---
name: "Richard Schiff"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-schiff"
fi1m_id: "richard-schiff"
imdb_id: "nm0771493"
tmdb_id: 31028
wikidata_id: "Q355209"
roles: ["Actor","Director"]
born: "27 May 1955"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 67
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-07T12:39:28.861559+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Richard Schiff

## Identity

Richard Schiff

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-schiff
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** richard-schiff
- **IMDb ID:** nm0771493
- **TMDB ID:** 31028
- **Wikidata ID:** Q355209
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Schiff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q355209, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0771493/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/31028

Actor and director. Born 27 May 1955 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director
- **Born:** 27 May 1955, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- **Active:** 1992–present
- **Also known as:** Ρίτσαρντ Σιφ, Richard Shiff, 理查德·希夫, ریچارد شیف
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 11 acting, 1 directing
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 67, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 70 (7), 2000s 70 (1), 2010s 65 (3), 2020s 66 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 67 to 65 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 6, Drama 5, Comedy 4, Adventure 3, Science Fiction 3, Fantasy 2
- **Screen time:** 21 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,490m across 10 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Schiff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q355209, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0771493/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/31028

## Coming up

- *The Auction* (2027-08-01), as Newscaster

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The West Wing*](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) (86), [*Man of Steel*](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md) (60)
- **Tubi:** [*Clemency*](https://film.one/film/clemency.md) (81)
- **AMC+:** [*The Lost World: Jurassic Park*](https://film.one/film/the-lost-world-jurassic-park.md) (64)
- **Disney+:** [*Doctor Dolittle*](https://film.one/film/doctor-dolittle-1998.md) (50)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Richard Schiff

> Richard Schiff plays men who have already thought it through and are tired of waiting for everyone else to catch up. He is at his best as Toby Ziegler in *The West Wing*, where that impatience keeps a talkative programme honest.

Watch Toby Ziegler while somebody else is talking. Schiff speaks quietly and without hurry in a series where everyone else is walking fast and finishing each other's sentences, and he gives every impression of having lost the argument in his own head some time ago and of deciding whether to have it aloud anyway. He usually does. In our review of *The West Wing* (1999) we called him the abrasive presence in the ensemble, the one who stops agreement from seeming automatic, and that is the job he does nearly everywhere: the man at the table who has not been won over and does not intend to pretend.

He started as a director, not an actor, which may explain the watching. He began in New York theatre staging off-Broadway plays, including *Antigone* in 1983 with Angela Bassett, and switched to acting in the mid-1980s. Small parts followed, among them Mark Swarr in *Se7en* (1995), and then Steven Spielberg, who had seen him in *High Incident*, cast him as Eddie Carr in *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* (1997). Our review did not single him out, which is fair; it is a film that treats its people as bait, and he is one of them. Two years later Aaron Sorkin gave him Toby, and he stayed until 2006.

Sorkin is the writer who has got the most out of him, because Sorkin writes fast and Schiff plays slow. Against Bradley Whitford's Josh Lyman, all useful, faintly exhausting quickness, Toby is the one who slows things down, and the programme needs him for that. The dry, deadpan humour directors keep noticing is his best tool: he can let a line fall as a joke without moving his face, so you are never sure he meant it. He moved us more than anyone else in the series, and it was because he never asked to. The scenes in which Toby is plainly losing, knows it, and keeps arguing on principle were the ones we were still thinking about a week later.

The limit is that the parts arrive in one shape: serious, clever, in charge of something, supporting, in an ensemble. In *Ray* (2004) he plays Jerry Wexler, having shaved his beard for it, and does it well; but the film, as we said, tells Ray Charles's story one contract, one hit and one relapse at a time, which leaves a supporting player about a scene per contract. He has said publicly that he could not stand what the final season of *The West Wing* did with Toby. We will not describe it; we will say it sat oddly on a character he had spent six years making consistent.

