Biography
An unpredictable comic whose talents as an artist and writer of children's books frequently goes unnoticed in favor of such antics as appearing on the
Late Show With David Letterman in peanut butter-covered boots, Harland Williams set the tone for his cinematic career as a urine-chugging state trooper in the Farrelly brothers' sophomoric smash
Dumb and Dumber (1994).
Born in Toronto, Ontario, the artistically inclined Williams aimed to refine his passion for drawing and painting at Canada's prestigious Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. Childlike curiosity combined with his love of art drove Williams to create a series of popular children's books in which a similarly curious young dinosaur named Lickety Split embarks on a series of amazing adventures and learns important life lessons in the process. Finding a creative outlet in poetry and painting while working as a forest ranger for five years after dropping out of Sheridan College, Williams set his goals to leave the forest as a standup comic and actor, soon moving to L.A. to pursue his newfound calling.
After his memorable debut in
Dumb and Dumber, Williams appeared briefly in the television series
Simon before attempting a starring vehicle with Disney's
Rocketman in 1997. Trashed by critics and largely ignored by audiences,
Rocketman may not have launched Williams' career into the stratosphere, but it did result in a number of memorably comedic roles in such popular comedies as Half-Baked (1998) and
There's Something About Mary (1998). The new millennium also proved to be a busy year for Williams in both his career as a standup and an actor: serving as host of Comedy Central's Premium Blend, appearing in the
Geena Davis Show,
The Whole Nine Yards, and as an abrasive tyrant television star who learns the true value of love in
Becoming Dick. In 2001, Williams appeared as the compound-fractured friend of a spastic
Tom Green in
Freddy Got Fingered. The following year found Williams as a gender-bending college student alongside co-stars Barry Watson and
Michael Rosenbaum in
Sorority Boys. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide