John 'Biscuit' Cage

Background:

"Acting is about covering up traces of who you are and just being the character. I think it's easier to accept people in roles if you don't know a lot about them." Peter MacNicol

Emmy-winning actor Peter MacNicol is remembered by previous generations for his over-the-top performance as Dr. Janosz Poha, Sigourney Weaver's boss with an impenetrable accent, in the popular sci-fi comedy sequel "Ghostbusters II" (1989). He is also popular for his role as the eccentric attorney John 'Biscuit' Cage in the hit Fox series ''Ally McBeal'' (1997-2002).

The curly haired character actor broke into the film scene in the early 1980s with leading roles in the Oscar nominated live action fantasy movie "Dragonslayer" (1981; as the young wizard Galen) and in Alan J. Pakula's acclaimed adaptation of ''Sophie's Choice'' (1982; as the young writer Stingo). He has steadily worked on stage while appearing in such films as "Heat" (1986), "Addams Family Values" (1993), "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" (1995), "Bean" (1997) and "Breakin' All the Rules" (2004). Next, he will direct, write and star in the upcoming drama film called "Salvation on Sand Mountain."

On the small screen, the boyish looking actor could be seen as a regular in the NBC sitcom "The Powers That Be" (as a U.S. Senator's press aide; 1992-1993), CBS’ medical drama "Chicago Hope" (as house counsel Alan Birch; 1994-1998), Cartoon Network's comedic animated series "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" (as X the Eliminator; 2003-2007), and CBS' crime/cop drama series "Numb3rs" (as brilliant Dr. Larry Fleinhardt; 2005-Present). He also had a recurring role as Thomas "Tom" Lennox (2007), the White House Chief of Staff of President Wayne Palmer, in Fox's critically acclaimed show starring Kiefer Sutherland, "24."

He will next be seen as the villainous Dr. Otto Octavius in "The Spectacular Spider-Man," a planned animated television series that is slated to air on March 8, 2008.

Texas Native

Childhood and Family:

In Dallas, Texas, Peter MacNicol was born on April 10, 1954, to parents John and Barbara MacNicol. The youngest of five, Peter received his education at the University of Dallas, the University of Minnesota and the New York University's filmmaker’s intensive program.

On October 11, 1986, Peter married his present wife, Marsue Cumming, a theater administrator and producer born in 1949. She also runs a not-for-profit foundation called The Corie Williams Scholarship Fund that helps inner city children in Los Angeles, where the couple currently resides.

Numb3rs

Career:

At age nine, Peter MacNicol played a statue of St. Peter in a play. He performed during two seasons at the Minnesota Guthrie Theater, where he was spotted by a talent agent who suggested he move to Manhattan. Meanwhile he also worked at the Long Wharf in New Haven and at the Dallas Theater Center.

In 1980, at age 26, the newcomer made his New York City stage debut in the Off-Broadway production of Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart." He later recreated the role when the production was eventually moved to Broadway and won the Theatre World Award. During this time, he also performed regularly at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival.

Soon afterward, MacNicol made his feature film debut as the star of the Oscar-nominated live action fantasy movie "Dragonslayer" (1981). In the movie, set in a fictional medieval country similar to Britain, he portrayed Galen, a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon. That same year, he was also listed as one of the twelve "Promising New Actors of 1981" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 33.

The next year, MacNicol secured a breakthrough movie role as Stingo, the movie's narrator who travels to post-World War II Brooklyn and becomes involved with a beautiful Polish immigrant (portrayed by Meryl Streep), in Alan J. Pakula's Oscar-winning film adaptation of a novel by William Styron, "Sophie's Choice" (1982).

MacNicol subsequently retreated to the small screen and made his TV movie debut with the Claudia Weill directed "Johnny Bull" (1986; ABC; starring Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst). He also appeared as a guest in a 1987 episode of NBC/Lifetime’s comedy-drama series "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd."

After starring in the Trinity Repertory Company's original production of the stage adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's "All the King's Men" (1987), which was developed with the consultation of the author himself, MacNicol played a major supporting role as Dr. Janosz Poha, Sigourney Weaver's boss, in the popular sci-fi comedy sequel, "Ghostbusters II" (1989), directed by Ivan Reitman.

In the early 1990s, MacNicol got his first TV series regular as a U.S. Senator's press aide in the Norman Lear produced NBC sitcom "The Powers That Be," which aired briefly on NBC from 1992 to 1993. He then delivered a hilarious turn as Gary Granger, a peppy camp counselor, in Barry Sonnenfeld's Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated sequel to the 1991 comedy, "Addams Family Values" (1993), and was spotted as a guest in a 1993 episode of the popular NBC sitcom "Cheers."

From 1994 to 1998, MacNicol played the regular role of house counsel Alan Birch on the David E. Kelley produced medical drama on CBS, "Chicago Hope." After only one season, he was asked to leave the show and had his character murdered in a surprise twist. However, his performance won a Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series.

During his "Chicago Hope" stint, MacNicol also played solicitor Thomas Renfield in Mel Brooks' spoof "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" (1995) and joined the cast of the hit Fox series starring Calista Flockhart, "Ally McBeal," as law firm head John 'Biscuit' Cage (1997-2002). He became one of only five characters to have appeared as a regular in all five seasons of the show and his work won an Emmy in 2001 (for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), a Screen Actors Guild Award in 1999 (for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series) and a Viewers for Quality Television Award in 1999 (for Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series).

Meanwhile, MacNicol co-starred as David Langley, an employee of the Grierson art gallery, in the Mel Smith directed boisterous comedy feature film based on the television series "Bean" (1997).

During the rest of the 1990s, MacNicol made his TV directorial debut with an episode of "Ally McBeal" and voiced the titular snowman in the CBS animated movie "Snowden's Christmas" and Fido in the Fox's Emmy nominated "Olive the Other Reindeer" (both in 1999).

Entering the new millennium, Peter starred as Daniel Ponder in the PBS production of Eudora Welty's novel, "The Ponder Heart" (2001), and voiced X the Eliminator in the Cartoon Network comedic animated television series "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" (2003-2007). During this time, he also starred opposite Jamie Foxx in the financially successful comedy/romance film ''Breakin' All the Rules'' (2004), about which he once said, ''This movie is a romantic comedy but very old-fashioned in its structure, very classical and elegant. It's a throw-back feeling to movies of another era, complete with mistaken identities and smart wit. That's what drew me to this project. It was really the script.''

MacNicol currently portrays Dr. Larry Fleinhardt in the CBS crime/cop drama series "Numb3rs" (2005-Present). The show is currently in its fourth season, which began on September 28, 2007.

On his character in ''Numb3rs,'' MacNicol described, ''This character is very mysterious. He's a little bit Yoda, a little bit [physicist] Richard Feynman, a little bit Dr. Watson. It was probably the third in a series of people [I've portrayed] who I would call a wise fool. It's appealing in that I don't know what is going on with this character. I don't understand his precise function in the story.''

Meanwhile, MacNicol joined the cast of Fox's Emmy and Golden Globe award winning show starring Kiefer Sutherland, "24," as Thomas "Tom" Lennox (2007), the White House Chief of Staff of President Wayne Palmer.

Next, MacNicol will direct, write and star in the upcoming drama film called "Salvation on Sand Mountain." He is also set to play the villainous Dr. Otto Octavius in "The Spectacular Spider-Man," a planned animated television series that is slated to air on March 8, 2008.

Awards:

• Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, "Ally McBeal," 2001

• Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, "Ally McBeal," 1999

• Viewers for Quality Television: Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series, "Ally McBeal," 1999

• Viewers for Quality Television: Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series, "Chicago Hope," 1995