Fred Melamed

Early life Melamed was born in Queens, New York, the product of a brief love affair between Nancy Zala, an actress and director, and Stan Silverstone, a British psychoanalyst. He was adopted by a secular Jewish family, Louis Melamed, a Manhattan television producer, and his wife, Syma (Krichefsky) Melamed, a sometime actress and housewife. His biological father was a relative of the prominent Adler acting family, including Luther and Stella Adler. He attended the Hunter College Elementary School, a primary school for gifted children, and Riverdale Country School.

His father worked with the TV pioneer Nat Hiken on such shows as Car 54, Where Are You? and The Phil Silvers Show. When he was sixteen, his family had financial difficulties, and was forced to move to Hollywood, Florida. Melamed has said that he was raised in a non-believer Jewish family who never went to synagogue, except to attend a cousin's bar mitzvah. When he was asked if he wanted to attend Hebrew school, he said no, and thus had no religious training. However, he credits his non-religious upbringing as helping him to develop a belief in God later in life, as he had no "forced dogma to overcome".

Melamed's voice became a familiar presence on television, serving as the sound of the Olympics, Mercedes-Benz, CBS Sports, USA Network, the Super Bowl, and numerous commercials and television programs. He became known within the industry as a voice actor, appearing in the Grand Theft Auto series, and dubbing several actors' entire performances in films.

Melamed's feature film debut was in Marshall Brickman's 1983 romantic comedy, Lovesick, starring Dudley Moore and Elizabeth McGovern. Melamed's second film was Woody Allen's comedy-drama Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In addition, Melamed has prolifically appeared in other Allen films. He has appeared in more Allen movies than any other actor besides Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow (and Allen himself). He has appeared in Radio Days (1987), Another Woman (1988), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Shadows and Fog (1991), Husbands and Wives (1992), and Hollywood Ending (2000). During the 1980s Melamed played significant supporting roles in Roland Joffé's religious epic The Mission (1986), Elaine May's comedy Ishtar (1987). Also in 1987, he appeared in Peter Yates' legal mystery thriller Suspect (1987) starring Cher, Dennis Quaid, and Liam Neeson as well as the romantic comedy The Pick-up Artist starring Robert Downey Jr. and Molly Ringwald. The following year he appeared in The Good Mother (1988), opposite Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson.

2010s For his portrayal of "sensitive" villain Sy Ableman, in Joel and Ethan Coen's 2009 film, A Serious Man, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2010 Academy Awards, he became widely known.

2020s Melamed joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in WandaVision as Arthur Hart, Vision's boss. In 2020 he appeared in Emma Seligman's directorial debut Shiva Baby. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received critical acclaim. The following year he appeared in Nikole Beckwith's pregnancy comedy Together Together starring Ed Helms, and Patti Harrison. The film also received critical plaudits. In 2021, Melamed was named by a host of prominent critics and film professionals in Vulture and New York Magazine as one of "The 32 Greatest Character Actors Working Today".

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1983 Lovesick Psychoanalyst 1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Dr. Grey The Mission Cabeza Voice; special thanks The Manhattan Project Assay Technician 1987 Radio Days Bradley Uncredited Ishtar The Caid of Assari The Pick-up Artist George Suspect Morty Rosenthal 1988 Sticky Fingers The Cop Voice; Uncredited The Good Mother Dr. Payne Another Woman Engagement Party Guest / Patient Voices 1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors The Dean Uncredited 1991 Shadows and Fog Undesirables Onlooker 1992 Husbands and Wives Mel Uncredited 2002 Hollywood Ending Pappas 2009 A Serious Man Sy Ableman 2011 Interpersonal Exopolitics Hank Short film 2012 The Dictator Head Nuclear Scientist Fred Won't Move Out Bob 2013 In a World... Sam Hair Brained Benny Greenberg Blumenthal Jimmy Basmati 2014 Get On Up Syd Nathan Adult Beginners Story Book Reader Voice Some Kind of Beautiful Victor Piggott 2015 Raise the ToyGantic Irving Goldbath Short film You Are Whole Norman Short film Bone Tomahawk Clarence The Dazzling Darling Sisters Leo Reznik Short film 2016 Hail, Caesar! Communist Writer Passengers Observatory Voice Kid Gambled The Repair Man Short film 2017 Lemon Howard Chicanery Arthur Schekner Brawl in Cell Block 99 Mr. Irving 2018 The Spy Who Dumped Me Roger Silver Lake Howard Dragged Across Concrete Mr. Edmington Killer Black RK Sherwood Short film 2019 Lying and Stealing Dimitri The Vigil Dr. Kohlberg 2020 Shiva Baby Joel 2021 Together Together Marty Barking Mad Diego Fiesta Rumble The Mayor Voice 2022 Diary of a Spy James 2023 Cat Person Dr. Resnick Peak Season George Friedman Fuzzy Head The Quadruped 2024 Little Death Augustus 2025 Easy's Waltz Roger Don't Trip Scott Lefkowitz 2026 Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Frank TBA Father Joe TBA Post-production The Bookie & the Bruiser TBA Filming

