This versatile player began acting in regional theater as a child and continued to pursue an entertainment career after graduating college. Having played a gay man sworn off of sex in the title role of the Off-Broadway comedy
Jeffrey in 1993, Higgins found his breakthrough role in 1996, capturing the essence of David Letterman in the controversial TV-movie
The Late Shift. His uproarious turn as a flamboyant dog owner in Christopher Guest's 2000 mockumentary
Best in Show jump-started his film career, and he subsequently appeared in the director’s follow-ups
A Mighty Wind (2003) and
For Your Consideration (2006). Higgins was seen in two high-profile supporting roles in 2007, with Steve Carell in
Evan Almighty and opposite Vince Vaughn in
Fred Claus. On the small screen, Higgins has had numerous parts including recurring roles on shows such as
Ally McBeal,
Arrested Development,
Raising the Bar and
Community.
John Michael Higgins Fast Facts:
- Studied literature and sang in an a cappella group at Amherst College.
- Originated the title role in Paul Rudnick's 1993 Off-Broadway comedy Jeffrey.
- Portrayed David Letterman in 1996's The Late Shift, an account of the battle between Letterman and Jay Leno to succeed Johnny Carson.
- Played Kurt, Elaine's balding boyfriend, in a 1997 Seinfeld episode.
- Earned a Drama Desk nomination as Outstanding Actor in a Play for portraying tennis legend Bill Tilden in A.R. Gurney's Big Bill in 2004.
- Featured in a series of humorous 2008 DirecTV commercials poking fun at other cable providers.
- John Michael Higgins Relationships:
- Margaret Welsh - Wife
- Walter Lloyd Higgins - Son
- Maisie Higgins - Daughter
- College:
- Amherst College, Amherst, MA (1985)