From 2017 to 2024 he had a lead at last, as Dr Aaron Glassman in *The Good Doctor*, a mentor part, so television has noticed he can carry more than a corner of the frame. We would like a film to notice too.

## Biography

Richard Schiff is an American actor and director. He was born on 27 May 1955 in Bethesda, Maryland, and studied at the City College of New York and the William Esper Studio.

Schiff is best known for playing Toby Ziegler in the television series *The West Wing* (1999–2006). He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2000. He also directed two episodes of the series, including his television directorial debut with 'Talking Points'.

His other screen credits include appearances in *Se7en* (1995), *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* (1997), *Man of Steel* (2013), *The Good Doctor* (2017–) as Dr Aaron Glassman, and *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* (2022).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (12)

### Performed in (11) — the average rests on these

- *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* (2022), Fi1m 66, as U.S. Secretary of State — [page](https://film.one/film/black-panther-wakanda-forever.md)
- *Clemency* (2019), Fi1m 81, as Marty Lumetta — [page](https://film.one/film/clemency.md)
- *Man of Steel* (2013), Fi1m 60, as Dr. Emil Hamilton — [page](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md)
- *Johnny English Reborn* (2011), Fi1m 53, as Fisher — [page](https://film.one/film/johnny-english-reborn.md)
- *Ray* (2004), Fi1m 70, as Jerry Wexler — [page](https://film.one/film/ray.md)
- *Doctor Dolittle* (1998), Fi1m 50, as Dr. Gene Reiss — [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-dolittle-1998.md)
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), Fi1m 63, as Bernie Gilson — [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* (1997), Fi1m 64, as Eddie Carr — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lost-world-jurassic-park.md)
- *Speed* (1994), Fi1m 86, as Train Driver — [page](https://film.one/film/speed.md)
- *The Hudsucker Proxy* (1994), Fi1m 78, as Mailroom Screamer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hudsucker-proxy.md)
- *The Bodyguard* (1992), Fi1m 63, as Skip Thomas — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bodyguard.md)

### Directed (1)

- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, as Toby Ziegler — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)

