About The Cast:

JEFF GARLIN's (Captain) talent encompasses writing, producing, directing, acting and performing stand-up comedy.

Garlin both co-stars and executive produces the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The unique comedy stars "Seinfeld" creator Larry David with Garlin portraying his loyal manager. The critically acclaimed series has won numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award® for Best Comedy, The Danny Thomas Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America, and the AFI Comedy Series of the Year award.

Born and raised in Chicago and then South Florida, Garlin studied filmmaking and began performing stand-up comedy while at the University of Miami. He has toured the country as a stand-up comedian, is an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Theatre, and has written and starred in three critically acclaimed solo shows ("I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With," "Uncomplicated" and "Concentrated"). Garlin recently had his first film "I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With" released to critical acclaim. Garlin has also directed "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and both Jon Stewart ("Unleavened") and Denis Leary ("Lock-n-Load") in their HBO specials.

Garlin has extensive feature acting credits, including a starring role opposite Eddie Murphy in comedy "Daddy Day Care." He recently completed the Fox Atomic Comedy "The Rocker" opposite Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate.

FRED WILLARD (Shelby Forthright) kicked off his career as part of Chicago's renowned The Second City. His improvisational performance in the film "Best in Show" earned him the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor, the American Comedy Award for Funniest Performance by a Supporting Actor, nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics and The National Film Critics Society, and the Official Selection Award from AFI.

Willard's credits on the small screen include his most recent role alongside Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton in the FOX comedy "Back to You." He received three Emmy Award® nominations for his recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," and received a Daytime Emmy Award Nomination for Best Day Time Talk Show host for "What's Hot What's Not." He co-starred in Norman Lear's innovative cult classic talk-show satire "Fernwood 2Night" and has had recurring roles on "Ally McBeal," "The Simpsons" and "Mad About You." Additionally, Willard counts more than 90 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

On the big screen, Willard earned an American Comedy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Funniest Supporting Actor for his role in "Waiting for Guffman." His film credits also include "This Is Spinal Tap," "Roxanne," "The Wedding Planner," "How High," "American Wedding," "A Mighty Wind" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

Willard has several stage roles to his credit, including off-Broadway performances in "Little Murders," directed by Alan Arkin, and "Arf," directed by Richard Benjamin. His regional roles include "Call Me Madam" in Chicago and the musicals "Promises, Promises," with Jason Alexander, and "Anything Goes" with Rachel York, both in Los Angeles. He starred in Wendy Wasserstein's "Isn't It Romantic," and off Broadway in "Elvis and Juliet," which was written by his wife Mary Willard. "Fred Willard: Alone at Last!" -- a one-man show with a cast of 12 -- received two Los Angeles Artistic Director Awards for Best Comedy and Best Production.

JOHN RATZENBERGER (John) is an accomplished director, producer and multi-Emmy Award® nominated actor with notable credentials as an entrepreneur and humanitarian. While he is best known to international audiences as postman Cliff Clavin on "Cheers," for which he garnered two Emmy nominations, Ratzenberger is the only actor to voice a role in all of the Disney-Pixar films. Indeed, his characters have been memorable: the charming and witty Hamm the piggy bank in "Toy Story" (reprised in "Toy Story 2" and the upcoming "Toy Story 3"), P.T. Flea in "A Bug's Life," Yeti the snow monster in "Monsters, Inc.," a school of Moonfish in "Finding Nemo," a philosophical character named Underminer in "Incredibles," a Mac-truck in "Cars," and Mustafa, the head waiter in "Ratatouille."

A former carpenter, archery instructor, carnival performer and oyster boat crewman, Ratzenberger was raised in Bridgeport, Conn. An English literature major at Sacred Heart University, he starred in one-man shows and directed others after graduation. Ratzenberger spent a decade in England as co-founder of the improvisational duo Sal's Meat Market, earning acclaim across Europe and a grant from the British Arts Council. Early in his career, he appeared in more than 22 motion pictures, including "A Bridge Too Far," "Superman," "Gandhi" and "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back." Ratzenberger also starred in the Granada TV series "Small World," and cut his teeth as a producer and writer for the BBC, Granada TV and several prestigious theater companies.

