Greg Grunberg
Greg Grunberg | |
|---|---|
 Grunberg at the 2018 Phoenix Comic Fest | |
| Born | Gregory Phillip Grunberg July 11, 1966 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth Dawn Wershow
(m.1992) |
| Children | 3 |
Gregory Phillip Grunberg(born July 11, 1966) is an American film and television actor known for starring asEric Weissin theABCseriesAlias,Matt Parkmanin theNBCseriesHeroes,Temmin "Snap" WexleyinStar Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,and Phil inA Star Is Born.He has often appeared in works produced and directed by his childhood friendJ. J. Abrams,such asFelicityas Sean Blumberg. He was a recurring cast member in the first two seasons of theShowtimeAmerican television drama seriesMasters of Sex.
Early life[edit]
Grunberg was born inLos Angeles, California,the son of Sandy (néeKlein) and Gerry Grunberg[1][2]and had aJewishupbringing.[3]He attendedUniversity High Schoolin West Los Angeles, class of 1984.[4]
Career[edit]
Grunberg got his first credited role inMatt StoneandTrey Parker's 1998 filmBASEketball.From 1998 to 2002, he appeared as Sean Blumberg onFelicity.He appeared from 2001 to 2006 as Eric Weiss onAlias.He left that series as a regular to star on the NBC sitcom,Grand Union.Since 2003, Abrams had planned a series calledThe Catchabout abounty hunter,starring Grunberg in the lead role.[5]Suggested for both the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons, the series was never produced; however, a pilot episode was shot.
Abrams also cast Grunberg in a brief role as a pilot for the 2004 seriesLost.Grunberg returned for the first-season finale, but his scenes were cut for time and were instead included on the season 1 DVD set. He also appeared in a small role inMission: Impossible III,which Abrams directed.
Grunberg had a major role in the NBC TV showHeroesas telepathic police officer Matt Parkman. He was offered a part inStar Trek,which Abrams directed, but was unable to do so because of scheduling conflicts. In the final film, he voicesKirk's stepfather in the opening sequence.[6]Grunberg voices FBI agent Ethan Thomas in the video gameCondemned: Criminal Origins.
Outside of acting, Grunberg is known as one of the creators of the Yowza!! Android and iPhone application, a GPS-aware coupon-referring program.[7]The company was acquired in 2014 by Spindle, a mobile commerce solutions firm.[8]
He also voicesAnt-Manin theanimated seriesThe Super Hero Squad Show.Grunberg was featured on the May/June 2009 cover ofMaking Musicmagazine.[9]On May 17, 2010, Grunberg announced that he would be joining the cast ofLove Bites.[10][non-primary source needed]
He took up a minor role in the 2011 neo-noir detective videogameL.A. Noire,in which he provided both voice and facial motion capture as murder suspect Hugo Moller. On November 7, 2011, he appeared as a guest star on an episode of the TV seriesHawaii Five-0with formerHeroesco-starMasi Oka.He also appeared as a special guest star on the March 14, 2012, episode of the TV seriesPsych.[11]
In 2013, Grunberg appeared in one episode during the first season of the TV seriesMasters of Sexas the character Gene Moretti, a rich business man. The part was expanded in 2014 to 4 episodes during thesecond season.[12]
In February 2016, Grunberg co-hosted a late night talk show withKevin SmithtitledGeeking OutonAMC.[13]
Since 2019, Grunberg has been a recurring guest star on the syndicated game show25 Words or Less.[14]
In 2021, he appeared as a guest star on an episode of9-1-1: Lone Starin the role of a father fighting for the life of his son, who suffers fromepilepsy.[15]This echoes Grunberg's real life activism due to his own son's epilepsy.