## Complete filmography (139)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Auction* (2027), as Newscaster
- *The Westies* (2026), series, as Ruby Stein
- *Swipe NYC* (2023), as Steve
- *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* (2022), as U.S. Secretary of State — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/black-panther-wakanda-forever.md)
- *Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber* (2022), series, as Randall Pearson
- *A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote* (2020), as Toby Ziegler
- *Psych 2: Lassie Come Home* (2020), as Dr. Emile Herschel
- *Clemency* (2019), as Marty Lumetta — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/clemency.md)
- *After Class* (2019), as Jeff Cohen
- *Vandal* (2019), as Jacob Lipman
- *Counterpart* (2017), series, as Roland Fancher
- *Shock and Awe* (2017), as The Usual
- *Geostorm* (2017), as Virginia Senator Thomas Cross
- *The Good Doctor* (2017), series, as Dr. Aaron Glassman
- *Alien Code* (2017), as Dr. Miles Driskoll
- *Chicago Justice* (2017), series, as Frank Linden
- *American Fable* (2017), as Jonathan
- *Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency* (2016), series, as Detective Zimmerfield
- *The Automatic Hate* (2016), as Dr. Ronald Green
- *The Grinder* (2015), series, as Gordon stutz
- *Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp* (2015), series, as Dean Fairchild
- *Ballers* (2015), series, as Brett Anderson
- *Entourage* (2015), as Director
- *Take Me to the River* (2015), as Don
- *The Gambler* (2014), as Jeweler
- *The Affair* (2014), series, as Jon Gottlief
- *Before I Disappear* (2014), as Bruce
- *Kill the Messenger* (2014), as Richard Zuckerman
- *Manhattan* (2014), series, as Occam
- *Murder in the First* (2014), series, as David Hertzberg
- *Decoding Annie Parker* (2014), as Mr. Allen
- *Journey of Discovery: Creating Man of Steel* (2013), Actor
- *Mom* (2013), series, as Robert
- *Man of Steel* (2013), as Dr. Emil Hamilton — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/man-of-steel.md)
- *Rogue* (2013), series, as Marty Stein
- *Knife Fight* (2013), as Dimitris Vargas
- *Beach Pillows* (2013), as Henry Midwood
- *The Mindy Project* (2012), series, as Doctor — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mindy-project.md)
- *Fire with Fire* (2012), as Harold Gethers
- *Chasing the Hill* (2012), series, as Charlie Knowles
- *Key & Peele* (2012), series, as Ambassador — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/key-and-peele.md)
- *House of Lies* (2012), series, as Harrison 'Skip' Galweather
- *Innocent* (2011), as Tommy Molto
- *Once Upon a Time* (2011), series, as King Leopold — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/once-upon-a-time.md)
- *Johnny English Reborn* (2011), as Fisher — Fi1m 53, [page](https://film.one/film/johnny-english-reborn.md)
- *Up All Night* (2011), series, as Dean Chafin
- *Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior* (2011), series, as Jack Fickler
- *The Cape* (2011), series, as Patrick Portman
- *Another Harvest Moon* (2010), as Jeffrey
- *Made in Dagenham* (2010), as Robert Tooley
- *The Infidel* (2010), as Lenny Goldberg
- *Past Life* (2010), series, as Malachi Talmadge
- *White Collar* (2009), series, as Andrew Stanzler
- *Solitary Man* (2009), as Steve Heller
- *Imagine That* (2009), as Carl Simons
- *Ceremonies of the Horsemen* (2009), as Lieb
- *Last Chance Harvey* (2008), as Marvin
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, as Samuel Garfinkel
- *Eli Stone* (2008), series, as David Green
- *In Treatment* (2008), series, Director
- *Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles* (2008), series, as Charles Fischer / Paul Stewart — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/terminator-the-sarah-connor-chronicles.md)
- *Martian Child* (2007), as Lefkowitz
- *Burn Notice* (2007), series, as Phillip Cowan
- *Civic Duty* (2006), as FBI Agent Tom Hilary
- *Bones* (2005), series, as Professor Leon Watters — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Ray* (2004), as Jerry Wexler — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/ray.md)
- *Entourage* (2004), series, as Richard Schiff — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Harper Dearing — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *People I Know* (2002), as Elliot Sharansky
- *Monk* (2002), series, as Dr. Lawrence Climan
- *I Am Sam* (2001), as Mr. Turner
- *What's the Worst That Could Happen?* (2001), as Walter Greenbaum
- *Lucky Numbers* (2000), as Jerry Green
- *Forever Lulu* (2000), as Jerome Ellsworth
- *Whatever It Takes* (2000), as P.E. Teacher
- *Gun Shy* (2000), as Elliott
- *Crazy in Alabama* (1999), as Norman the Chauffeur
- *Roswell* (1999), series, as John Stevens
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Toby Ziegler · Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Heaven* (1999), as Stanner
- *Forces of Nature* (1999), as Joe
- *Becker* (1998), series, as Berry Becker
- *Living Out Loud* (1998), as Phil Francato
- *Doctor Dolittle* (1998), as Dr. Gene Reiss — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-dolittle-1998.md)
- *Deep Impact* (1998), as Don Biederman
- *The Pentagon Wars* (1998), as Colonel Smith
- *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* (1998), as Mr. Green
- *Loved* (1997), as District Attorney Steve Waters
- *Brooklyn South* (1997), series, as Chris McIntrick
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, as Bernie Gilson — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *Santa Fe* (1997), as Alex
- *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* (1997), as Eddie Carr — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lost-world-jurassic-park.md)
- *Volcano* (1997), as Haskins
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Bob Show
- *Touch* (1997), as Jerry
- *Michael* (1996), as Italian Waiter
- *Relativity* (1996), series, as Barry Roth
- *Grace of My Heart* (1996), as Audition Record Producer
- *The Trigger Effect* (1996), as Gun Shop Clerk
- *The Arrival* (1996), as Calvin
- *Special Report: Journey to Mars* (1996), as Eric Altman
- *City Hall* (1996), as Larry Schwartz
- *Se7en* (1995), as Mark Swarr — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/se7en.md)
- *Murder One* (1995), series, as Prof. Stanley Fletcher — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/murder-one.md)
- *Maybe This Time* (1995), series, as Pearlman
- *Rough Magic* (1995), as Marvin Wiggins
- *Tank Girl* (1995), as Trooper in Trench
- *Speechless* (1994), as Sound Technician (uncredited)
- *ER* (1994), series, as Mr. Bartoli — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, as Mark Sarison
- *Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight* (1994), as Movietone News Director
- *Speed* (1994), as Train Driver — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/speed.md)
- *Major League II* (1994), as Director
- *The Hudsucker Proxy* (1994), as Mailroom Screamer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hudsucker-proxy.md)
- *Ghost in the Machine* (1993), as Scanner Technician
- *My Life* (1993), as Young Bill Ivanovich
- *Skinner* (1993), as Eddie
- *NYPD Blue* (1993), series, as Steve Cameron, Vartan illiescu — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md)
- *The John Larroquette Show* (1993), series, as Wilson
- *Wild Palms* (1993), series, as Security Guard (uncredited)
- *The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom* (1993), as Life Photographer
- *Hoffa* (1992), as Government Attorney
- *The Bodyguard* (1992), as Skip Thomas — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bodyguard.md)
- *Malcolm X* (1992), as JFK Reporter — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/malcolm-x.md)
- *The Public Eye* (1992), as Photographer - Thompson Street
- *Love & War* (1992), series, Actor
- *Picket Fences* (1992), series, as Joey Fero
- *Rapid Fire* (1992), as Art Teacher
- *Cruel Doubt* (1992), series, as Inspector
- *Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot* (1992), as Gun Clerk
- *Till Death Us Do Part* (1992), as Jack Wells
- *Young Guns II* (1990), as Rat Bag
- *Trenchcoat in Paradise* (1989), as Mole
- *Doogie Howser, M.D.* (1989), series, as Billy Tishler
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Lester Middleton
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, as Mel Woodworthy — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Medium Straight* (1988), as Pat Harding
- *Arena Brains* (1987), as Deli Man
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Dog Pound Operator Taylor

