Jim Meskimen

Jim Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, artist, and comedian.

Early life Jim Meskimen is the son of Marion Ross. He attended Taft High in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Tamra Shockley. He was the cartoonist for the school newspaper, and also acted in plays.

After high school, he attended the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Before that first year was over, he returned home for a time and received training in animation at Hanna-Barbera studios in Hollywood, under the apprenticeship of Harry Love.

Shortly after, he began working for producer Doug Wildey, who had created the original Jonny Quest series. Meskimen was assistant storyboard artist to veteran comic book artist Don Rico on the animated series, Jana of the Jungle.

After a season at Hanna-Barbera, in 1978 Meskimen returned to UCSC to study general subjects, painting, drawing and lithography.

He studied painting with Eduardo Carrillo, a Mexican muralist and teacher, and sculpture with Hardy Hanson.

In 1980, Meskimen travelled to Galicia, Spain to begin a period of intensive training in classical painting with Argüello and a handful of other students. He returned in 1981 and resumed studies at UCSC, studying sculpture, printmaking and painting, as well as private training with Miguel, who continued teaching at the university.

When not painting, Meskimen participated in major theatrical productions in Santa Cruz, both at the university and in local theater.

After graduating UCSC In 1982 he returned with Argüello to Galicia, and resumed private studies.

Career In 1983, after living for a time in Madrid on his own, he had an encounter with actor Harvey Keitel and he decided to pursue acting, and moved to New York City.

In New York, he worked as a visual artist, doing illustrations, cartoons and commercial art for various companies. He landed a job designing characters for Rankin/Bass's original series ThunderCats, then in its first season. He worked with producer Jules Bass on expanding the story, and contributed to the ThunderCats "bible."

He became on-camera spokesman on television and radio commercials for Skaggs Alfa Beta grocery stores in 1986.

He worked as a man-on-the-street interviewer for banks, cars, retail chains and other clients, in spontaneous, off-the-cuff comedic campaigns that won dozens of industry awards. Among these were Schnucks Markets, Food Lion, and Kash & Karry.

During those New York years (1983-1993), Meskimen studied and performed improv with several companies, chiefly INTERPLAY and did hundreds of live shows at the National Improvisational Theatre on Eighth Avenue, Chelsea.

On the invitation of producers, he and fellow Interplay member Christopher Smith guest starred several times on Britain's Whose Line Is It, Anyway?

His first film role was in Ron Howard's The Paper, starring Michael Keaton.

In 1993, he moved home to LA with his family to start a career in TV and film, beginning with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and a role in director Ron Howard's Oscar-nominated Apollo 13. Howard cast Meskimen in no fewer than five feature films, including The Grinch and Frost/Nixon.

He appeared in an early episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as professor Jeremy Mansfield, who was loosely modeled after Robin Williams' character in the film Dead Poets Society. He continued to work with the Spiridellis brothers on their Emmy and BAFTA award-winning children's series Ask the StoryBots, and other projects.

He has appeared on major television programs; Friends, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, This is Us, SWAT, Hunters, NCIS, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Young Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory, to name but a few.

Meskimen's character voices have been heard on a number of video games and animated shows including Star Trek: Resurgence, Avengers Assemble, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, Pinky and the Brain, Phineas and Ferb, The Legend of Korra, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. He has voiced the Genie in Disney's Aladdin franchise since 2008.

His viral hit, Shakespeare in Celebrity Voices, brought him global attention on YouTube and led to many opportunities, including performing on America's Got Talent in 2013, where his improvised celebrity impressions at Radio City Music Hall earned him a standing ovation.

He has performed his live one-man show, JIMPRESSIONS, in Hollywood, Australia and the U.K.

In 2017, he wrote a screenplay for a short film, which became "Son to Son," and won festival awards. He starred in the short, with actor Nick Lane, with Taron Lexton directing.

His performance as the troubled, opioid addict father in "Son to Son" garnered praise; the UK Film Review said: "Meskimen delivers a tragically believable character in a short space of time to great effect."

As an audiobook narrator, he has worked on hundreds of titles for all major publishers and received awards for his narration.

Directing multi-cast audiobooks for Galaxy Audio was his full-time job from 2005 to 2009, when he worked as senior director to complete hundreds of hours of audio of the fiction work of L. Ron Hubbard.

