Jeff Hiller
Jeff Hiller | |
|---|---|
Hiller in 2023 | |
| Born | December 7, 1975 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | Texas Lutheran University (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Notable work | Somebody Somewhere |
| Website | hillertime |
Jeff Hiller (born December 7, 1975)[1][2] is an American actor, improvisor and comedian. He is best known for his portrayal of Joel on the television series Somebody Somewhere, for which he won the 2025 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Early life and education
Hiller grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He has a sister, Melissa, and was raised Lutheran.[2]
Hiller is a 1994 graduate of Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, where he performed in some of his earliest theater productions.[3] He enrolled at Texas Lutheran University with the intention of becoming a pastor, and though he completed theology coursework, his love of performing deepened and he earned a bachelor’s degree in theater in 1998.[4][5] During his junior year of college, he studied in Namibia.[6]
Career
Hiller started performing improv comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2001 where he was part of the improv teams People People, The Scam, Creep, Rumpleteaser and Police Chief Rumble. He taught improv comedy for a decade.[4]
Hiller has appeared in various television series, including Guiding Light, Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Psych, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Community.[7] Hiller appeared in the films Morning Glory and Ghost Town. Hiller was well-received for his performance as John Quincy Adams in the hit rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. In 2018, Hiller replaced Drew Droege's solo show Bright Colors and Bold Patterns off-Broadway, which was directed by Michael Urie.[8]
Hiller played Joel for all three seasons of Bridget Everett's Peabody Award-winning series Somebody Somewhere (2022). Hiller won the 2025 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance.[9][10]
His memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail To Overnight Success,[11] was released June 10, 2025. On the first printing of the book, the spine was misspelled, missing an "R" in the word Certain; Hiller joked about it on The Daily Show with Desi Lydic.[12]
In the 2025 revival of Urinetown, Hiller played the role of Mr. McQueen.[13]
In June 2025, Hiller served as a panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me![14] and was interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air in August 2025.
Personal life
Hiller is gay[8] and founded the all-gay improv troupe Neely O'Hara.[15] Hiller is married to artist Neil Goldberg with whom he lives in New York City.[16]
Hiller has a medical condition called morphea, which causes hair loss, as well as other dermatological changes. This condition is also featured in his character, Joel, on the HBO Max series Somebody Somewhere.[17]
Memoir
- Hiller, Jeff (2025). Actress of a Certain Age.[18]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dream Assassin | Waiter | Short |
| Ghost Town | Naked Guy | ||
| 2009 | Adam | Rom | |
| 2010 | Morning Glory | Sam - Channel 9 Producer | |
| 2011 | Bad Seed | Jeff | Short |
| 2012 | Gayby | Showgirls Fan Customer | |
| 2013 | Gods Behaving Badly | First Follower | |
| That Thing with the Cat | Rick | ||
| Chasing Taste | Chef Micah | ||
| Snore (Downton Abbey) | Unnamed role | Short | |
| The Little Tin Man | Gregg | Independent film | |
| 2015 | The Last Ones | Brad | Short |
| The Poets | Leonard | Short | |
| 2016 | Sing! | Mark | Voice role |
| 2018 | Greta | Maitre D' Henri | |
| Set It Up | Mexican Restaurant Waiter | ||
| 2020 | First One In | Frazzled Salesman | |
| 2024 | Lost & Found in Cleveland | Graham Hargreaves |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | A2Z | Comedian Panelist | Episode: "Guns N' Roses" |
| 2005 | Starved | Gay Man | Episode: "3D" |
| 2006 | The P.A. | Jeff | 1 episode |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Hotel Clerk | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 2008–2009 | Guiding Light | Francois the Tailor | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Old Friends | Waiter | Episode: "Waverly Place" |
| Submissions Only | Gay 4 (Sonny) | Episode: "Old Lace" | |
| Wiener & Wiener | Man | Episode: "Always a Bridesmaid" | |
| Ugly Betty | Wilheldiva Fan | Episode: "Chica and the Man" | |
| 2011 | 30 Rock | Stewart | Episode: "Double-Edged Sword" |
| Community | Glee Club Guy | Episode: "Regional Holiday Music" | |
| Bored to Death | Emcee | Episode: "Forget the Herring" | |
| Death Valley | Security Guard | Episode: "Tick... Tick... BOOM!" | |
| Psych | Dwayne | Episode: "Last Night Gus" | |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Stan | 2 episodes | |
| 2012 | Squad 85 | Macey | 3 episodes |
| Partners | Randy | 2 episodes | |
| NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Don | Episode: "The Return of Dragon Shumway" | |
| Best Friends Forever | The Host | Episode: "Fatal Blow Out" | |
| 2012–2013 | Campus Security | Lyle Moses | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Raptor Raptor | Unnamed role | Episode: "How to Get a Job" |
| Go On | Eric the Actor | Episode: "Urn-ed Run" | |
| 2014 | Dead Boss | Timothy | TV movie |
