Jeffrey Doucette (born November 25, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, and director. Doucette toured for years with Ernst Emling as the comedy duo Jeff and Ernst. Doucette has appeared in over 90 films and television shows and written two plays. He has also been a voice artist in many television commercials and cartoon and portrayed Benjamin Franklin in ads for numerous brands.
Early life Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth "Betty" (née Andres) and William "Bill" Doucette.
Doucette graduated from Marquette University High School in the mid-1960s. After high school, he attended Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, where he became the first Theater Major at the university. After his undergraduate studies, Doucette enrolled in the graduate school at Northern Illinois University, seeking an additional theater degree.
Career In 1974, Doucette moved to Chicago, joining The Second City improv theater. During his time at Second City, Doucette met his future comedy partner, Ernst Emling, and formed the comedy duo Jeff and Ernst. Under the guidance of improv teacher Del Close, the pair were quickly signed by the William Morris Agency and began to tour the U.S. with folk singer Bob Gibson, eventually opening in larger venues for acts including Barry Manilow and The Spinners.
In 1976, Doucette and Emling moved to Los Angeles, joining the ranks of a burgeoning group of young comics, including Freddie Prinze, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Michael Keaton, Jim Varney, and Andy Kaufman. After many appearances on variety and talk shows, the pair made their first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1977.
To date, Doucette has appeared in over 92 films and television series, including Splash, All The Way, The Dentist 2, Desperate Housewives, Weird Science, Newhart, Alien Nation, Townies, Dog With A Blog, 3rd Rock from the Sun, ER, That '70s Show and Beverly Hills 90210. He has been a voice artist in many television commercials and cartoons. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
Doucette was the main antagonist in the Bollywood film Hisss and appeared in the Disney World attraction Cranium Command.
In television commercials, Doucette has portrayed Benjamin Franklin in ads for Chevrolet Volt: Quicken Loans; Ballpark's Finest Hot Dogs; and El Monterrey breakfast foods. He also made a special appearance as Franklin on Mike & Molly.
Doucette is also a writer and director, having written two plays: Big Head Women, a science-fiction comedy; and Without Annette, an improvisational comedy written with actress and writer Hope Juber and published by Playscripts, Inc. in 2015.
In 1991, Doucette received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Lead Performance for "Rage, or I'll Be Home For Christmas" at the Alliance Theater in Burbank. In 2014, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Student Film Festival Hollywood (ISFFH).
Personal life
Doucette and his wife, Saba, are licensed spiritual practitioners in the United Centers for Spiritual Living; they are active as teachers, counselors and teen and 'tween group leaders. His Life Play seminars and workshops focus on improvisation as a path for spiritual and self-discovery.
Filmography
Live action roles Film YearTitleRoleNotes1978The Comedy CompanyRed1978Fairy TalesJack1983Love LettersHippy1984SplashJunior1986The Best of TimesOlin1988Portrait of a White MarriageDarryl Spencer1988Two Idiots in HollywoodTaylor Dup1990SyngenorDavid Greenwait1992Mom and Dad Save the WorldCaptain Destroyer1994Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie KelloggEd Francis1994Midnight RunaroundOrvis1994Someone She KnowsDeputy Olsen1994Across the MoonMean Guard1995Zero ToleranceCop1996Access DeniedSheriff1997The RageDr. Arnold1998The Dentist 2Jeremy Wilkes1998Babylon 5: The River of Souls2nd Man2000BedazzledDesk Sergeant2002The Mangler 2Janitor Bob2003Harold Buttleman, Daredevil StuntmanWally2005Little AthensMr. Carson2006KarlaBurroughs' Partner2008ParasomniaDetective Conroy2010HissGeorge States2013Diamond on VinylGeorge2013Somebody Marry MeRabbi Greenberg2013Continuing FredVern2015EarthfallFarmer2015A Kind of MagicJason Tate2016All the WaySenator Jim Eastland2019In VinoMaurice
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1977Eight Is EnoughLyleEpisode: "Dark Horse"1981Bosom BuddiesFranklyn RoyceEpisode: "How Great Thou Art"1981One Day at a TimeWaiter, Robert2 episodes1981CHiPsVincentEpisode: "Weed Wars"1984Falcon CrestJ.C. Fillmore Episode: "Little Boy Blue"1984–1988NewhartHarley Estin 16 episodes1984Domestic LifeVic CurtisEpisode: "Showdown at Walla Walla"1984AfterMASHWolfeEpisode: "Ward Is Hell"1984The A-TeamMalcolm JonesEpisode: "Breakout!"1984Highway to HeavenDave RatchettEpisode: "Another Song for Christmas"1984E/RAmbulance Driver, Bert the Paramedic6 episodes1985Cagney & LaceyMarshall WatersEpisode: "Who Says It's Fair: Part 2"1986Hill Street BluesChick TurnerEpisode: "Iced Coffey"1986HunterVaughnEpisode: "Overnight Sensation"1987Sledge Hammer!BartenderEpisode: "Haven't Gun, Will Travel"1988Punky BrewsterAnimal Control Officer Nichols Episode: "Bad Dog"1988CBS Summer PlayhouseEpisode: "Some Kinda Woman"1989Night CourtDr. DumontEpisode: "From Snoop to Nuts"1989–1990Alien NationBurns14 episodes1989It's Garry Shandling's ShowFred WozniakEpisode: "SuperGrant"1990ALFScooterEpisode: "Hungry Like the Wolf"1990They Came from Outer SpaceSheriff MeechamEpisode: "The Beauty Contest"1990–1991CoachFloyd, Hal3 episodes1991Harry and the HendersonsOfficer Perth2 episodes1991–1992Empty NestDesk Clerk, Sam2 episodes1991The New Adam-12Jack LowdanEpisode: "Homeless in America"1991Morton & HayesCrookEpisode: "Home Buddies"1992Davis RulesEddieEpisode: "Ferry Tale"1992DeltaDeke, Gene 3 episodes1992Beverly Hills, 90210Hudge 3 episodes1994The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirCoach KellyEpisode: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Screams"1994Dream OnToddEpisode: "Where There's Smoke, You're Fired"1994The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.Sheriff HydeEpisode: "Bad Luck Betty"1994–1997Weird ScienceAl Wallace, Number One, Red Brick Wallace8 episodes1994ERMr. LarkowskiEpisode: "24 Hours"1994Women of the HouseMoving Man #1Episode: "Miss Sugarbaker Goes to Washington"1995Party of FiveRepairmanEpisode: "Aftershocks"1995The 5 Mrs. BuchanansTruck Stop WaiterEpisode: "Never on the Road Again"1995CourthouseEpisode: "Injustice for All"1995–1996Unhappily Ever AfterCoach2 episodes1996The Home CourtMr. SidowskiEpisode: "Dog Day Afternoon"1996Murphy BrownGeorge TurnerEpisode: "The Bus Stops Here"1996Crossroads CaféMr. ClayborneEpisode: "Winds of Change"1996Murphy BrownGeorge TurnerEpisode: "The Bus Stops Here"1996TowniesSteve Baker6 episodes1997Beyond Belief: Fact or FictionCandlestick: DetectiveEpisode: "Candlestick"1997The Drew Carey ShowThe Police MarshallEpisode: "A Very, Very, Very Fine House"1998Family MattersPhilEpisode: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"1998SleepwalkersDetective BurkeEpisode: "Counting Sheep"1998Caroline in the CityDuaneEpisode: "Caroline and the Drycleaner"19983rd Rock from the SunChet3 episodes1999–2005JAGSenator Jim, Senior Chief Petty Officer Harvey Shenburg3 episodes1999–2001That '70s ShowDale3 episodes2000Shasta McNastyTwinkles the ClownEpisode: "Play Dead, Clown"2000The DistrictLandlordEpisode: "Surveillance"2000Yes, DearGinoEpisode: "Greg's Big Day"2001Kate BrasherJerry Kramer2 episodes2001Family LawMr. LindenEpisode: "Clemency"2001The TickBus DriverEpisode: "Pilot"2002That '80s ShowGusEpisode: "My Dead Friend"2004–2010Desperate HousewivesFather Crowley10 episodes2005CarnivàleBill McKechnieEpisode: "Lincoln Highway, UT"2005–2019Grey's AnatomyWarren Sterman2 episodes2005Cold CaseLarry Papas 2005Episode: "Creatures of the Night"2005Malcolm in the MiddleNateEpisode: "Burning Man"2005InvasionBob HemmingEpisode: "The Dredge"2006Crossing JordanMr. NicholsonEpisode: "Thin Ice"2007Criminal MindsCoronerEpisode: "Jones"2007EntourageJeff DoucetteEpisode: "Malibooty"2009CastleSuperEpisode: "When the Bough Breaks"2009DollhouseStore ManagerEpisode: "Meet Jane Doe"2010Better Off TedMr. KrebsEpisode: "Change We Can't Believe In"2010Sons of TucsonHomeless ManEpisode: "The Debate Trip"2011Zeke and LutherHarrison GilroyEpisode: "Bro'd Trip"2012Fred: The ShowBertEpisode: "A Visit from Grandma"2012Good Luck CharlieMr. WillardEpisode: "Baby's First Vacation"2012WeedsCopEpisode: "Only Judy Can Judge"2012–2015Dog with a BlogPhil Trummer3 episodes2013ScandalWardenEpisode: "Truth or Consequences"2013ShamelessUncle Matt2 episodes2013Franklin & BashDA Harrison GingoldEpisode: "Good Lovin'"2013Masters of SexMr. LangshawEpisode: "Involuntary"2014Lab RatsBank RepEpisode: "No Going Back"2014GleeNY Times CriticEpisode: "Opening Night"2014Kickin' ItOld Fisherman2 episodes2014Anger ManagementLouieEpisode: "Charlie and the Epic Relationship Fail"2015Mike & MollyBen FranklinEpisode: "Hack to the Future"2015Grace and FrankieHomerEpisode: "The Funeral"2015True DetectiveJewelerEpisode: "Other Lives"2015Documentary Now!GordoEpisode: "Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee Part 1"2015How to Get Away with MurderGeorge DanversEpisode: "It's Called the Octopus"2016Girl Meets WorldMr. Norton2 episodes2017ColonyJohn SchultzEpisode: "Free Radicals"2017I'm Dying Up HereTomEpisode: "My Rifle, My Pony and Me"2018DrivenTeddyEpisode: "Part 1"2019I'm Dying Up HereLeonard GilmartinEpisode: "The Pillars of Creation"2019DealbreakersJoeEpisode: "Cowboy Joe"2021GaslitSenator Sam Ervin2 episodes2022American Horror StoriesTBAEpisode: "Necro"
Voice roles
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1998Dr. DolittlePossum2016The Wild LifeMal, Pango2017The Son of BigfootFat Dan, Tim, Tech Support OperatorDirect-to-DVD Television YearTitleRoleNotes1998Cow and ChickenFat Farmer, GoatEpisode: "I Am Vampire"2000God, the Devil and BobSmeck13 episodes2002The Zeta ProjectSheriffEpisode: "Ro's Gift"2006Ben 10Thumbskull2 episodes2008My Life as a Teenage RobotGlenn WakemanEpisode: "Never Say Uncle"2008Random! CartoonsIvan the Unbearable, OlafEpisode: "Ivan the Unbearable" Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2001Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertySEALs
References
External links