Tony Hale

Tony Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He had a leading role in the Fox series Arrested Development as Buster Bluth from 2003 to 2019, and portrayed Gary Walsh on the HBO series Veep from 2012 to 2019. For the latter, Hale won the 2013 and 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Hale has appeared in feature films including Because I Said So (2007), The Informant! (2009), In My Sleep (2010), The Heat (2013), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015), Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021), Hocus Pocus 2 (2022), and Quiz Lady (2023). He has provided voice acting work for The Tale of Despereaux (2008), The Angry Birds Movie (2016), The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), the Toy Story franchise (2019–26) as Forky, Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales (2021) as Vaneé, and Inside Out 2 (2024) as Fear, replacing Bill Hader from the first film. Hale also created the Netflix and Peacock original series Archibald's Next Big Thing, and voiced the titular character. He plays twin brothers Nicholas Benedict and L.D. Curtain in the Disney+ original The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021).

Early life and education Hale was born on September 30, 1970, in West Point, New York. His mother, Rita , worked as a staff assistant to State Representative Kathy Ashe, and his father, Mike Hale, taught nuclear and atomic physics and served in the military. He made minor guest appearances in TV shows such as Dawson's Creek, The Sopranos, and Sex and the City.

2003–13: Arrested Development From 2003 to 2006, and also in 2013, 2018, and 2019, Hale found success in television cast as Buster Bluth, the hapless, neurotic son on Arrested Development. Hale appeared in a season ten episode of MADtv in a parody of Cops, where two British robbers try to stop a domestic dispute among the royal family. In March 2006, Hale was cast in a co-starring role as the video store owner Simon in the NBC sitcom Andy Barker, P.I., starring Andy Richter and co-created by Conan O'Brien. He appeared in minor roles in Stranger Than Fiction and Because I Said So. He was the voice of Furlough in The Tale of Despereaux, an animated children's film released in 2008. Hale had a recurring role as Emmett on Chuck, beginning in October 2008 and ending in January 2010. His departure made room for his starring role on the NBC web series Ctrl, which premiered on July 13, 2009. He appeared in a cameo in the second episode of the first season of Showtime's dramedy United States of Tara, as English teacher Oral Gershenoff. He joined the cast of Numbers in 2009, in the recurring role of Professor Russell Lazlo.

2012–19: Veep and acclaim

In 2012, Hale starred in the drama comedy Not That Funny. He guest-starred on NBC's Law & Order: SVU as Rick Simms, a teacher who is fired from his job after being accused of inappropriate behavior with a student. In 2012, Hale was cast in the HBO comedy Veep as Gary Walsh, the personal assistant to Vice President-turned-President Selina Meyer (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). On September 22, 2013, Hale won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in the show's second season. This was his first major award. He earned his second nomination in 2014, but lost the award to Ty Burrell. Hale won his second Primetime Emmy Award with his third nomination in 2015, in the same ceremony where Veep won its first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

In 2017, Hale hosted the 9th Annual Shorty Awards at the PlayStation Theater in New York City. In 2018, Hale played the role of Jerome Squalor on the second season of the Netflix comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events, appearing in episodes adapting The Ersatz Elevator and The Penultimate Peril. He appeared in two more episodes of the series. In 2019, he voiced Forky in Pixar's Toy Story 4 and reprised the role again in the 10-episode short-form educational series Forky Asks a Question.

2020–present In 2022, Hale played Jefry Traske and his descendant Reverend Traske in Hocus Pocus 2, a sequel to 1993's Hocus Pocus. In 2024, Hale voiced Fear in Pixar's Inside Out 2, replacing Bill Hader who voiced the character in the first film.

In 2025 he was named alumnus of the year by his alma mater, Samford University, and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the university on December 13, 2025.

