Richard Schiff

Acting

Biography

Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor best known for playing Toby Ziegler on the NBC television drama The West Wing, a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, he is the middle of three sons of Edward, a real estate lawyer, and Charlotte, a cable TV and publishing executive. His parents divorced when he was 12, and he dropped out of high school, switching to night school before later studying at the City College of New York, though he did not graduate. After living for a time in Colorado, he returned to New York to study acting and began his career doing experimental works in New York's downtown theater district and independent films. Schiff has since appeared in over fifty films, including notable roles in Seven, Malcolm X, City Hall, Deep Impact, The Lost World, I Am Sam, Ray, Man of Steel, and many others. He made his directorial debut with The West Wing, directing an episode entitled "Talking Points." In recent years, he provided the voice and motion-capture for Odin in Santa Monica Studio's God of War: Ragnarök, released in 2022. Throughout his career, Schiff has established himself as a versatile character actor capable of handling both dramatic and comedic roles across film, television, and theater.