Biography
This page uses content from the Will Arnett biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
William "Will" Emerson Arnett (born May 5, 1970) (pronounced ) is a Canadian actor known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B" Bluth II (pronounced Job, like the biblical figure) on the now-cancelled FOX comedy Arrested Development. Ever since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has been landing major film roles. He currently stars in his first leading role in the comedy Let's Go to Prison, which was released November 17, 2006.
Biography
Early life
Arnett was born in Toronto. Arnett attended French-speaking schools. He still speaks French (but stated that he is not fluent on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien - November 22, 2006). He briefly attended Lakefield College School in Lakefield, Ontario.
Career
Arnett's first film role was in the movie Close Up in 1996. Since then, he began appearing in many small parts in various television shows and films. In 1999, Arnett was cast in The Mike O'Malley Show on NBC. Arnett was a regular on the series, playing the protagonist's friend Jimmy. Unfortunately for Arnett, the show was quickly cancelled after only two episodes. Arnett appeared on-screen with actor Mike O'Malley again when he guest starred on O'Malley's next sitcom, Yes, Dear.
In 2001, Arnett was cast in another television pilot, Loomis, for CBS. The pilot starred comedian Cheri Oteri as a local news reporter, and Arnett played her slacker brother. The pilot was not picked up. In 2002, Arnett was once again cast in a television pilot. This pilot was for the CBS sitcom Still Standing, but his character was cut from the series after the pilot.
In 2003, Arnett finally found success in television when he was cast in the role of Gob Bluth in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development. Arnett's character was one of the show's most popular and he was nominated for an Emmy for his role. The show was cancelled for low ratings, despite its critical acclaim and cult following. Arnett has a distinctive gravelly voice and has also done voice-over work for CBS and numerous advertisements, including Lamisil medication. Perhaps most recognizable is Arnett's voice saying, "It's not more than you need, just more than you're used to" in ads for GMC trucks.
Recently, Arnett has kept busy by appearing in a number of films. He recently finished filming his first starring movie role in Let's Go to Prison, a comedy directed by Bob Odenkirk. He also has recently finished filming supporting roles in On Broadway and Blades of Glory. In On Broadway, he once again worked with director Dave McLaughlin who is a close friend of Arnett's and gave him one of his first movie roles in Southie. Arnett was originally attached to play the lead role of David Miller in the film We're the Millers, but he had to pass on the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Arnett is currently filming a supporting role in his wife's film Spring Breakdown and a comedy called The Brothers Solomon in which reteams with director Bob Odenkirk and stars opposite Saturday Night Live's Will Forte. Arnett's current television project is lending his voice to the character Duncan Schiesst for the Comedy Central animated program Freak Show, which also stars the voice of his former Arrested Development co-star David Cross.
Personal life
In 1994, Arnett married actress Penelope Ann Miller, and they divorced in 1995. On August 29, 2003, Arnett married New York-based comedic actor Amy Poehler, of Saturday Night Live fame. Poehler appeared in four episodes of Arnett's show, Arrested Development, between 2004 and 2005. She played a woman who his character Gob marries during a drunken night of increasingly outrageous dares. Arnett and Poehler will star alongside each other in the upcoming films On Broadway, Blades of Glory, and Spring Breakdown.
Arnett has frequently cited "GOB" as the favorite character he has played. He drives a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Ambassador | in-development | |
| 2008 | Dad Can't Lose | in-development | |
| 2008 | Most Likely to Succeed | announced | |
| 2008 | Get 'Em Wet | announced | |
| 2008 | Jeff the Demon | Jeff | announced |
| 2007 | The Brothers Solomon | Dean Solomon | completed |
| 2007 | Hot Rod | post-production | |
| 2007 | Spring Breakdown | Ted | post-production |
| 2007 | Blades of Glory | Stranz | post-production |
| 2006 | On Broadway | Tom | post-production |
| 2006 | Let's Go to Prison | Nelson Biederman IV | |
| 2006 | RV | Todd Mallory | |
| 2006 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | Lone Gunslinger Vulture | voice only |
| 2006 | Wristcutters: A Love Story | Messiah | |
| 2005 | Monster-in-Law | Kit | |
| 2005 | The Great New Wonderful | Danny | |
| 2001 | Series 7: The Contenders | Narrator | voice only |
| 2000 | The Acting Class | Will Bennett | |
| 1999 | The Waiting Game | Lenny | |
| 1998 | Southie | Whitie | |
| 1998 | Weekend Getaway | Chuck | short film |
| 1998 | The Broken Giant | Ezra Caton | |
| 1996 | Ed's Next Move | Weather Video Guy | |
| 1996 | Close Up | Dave |
Television work
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Freak Show | Duncan Schiesst | Series regular, voice only |
| 2005 | Danny Phantom | Ghost Writer | Guest star, voice only, episode: "The Fright Before Christmas" |
| 2005 | Odd Job Jack | Tiberius McKorkindale | Guest star, voice only, episodes: "The Biggest Bang", "Close Encounters of the Uncomfortable Kind" |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Artemis Johnson | Guest star, episode: "Back Up Dancer" |
| 2003 - 2006 | Arrested Development | George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II | Series regular |
| 2003 | Undefeated | Scott Green's assistant | Small role, television movie |
| 2002 | Law and Order: Special Victims Unit | Tony Damon | Guest star, episode: "Angels" |
| 2002 | The Sopranos | Agent Mike Waldrup | Guest star, episodes: "For All Debts Public and Private", "No Show" |
| 2002 | Yes, Dear | Bobby | Guest star, episode: "Johnny Ampleseed" |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Hand Salesman | Guest star, episode: "Chapter Twenty-nine" |
| 2001 | Loomis | Series regular, failed television pilot | |
| 2000 | Third Watch | Kenny | Guest star, episode: "Spring Forward, Fall Back" |
| 1999 | The Mike O'Malley Show | Jimmy | Series regular |
| 1999 | Sex and the City | Jack | Guest star, episode: "La Douleur Exquise!" |
Awards
| Year | Award | For | Category | Result | Other notes |
| 2006 | Emmy Awards | Arrested Development | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Arrested Development | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Shared with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter |
| 2005 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Arrested Development | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | Shared with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter |
External links
- Will Arnett at NNDB
- Will Arnett at RottenTomatoes
- Will Arnett at TV.com
- Will Arnett in a the video game Bighouse Beatdown
- Interview with Will Arnett at Television Without Pity
- Interview with Will Arnett at TV Squad
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.


