Bill Irwin

He also worked as a choreographer on Broadway and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1989 for Largely New York. He is also known as Mr. Noodle on the Sesame Street segment Elmo's World, and he appeared in the Sesame Street film short Does Air Move Things? Irwin has made a number of appearances on film, including Stepping Out (1991), Hot Shots! (1991), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rachel Getting Married (2008), and the Christopher Nolan films Interstellar (2014) and The Odyssey (2026). On television, he recurred as Dr. Peter Lindstrom on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as "The Dick & Jane Killer" on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. From 2017 to 2019, he appeared as Cary Loudermilk on the FX television series Legion.

Bill Irwin studied at Oberlin College, University of California, Los Angeles and California Institute of the Arts. The recorded working language is English. Distinctions recorded are Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellows Program, Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and Bessie Awards.

• Name — Bill Irwin • Birth Name — William Mills Irwin • Born — 11 April 1950 • Birthplace — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Education — Oberlin College (BA) • Occupation — * Actor • choreographer • clown • comedian • Years Active — 1974–present • Children — 1

Irwin was born on April 11, 1950, in Santa Monica, California, to Elizabeth (née Mills), a teacher, and Horace G. Irwin, an aerospace engineer. He attended the theater school at California Institute of the Arts from 1970 to 1972. After CalArts theater instructor Herbert Blau obtained a new position at Oberlin College in 1972, Irwin transferred to Oberlin to continue studies with Blau. Irwin graduated from Oberlin College in 1974 with a degree in theatre arts and attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College the following year. In 1975, he helped found the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, California. He credits his experience with the circus, and performing in schools under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, as having made him a working artist. In 1979, Irwin left the company to pursue stage work.

• Illustration — Irwin in 2013 Although Irwin is best known for his theatrical clown work, he has also been featured in a number of dramatic plays. Irwin appeared with Steve Martin and Robin Williams in the Lincoln Center Off-Broadway production of Waiting for Godot, in 1988, in the role of Lucky. Lucky's only lines consist of a famous 500-word-long monologue, an ironic element for Irwin since much of his clown-based stage work was silent. He directed the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company production of A Flea in Her Ear. He appeared in 2002 with Sally Field in the replacement cast of The Goat or Who is Sylvia? In 2005, he starred as George alongside Kathleen Turner in a revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for which he won a Tony Award. He played Vladimir (Didi) in the 2009 Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot, and Mr. McAfee in the Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie. In 2011, he appeared in King Lear at the Public Theatre. In 2023, he played Clov in the Irish Repertory Theatre's Off-Broadway production of Endgame.

He is married to Martha Roth, an "actress-turned-nurse midwife", whom he met while seeking treatment for a stiff neck. They have an adopted son who was born in Guatemala in 1991.

