "The Retooling of Dean Sanderson" |
| 2017 | Girlboss | Mobias | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | SuperMansion | NASA Scientist | Voice, episode: "Blazarmageddon" |
| 2017 | Animals. | Chuckles | Voice, episode: "Cats Part I" |
| 2017 | Nobodies | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Hotel Day Manager | Episode: "The Pickle Gambit" |
| 2017 | Beyond Stranger Things | Himself (host) | 7 episodes |
| 2017 | Superior Donuts | Mr. Mathers | Episode: "Error of Admission" |
| 2017–2021 | DuckTales | Gyro Gearloose, Bulby, Gizmoduck Armor | Voice, 14 episodes |
| 2017, 2021 | Vampirina | Mr. Thornberg | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Blaze and the Monster Machines | Grandpa | Voice, episode: "The Pickle Family Campout" |
| 2018 | Great News | Fenton Pelt | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Big City Greens | Ted | Voice, episode: "Fill Bill" |
| 2018 | 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." |
| 2018 | Angie Tribeca | Philip Grammbbowski | Episode: "Trader Joes" |
| 2018–2020 | Star Wars Resistance | Flix, Pirate | Voice, 13 episodes |
| 2019–present | Harley Quinn | Edward Nygma/Riddler, various voices | Voice, 14 episodes |
| 2020 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Dr. Darren Watkins | Episode: "Pimemento" |
| 2020 | Archibald's Next Big Thing | Fritz | Episode: "The Royal Strutters/Impromptu Cruise" |
| 2020–2021 | American Housewife | Walker Montgomery | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Solar Opposites | Keith | Voice, episode: "The Solar Opposites Almost Get an Xbox" |
| 2021 | Impeachment: American Crime Story | Ken Bacon | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Tacoma FD | CEO Frank Drake | Episode: "Fire at the Fire Station" |
| 2022 | The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window | Flight Attendant | Episode: "Episode 8" |
| 2022 | Out of Office | Edward | Television film |
| 2023 | That '90s Show | Fenton | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | My Dad the Bounty Hunter | Fixer, various voices | Voice; recurring role |
| 2023 | The Ghost and Molly McGee | JR | Voice, episode: "Dance Dad Revolution" |
| 2023–Present | Krapopolis | Dionysus | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2023-2024 | Velma | Mayor Dave | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Kite Man: Hell Yeah! | Edward Nygma / Riddler | Voice |
| 2025 | Ironheart | Dean of M.I.T. | Upcoming series |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result |
| 2011 | Academy Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Descendants | Won |
| 2011 | BAFTA Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Descendants | Nominated |
| 2011 | Golden Globe Award | Best Screenplay | The Descendants | Nominated |
| 2011 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Screenplay | The Descendants | Won |
| 2011 | Writers Guild of America Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Descendants | Won |
| 2011 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | The Descendants | Nominated |
| 2012 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Community | Nominated |
| 2014 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Informational Series or Special | The Writers' Room | Nominated |