| The McCarthys | Phillip | 2 episodes | |
| UCB Comedy Originals | Unnamed roles | 2 episodes | |
| The Hotwives of Orlando | Antoine Donner | 4 episodes | |
| Long Distance | Matt | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | The Hotwives of Las Vegas | Antoine Donner | 3 episodes |
| Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | Wolfgang Ragekiss | Episode: "New-cronomicon" | |
| 2015–2016 | Impastor | Jeffrey | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Harry | Episode: "That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!" |
| 2016–2017 | Nightcap | Phil Miller | 20 episodes |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Subway Man | Episode: "Sweet Tea" |
| Broad City | Tim | Episode: "Sliding Doors" | |
| Playing House | Jeff | 3 episodes | |
| ASAP Fables | Lion | Episode: "The Lion and His Privilege" | |
| New York Is Dead | Dante | Web series | |
| 2018 | Human Kind Of | Various roles | 10 episodes |
| West 40s | Ryan | Episode: "Forty Candles" | |
| 2019 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Tomothy / Tomathy | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Little America | Man with Cold | Episode: "The Silence" |
| 2022–2024 | Somebody Somewhere | Joel | 21 episodes |
| 2022 | American Horror Story: NYC | Gideon Whitely | 9 episodes |
| Evil | Chuck | Episode: "The Demon of Parenthood" | |
| The Watcher | Therapist | Episode: "Haunting" | |
| 2023 | FBI: Most Wanted | Rudolph Varitek | Episode: "Black Mirror" |
| 2023–2024 | American Horror Stories | Mr. Nevins | Episode: "Bestie" |
| Niles Taylor | Episode: "The Thing Under the Bed" | ||
| 2025 | Will Trent | Lance | Episode: "The Most Beautiful, Fierce, Smart, Powerful Creature in the Entire World" |
| King of Drag | Himself; guest judge | Episode: "Comedy" | |
| Pluribus | Larry | Episode: "Please, Carol" | |
| 2025–2026 | Stumble | Augustus | 2 episodes |
| 2026 | Elsbeth | Felix West | Episode: All's Hair |
| Ghosts | Jeff | season 5 episode 13 "St. Hetty's Day 2: The Help" |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Escape from Virtual Island | Waiter / Man No. 1 / Crowd (voice) | 11 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Somebody Somewhere | Won | [19] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series | Nominated | [20] | ||
| 2025 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | [21] |
References
- ^ "Vital Records Index". sanantonio.gov. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Hiller, Jeff (June 10, 2025). Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success (Audiobook ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster Audio. ISBN 9781797193878.
- ^ Martinez, Kiko (July 2, 2023). "Actor Jeff Hiller talks growing up in San Antonio and his HBO series Somebody Somewhere". San Antonio Current. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Rizzo, Carita (August 28, 2023). "Jeff Hiller Is the Heart of 'Somebody Somewhere'". Shondaland. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ "2016 Bulldogs Football" (PDF). TLUBulldogs.com. p. 3. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ Tompkins, Molly (June 10, 2025). "'Somebody Somewhere' Star Jeff Hiller on His San Antonio Roots". Texas Highways. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ "Last Night Gus". USA Network. September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ a b Voss, Brandon (January 25, 2018). "Actor Jeff Hiller Is Always the Life of the Gay Party". Brandon Voss. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ Schwartz, Missy (August 14, 2025). "'Somebody Somewhere' Star Jeff Hiller Is Still Getting Used to Being an Emmy Nominee: 'I Mean, It's Bonkers'". TheWrap. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Rebecca (September 18, 2025). "Jeff Hiller and Katherine LaNase's surprise Emmy wins buoy those of us who also don't fit a template to continue The Slog". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ ACTRESS OF A CERTAIN AGE | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Jeff Hiller Talks New Book on 'The Daily Show'". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Rainn Wilson, Kevin Cahoon, & More Complete URINETOWN Cast at Encores!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "'Wait Wait' for June 21, 2025: With Not My Job guest Ibtihaj Muhammad". NPR. June 21, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ "Jeff Hiller". Fort Lauderdale Improv. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
- ^ "Jeff Hiller Came Out of Nowhere. It Only Took 20 Years". August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ "Jeff Hiller has Morphea". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ Martinez, Kiko (June 22, 2025). "Actor Jeff Hiller shares journey from San Antonio to Hollywood in new memoir Churchill HS grad uses humor to relive memories in 'Actress of a Certain Age'". MySanAntonio.com.
- ^ Voyles, Blake (September 20, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Nominees". Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan; Bergeson, Samantha (December 13, 2022). "'Severance,' 'Pachinko,' 'The Rehearsal' Among Independent Spirit Award TV Nominees: Full List". IndieWire. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ Gonzalez, Shivani (July 15, 2025). "Emmy Nominees 2025: The Complete List". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2025.