In 1982, Ratzenberger auditioned for a role on "Cheers," suggesting to creators that they consider adding a know-it-all bar regular. The character of Cliff Clavin was brought to life, and the "Cheers" team rewrote the pilot to include him. During 11 seasons on "Cheers," Ratzenberger improvised many of his lines, helping bring freshness and enduring popularity to a show that earned 28 Emmy Awards®. With "Cheers" still airing in worldwide syndication, Cliff Clavin remains one of television's most beloved characters.

Ratzenberger has reprised his role of Cliff Clavin in "Frasier," "The Simpsons," "Blossom," "Wings," "St. Elsewhere" and eight NBC specials. The accomplished character actor has also appeared on "8 Simple rules," "That '70s Show," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Murphy Brown," "The Love Boat," "Magnum P.I." and "Hill Street Blues." Among his numerous TV movies are starring roles in "The Pennsylvania Miners Story" for ABC, "A Fare To Remember," "Remember Wenn," PBS Masterpiece Theater's "The Good Soldier," and the BBC's "Song of a Sourdough" and the "Detectives." Razenberger's big-screen animation success extends to the small screen in the long-running TBS series "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" and "The New Adventures of Captain Planet." Recently, he was a fan favorite on the hit ABC show "Dancing With The Stars."

Ratzenberger is currently making the film-festival rounds, promoting "The Village Barbershop," winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Cinequest Festival. He recently kicked off season five of his popular Travel Channel series "John Ratzenberger's Made in America." Ratzenberger created the show in 2004 to showcase American-made products, a cause for which he has been very active. Ratzenberger's non-profit organization, Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs Foundation, is positioned to restore esteem and dignity to the manual and industrial arts, and to inspire the next generation of American artisans, inventors, engineers, repairmen and skilled workers.

Voted Ms Magazine's' "Woman of the Year 2005," KATHY NAJIMY (Mary) is an accomplished film, television and stage star, with credits ranging from her internationally known portrayal of Sister Mary Patrick in "Sister Act" and "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" to her 12 seasons as the voice of Peggy Hill on the Emmy Award®-winning FOX series "King of the Hill."

Najimy was most recently seen on the CBS drama "Numb3rs." Her television credits include three seasons opposite Kirstie Alley as Olive on NBC's "Veronica's Closet," as well as appearances on Disney's "The Scream Team" and FOX's TV special "CinderElmo." Najimy received critical acclaim for her three-part arc on "Chicago Hope" and performed the opening musical number of the 1995 Academy Awards®. She starred in "In Search of Dr. Seuss" and appeared in several TV series, including "She TV," "Fool For Love," "Early Edition," and several episodes of "Ellen."

Winner of the American Comedy Award as Funniest Supporting Actress for her role in "Sister Act," Najimy's career features numerous film roles, including "Hocus Pocus," "RatRace," "Hope Floats," "Nevada," "Cats Don't Dance," "Zack and Reba," "This is My Life," "The Fisher King," "Say Uncle," "Soapdish" and "The Hard Way." She also appeared in "The Wedding Planner," "It's Pat," "Jeffrey," "The Big K" and Margaret Cho's "Bam Bam and Celeste" and "2 Sisters."

On stage, Najimy was critically acclaimed for her Broadway portrayal of Mae West in "Dirty Blonde" and also appeared on Broadway in "The Vagina Monologues." Her original off-Broadway hit plays "The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives" and "The Dark Side," which became HBO specials, garnered Obie Awards and CableACE Awards.

Najimy has directed several projects including an off-Broadway musical "Back to Bacharach" and several one-woman shows.

With more than 20 years of AIDS activism, she has been honored with the L.A. Shanti's Founder award as well as the L.A. Gay Center's Distinguished Achievement Award. Najimy has posed twice for PETA's popular campaign, "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur," and in 2000, she received PETA's Humanitarian of the Year Award from Paul McCartney. She's served as keynote speaker for more than 50 women's organizations across the country.

