Peter MacNicol: Movies & Box Office
- films
- 26
- on screen
- 1981–2025
- box office
- $170M
- average score
- 73
- Born
- April 10, 1954 (age 72)
- Birthplace
- Dallas, Texas, U.S.
- Citizenship
- American
- Occupations
- Actor
- Years active
- 1978-present
- Spouses
- Martha Cumming
The Best Peter MacNicol Movies
The films of Peter MacNicol that made the most at the worldwide box office, biggest first: HouseSitter (1992) leads with $94.9M. The full ranking adds the most awarded films and the newest releases.
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Worldwide box office: $94.9M HouseSitter 1992 · Comedy -
Worldwide box office: $30M Sophie's Choice 1982 · Drama -
Worldwide box office: $15.5M The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie 2024 · Animation -
Worldwide box office: $14.1M Dragonslayer 1981 · Action -
Worldwide box office: $10.8M Dracula: Dead and Loving It 1995 · Comedy -
Worldwide box office: $2.79M Heat 1987 · Action
Peter MacNicol's Career in Numbers
Peter MacNicol's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Peter MacNicol works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Dragonslayer (1981) to Shell (2025), and the 1990s were the busiest decade.
Peter MacNicol Movies by Decade
- 1980s 4
- 1990s 11
- 2000s 4
- 2010s 3
- 2020s 4
The 1990s were Peter MacNicol's busiest decade, with 11 films.
Peter MacNicol Movies by Genre
- Comedy 6
- Animation 5
- Drama 4
- Family 3
- Action 3
- Romance 2
- Adventure 1
- Sci-Fi 1
- Fantasy 1
Comedy is the genre Peter MacNicol has worked in most, with 6 films, ahead of animation (5).
Peter MacNicol Career Milestones
- First film
- Dragonslayer 1981
- Biggest box office hit
- HouseSitter $94.9M worldwide
- Best-rated film
- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie Movie Echo Score 80
- Newest film
- Shell 2025
Peter MacNicol Filmography: Every Movie
Every film Peter MacNicol is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 73. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
- 2025
Shell as Dr. Thaddeus Brand · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 60 - 2024
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie as The Invader · Animation Worldwide box office: $15.5M Movie Echo Score: 80 - 2024
Home Delivery as Howard Evans · Comedy - 2022
Our Almost Completely True Story as Psycho Date · Romance Movie Echo Score: 78 - 2018
Harvey Birdman, Attorney General as X the Eliminator (voice) · Animation - 2013
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright as Dewey Ottman (voices) · Animation - 2012
Game Change as Rick Davis · Drama - 2008
24: Redemption as Tom Lennox · Adventure - 2005
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild as Troopmaster (voice) · Comedy - 2002
Balto: Wolf Quest as Muru (voice) · Family - 2000
The Pooch and the Pauper as Liberty (voice) · Family - 1999
Snowden’s Christmas as (voice) · Animation - 1999
Olive, The Other Reindeer as Fido (voice) · Family - 1998
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue as Narrator (voice) · Animation - 1998
Silencing Mary as Lawrence Dixon · Drama - 1996
Mojave Moon as Tire Repairman · Comedy - 1995
Dracula: Dead and Loving It as Thomas Renfield · Comedy Worldwide box office: $10.8M - 1994
Radioland Murders as Son Writer · Drama Worldwide box office: $1.32M - 1994
Roswell as Lewis Rickett · Sci-Fi - 1992
HouseSitter Comedy Worldwide box office: $94.9M - 1991
Hard Promises as Stuart · Romance Worldwide box office: $306K - 1990
By Dawn’s Early Light as Sedgwick · Action - 1987
Heat Action Worldwide box office: $2.79M - 1984
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers as Martin · Fantasy - 1982
Sophie's Choice Drama Worldwide box office: $30M - 1981
Dragonslayer Action Worldwide box office: $14.1M
Who Is Peter MacNicol?
Peter MacNicol was born in Dallas, Texas, U.S. in 1954 and is 72 years old. Credited on films since 1981, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
Peter MacNicol is an American actor whose career spans over four decades, marked by a remarkable blend of stage, film, television, and voice work. Born on April 10, 1954 in Dallas, Texas, he grew up as the youngest of five children in a family that combined corporate executive roots with religious devotion, his father later becoming an Episcopal priest. After graduating from MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, MacNicol honed his craft at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, appearing in classic productions such as Hamlet and The Pretenders from 1978 to 1979. His breakthrough came with the off‑Broadway play Crimes of the Heart, which transferred to Broadway in 1981, earning him a Theatre World Award and catching the eye of a casting director who secured his role in the acclaimed film Sophie's Choice (1982). MacNicol’s filmography quickly expanded with memorable performances as the naïve Southern writer Galen in Dragonslayer (1981), the eccentric museum curator Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II (1989), and the camp director Gary Granger in Addams Family Values (1993). On television, he became a household name as the quirky attorney John Cage on Ally McBeal (1997‑2002), a role that garnered him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001. He further captivated audiences as physicist Dr. Larry Fleinhardt on Numbers (2005‑2010), and added depth to political satire with his portrayal of Jeff Kane on Veep (2016‑2019). A versatile voice actor, MacNicol lent his talents to iconic characters such as Dr. Octopus in The Spectacular Spider‑Man and the Mad Hatter in the Batman: Arkham video game series. Married to Martha Cumming since 1986, he continues to work actively in the entertainment industry, demonstrating an enduring commitment to both dramatic and comedic storytelling.
Who Peter MacNicol Makes Movies With
The actors and directors Peter MacNicol shares the most films with. Harvey Korman comes first, with 3 films together, followed by Jeff Bennett (3).
Peter MacNicol: Questions & Answers
How many movies Peter MacNicol has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has Peter MacNicol been in?
Peter MacNicol is credited on 26 films, from 1981 to 2025. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is Peter MacNicol's highest-grossing movie?
HouseSitter (1992) is Peter MacNicol's biggest box office hit, with $94.9M worldwide, ahead of Sophie's Choice (1982) ($30M). Across every film with box office figures, Peter MacNicol's movies have made $170M.
Peter MacNicol's biggest hits What is the best Peter MacNicol movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Peter MacNicol's best-rated film is The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024) with a score of 80, followed by Our Almost Completely True Story (2022) (78).
Best Peter MacNicol movies, ranked How old is Peter MacNicol?
Peter MacNicol is 72 years old, born on April 10, 1954 in Dallas, Texas, U.S..
What is Peter MacNicol's newest movie?
The most recent film on Peter MacNicol's filmography is Shell (2025), in the role of Dr. Thaddeus Brand.
Who does Peter MacNicol work with most often?
Peter MacNicol shares the most films with Harvey Korman (3 films), Jeff Bennett (3 films) and Tara Strong (2 films).
The Best Peter MacNicol Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 26 credits.
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