## Gallery

- ![MontclairFilmFestival 2023 CherylCorman - 53285182326 Photo by: Cheryl Corman (2022)](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-d147e74314f3.jpg) MontclairFilmFestival 2023 CherylCorman - 53285182326 Photo by: Cheryl Corman (2022) — Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Cast_of_Swipe_NYC_2023.jpg/1280px-Cast_of_Swipe_NYC_2023.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Schiff speaking at the Oxford Union in May 2009](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-69abfed66d19.jpg) Richard Schiff speaking at the Oxford Union in May 2009 — User:Pruneau, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Richard_Schiff_2009.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Richard Schiff at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Knife Fight.](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-3648fa22e033.jpg) Richard Schiff at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Knife Fight. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Richard_Schiff_2012_Shankbone.JPG/1280px-Richard_Schiff_2012_Shankbone.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Schiff](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-a3a609d2e894.jpg) Richard Schiff — Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Richard_Schiff_2023.jpg/1280px-Richard_Schiff_2023.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Schiff](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-76ce551a8132.jpg) Richard Schiff — Image via TMDB
- ![Richard Schiff](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-7fac21b6f37f.jpg) Richard Schiff — Image via TMDB
- ![Richard Schiff, actor, at the 63rd annual New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2025 for the film Blue Moon](https://film.one/media/person/61463/gallery-ea8df0cde754.jpg) Richard Schiff, actor, at the 63rd annual New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2025 for the film Blue Moon — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Richard_Schiff_Blue_Moon-47.jpg/1280px-Richard_Schiff_Blue_Moon-47.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2000: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *The West Wing*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/richard-schiff