Personal life Hale married Emmy Award–winning makeup artist Martel Thompson on May 24, 2003. They have a daughter born in February 2006. Hale and his wife are practicing Christians and reside in Birmingham, Alabama.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1999 Raging Hormones Wiseguy Driver 2003 My Blind Brother Bill 2004 Stateside Donny 2005 Fortunes Phil Yount 2006 Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector Jack Dabbs RV Frank Stranger Than Fiction Dave The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell Remington Biographer Unaccompanied Minors Alan Davies The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah Homeowner with demons 2007 Because I Said So Stuart Dante's Inferno Pope Nicholas III (voice) Flatland: The Movie King of Pointland (voice) Cruel Logic Dr. Pomerenke 2008 My Suicide Social worker The Tale of Despereaux Furlough (voice) The Year of Getting to Know Us Nickie 2009 The Answer Man Mailman The Informant! James Epstein The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Wade The Ballad of G.I. Joe Dr. Mindbender Short film Weathered Stanway Steini 2010 Happythankyoumoreplease Sam #2 In My Sleep Ben 2011 Sironia Chad Wuss Mr. Crowder Perfect Gene Short film 2012 First in Flight Wilbur Wright Not That Funny Stefan Lane 2013 The Heat The John The Kings of Summer Bus Passenger The Nobodies Postal Boss Short film 2015 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Air Marshal James Suggs American Ultra Agent Petey Douglas April and the Extraordinary World Darwin (voice) Reverend Traske 2023 Woman of the Hour Ed Quiz Lady Ben Franklin 2024 Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate Mel / Mr. Donut / TV Announcer Voice 2026 Office Romance George Dudek Via Negativa Father Taboret Toy Story 5 Forky (voice) The Wrong GirlsMartin Flynn BrutonKai The Stalemate Post-production Enormous Short film 2027 Paris Paramount

Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Ghost Stories Billy Thorpe Episode: "Personal Demons" 1998 Legacy Hyram Episode: "The Gift" 2000 The Street Trainee Episode: "Closet Cases" 2001 Sex and the City Tiger Episode: "The Real Me"King Baby (sketch comedy)Various Roles The Sopranos RN/OCN Collins Episode: "Second Opinion" Dawson's Creek Doctor Bronin Episode: "A Winter's Tale" 2003–2006, 2013,2018–2019 Arrested Development Byron "Buster" Bluth Main role; 74 episodes 2005 Stacked Brent Lamble Episode: "Beat the Candidate" 2007Big Day David Episode: "Last Chance to Marry Jane" Andy Barker, P.I. Simon 6 episodes 2008–2010 Chuck Emmett Milbarge 14 episodes 2008–2009 ER Norman 2 episodes 2008 Samantha Who? Dr. Andy Adams Episode: "The Pill" United States of Tara Oral Gershenoff Episode: "Aftermath" Rules of Engagement Steve Episode: "May Divorce Be With You" Ctrl Stuart Web series 2009–2010 Numbers Russell Lazlo 2 episodes 2010 The Life & Times of Tim Vince Voice; Episode: "Tim's Beard" Community Professor Marion Holly Episode: "Beginner Pottery" Law & Order Phillip Shoemaker Episode: "Brazil" Justified David Mortimer Episode: "The Collection" Medium Gil Bureli Episode: "The Match Game" 2011 Human Target Harry 2 episodesRoyal Pains Andy Episode: "Ta Da For" NTSF:SD:SUV:: Dr. Karl Episode: "Dolphinnegan's Wake" Good Vibes Wadska Voice; 12 episodes Psych Jerry Kincaid Episode: "Neil Simon's Lover's Retreat" 2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Rick Simms 2025 Elsbeth Craig Hollis 1 episode S3E6 Bunker Down 2026 Sofia the First: Royal Magic Mimsy Fizzlewick Voice, recurring role

Video games

Music videos Year Artist Song 2007 Switchfoot "Awakening" 2008 Fall Out Boy "Beat It" 2014 Lady A "Bartender" 2020 David Cross featuring "Weird Al" Yankovic "Eat It"

Theater

Awards and nominations