Personal life[edit]
In 1992, Grunberg married Elizabeth Dawn Wershow. They have three children,[16][17]one of whom hasepilepsy,which has inspired Grunberg to take an active role in raising awareness of the neurological disorder and raising funds for research.[18]
He often organizes charity efforts to raise funds for the Pediatric Epilepsy Project in Los Angeles.[19]In the past, this has included events such as an auction of guitars handpainted by celebrities such asDonald Trump,Pinkand Grunberg'sAliasco-starsJennifer GarnerandMichael Vartan.[19]
In March 2007, Grunberg served as the chair of the first National Walk for Epilepsy, presented by the Epilepsy Foundation.[20]
In 2009, Grunberg launched Talk About It, a website dedicated to epilepsy education and awareness, featuring many of his co-stars and celebrity friends,[18]including Garner, Larter, Pasdar, Ramamurthy, Ventimiglia, and Panettiere, as well asZachary Quinto,Chris Pine,Drew Pinsky,Ron Rifkin,andJohn Mayer.The site features Grunberg interviewing top epilepsy experts on the need to talk more about epilepsy, and includes a section for people all over the world to talk about it.[21]
Grunberg was a participant in the first-ever national television advertising campaign supporting donations to Jewish federations. The program featured "film and television personalities celebrating their Jewish heritage and promoting charitable giving to the Jewish community" and includedMarlee Matlin,Joshua Malina,Kevin Weisman,andJonathan Silverman.[3]He made a tongue-in-cheek promotional video for Temple Judea Religious School lambasting boring Hebrew Religious schools.[22]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Witchcraft V: Dance with the Devil | Bartender | Uncredited |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Bobby | |
| 1997 | Picture Perfect | Date #1 | |
| 1998 | BASEketball | Wilke | |
| 1998 | Senseless | Steve | |
| 2000 | Hollow Man | Carter Abbey | |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Shirtless Fan T | |
| 2003 | Malibu's Most Wanted | Brett | |
| 2004 | The Ladykillers | TV commercial director | |
| 2004 | Connie and Carla | Studio tour guide | |
| 2006 | The Darkroom | Bob | |
| Mission: Impossible III | Kevin | ||
| 2009 | Star Trek | James T. Kirk's stepfather / Uncle Frank | Brad William Henkeoriginally played Uncle Frank until his scenes were cut for time and Grunberg then redubbed his lines via voice only |
| 2010 | Kill Speed | Chief of Police | |
| Group Sex | Jerry | ||
| 2013 | Big Ass Spider! | Alex | |
| 2014 | Let's Kill Ward's Wife | Bruce | |
| 2015 | Underdog Kids | Announcer | |
| Tales of Halloween | Alex Mathis | ||
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Temmin "Snap" Wexley | ||
| 2016 | Star Trek Beyond | Commander Finnegan | |
| 2018 | The Cloverfield Paradox | Joe | Voice[23] |
| Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay | Steel Maxim | Voice[23] | |
| A Star Is Born | Phil (Jackson's Driver) | ||
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Temmin "Snap" Wexley | |
| 2020 | Max Reload and the Nether Blasters | Eugene Wylder / MMO Wizard | |
| 2022 | The Fabelmans | Bernie Fein |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Baywatch | Nightclub Host | |
| 1998 | Diagnosis: Murder | Brad Carver | Episode: "The Last Resort" |
| 1998–2002 | Felicity | Sean Blumberg | Recurring (season 1) Main (season 2–4): 66 episodes |
| 1999 | Rescue 77 | Paramedic #2 | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Joey Schulman | Season 8, episodes 18,19,20 |
| 2001–2006 | Alias | Eric Weiss | |
| 2004 | The Dead Zone | Frankie Cantrell | |
| 2004, 2010 | Lost | Seth Norris (pilot) | |
| 2006 | Monk | Jack Leverett | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Actor" |
| 2006 | The Jake Effect | Nick Case | |
| House | Ronald Neuberger | Episode: "Sex Kills" | |
| 2006–2010 | Heroes | Matt Parkman | |
| 2008–2009 | Head Case | Himself | |
| 2009 | The Super Hero Squad Show | Ant-Man | Voice, recurring role |
| Robot Chicken | Odin | Voice, episode: "Dear Consumer" | |
| 2010 | Bond of Silence | Detective Paul Jackson | TV film |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Judd Rousher | |
| ISSUES | The Dark Kodiak | Webseries | |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Agent Jeff Morrison | Guest (season 2), episode 8 | |
| 2012 | Psych | Jay | Guest (season 6), episode 12 |
| Ultimate Spider-Man | Ben Parker | Voice, episode: "Strange"[23] | |
| 2012–2013 | The Client List | Dale | Recurring |
| 2012 | Baby Daddy | Ray Wheeler | |
| 2013 | End of the World | Owen Stokes | Television film[24] |
| 2013–2014 | Masters of Sex | Gene Moretti | |
