Ted Martin McGinley (born May 30, 1958) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as
Jefferson D'Arcy
The show '' Married... with Children'' revolves around Al Bundy, his wife Peggy, children Kelly and Bud, their next-door neighbor Marcy, and her husband Steve Rhoades—who leaves in Season 4 and is eventually replaced by Jefferson D'Arcy.
Overv ...
on the television sitcom ''
Married... with Children'' and as Charley Shanowski on the ABC sitcom ''
Hope & Faith
''Hope & Faith'' is an American television sitcom, starring Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa as Hope Shanowski and Faith Fairfield. Hope is a homemaker and mother of three and Faith is her sister, a soap opera star whose character is killed off, leadi ...
''. He was a late regular on ''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'', ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' and ''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' and is known for playing the villainous role of Stan Gable in the film ''
Revenge of the Nerds
''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The film's plot chronicles a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College trying ...
'' and several made-for-television sequels.
Early life
McGinley was born in
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...
, the son of Bob and Emily McGinley. His paternal grandfather was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
immigrant. At
Newport Harbor High School
Newport Harbor High School is a public high school in Newport Beach, in Orange County, California, in the United States. It is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. The school primarily serves students in western Newport Beach and sou ...
, he focused on athletics and swimming and was a star player on the water polo team. He also worked as a
lifeguard
A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
at the beach during summers. After graduation, McGinley attended
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
on a water polo scholarship, majoring in urban planning and real estate.
At USC, McGinley was captain and two-time MVP of the
water polo
Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...
team as well as a member of the
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more tha ...
fraternity.
However, in his sophomore year, following recommendation from his girlfriend, McGinley began modeling as a way to break onto the acting scene. With his scholarship not renewed, he left USC and moved to New York in 1979.
Career
After a casting director spotted a picture of him in ''
GQ'',
McGinley was cast on the comedy series ''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'' as
Roger Phillips (nephew of the Cunninghams), a role he played from 1980 to 1984. During the run of ''Happy Days'', he landed a role in the comedy film ''
Young Doctors in Love
''Young Doctors in Love'' is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. It spoofs a variety of medical shows (in particular, '' General Hospital'') and has many guest stars from ABC soap operas.
The film stars Sean Young, Michael M ...
'' (1982).
After ''Happy Days'' ended in 1984, McGinley appeared in ''
Revenge of the Nerds
''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The film's plot chronicles a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College trying ...
'' where he played Stanley Gable, the head of the jock-run Alpha Beta fraternity and the primary antagonist of the Lambda Lambda Lambda nerd fraternity; he reprised the role in the third and fourth movies in the "Nerds" franchise, both produced for television. He went on to appear in regular roles on television series including ''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' and ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
''.
He then played the role of
Al Bundy
Al Bundy is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television series '' Married... with Children''.
Played by Ed O'Neill, Bundy is a misanthropic, working-class father of two who is portrayed as a somewhat tragicomedic fig ...
's best friend Jefferson D'Arcy on ''
Married... with Children'' from 1991 to 1997, describing it as a "great, great gig."
He had recurring roles on
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. Sorkin has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime E ...
's television series ''
Sports Night'' as Dana's boyfriend Gordon, and ''
The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...
'' as a television news anchor. From 2003 to 2006, he played Charley Shanowski on ''Hope & Faith''.
[
Two years later, he was selected for a role in '']Charlie Lawrence
''Charlie Lawrence'' is an American sitcom television series created by Jeffrey Richman, that aired on CBS from June 15 until July 13, 2003.
Premise
A gay actor gets elected to congress as a representative from New Mexico.
Cast
*Nathan Lane as C ...
'', a situation comedy about a freshman congressman from New Mexico, played by Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
. McGinley played Graydon Ford, the neighbor of Lane's title character, who was a member of the opposing political party. McGinley was also in the pilot for the 2002 CBS show ''Life of the Party'', playing a senator.
His guest star roles include series such as ''Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
'' (1982), ''Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
'' (1985–87), '' Perfect Strangers'' (1988), '' B.L. Stryker'' (1989), ''Evening Shade
''Evening Shade'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 21, 1990, to May 23, 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns t ...
