Thomas Haden Church and Billy Bob Thornton were not the only notable actors to appear in the NBC series Wings. In fact, another talented actor, who began his professional career as a stand-up comic in the Seattle area in the mid-'80s, played the role of Lowell the mechanic in the show. This actor's early start in Seattle theater as a child laid the foundation for his future success.
In 1990, he received his big break as a stand-up comedian on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, followed by an HBO special and a two-year deal for his own show at Fox television. Although his own show did not produce a series, he continued to write and star in several short films for the TV show The Sunday Comics in 1991. This led to a starring role in the film Baby's Day Out in 1994.
The actor's film career took off with roles in several movies, including Little Giants, where he played the overzealous father Mike Hammersmith, also known as Spike's Dad. He also appeared as Mitch, the president's secret service agent, in Mars Attacks! and as the muscular dope Christie in McHale's Navy.
In 1995, he starred in a popular Miller Lite beer commercial during the Super Bowl, playing the role of hard-luck quarterback Elmer Bruker, the man who was on every winning Super Bowl team but never played. The same year, he appeared in the short-lived CBS series Maggie Winters, alongside Faith Ford.
The actor has also played more serious roles, including a detective in both Martin Scorsese's The Departed and the Coen brothers' film The Man Who Wasn't There. He currently resides in New York and has his own production company, Sky Blue House Productions.
