Birthdate: April 10 Hometown: Dallas, Texas Profession: Television, film & stage actor; director; writer Education: University of Minnesota ---New York University's filmmakers intensive program Hobbies: playing the bagpipes
Spouse: Marsue Cumming, who runs The Corie Williams Scholarship Fund, a non-profit organization that provides college scholarships for inner-city children in Los Angeles. Corie was a high school honors student who was the victim of a gang-related shooting that took place on a Los Angeles bus in 1997 on the same day Bill Cosby's son was killed. Donate: California Community Foundation
For a guy who originally wanted to become a paleontologist and study the fossilized remains of bones, it is ironic that Peter MacNicol eventually chose a career as vibrantly alive as acting. Nonetheless, MacNicol has demonstrated an exceedingly wide range of talent in theater, television, and film.
Currently, MacNicol can be seen starring on CBS' "Chicago Hope" as Alan Birch, the hospital's embattled legal representative. In a drastic departure from his television role, MacNicol will be seen this December starring as 'Renfield' in Mel Brooks' satirical film, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" for Castle Rock Entertainment.
MacNicol's past work demonstrates the broad dramatic and comedic spectrum of his talent. On film, he has appeared as the naive Southern writer who fell in love with Meryl Streep in "Sophie's Choice;" the villainous museum curator in "Ghostbusters II;" and the summer camp director in "Addam's Family Values." Other film credits include "Housesitter" and "American Blue Note."
On television, he was a series regular as John Forsythe's press secretary on "The Powers that Be." Guest starring credits include "Cheers" and "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd." Additionally, he was featured in such telefilms as "Johnny Bull," "HBO's By the Dawn's Early Light," Faerie Tale Theatre's "The Boy Who Left Home" and "Roswell."
MacNicol began his career studying at the University of Minnesota. While there, he performed in two seasons at the Guthrie Theater. A New York talent agent spotted him and told him make a move to Manhattan. Shortly thereafter, he was cast in the off-Broadway play, "Crimes of the Heart." The production eventually moved to Broadway, and MacNicol garnered the Theater World Award. It was also during this production that a casting agent noticed him and called him in to read for his eventual role in "Sophie's Choice."
Among his other stage credits is the Broadway production of "White Liars/Black Comedy." MacNicol also has further extensive classical repertory theater background, including the New York Shakespeare Festival in which he played title roles in "Richard II" and "Romeo and Juliet," and appeared in "Twelfth Night," "Rum and Coke" and "Found a Peanut."
Born and raised in Texas, MacNicol was the youngest of five children. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife of eight years, Marsue Cumming. And true to his tremendously multi-talented persona, Peter MacNicol spends a great deal of his free time playing... the bagpipes!