Bio
Wallace Shawn is an accomplished movie, televison and stage actor best known for playing the iconic role of Vizzini in Rob Reiner’s cult classic The Princess Bride (1987). Many will recognize him as the voice of Rex, the ironically, gentle, kind, caring toy Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Toy Story film franchise.
Shawn has appeared in numerous films throughout his career, including four directed by Louis Malle: My Dinner with Andre (1981), Vanya on 42nd Street (1994), Crackers (1983) and Atlantic City (1980), as well as five directed by Woody Allen Manhattan (1979), Radio Days (1986), Shadows and Fog (1991), Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) and Melinda and Melinda (2004).
Shawn has also appeared in Amy Heckerling’s Clueless (1995) and Vamps (2012), Paul Bartel’s Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989), Alan Rudolph’s The Moderns (1988), Tom Noonan’s The Wife (1995), Patricia Rozema’s Kit Kittredge (2008), Richard Ayoade’s The Double (2013) and Paul Weitz’s Admission (2013). He has had recurring roles in various television shows such as Murphy Brown, The L Word, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Gossip Girl, The Good Wife and Mozart in the Jungle.
He reprised his beloved role as Rex in Toy Story 4 (2019) and continues with the franchise, including the upcoming Toy Story 5. On television, he gained new fans as Dr. John Sturgis on Young Sheldon (2017–2024) and appeared as Father Frank Ignatius on the series Evil (2022–2024). He also appeared in films such as Marriage Story (2019) and Rifkin’s Festival (2020), while remaining active in theatre with new work including his play What We Did Before Our Moth Days, presented off-Broadway in 2026 alongside performances of his acclaimed solo piece The Fever.