Najimy contributed to the Random House book "The Choices We Made." She also voiced Wally Lamb's novel "She's Come Undone."

Up next for the award-winning actress is the Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment full-length animated release "Tinker Bell," for which she voices the Minister of Summer.

With films like "Alien" and "Gorillas in the Mist" in her repertoire, actor SIGOURNEY WEAVER (Ship's Computer) has created a host of memorable characters, both dramatic and comic, on stage and in film.

Born and educated in New York City, Weaver graduated from Stanford University and received a Masters degree from the Yale School of Drama. Her first professional job was as an understudy in Sir John Gielguds production of "The Constant Wife," starring Ingrid Bergman.

Weaver made her motion picture debut in the blockbuster "Alien," later reprising the role of Warrant Officer Ripley in "Aliens," which earned her Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominations for Best Actress. She returned to the role for "Aliens 3" and "Alien Resurrection," which she also co-produced. Weaver next portrayed primatologist Dian Fossey in "Gorillas in the Mist," receiving an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe. Her role in "Working Girl" earned another Academy Award nomination and a second Golden Globe. Other films include "Ghostbusters," Peter Weir's "Year of Living Dangerously," Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden," "Galaxy Quest," "Heartbreakers," "Holes," Jim Simpson's "The Guys," "Imaginary Heroes," and Showtime's live-action film "Snow White," which earned her an Emmy Award® nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination. Her performance in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" garnered a BAFTA Award. Weaver was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for "A Map of the World." Recent films include "Baby Mama," "Infamous," "The TV Set" "The Girl in the Park," "Vantage Point" and "Snow Cake," in which Weaver portrays an autistic woman, and for which she received a Proclamation from the City of New York.

On stage, Weaver received a Tony Award® nomination for her starring role in Broadway's "Hurlyburly," directed by Mike Nichols. Other plays include "The Mercy Seat" by Neil Labute, "The Merchant of Venice" and Christopher Durang's "Sex and Longing," as well as several at The Flea Theater, including "Mrs. Farnsworth" by A.R. Gurney and "The Guys." Weaver started her stage career off-off Broadway in Durang's "The Nature and Purpose of the Universe" and "Titanic." "Das Lusitania Songspiel," which she co-wrote with Durang, earned them both Drama Desk nominations.

Weaver recently completed production on the 3D movie "Avatar," her first collaboration with James Cameron since "Aliens," and "Crazy on the Outside," directed by Tim Allen, and Lifetime's "Prayers for Bobby."

She is on the boards of The Flea Theater in downtown Manhattan, "dedicated to raising a joyful hell in a small space," and Human Rights First, where she has worked on the issue of asylum. Weaver is also an Honorary Chairperson of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. She works for other organizations whenever she can, including Conservation International, amFAR, Trickle Up, the Natural Resources Defense Council and GRASP.

Multiple Academy Award® winner BEN BURTT (WALL-E/M-O/Sound & Character Voice Designer) joined Pixar Animation Studios in May 2005. A 30-year veteran and an accomplished filmmaker, Burtt has written, directed and served as film editor on a vast array of projects.

Burtt began his work with director George Lucas in 1977 as sound designer of the original "Star Wars," earning his first Academy Award® -- a Special Achievement Award. He rejoined Lucas 20 years later to supervise the sound work on the "Star Wars Trilogy" (Special Edition).

In addition to his work on the "Star Wars" films, Burtt has worked on many film and television projects. He has won Academy Awards® for Best Sound Editing in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and for Best Sound Effects Editing in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Burtt has also been recognized for his work with a number of Academy Award nominations including Best Sound in "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi," Best Sound and Sound Effect Editing in "Willow," Best Sound Effects Editing in "Stars Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," and as director of "Special Effects, Anything Can Happen," Best Short Subject Documentary.

In addition to his Academy Award® wins and nominations, Burtt has also been awarded a British Academy Award for Best Sound in "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back," a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Effects Editing in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and a British Academy Award nomination for Best Sound in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace."

Movie search