Will Arnett

Will Arnett

Active - 1989 - 2023  |   Born - May 4, 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada  |   Genres - Comedy, Drama, Adventure

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Biography by AllMovie

After almost a decade of starring in failed pilots, Toronto-born Will Arnett finally hit pay dirt in 2003 when Fox picked up Arrested Development, an irreverent sitcom that cast him as a spoiled rich kid-turned-aspiring illusionist. While the show struggled in ratings, it won loads of critical praise and garnered an incredibly loyal fan base that helped keep it on the air for three seasons before Fox finally gave up and pulled the plug. In the wake of Arrested Development's cancellation, Arnett quickly and smoothly transitioned into big-screen work. His first starring role came in 2006 with the comedy Let's Go to Prison! Though the film failed to find success at the box office, Arnett's momentum wasn't hampered in the least. In 2007, his film career exploded with supporting roles in Blades of Glory, Hot Rod, and Ratatouille, and a starring slot opposite Saturday Night Live's Will Forte in The Brothers Solomon. That same year also saw Arnett starting a scene-stealing recurring role on NBC's 30 Rock and a memorable voice-over cameo in Edgar Wright's faux-trailer contribution to Grindhouse, "Don't."

Thanks to his distinctive deep voice, Arnett found steady work in animated films including Ratatouille, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who, Monsters vs. Aliens, Despicable Me, and The Lego Movie. He had a failed sitcom, Running Wilde, in 2010 that was cancelled after just one season, but he quickly found himself as the lead on the NBC sitcom Up All Night opposite Christina Applegate, a show that did earn a second season before it too was cancelled. Arnett tried again with the CBS comedy The Millers in 2013 and also reprised his role in the resurrected fourth season of Arrested Development on Netflix.

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Factsheet

  • His father was the CEO for the Canadian beer giant Molson Inc.
  • Got his start doing voice-over work for GMC Trucks and Lamisil antifungal tablets.
  • His then-wife, Amy Poehler, played the wife of his character on Arrested Development and his sister/skating partner in the Will Ferrell comedy Blades of Glory.
  • Is friends with screenwriter Dave McLaughlin and starred in the scribe's Southie and On Broadway.
  • Reunited with Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz and costar David Cross for Running Wilde; in addition to his acting role, Arnett also helped create the series and served as a writer and executive producer.
  • Is a huge hockey fan and supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs.