A student of French speaking schools in Toronto, Will Arnett was born in Canada in 1970. It was his mother who noticed her son’s natural comedic talent, and in 1990, Will moved to New York to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. But this was only the beginning of Will’s trek through television wasteland – a string of unsuccessful pilots marked with unremarkable indie films hampered Will through the end of the decade and into the 2000s.
Will “swore off pilots” in 2002 until his luck turned after landing the role of George Oscar “Gob” Bluth II in the FOX comedy “Arrested Development,” playing the n’er do well foil to younger brother Jason Bateman. Widely hailed as one of TV’s most successful shows during its run from 2003 – 2006, Will admitted the show opened greater opportunities for him. Indeed, thanks to Will’s comedic acting abilities and tremendous vocal skills, Will lent his voice to “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” “Ratatouille” and “Horton Hears a Who!,” and appeared in comedies like “Blades of Glory,” “Hot Rod” and “Semi-Pro.”
Will, who’s married to “Saturday Night Live” regular Amy Poehler, was originally pegged as the voice of KITT in NBC’s “Knight Rider” update in 2008, but his gig as announcer for GMC Trucks caused General Motors to demand a replacement – whom NBC found in Val Kilmer. For Will, his perseverance with TV pilots had great benefits in the long run, and his contribution to “Arrested Development” continues to draw new fans to the show on DVD. He himself was not only part of the Best Ensemble Cast nod in 2006 by the Screen Actor’s Guild, but was nominated for an Emmy as Supporting Actor that same year.
Will on the Screen
Will started off in a handful of independent films in the late 1990s before a string of guest appearances on TV, including episodes of “Sex and the City,” “Third Watch,” “Yes, Dear,” “The Sopranos,” and “Will and Grace.” Success came as Gob Bluth in “Arrested Development” on FOX for three seasons; he’s Kit in the 2005 comedy “Monster in Law,” and is Messiah in “Wristcutters: A Love Story” in 2006. He’s Todd Mallory in “RV,” works a couple of Will Ferrell comedies in “Blades of Glory” and “Semi-Pro,” is John in “The Brothers Solomon,” and Devon Banks for two episodes of “30 Rock” in 2007.
Will Says
On “Arrested Development”‘s Bluth family:
“Yeah, you know, within the context of TV families, these are pretty unsavory characters.”