J.P. Manoux was born in Santa Barbara, California, as the eldest of seven siblings. He developed an interest in the performing arts at a young age, participating in children's theater and taking tap dance lessons. After attending Thacher School, he went on to study at Northwestern University, where he became involved in improv, writing, and directing the nation's longest-running college comedy, The Mee-Ow Show.
Manoux's college comedy troupe, The Mee-Ow Show, was a huge success, and he followed in the footsteps of notable alumni such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brad Hall, and Ana Gasteyer. He received the Outstanding Student Award from NU's School of Speech in 1991.
After graduating, Manoux moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in comedy. He honed his skills at various comedy institutions, including L.A. Theatresports, ACME Comedy Theater, the Groundlings School, and I.O. West. His work on the stage earned him critical acclaim, including L.A. Ovation and Backstage West Garland Awards for his performance in the world premiere stage musical Reefer Madness.
Manoux's breakthrough in television came with his dual role as Mr. Hackett and Curtis the Caveman on the Disney Channel series Phil of the Future. He also voiced the lead role of Kuzco in Disney's animated series The Emperor's New School. In 2006, he joined the ensemble of ER, playing the recurring role of sardonic surgical resident Dr. Dustin Crenshaw.
In the following years, Manoux worked extensively in Canada, appearing in productions such as Aaron Stone and Spun Out. He also returned to Hollywood, taking on recurring roles in shows like Good Girls Revolt and VEEP. Since then, he has appeared in a wide range of projects, including films like Nobody and Babylon, as well as TV series like The Librarians, The Magicians, Charmed, Shameless, Grey's Anatomy, 9-1-1: Lone Star, CSI: Vegas, White House Plumbers, and Running Point.
Throughout his career, Manoux has appeared in over 100 TV series, 90 commercials, and 50 films. He has also provided voice and motion-capture performance for 13 video games, competed on six TV game shows, and read two original pieces for National Public Radio. In addition, he is a 2018 Moth StorySLAM winner and has co-written one play and anonymously authored one IMDb biography.
Manoux's vanity license plate reads IMDB ME, a nod to his extensive work in the entertainment industry.