| 2014 | Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Dining room guest in "18 Chefs Compete" |
| 2015 | The Haunting of... Greg Grunberg | Himself | Documentary TV series (season 5), episode 1 |
| 2015 | Criminal Minds | Chris Callahan | |
| 2015–2016 | Heroes Reborn | Matt Parkman | Miniseries |
| 2016–2017 | Life in Pieces | Mikey | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Geeking Out | Himself | Co-host |
| 2016–2017 | The Flash | Tom Patterson | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Pawn Stars | Himself | Episode: "La La Land" |
| 2018 | Paterno | Scott Paterno | TV film |
| Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure | William | Voice, episode: "Vigor the Visionary"[23] | |
| 2020 | The Boys | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Simpsons | Bad Robot's Head of Security | Voice, episode: "Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars" |
| 9-1-1: Lone Star | George | Episode: "One Day" | |
| Goliath | Greg Wetzel | Episode: "The Pain Killer" | |
| 2022 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Mark McDaniels | Episode: "A Better Person" |
Video games[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Condemned: Criminal Origins | Ethan Thomas | [23] |
| 2007 | TimeShift | Commander Mason Cooke | |
| 2010 | Halo: Reach | Trooper 2 | |
| 2011 | L.A. Noire | Hugo Moller | |
| 2016 | Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Temmin "Snap" Wexley | |
| 2022 | Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga |
Music video[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Have It All | Principal (uncredited) | Song byJason Mraz |
References[edit]
- ^Greg Grunberg BiographyArchivedMay 22, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Yahoo!. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^Greg Grunberg profile,nndb. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ab"Film and Television Celebrities Promote Jewish Federations in First-Ever National Television Advertising Campaign – Jewish Stars Promote Federations' Initiatives and Mission".Jewish Federations of North America. August 2, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon November 3, 2013.
- ^University High School 1984 yearbook,Uni Hi Education Foundation. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^"The Catch (TV Movie 2005)".IMDb. January 11, 2016.
- ^"Abrams + Trek Team Chat Starts HERE 1 PM (Pacific)".trekmovie.RetrievedJanuary 25,2008.
- ^"Greg Grunberg:Heroesstar, Yowza iPhone app maven ".shortformblog. Archived fromthe originalon July 23, 2012.RetrievedMarch 2,2016.
- ^"Spindle Acquires Mobile-Coupon Service Yowza".PYMNTS.January 6, 2014.RetrievedApril 19,2024.
- ^"The Beat Man".Making Music.Archived fromthe originalon December 18, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 18,2011.
- ^"Greg Grunberg on Twitter".RetrievedMarch 2,2016– via Twitter.
- ^"Greg Grunberg".IMDb.RetrievedDecember 20,2020.
- ^Eyerly, Alan (August 11, 2014)."Masters of Sex recap".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
- ^"AMC ORDERS NEW LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW," GEEKING OUT "(Working Title)".AMC Networks.February 11, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 12,2016.
- ^Fishman, Scott (November 29, 2020)."Meredith Vieira on Hosting '25 Words or Less' From Home, & the Game ShowBoom".tvinsider.NTVB Media, Inc.RetrievedDecember 20,2020.
- ^Hamri, Sanaa (May 17, 2021),One Day,9-1-1: Lone Star,retrievedDecember 24,2021
- ^Parent Dish: "Greg Grunberg is a Hero for Epilepsy" by Susan WagnerApril 1, 2009
- ^Premier Magazine: "La biographie de Greg Grunberg"ArchivedJune 7, 2013, at theWayback Machineretrieved November 2, 2013 |(in French)
- ^abPeople: "Greg Grunberg's Son 90 Percent Better after Brain Surgery" By Lisa IngrassiaApril 1, 2009
- ^abLook To the Stars: "Greg Grunberg"retrieved November 2, 2013
- ^Epilepsy Foundation: "Hollywood Movie Premiere Highlights National Epilepsy Awareness Month".Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^"Talk About It!".talkaboutit.org.RetrievedDecember 20,2020.
- ^You Tube Temple Judea: "Save the Children – Stop Hebrew School Suffering".Retrieved November 2, 2013
- ^abcde"Greg Grunberg (visual voices guide)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedFebruary 5,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
- ^"End of the World (2013) (TV)".IMDb.
External links[edit]
- 1966 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male video game actors
- American male voice actors
- Jewish American male actors
- University High School (Los Angeles) alumni
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American Jews