Alan Tudyk

Alan Wray Tudyk (born March 16, 1971) is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the science fiction and western television series Firefly and movie Serenity, and more recently as Alpha in Dollhouse.

Early life

Tudyk was born in El Paso, Texas, the son of Betty Loyce (née Wiley) and Timothy Nicholas Tudyk. He is of Polish descent^[1] and was raised in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, where he attended Plano Senior High School. Tudyk studied drama at the Methodist-affiliated Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas where he won the Academic Excellence award for drama. While in college, he played Beaver Smith in an eastern New Mexico summer stock theater production of Billy the Kid. In 1993, Tudyk entered Juilliard but left in 1996 before earning a degree.

Film

In 2000, Tudyk played Gerhardt, a gay German drug addict, alongside Sandra Bullock and Viggo Mortensen in 28 Days.

Tudyk played Wat in 2001's A Knight's Tale, as well as Steve the Pirate in the 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and the emotional robot Sonny in I, Robot. He reprised the role of Wash in the feature film Serenity. In 2007, he had a supporting role as a strong-willed doctor in the western film 3:10 to Yuma alongside Christian Bale and Russell Crowe along with a brief but memorable role in the film Knocked Up and a highly physical comedic performance in the British film Death at a Funeral.

Tudyk stars as Tucker in the indie horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs Evil.^[2]

Tudyk reprised his role as the playful, easy-going Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the film Serenity, derived from the popular television series Firefly by Joss Whedon.^[3]

He has signed on for an undisclosed role in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.^[4] On 2 June 2010 signed for the role as Rock Brannigan in the Zombie comedy horror film First Platoon.^[5]

Broadway

In 1999, Tudyk made his Broadway debut in Epic Proportions. He was also in Wonder of the World, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Misalliance, Oedipus and Bunny Bunny.^[6] In 2005, Tudyk filled in for Hank Azaria's roles in Spamalot from June to December, and starred in a limited run of Prelude to a Kiss on Broadway.

Television

Tudyk is perhaps best known for his role as the playful, easy-going Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the television series Firefly by Joss Whedon.^[7] Although the series ran for only one season, Universal Studios bought the rights to the show and turned it into a film, Serenity, in which he reprised the role.^[8]

Among several guest spots on popular shows such as Arrested Development, he played a convicted pedophile on a popular episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Most recently, Tudyk was cast as a special guest star in Joss Whedon's latest production, Dollhouse. The show features people who have had their personalities erased to be replaced by any fantasy a rich client can afford. Tudyk portrayed Alpha, a former "active" who accidentally downloads 48 separate personalities. Alpha serves as the main antagonist of the series' first season, with guest appearances in the show's second season.

Tudyk also guest starred in three episodes of ABC's modern remake of the television miniseries V.

Tudyk will provide the voice of superhero Green Arrow in the upcoming animated series Young Justice.^[9]

Video games

Tudyk plays the voice of a Marine in the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. He is joined by his Firefly co-stars Adam Baldwin and Nathan Fillion who both voice Marines. All three actors are given personalities in the game matching those of their characters from Firefly. Tudyk made an appearance in Halo 3: ODST as the character "Mickey", an elite ODST(Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) who is part of the player character's squad as they try to escape a city invaded by the Covenant.

Credits

References