He appeared on "America's Got Talent" as a celebrity impressionist in 2013 and as a finalist performed at Radio City Music Hall, NYC, receiving a standing ovation.

Since 2020, he has played roles on television in Gaslit with Sean Penn and Julia Roberts, Hunters, and as the recurring character of Cary Hubbard in Apple TV+'s The Big Door Prize, opposite Chris O'Dowd. They have one daughter, actress, singer and award-winning audio book narrator Taylor Meskimen.

Meskimen is a practicing Scientologist. Apollo 13 TELMU White

1996 Jingle All the Way Officer at Parade

My Neighbors the Yamadas Additional voices English American version

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein Mr. Yesman Voice roleDirect-to-video

1988–2011 Whose Line Is it Anyway? Himself

1993–1996 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Jeremy Mansfield, Werner 4 episodes

3rd Rock from the Sun Alan Episode: "Big Angry Virgin from Outer Space"

Pinky and the Brain Bob Dole Voice role; episode: "The Pink Candidate"

2015 The Big Bang Theory Doctor, Man, Las Vegas Wedding Minister 2 episodes

2017 data-sort-value="Loud House, The" | The Loud House Ted, Manager, Junkyard Guy, Announcer Voice, 2 episodes

Family Guy Ron Howard Voice role; episode: "Griffin Winter Games"

data-sort-value="Good Place, The" | The Good Place Bertram Varmin Episode: "Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent"

NCIS Farrel Emerson Episode: "Destiny's Child"

data-sort-value="Kids Are Alright, The" | The Kids Are Alright Johnny Carson Voice role; episode: "Mike's Award"

Good Omens George H. W. Bush Voice role; episode: "In the Beginning"

2021 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Deputy Chief Williams 2 episodes

Rock, Paper, Scissors Abraham Lincoln Voice role; episode: "Pencil Comes Over/The Wind"

Night Court Shot Clock Showdown Episode: "Chips Ahoy"

2025 Beavis and Butt-Head Dr. Rod Johnson Voice role; episode "Depositors"

2026 Margo's Got Money Troubles Dr. Porter Episode: "The Hungry Ghost"

Video games Armored Core V – Jack Batty, Men of Honor Unit B, Zodiac No. 8 Baldur's Gate – Edwin Odesseiron, Jebadoh, Khalid, Thaldorn Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn – Edwin Odesseiron Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal – Edwin Odesseiron, Khalid Batman: Arkham City – Officer Tom Miller Batman: Arkham Knight – Additional voices Batman: Arkham Origins – SWAT Officers, Cops Call of Duty: Black Ops – John F. Kennedy Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – Secretary of Defense David Petraeus Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight – Various Destroy All Humans! 2 – Additional voices Diablo III – Additional voices Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Additional voices Disney Infinity 3.0 – Ultron Disney Think Fast – Genie Disney Speedstorm – Genie Epic Mickey – Voice Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two – Mad Doctor EverQuest II – Guild Patron Volarian, Baron Zafimus, Sergeant-at-Arms Ironcast, Commission Deputy Halford, Naturalist Tummyfill, Borthen, Amren Talbot, Morte Winghammer, Green Hood Trap Master, Banker Izark, Ubani, Overseer Travog Fantastic 4 – Doctor Doom, Additional voices Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Additional voices Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic – Edwin Murray, Mr. Helpful, Sleepy Moon, M2 / The Mimic (mimicking Edwin) Gothic 3 – Additional voices Hitman: Blood Money – Additional voices Kinect Disneyland Adventures – Genie Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix – Genie (Kingdom Hearts Re:coded cinematics) Lego Jurassic World – Additional voices Lego The Lord of the Rings – Various Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Additional voices Madagascar: The Video Game – Albino Crocodile, Guard, Jogger, Sailor Marvel Dimension of Heroes – Ultron Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – Genie Syndicate – Additional voices Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan – Wingnut, Stone Warriors The Lego Movie Videogame – Batman, Additional voices The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II – Elven King Thranduil The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king – King Thranduil Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter – Albert Russell Ultimate Spider-Man – Additional voices

Internet Jib Jab – George W. Bush, John Kerry, John McCain

Music Bugs Bunny and Friends Sing The Beatles – Elmer Fudd