Jim Meskimen

Supporting character actor, gifted voice-over artist, and brilliant improv comedian Jim Meskimen has been seen in films and TV shows since his debut in the late 1980s. His work includes guest spots on the British version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?," recurring parts in the Will Smith sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and several of director Ron Howard's blockbusters. The son of the iconic Marion Ross--Mrs. Cunningham on "Happy Days"--Meskimen first came to attention on the side-splitting U.K. improv show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" in the late 1980s. This helped him win a part on the hit "Fresh Prince," and from there he began a career alternating between voicing animated shows and appearing in TV and film. His friend Howard, who played Ross's son Richie for years on "Happy Days," began casting him frequently in small parts as Howard's directing career started to soar during the 1990s, including roles in the tense space drama "Apollo 13" and the Jim Carrey holiday romp "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Into the 2000s, Meskimen consistently found voice work in video games and on a wide variety of animated shows, from children's fare like "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to the Adult Swim comic strip adaptation "The Boondocks." He also turned up in front of the camera, too, with memorable turns as town emcee Martin Housely on the sitcom "Parks and Recreation" and as Nixon speechwriter Ray Price in Howard's adaptation of "Frost/Nixon."