John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim.

Early life[link]

John Michael Higgins was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Known as "Mike Higgins" as he was growing up, he went to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College in 1985, where he led the all-male a cappella group, The Zumbyes.

Career[link]

Higgins' numerous television credits include recurring characters on Ally McBeal, Brother's Keeper, Boston Legal and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show. He played attorney Wayne Jarvis in five episodes of Arrested Development. Higgins arranged the dense vocal harmonies sung by the New Main Street Singers in 2003's A Mighty Wind. Recently, Higgins has gained more recognition by being featured in the films Fun with Dick and Jane and The Break-Up, for which he also wrote vocal arrangements. His work as a voice actor includes the role of Judge Mentok in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law and 2401 Penitent Tangent in Halo 2 and Riddler in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Higgins is also remembered for portraying David Letterman in the HBO made-for-TV movie The Late Shift. Higgins can also be seen in the introductory video for the Epcot attraction Test Track.

Higgins directs and appears on the stage from time to time as well. In 2004, he played Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in the American premiere of David Hare's Stuff Happens at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. In 2003, he played the title role in A.R. Gurney's Big Bill at New York's Lincoln Center Theater.

In 1991, Higgins was featured in Broadway's La Bête and, in 2000, he was seen off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in a production of Edward Albee's Tiny Alice. He also originated the title role in Paul Rudnick's Jeffrey off-Broadway in 1994.

Higgins has been featured in TV ads for DirecTV alongside fellow Christopher Guest co-star Ed Begley, Jr. and for Old Navy.

He also stars in season 2 of TNT's Raising the Bar as an openly gay, rule-obsessed judge.

Higgins also took part in Disney's The Suite Life On Deck taking the role as the obnoxious and secluded Mr. Tipton.

Since 2011 Higgins has been cast in Happily Divorced opposite Fran Drescher. He plays Fran's gay ex-husband, Peter Lovett, a character based on Drescher's real gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.

Personal life[link]

He has one daughter, Maisie, born August 3, 2003, and one son, Walter, born August 29, 2006.

Filmography[link]

External links[link]

• John Michael Higgins at the Internet Movie Database
• 10 Questions: John Michael Higgins at Filmforce.ign.com
• The Amherst College Zumbyes
• John Michael Higgins in 'My Uncle Rafael'