Background
MacNicol was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the youngest of five children of Barbara Jean (née Gottlich), a homemaker, and John Wilbur Johnson, a corporate executive who became an Episcopal priest later in life.
MacNicol was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the youngest of five children of Barbara Jean (née Gottlich), a homemaker, and John Wilbur Johnson, a corporate executive who became an Episcopal priest later in life.
University of Minnesota. University of Dallas.
He is known in films for his roles of Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II, Stingo in Sophie"s Choice, and David Langley in Bean. MacNicol began his career studying at the University of Dallas and University of Minnesota. While in Minnesota, he performed in two seasons at the Guthrie Theater.
A New York talent agent spotted him and told him to make a move to Manhattan.
MacNicol was cast in the off-Broadway play, Crimes of the Heart. lieutenant was also during this production that a casting agent noticed him and called him in to read for his eventual role in Sophie"s Choice.
In 1981 he landed the starring role in his first film, Dragonslayer, opposite Sir Ralph Richardson. In 1987, he starred in the Trinity Repertory Company"s original production of the stage adaptation of All the King"s Men, which first appeared at the Dallas Theater Center.
This adaptation was developed with the consultation of the author himself.
Among his other stage credits is the Broadway production of Black Comedy/White Lies. He has further extensive classical repertory theater background, including the New York Shakespeare Festival in which he played title roles in Richard II and Romeo and Juliet, and appeared in Twelfth Night, Rum and Coke and Foundation a Peanut. On film, he played the naive Southern writer who fell in love with Meryl Streep in Sophie"s Choice.
The museum curator Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II and camp director Gary Granger alongside future Numbers co-star David Krumholtz in Addams Family Values.
Other film credits include Housesitter and American Blue Note. However, he did return for one final guest appearance in episode five of the former show"s fifth season.
He also starred in the drama NUMB3RS as physicist Doctor Larry Fleinhardt, and had a role as Tom Lennox in the sixth season of the hit FOX show 24. MacNicol reprised his role as Lennox in the film 24: Redemption.
He also played a hotel receptionist in one episode of Cheers titled "Look Before You Sleep".
MacNicol has lent his voice to several comic book supervillains: Doctor Kirk Langstrom/Manitoba-Bat in The Batman, David Clinton/Chronos in Justice League Unlimited, Professor Ivo in Young Justice, Doctor Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus in The Spectacular Spider-Manitoba, X The Eliminator in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law and the Mad Hatter in the video games Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Batman: Arkham Knight. He also voiced Firefly in G.I. Joe: Renegades. MacNicol played Doctor Stark, a pediatric surgeon, on Grey"s Anatomy.