Ronald Butler Jr. is a Bahamian-born American television actor, director and comedian who is best known for portraying Oscar, the clever receptionist, on the Nickelodeon television series True Jackson, VP, from 2008 to 2011. He often portrays former President Barack Obama in comedy sketches. He has performed with the Atlantic Theater Company for over 20 years.
Early life Butler is originally from the Bahamas. He is named after his father Ronnie Butler, Sr., a calypso singer, songwriter, and recording artist. As a child, Butler sometimes performed with his father.Oscar , True Jackson, VP, Nickelodeon, accessed December 3, 2011 Butler grew up partly in the United States (Washington, D.C., Virginia, and the suburbs of Syracuse, New York) and partly in the Bahamas. He attended high school in the Bahamas and graduated magna cum laude from Trinity International University near Chicago, Illinois, receiving a B.A. in History and Economics in 1985.
Butler worked as an economic consultant for a law firm based in Washington, D.C., before beginning his acting career. While in Washington, Butler studied acting privately with Vera Katz of Howard University and performed in regional theatre around Washington. Later, he studied with David Mamet, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Scott Zigler and Robert Bella of the Atlantic Theater Company.
Career Butler became a member of the Off-Broadway Atlantic Theater Company in New York City in 1991, the same year that he appeared in the film Homicide. With Atlantic, he has performed in, among other works, Once in a Lifetime.Ron Butler, Biography for Pilgrim: The Musical, 2006, accessed December 2, 2011 Among other Off-Broadway and regional theatre roles, he played Bunker and other roles in a revival of Merrily We Roll Along (and on the cast recording) with the York Theatre Company in 1994.Ron Butler theatre credits at BroadwayWorld.com, accessed December 2, 2011Ron Butler theatre credits at Playbill.com, accessed December 2, 2011 He then sang in a swing band, The Solicitors, in Europe for some years. In 2007, he played Henry in the concert production of South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl with Reba McEntire and Brian Stokes Mitchell."Mitchell and McEntire Share Three Enchanted Evenings at the Hollywood Bowl Aug. 3-5", Playbill, August 3, 2007, accessed December 2, 2011
He appeared in the 2004 HBO film Everyday People, as Ron Harding, for which he won an IFP Award for Best Breakout Performance. He also appeared in the films Smother (2007) and Rain (2008). He played Oscar, the clever receptionist for Mad Style, on the television series True Jackson, VP, from 2008 to 2011. He was in the Hollywood Bowl production of South Pacific. He plays Vice Principal Lewis on the web series First Day. He has guest-starred in such TV shows as Without a Trace, Crossing Jordan, Boston Legal, How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, Medium, Dirty Sexy Money and in the first episode of the fourth series of Torchwood entitled "The New World".
Butler also writes and performs sketch comedies. President Barack Obama is one of his most noted characters. In October 2010, he released a YouTube video, as Obama, singing a pastiche of the "Major-General's Song" that affectionately lampooned the President. The video was widely distributed on the internet.
Television and film appearances Show Role Year Homicide Rookie 1991 Everyday People Ron Harding 2004 Spartan Headquarters Agent2004 Boston Legal Dr. Kohler 2005 Summerland Doctor2005 / 2010 Invasion Coroner, Asst. Coroner Arvin Morton (2 episodes)2005 Related Front desk clerk (Episode: "Sisters are Forever")2006 Ugly Betty Reporter #2 (Episode: Queens for a Day)2006 Without a Trace Mr. Roberts2006 Crossing Jordan Attorney, lawyer (2 episodes)2006–2007 Nurses Clerk2007 Medium Desk Clerk (Episode: "Head Games")2007 How I Met Your Mother Proctor (Episode: Spoiler Alert)2007 Smother Friendly Man2007 Eli Stone Jury Foreman 2008 Rain The Preacher 2008 Dirty Sexy Money Severin (Episode: "The Silence") 2008 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Social Worker (Episode: "The Demon Hand") 2008 True Jackson, VP Oscar (46 episodes) 2008 - 2011 Torchwood: Miracle Day Senior Professor (1st episode) 2011 Dog with a Blog Commercial Director (Episode: "Dog with a Hog") 2012 Parenthood Council Secretary (Episode: "Trouble in Candyland") 2012 Grey's Anatomy Jordan Shouse (Episode: "Things We Said Today") 2013 Bunheads Eric Sinclair (3 episodes) 2012 - 2013 Shameless Advisor (Episode: "Civil Wrongs") 2013 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Scientist (Episode: "Mac Day") 2013 Old Dogs & New Tricks Barack Obama (Episode: "WeHo Horror Story") 2014The Hungover GamesPresident Snowbama2014
Narrations YearTitleAuthor2015Til the Well Runs DryLaura Francis-Sharma2015Notes of a Native SonJames Baldwin2015Grant ParkLeonard Pitts 2016Who Was Roberto Clemente?James Buckley, Jr.2019The Black JacobinsC. L. R. James2019On Time: A Princely Life in FunkMorris Day and David Ritz2021The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American CapitalismEdward E Baptist
Web Year Title Role Notes 2011 First Day 2: First Dance Vice Principal Lewis 6 episodes
References
External links
World Animal Awareness Society interview, 2010