'' (1990), '' Dream On'' (1991), ''The John Larroquette Show
''The John Larroquette Show'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 2, 1993, until October 30, 1996. Created by Don Reo, the show was a star vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on '' ...
'' (1995–96; 1997–1998), ''The Practice
''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in 1 ...
'' (2001), and ''Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' (2002).
During and shortly after the run of ''Married … With Children'', McGinley was a part of many film and television movies, playing different types of characters. In 1993, he played Mr. Scream in ''Wayne's World 2
''Wayne's World 2'' is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Stephen Surjik and starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a public-access television cable television show in Aurora, Illinois. The film is the sequel to ''Wayne's World'' ( ...
''. That same year, McGinley affected a Southern accent in his role in the miniseries ''Wild Justice'', which was poorly received by critics. Some of his television movie roles were very dark. In 1996, he was the star of ''Deadly Web'', a movie that aired on NBC in 1996 and co–starred his wife, Gigi Rice. The movie was about a woman who was stalked on the Internet. McGinley played one of his darkest roles in 1998 in the television movie ''Every Mother's Worst Fear''. He played Mitch Carson, a sexual predator who lures a teenage girl into his house, where he holds her captive and tortures her.[
In 2008, McGinley became a contestant on the seventh season of '']Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'', and was paired with pro dancer Inna Brayer Inna Brayer (born in Moscow, Russia) is a Brooklyn-based amateur ballroom dancer competing in the International 10-Dance division. She is best known for being the 2007 Amateur USA Dance National 10-Dance Champions with her partner, Pasha Pashkov. ...
. He was the second contestant to be eliminated in the competition.
"Jumping the Shark"
McGinley was called "the patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of shark-jumping" by jumptheshark.com founder Jon Hein
Jon Hein is an American radio personality and former webmaster. He created the website jumptheshark.com and works for ''The Howard Stern Show''. Hein has written three books, ''Jump the Shark: When Good Things Go Bad'' as well as ''Fast Food Mani ...
. This is a reference to the popular and enduring shows which have featured him in their latter years, often to replace a departing regular cast member. Hein writes that this is not a comment "on Ted's fine acting skills" and that "he has a great sense of humor about it, too." In one episode of ''Married... with Children'', McGinley himself spoofed his reputation by asking Al Bundy, "Another picture, Captain? I mean, Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lea ...
? ....Al?" In 2003, McGinley told Melanie McFarland of the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
The newspaper was foun ...
'', "I've had a lot of fun with it. To be honest with you, it's meant people are still talking about me. It's kind of doing me a favor. And people keep hiring me, so I know that I'm okay, jumping the shark."[
In 2011, McGinley again made fun of his "shark-jumping" abilities in "Mitefall!", the final episode of '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold''. In the episode, ]Bat-Mite
Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting Batman costume, Bat-Mite possesse ...
(voiced by Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...
) wants the show to be cancelled to usher in a new TV show called ''Beware the Batman
''Beware the Batman'' is an American computer-animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The series premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2013, as part of their DC Nation block, replacing ''Batman: ...
''. To that end, he starts replacing aspects of the show, including switching Aquaman
Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
's regular voice actor (John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) with McGinley. Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity migh ...
(voiced by McGinley's ''Happy Days'' co-star Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...
) helps to reverse the situation, in part by getting McGinley to break character (and mention his six-year stint on ''Married... with Children'') and leave, forcing DiMaggio's voice back into Aquaman.
Personal life
McGinley married actress Gigi Rice
Georgeanne Marie Rice is an American actress.
Biography
Rice graduated from The Ohio State University, with a bachelor of fine arts in musical theatre. Following her graduation, Rice served as an apprentice at Burt Reynolds's Maltz Jupiter Th ...
in 1991 and they have two sons, Beau (born 1994) and Quinn. They reside in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGinley, Ted
1958 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male models
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American male water polo players
American people of Irish descent
American surfers
Male actors from Newport Beach, California
Male models from California
Newport Harbor High School alumni
Participants in American reality television series
University of Southern California alumni