Jeff McCarthy

Jeffrey Charles McCarthy (born October 16, 1954) is an American actor and director.

Early life and education McCarthy was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Santa Maria near the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, where he studied and performed for several seasons in the 1970s. He completed the masters program in acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before becoming a company member.

Career Stage In 1983, he debuted on Broadway, replacing Robert Westenberg playing opposite Anthony Quinn in Zorba. McCarthy played Bob Freelander in Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Ashman's ill-fated Smile, which opened on Broadway in November 1986. He played Terry in the original Broadway cast of Side Show in 1997, recorded for Sony Music. He is perhaps best known in the theater for his creation of Officer Lockstock in the Broadway production of Urinetown, which opened on Broadway in September 2001. From 1995 - 97, McCarthy played the "Beast" in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast . He later returned to the role for a limited engagement lasting from February through April 2004. He also played King Triton in a workshop for Disney's stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid. McCarthy played Dubhdara in the musical The Pirate Queen which opened on Broadway in April 2007. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, McCarthy played Billy Flynn in Chicago, the long-running Broadway revival. McCarthy created the role of Lola Cola in the premiere of the bluegrass musical, Southern Comfort which opened at the Off-Broadway Public Theater in March 2016.

In February 2017 at the Off-Broadway 59E59 Theaters, McCarthy created the title character in Jeffrey Sweet's Kunstler about the radical civil rights attorney, William Kunstler." By popular demand, he went on to play the role in the Barrington Stage Company (Pittfield, Massachusetts) production, which opened in May 2017. (McCarthy is an associate artist at the Barrington Stage Company.)

In 2012, McCarthy played the title role in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Madison Square Garden.

McCarthy has worked extensively in regional theater playing leading roles at The Guthrie, Long Wharf Theater, Arena Stage, Barrington Stage, ACT San Francisco, Denver Center Theater and others. Some of his notable regional credits include Fagin in Oliver!, the title role in Sweeney Todd, Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Don Quixote / Miguel de Cervantes in Man of La Mancha, Frank Abagnale, Sr. in Catch Me If You Can, King Arthur in Camelot, Harold Hill in The Music Man, the title role in Sunday in the Park with George, and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls.

His touring credits include Javert in Les Misérables, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, the title role in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, and Billy Flynn in Chicago. He appeared on The Good Wife (2010), Elementary (2016), and Madam Secretary (2017). In 2011, David Letterman created a running bit for McCarthy who played a politician who, in the middle of primary season, announces on the Late Show that he will run for President of the United States. McCarthy also portrayed the Nature Documentary Voice in an episode in the first season of the Apple TV+ thriller series Severance (2022).

Film McCarthy has played various roles in films including Andrew Wagner's drama Starting Out in the Evening (2007) with Frank Langella, as Mark in Consent (2010) opposite Kate Burton, RoboCop 2 (1990) playing Holtzgang, the lawyer representing the company that built RoboCop, Eve of Destruction (1991) as Young Bill Simmons, Agent Anderson in Rapid Fire (1992), and a Pilot in Cliffhanger (1993).

McCarthy was chosen by Chuck Jones to be the voice of Michigan J. Frog in his 1995 Another Froggy Evening, a sequel to the original 1955 cartoon One Froggy Evening. McCarthy went on to voice Michigan J. Frog, "spokesphibian" for the WB Television Network.

Directing He has directed stage and film productions, including, Danny and The Deep Blue Sea for the 29th St Project, NYC, The Glass Menagerie for the University of New Hampshire and Urinetown for the University of Oklahoma. Working with his brother, Jim McCarthy in 2016, he wrote, directed and edited Keepsake, a short film featuring his daughter, the actress Juliet Perrell McCarthy.

Filmography

Film

1990: RoboCop 2 – Holzgang 1991: Eve of Destruction – Young Bill Simmons 1992: Rapid Fire – Agent Anderson 1993: Cliffhanger – Pilot 2007: Starting Out in the Evening – Charles 2010: Consent – Mark

Television

+ Year Title Role Notes 1985 The Equalizer Waiter Episode: "The Lock Box" 1986 The Equalizer Gary Speer Episode: "Breakpoint" 1989 Freddy's Nightmares Coach Gacey 1 episode 1989 Matlock Thomas Oldham 1 episode 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Roga Danar Episode: "The Hunted" 1991 Cheers Leon 1 episode 1991 In the Heat of the Night FBI Agent Chris Hayes 1 episode 1992 LA Law Greg Corcoran 1 episode 1993 Designing Women Justin 1 episode 1995 Star Trek: Voyager Human Doctor Episode: "Caretaker" 1999 Law & Order Mitchell Brizzard 1 episode 2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit D.A. Matthews 1 episode 2004 Ed Jerry Caravolo 1 episode 2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mr. Hoskins 1 episode 2006 Love Monkey Wayne's Father 2 episodes 2006 Albert Schweitzer: Called to Africa Albert Schweitzer TV movie 2010 The Good Wife Mitch 1 episode 2011 Late Show with David Letterman Presidential Candidate (uncredited) 2 episodes 2016 Elementary Werner Platz 1 episode 2017 Madam Secretary Don Mitchell 1 episode 2022 Severance Nature Documentary Voice Apple TV+