Sister-in-law is Jamaica Kincaid, West Indian author
Father was William Shawn, editor of The New Yorker, 1952-1987.
Does not own a television set.
Shawn met Andre Gregory, his co-star in My Dinner with Andre (1981), by arranging to attend every performance of Gregory's New York staging of "Alice in Wonderland" in 1970 -- a run which lasted for a year. The two have been friends and occasional collaborators ever since.
In 2005 he received a career achievement award from the PEN/Laura Pels Foundation. The writers organizations gave him this honor for his work in the theater.
Wallace Shawn Detailed Biography
Wallace Shawn, one of today's most recognizable character actors, previously worked with Woody Allen in the films Shadows and Fog, Radio Days and Manhattan. Film audiences also remember him for his roles in Amy Heckerling's hit comedy Clueless, and in Louis Malle's acclaimed My Dinner With Andre, which he also co-wrote. Malle also directed Shawn in Vanya on 42nd Street, Atlantic City and Crackers.
Shawn's work with other directors includes Sidney Lumet's Critical Care, Alan Rudolph's Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle and The Moderns, Blake Edwards' Micki & Maude, Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride, Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears, James Ivory's The Bostonians and Robert Altman's Atlantic City. His voice has also been heard in the animated hits Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and The Goofy Movie. Among his other film credits are My Favorite Martian, Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills and Hotel New Hampshire.
On television, Shawn recently starred in the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde and the telefilm Noah. He was also a regular on the series Clueless, reprising the role of the teacher Mr. Hall, and had recurring roles on the shows Murphy Brown, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Cosby Show and Taxi.
In addition to his acting, Shawn is also a noted playwright. His most celebrated work, The Designated Mourner, debuted at the National Theatre in London, starring Mike Nichols and Miranda Richardson. Shawn later adapted the play into a widely praised feature film, again starring Nichols and Richardson, for director David Hare. In 2000, the play The Designated Mourner made its American debut in an off-Broadway run, starring Shawn, which received rave reviews. He also wrote and starred in the plays Marie and Bruce, Aunt Dan and Lemon and The Fever.
