Glenn Shadix
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Glenn Shadix | |
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Born | William Glenn Shadix April 15, 1952 Bessemer, Alabama, U.S. |
William Glenn Shadix (born April 15, 1952) is an American actor, known for his role as “Otho” in Tim Burton’s horror/comedy film Beetlejuice, his southern baritone voice, and his eccentric, deliberately exaggerated acting style.
Shadix was born in Bessemer, Alabama. He attended Birmingham-Southern College for two years, studying with absurdist playwright-director Arnold Powell. He lived in New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in the late 1970s. He got his breakthrough film role in Beetlejuice while doing a stage play, portraying Gertrude Stein. According to Shadix, it was the play that his agent warned him against doing, since it was a role that seemed too risky. But the actor went on instinct and played the role. As fate would have it, Tim Burton was one of the people sitting in the audience that night. He is second cousin to fellow actor John Rothman. He is frequently cast in Burton’s films and is a personal friend of the film-maker. He was reportedly offered his role (as Halloween Town’s Mayor) in The Nightmare Before Christmas while swimming in Burton’s backyard pool.
He underwent gastric bypass surgery in April 2000 and has since lost over 100 pounds (45 kg).
In 2005, Glenn Shadix was cast as the Brain and Monsieur Mallah in season five of the Teen Titans animated series. Other voice work done by Shadix includes the aforementioned Nightmare, and episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures and Justice League Unlimited. He reprised his Nightmare Before Christmas role in the sequel, Oogie’s Revenge, and the Square-Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II. He also appeared in the HBO drama Carnivàle.
[edit] Selected filmography
- The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) as Twin Oaks Customer
- Beetlejuice (1988) as Otho
- Sunset (1988) as Roscoe Arbuckle
- Heathers (1989) as Father Ripper
- Meet the Applegates (1991) as Greg Samson
- Sleepwalkers (1992) as Mr. Fallows
- Demolition Man (1993) as Associate Bob
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) as Mayor of Halloween Town
- My Summer Story (1994) as Leonard Doppler, Manager of Orpheum Theater
- Love Affair (1994) as Anthony Rotundo
- Dunston Checks In (1996) as Lionel Spalding
- Multiplicity (1996) as Building Inspector
- The Empty Mirror (1996) as Hermann Goering
- The Final Curtain (2007) as Jack Strong