Thomas Lennon

A cult comedy icon as the arid-witted, hot-pants-sporting gay sheriff's lieutenant Jim Dangle on Comedy Central's long-running "Reno 911!" (2003-09), Thomas Lennon established himself behind the scenes as a quiet force in comedy screenwriting in the mid-2000s. A decade earlier, he made a name for himself in cult comedy spheres as a member of The State, the New York-based sketch comedy troupe that found a national audience via its eponymous MTV show, and he would collaborate with State alumni on nearly every project thereafter, most notably on "Reno" and numerous scripts with writing partner Robert Ben Garant, from big-budget fare such as the "Night at the Museum" franchise to B-level outings like "Balls of Fury" (2007). With his rave-inspiring supporting turn in 2009's "I Love You, Man" and "17 Again," he expanded his comedy bona fides as one of those guys uniquely able to steal scenes from A-list stars, striking a busy balance of comic Renaissance man.