One of the most prolific character actors working today, Stephen Root has worked alongside many of the biggest names in Hollywood. He was born November 17, 1951 in Sarasota, Florida, and went on to attend the University of Florida during the 1970s. He worked in theater after graduation, first with the National Shakespeare Company before moving up to off-Broadway theater and finally moving on to Broadway. His first acting role on screen came in George A. Romero's cult horror classic Monkey Shines. After that, many more under-the-radar supporting roles came his way until he found some moderate fame in the acclaimed series NewsRadio, where he played the somewhat eccentric owner of a radio station, with Dave Foley as the station manager. The show also introduced him to comedian Andy Dick, one of many comedian-actors whom he would work with again later in the 1990s and beyond. The show ran from 1995 to 1999 before it was canceled. Besides the character of Jimmy James on "NewsRadio", Root has played more eccentric characters in recent years. Root began voicing several characters in the hit animated TV series King of the Hill, a show created by and starring Mike Judge. Judge would later cast Root in another cult classic film, 1999's Office Space, where Root played the squirrelly and unforgettable Milton Waddams, a man who is pushed around at work and has a fetish for Swingline staplers. More recently Root has worked with such directors as the Coen brothers and Kevin Smith as yet more oddball characters as well as making guest appearances on numerous TV shows.


Donated $100,000 to the University of Florida in 2003 to fund an acting studio, which is now called the Stephen Root Acting Studio. Appeared in three movies with Ben Affleck, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Jersey Girl (2004) and Surviving Christmas (2004). He is in the theatrical trailer for White Oleander (2002) although his scenes were cut from the film itself (other then a very brief voice-over).