Thomas Middleditch

Biography

**Thomas Steven Middleditch** (born March 10, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and screenwriter. Celebrated for his rapid-fire delivery, neurotically charged comedic style, and extensive background in longform improvisation, he achieved international recognition for his starring role as tech entrepreneur Richard Hendricks on the critically acclaimed HBO comedy series *Silicon Valley* (2014 to 2019). Born in Nelson, British Columbia, to British parents, Middleditch discovered performance arts in middle school and pursued theatre studies at the University of Victoria. He subsequently moved to Chicago, where he trained and performed extensively with renowned improvisational troupes including The Second City and iO Theater, while also co-founding The Improvised Shakespeare Company. After relocating to New York City following an audition for *Saturday Night Live*, he gained visibility through online sketches with CollegeHumor and web series like *Jake and Amir*. His defining breakthrough arrived in 2014 when Mike Judge cast him as the lead in *Silicon Valley*. His portrayal of the awkward, brilliant, and chronically stressed compression software coder earned widespread praise, securing a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, along with multiple Critics' Choice Television Award nominations and a Satellite Award. He also made a guest appearance on NBC's *The Office* as Dwight Schrute's brother, Jeb. In 2020, he starred alongside Ben Schwartz in the acclaimed three-part Netflix comedy special *Middleditch and Schwartz*, which showcased unscripted longform improv. He later led the CBS multi-camera sitcom *B Positive* (2020 to 2022) as Drew Dunbar. In cinema, Middleditch has appeared in films such as *The Wolf of Wall Street* (2013), *The Kings of Summer* (2013), *The Final Girls* (2015), *Godzilla: King of the Monsters* (2019), and *Zombieland: Double Tap* (2019). He is also a prolific voice actor, headlining the Hulu animated series *Solar Opposites* as Terry, voicing Harold Hutchins in *Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie* (2017), and leading the Disney XD series *Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero*. Expanding into legitimate theatre, he made his Broadway debut in the dark comedy play *Eureka Day* at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.