If you’re a fan of the American sitcom television series The Middle, you undoubtedly already know who Neil Flynn is. Even if you don’t watch that particular show, you’ve seen him on a number of other television programs or in movies over the years. In fact, he has a long and rich career as an actor and he remains just as active today as he’s ever been, if not more so.
If you’ve always liked his acting work and wanted to know more about him, you can read the list of 10 things that you might not already be aware of below. In this list, you can find out a few things about his personal life and his work ethic, which is enough to impress just about anyone.
1. He was in Scrubs
If you have seen him in The Middle and you think he looks familiar, possibly from another television show, you’re right. He played the janitor in the popular television sitcom Scrubs. There was even one episode where they did a parody on an earlier movie role that he had. Obviously, this is something they had a lot of fun with and up until he started in The Middle, it was his most consistent role of his career.
2. He’s from the windy city
It seems like people always want to know where their favorite actor was born. Flynn is from the south side of Chicago. Although he didn’t live in Chicago throughout his entire life, he was never too far away and upon graduating from college, he returned to the windy city to pursue acting in the town that he had come to love.
3. He has Irish roots
As you might have already guessed from his last name, he is of Irish descent. In fact, he has one of the most prolific Irish names in existence, and he is very proud of his Irish heritage.
4. He was raised Roman Catholic
This is not at all uncommon, especially for someone of Irish descent. He grew up in a devout Roman Catholic household, something that he still holds onto today. In fact, Flynn credits his faith with helping him navigate the sometimes difficult waters of Hollywood, allowing him to do what he loves without getting involved in all of the muck that sometimes comes with fame and fortune.
5. He’s funny
Flynn has an ability to make people laugh, whether he’s reading lines off a script or doing his own material. As it turns out, he’s always had that capability. In 1978 he and a friend did a project for high school where they performed a comedic act. This project ultimately won him an award for his comedic routine, something that very few people experience, especially while still in high school.
6. He’s worked twice with Harrison Ford
Chances are, you’ve seen him in both of these movies even if you don’t remember the entire thing from beginning to end. He first worked with Harrison Ford in The Fugitive, playing a police officer that is killed by the man with one arm that Ford is pursuing. He returned to work him with him again several years later during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , this time playing an FBI agent
7. He also played Lindsay Lohan’s father
Although the part wasn’t very big, he played the father of Lindsay Lohan’s character in the movie Mean Girls. You only get to see him for a few minutes out of the entire film, but if you look closely, you can find him.
8. He’s also a voice actor
When he’s not acting in front of the camera, he stays busy as a voice actor. In fact, he’s performed in that particular capacity in a number of notable rolls, Including Bob’s Burgers, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Kim Possible.
9. He is an active comedian
You might think that acting in front of the camera and doing voice over work will keep him busy enough without adding something else into the pile, but he enjoys staying busy. When you can’t find him doing either one of the aforementioned things, you’re likely to find him performing a stand-up routine with his own material. He enjoys working and he loves making people laugh, so he makes sure that he stays active in order to keep his skills sharp.
10. He’s been acting since he graduated from college
He graduated from an Illinois college in 1982 and since then, he’s been busy with one role or another. Although he started out like most actors with small parts here and there, he has carefully crafted his career and is now able to reap the rewards of all the hard work he put in for so many years.
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