Known for his killer voice and impeccable delivery, Patrick Warburton is one of the most recognizable talents in film, television, and video game history. Though his incredibly iconic voice work is what most people will recognize (voicing dozens of famous characters such as Joe Swanson on Family Guy, Brock Samson on Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros, Ken in Bee Movie among others) his live-action work should not be ignored.
Whether he’s the supporting role in a sitcom, to providing some serious comic relief in films or even lending a guest spot on some internet videos, Patrick Warburton has built up quite the resume. Here are ten iconic live-action roles from the actor.
Jeff Bingham (Rules of Engagement)
CBS Sitcoms fill some strange void in any TV lineup. Usually, they get fairly negative reviews but always last with just enough episodes needed for syndication. Case in point, did anyone know Rules of Engagement ran for seven seasons in five years? It’s a fairly forgettable sitcom that tries to combine elements of shows like Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother.
Anyway, Warburton tries his hardest to inject some of his deadpan humor into this show in playing Jeff, a sarcastic and cold husband to Megyn Price’s Audrey. While it's not the strongest performance, it’s a serviceable one to fill a timeslot.
Johnny Johnson (NewsRadio)
NewsRadio seemed to have the opposite issues of shows like Rules of Engagement. This one received much better reviews though its ratings were very inconsistent. This show was a workplace comedy about a news radio station, with a cast made up of the likes of Dave Foley, Jon Lovitz, Stephen Root, and Phil Hartman.
In the final season, Warburton plays Johnny Johnson, a rival to Root’s character. This is one of the many roles in which Warburton plays a supporting or recurring character in a sitcom. This role lasted five episodes.
Agent T (Men In Black II)
Another supporting role, this time in a large blockbuster. Men in Black II was a huge sequel to an already huge film. In it, Agent J (Will Smith) has a new partner, Agent T (Warburton).
Again, a good chunk of these roles and performances are serviceable, with Warburton bringing his usual charm into it. There is not as much substance in this one as there are in other roles but it’s not awful. He plays off Smith pretty well and it’s just cool seeing Warburton in a movie as big as this.
Lt. Tharl (The Orville)
Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville has received praise from fans of both Star Trek and of MacFarlane’s unique brand of humor. One of the highlights of the show was a guest appearance by Warburton. Here, he portrayed Lt. Tharl in the show’s second season.
Tharl is an alien who has a second esophagus that resembles an elephant's trunk. The make-up is absolutely amazing and he steals every scene he’s in, despite only appearing in two episodes in season two. This role does a much better job of showing off Wartburton’s range as an actor.
Rick Stoner (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Patrick Warburton is now a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (joining the likes of Sam Rockwell in roles that seem to waste the skills of the actor portraying them). In 2018, he portrayed the comic book character Rick Stoner, who was most famously the first known executive director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
He appears in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a hologram. He appeared in two episodes, giving messages and briefings about a facility set to withstand any and all apocalyptic circumstances.
Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Warburton takes on the role of the fictional biographer in this Netflix series based on the popular children’s book series. In the show, Snicket narrates the show in a Rod Sterling-like style similar to The Twilight Zone.
Warburton's more understated approach to this performance and his incredibly cool demeanor make this one of the more unique performances in his career. He recounts events that happen in the story while also providing commentary in between each episode. The show would go on for three seasons, with Warburton reprising his role in each one.
Steven Stone (Scream 3)
Scream 3 was the low point of the once smart and savvy slasher film series. Instead of being a thoughtful parody of horror films, it was just another slasher movie, like the first two Screams were trying to satirize. While the series would have to wait until 2011 for a return to form, this one had one thing going for it: Pattrick Warburton.
Using his physicality as opposed to his vocal chops, he played Steven Stone, a cool bodyguard to fictional actress Jennifer Jolie. Unfortunately, he died. What an absolute bummer.
Hymie (Get Smart)
Get Smart was a serviceable, if not groundbreaking comedy from the late 2000s. It was based on the show of the same name, created by Mel Brooks in the 60s. Warburton plays Hymie, a robotic agent at CONTROL. The first of his kind, he was built by Bruce and Lloyd and appears at the end of the film and in the companion, Direct-to-video spin-off film, Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control.
It’s a charming bit that showcases Warburton’s comedic timing. It’s also fun to see him play off of Terry Crews and David Koechner.
David Puddy (Seinfeld)
"Yeah, that's right." Elaine’s on-and-off boyfriend in Seinfeld is one of the most iconic, recurring characters in the show’s history. He is an enigma of a man, providing some of the weirdest quotes in the show, despite only appearing in ten episodes. Elaine loves how masculine he is though he is a bit of an odd fellow.
He reminds Elaine that she is going to hell for being an atheist, he paints himself in full New Jersey Devils colors whenever he goes to their hockey games and is completely apathetic towards his relationship with Elaine.
The Tick (The Tick)
“I am the wild blue yonder. The front line in a never-ending battle between good and not-so-good.” The 2001 Tick series deserved way more than it got. Only running for a seven-episode season, this show was a bizarre and intelligent satire of superhero culture. It was based on a comic series by Ben Edlund.
What really made this show special was Warburton’s performance as the titular hero. He is a dopey, overconfident oaf that wants to do nothing more than to maintain peace and civility. It really showcases how well Warburton can carry his own show, no matter how weird.