An incisive talent when it comes to playing bent, off-the-wall characters, Jeffrey Tambor has been captivating audiences for nearly four decades. Born and raised in San Francisco, he studied acting at San Francisco State University and earned his Bachelors of Arts degree there. Following his Masters at Wayne State University, he started building up his resume in repertory theater. He was first seen on episodic TV in the mid-'70s in both comedies (Taxi, Barney Miller) and dramas (Kojak, Starsky and Hutch). A large, somewhat looming fellow, his sly-eyed look and leering gaze, matched with a bright set of pearly teeth and stark pattern baldness, made him a natural for broad, warped comedy. The folks at Three's Company brought Jeffrey back time and time again, standing toe-to-toe with John Ritter and stealing many of their scenes with his noticeably bizarre gents. He was so right for the show that he was signed to a co-starring role on the show's spin-off The Ropers with Norman Fell and Audra Lindley. He and Patricia McCormack played the Ropers' chagrined neighbors. On the legitimate stage, he has been an earnest player over the years with performances in "Sly Fox" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" on Broadway in addition to roles in "Measure for Measure," "A Flea in Her Ear" and "The Seagull." On the side, Jeffrey has directed a number of stage productions and teaches acting in the Los Angeles area. Although not as well known for his film work, he made a strong dramatic impression in his film debut ...And Justice for All in which he played Al Pacino's half-crazed law partner. He went on to enhance a number of other movies including Dreamchasers, Mr. Mom, Brenda Starr, Radioland Murders, Doctor Dolittle, Pollock. More recently he played the Mayor of Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Emmy-nominated for his quirky work on The Larry Sanders Show, Jeffrey's fondness and talent for the weird and wacky has recently found a nesting roost. Quite at home amid the insanity in the series Arrested Development, he recently copped another Emmy nomination as the patriarch of the highly dysfunctional Bluth family.


Was a teacher at Milton Katselas' Beverly Hills Playhouse. Played multiple characters on "Three's Company." Directed a production of "Burn This" at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles and is the co-owner of Skylight Books in the Los Feliz area. Children: Molly Tambor (b. 1975) and Gabriel Kasper (b. December 10th 2004). His wife Kasia gave birth to their second child, a girl named Eve Julia, on December 10th 2006. Sold his five-bedroom Cape Cod-style house in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood for $3.3 million. He had purchased the house in early 2005 for $2,749,000. [2007]