Television roles • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1979 — Struck by Lightning — Episode: "Frank Meets the Press" • 1982 — Saturday Night Live — The Dancing Man — Segment: "The Dancing Man" • 1983 — The Regard of Flight — Performer — TV movie • 1987 — The Cosby Show — Eddie Bartholomew — Episode: "The Show Must Go On" • 1990 — The Circus — Pierrot The Clown / Miranda's Father — TV movie • 1991–1992 — Northern Exposure — Enrico Bellati — 2 episodes • 1992 — The Last Mile — The Maestro — TV short • 1992–2010; 2017–present — Sesame Street — Mr. Noodle, Air Mime, Professor Television — Recurring; 25 episodes • 1993 — Great Performances — Master of Ceremony — Episode: "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" • TriBeCa — Gene Kelly Clone — Episode: "The Loft" • 1994 — Monte Video — Clown — Episode: "Erntedankfest" • 1996 — The Adventures of Pete & Pete — The Broker — Episode: "35 Hours" • 1997 — Subway Stories — Himself — TV movie; segment: "Subway Car from Hell" • 1998 — 3rd Rock from the Sun — Pickles — Episode: "Pickles and Ice Cream" • 2002 — The Laramie Project — Harry Woods — TV movie • 2006 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Nate Royce — Episode: "Masquerade" • 2008 — Law & Order — Ellison Conway — Episode: "Bogeyman" • Life on Mars — Dr. Schwahn — Episode: "Tuesday's Dead" • 2008–2011 — CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Nate Haskell — Recurring • 2011 — The Good Wife — Fred Medkiff — Episode: "Ham Sandwich" • Lights Out — Hal Brennan — Recurring • A Gifted Man — Ron Vinetz — Episode: "Pilot" • 2013 — Monday Mornings — Dr. Buck Tierney — Main cast • 2013–2022 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Dr. Peter Lindstrom — Recurring; 17 episodes • 2014 — Elementary — Richard Balsille — Episode: "The One Percent Solution" • Blue Bloods — Cardinal Brennan — 2 episodes • 2015 — South of Hell — Enos Abascal — Main cast • 2015–2016 — Sleepy Hollow — Atticus Nevins — 4 episodes • 2016 — Confirmation — Jack Danforth — TV movie • Quarry — Harlowe — Episode: "Seldom Realized" • 2017 — Julie's Greenroom — Himself — 2 episodes • Doubt — Judge — 2 episodes • 2017–2019 — Legion — Cary Loudermilk — Main cast • 2018, 2022 — This Is Us — Dr. Spencer — 2 episodes • 2020–2021 — Star Trek: Discovery — Su'Kal — 3 episodes • 2021 — New Amsterdam — Grandpa Calvin — 3 episodes • 2022 — The Gilded Age — Cornelius Eckhard — Episode: "Face the Music" • The Dropout — Channing Robertson — 4 episodes • The Andy Warhol Diaries — Andy Warhol (voice) — 6 episodes • 2025 — The Beast in Me — James Ingram — 2 episodes

Music videos • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1988 — "Don't Worry, Be Happy" — Himself — Music video; Bobby McFerrin • 1996 — "Let Me into Your Heart" — Music video; Mary Chapin Carpenter

Stage work • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1984 — Accidental Death of an Anarchist — The Sergeant — Broadway • 1987 — The Regard of Flight — Writer and performer — Broadway • 1988 — Waiting for Godot — Lucky — Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination • 1989 — Largely New York — The Post-Modern Hoofer Director, choreographer, and writer — Broadway Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Play, and Best Play • 1993 — Fool Moon — Creator and performer — Broadway • 1995 • 1998 • 2002 — The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? — Martin — Broadway • 2005 — Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — George — Broadway Tony Award Drama Desk Award nomination • 2007 — National tour • 2009 — Waiting for Godot — Vladimir — Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination • Bye Bye Birdie — Harry MacAfee — Broadway • 2011 — King Lear — The Fool — Off-Broadway Drama Desk Award nomination • 2014 — Show Boat — Cap'n Andy Hawks — San Francisco Opera • 2018 — The Iceman Cometh — Ed Mosher — Broadway • 2019 — Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus — Movement choreographer — Broadway • 2023 — Endgame — Clov — Off-Broadway • 2024 — On Beckett — Himself — Guthrie Theater • Eureka Day — Don — Broadway • 2026 — The Imaginary Invalid — Argan Adaptation by — Broadway

Irwin's first featured film role was in 1980, appearing as Harold Hamgravy in Robert Altman's Popeye starring Robin Williams. He has appeared in over 20 films, mainly in supporting roles. Irwin's principal film roles include playing Eddie Collins in Eight Men Out, which tells the story of the "Black Sox" gambling scandal of 1919, and My Blue Heaven, a 1990 comedy with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. Irwin tap-danced in a leading role in 1991's Stepping Out with Liza Minnelli, appeared as a mime in the Paul Mazursky film Scenes from a Mall alongside Woody Allen and Bette Midler, and played Charlie Sheen's father in Hot Shots! (1991). His authentic vaudevillian skills landed him a role in the Sam Shepard film Silent Tongue in 1994, and he appeared in film adaptations of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Laramie Project and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He played an ex-brain surgeon and house salesman in the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In 2006, Irwin played the solitary Mr. Leeds in M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water and had a small role as Uncle Teddy in 2007's Across the Universe. He received critical acclaim for his role as Paul, father to Anne Hathaway's character Kym, in the 2008 drama Rachel Getting Married. Irwin's most notable television roles have been Enrico Ballati, "The Flying Man", on the television series Northern Exposure, Mr. Noodle in the Elmo's World segment of the PBS children's show Sesame Street, and the "Dick & Jane" serial killer Nate Haskell on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He was featured in the 1988 music video of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin (along with McFerrin and Robin Williams) and the 1996 music video of "Let Me into Your Heart" by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Irwin was also featured in HBO's 1997 production Subway Stories. He has also appeared on The Cosby Show, Saturday Night Live, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Law & Order, and Lights Out. In 2011, Irwin guest starred in the pilot episode of the CBS television drama A Gifted Man. He starred in the 2013 medical drama TNT television series, Monday Mornings as Buck Tierney. In 2014, he guest starred in the episode "The One Percent Solution" of CBS' Elementary. Irwin voices the robot TARS in the film Interstellar and puppeteers the robot in most scenes (those which are not computer-generated). He is featured in the PBS series Great Performances, in the episode titled "Bill Irwin, Clown Prince", initially broadcast in December 2004. He regularly appears on the NBC crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as therapist Dr. Peter Lindstrom. Lindstrom normally appears on the show while counseling main character Captain Olivia Benson. Irwin also appeared on the television series Sleepy Hollow, playing the character of Atticus Nevins. Between 2017 and 2019, he appeared in the FX television series Legion. In 2020, he appeared as Su'Kal in Star Trek: Discovery. In 2022, Irwin guest starred on The Gilded Age on HBO. In 2026, Irwin played the gargantuan 60-foot Cyclops, using animatronics, puppetry and voice work, in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Film roles • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1980 — Popeye — Ham Gravy, the Old Boyfriend • 1988 — A New Life — Eric • Eight Men Out — Eddie Collins • 1990 — My Blue Heaven — Kirby • 1991 — Scenes from a Mall — Mime • Hot Shots! — Buzz Harley • Stepping Out — Geoffrey • 1993 — Silent Tongue — Comic • Manhattan by Numbers — Floyd • Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit — Unnamed Brother #1 — Uncredited • 1994 — Water Ride — The Man in the Gray Hat — Short film • 1998 — Illuminata — Marco • 1999 — Just the Ticket — Ray Charles • A Midsummer Night's Dream — Tom Snout • 2000 — How the Grinch Stole Christmas — Lou Lou Who • 2001 — Elmo's World: The Wild Wild West — Mr. Noodle — Direct-to-video • 2002 — Igby Goes Down — Lt. Smith • 2004 — The Truth About Miranda — Emile • The Manchurian Candidate — Scoutmaster • 2005 — Elmo Visits the Doctor — Mr. Noodle — Direct-to-video • 2006 — Elmo's World: Reach for the Sky • Elmo's World: Pets! • Lady in the Water — Mr. Leeds • 2007 — Dark Matter — Hal Silver • Elmo's World: What Makes You Happy? — Mr. Noodle — Direct-to-video • Across the Universe — Uncle Teddy • 2008 — Rachel Getting Married — Paul Buchman • 2010 — Goldstar, Ohio — Chief Jeff 'Goob' Garver — Short film • 2011 — Higher Ground — Pastor Bud • Elmo's World: Penguins and Friends — Additional voices — Direct-to-video • Elmo's World: People in Your Neighborhood • 2012 — Elmo's World - Favorite Things • 2014 — Interstellar — TARS (voice) — Provides puppetry for TARS and CASE • Frozen on Broadway: First Look — Director — Short film • 2015 — Identity Theft — Mark — Short film • Ricki and the Flash — Single Dad • 2016 — Old Hats — Himself • 2018 — Ballet Now — Documentary • 2020 — Irresistible — Elton Chambers • 2022 — Spoiler Alert — Bob • 2023 — Rustin — A. J. Muste • 2024 — High Tide — Scott • 2026 — The Odyssey — Polyphemus • All That She Wants — Post-production