Television Year Title Role Notes 1981–1982 One Life to Live Alberto Cervantes Soap opera 1989 Another World Crazed Homeless Man 1 episode 1990 America Tonight Announcer Voice 1991–1993 Silk Stalkings Announcer Voice; 54 episodes 1992–1996 FTL Newsfeed The Alien Presence Voice 1998–2003 The NFL Today Announcer Voice 2000–2001 Courage the Cowardly Dog The Magic Tree of NowhereSpirit of the Harvest MoonVarious characters Voice; 12 episodes 2005 Wonder Pets! The Magician Voice; Episode: "The Amazing Ollie" 2010 Law & Order Judge Bertram Hill Episode: "Steel-Eyed Death" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dan Goldberg Episode: "Merchandise" 2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Dr. Thurgood Episode: "Mister Softee" 2011–2014 The Good Wife Judge Alan Karpman 3 episodes 2012 30 Rock Jack Voice; Episode: "There's No I in America" 2013 Two Wrongs Steven Pilot 2013–2014 The Crazy Ones Himself 2 episodes2014 Benched Judge Nelson 5 episodes Superior Living Marty Voice; Pilot 2015 Girls Avi Mensusen Episode: "Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shanaz" House of Lies Harvey Oberholt 4 episodes Childrens Hospital Leonard Hillman Episode: "With Great Power..." Married Professor Donald Holt Episode: "1997" 2015–2016 Blunt Talk Dr. Mendelson 3 episodes 2015–2018 Casual Charles Cole 8 episodes 2016 New Girl J. Cronkite Valley-Forge 3 episodes The Detour Conquistadors' Announcer Voice; Episode: "The Restaurant" 2016–2017 Lady Dynamite Bruce Ben-Bacharach 20 episodes Brooklyn Nine-Nine D.C. Parlov 2 episodes 2017 Trial & Error Howard Mankiewicz 2 episodes Fargo Howard Zimmerman Episode: "The Law of Non-Contradiction" 2017–2018 Adventure Time Gumbald Voice; 7 episodes 2018 Life in Pieces Dr. Dave Collins Episode: "Parents Ancestry Coupon Chaperone" Please Understand Me Dr. Rick Episode: "Dr. Rick" 2018–2020 Superstore Richard Simms 2 episodes 2019 Black Monday Not Michael Milken #2 Episode: "Not the Predator's Ball" Summer Camp Island Monk ReceptionistAdditional characters Voice; Episode: "Radio Silence" Room 104 Narrator Voice; Episode: "Drywall Guys" The Morning Show Neal Altman 2 episodes 2020 Medical Police Dr. Richard Waters 6 episodes 2020–2021 Viral Vignettes Neal 3 episodes 2021 WandaVision Todd Davis / "Arthur Hart" Episode: "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" Impeachment: American Crime Story Bill Ginsburg 3 episodes The Harper House Roderick Shipdown Voice; Episode: "Making the Lie Real" F Is for Family Dr. Erwin Goldman Voice; 5 episodes 2022–2023 Barry Tom Posorro 9 episodes 2022 The Mysterious Benedict Society Captain Noland 2 episodes Reboot Alan 5 episodes 2023 The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib Russ Tisdale Voice; 4 episodes 2024 Clipped Scaramouche Episode: "Winning Ugly" Solar OppositesThe Supreme AdjudicatorVoice; Episode: "The Clervixian Dinner Helmets" Doctor Odyssey Jerry Manafort Episode: "Quackers" 2025 Sausage Party: Foodtopia Baked Bean Cans Voice; episode: "Twelfth Course" 2026 Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness William Henry Harrison Episode: "Lawrence"

Theatre Year Title Role Playwright Venue 1981–1983 Amadeus Priest Count Orsini-Rosenberg Peter Shaffer Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 2011 Relatively Speaking The Father Woody Allen Elaine May Ethan Coen Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway 2012 Uncle Vanya Vanya Anton Chekhov John Drew Theatre at Guild Hall

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 1998–2003 NCAA Football series Announcer 1999 The Multipath Adventures of Superman Lex Luthor 2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Cris Formage 2013 Grand Theft Auto V Cris Formage 2013 Grand Theft Auto Online Cris Formage 2014 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Male Atarias 2018 Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion Gumbald 2018 Fallout 76 Senator Joel Chambers, Red Nuclear Winter DLC 2026 High on Life 2 The Blue Wizard

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2009 Village Voice Film Poll Best Supporting Actor A Serious Man Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Performance Boston Society of Film Critics Best Ensemble Cast 2010 Independent Spirit Awards Robert Altman Award 2014 Voice Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Body of work 2021 Studio City Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast Barking Mad New York International Film Festival Best Acting (Duo) Jack's Inferno 2022 Crown Point International Film Festival Best Ensemble Viral Vignettes 2023 Riverside International Film Festival Best Ensemble Deadly Draw Vegas Movie Awards Best Supporting Actor Deadly Draw 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Barry