Jim Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor and comedian.
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Early life
Jim Meskimen is the son of Marion Ross. He attended Taft High in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Tamra Shockley. He was the cartoonist for the school newspaper, and also acted in plays.
After high school, he attended the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Before that first year was over, he returned home for a time and received training in animation at Hanna-Barbera studios in Hollywood, under the apprenticeship of Harry Love.
Shortly after, he began working for producer Doug Wildey, who had created the original Jonny Quest series. Meskimen was assistant storyboard artist to veteran comic book artist Don Rico on the animated series, Jana of the Jungle.
After a season at Hanna-Barbera, in 1978 Meskimen returned to UCSC to study general subjects, painting, drawing and lithography. He also did parts in plays, but did not take classes in the Drama department, preferring to concentrate on his visual art education.
He studied art history in five courses with Jasper Rose, a fixture at UCSC, who later became the inspiration for an art historian character, Professor Knestor Jackdaws.
He studied painting with Eduardo Carrillo, a Mexican muralist and teacher, and sculpture with Hardy Hanson.
In 1980, Meskimen travelled to Galicia, Spain to begin a period of intensive training in classical painting with Argüello and a handful of other students. He returned in 1981 and resumed studies at UCSC, studying sculpture, printmaking and painting, as well as private training with Miguel, who continued teaching at the university.
When not painting, Meskimen participated in major theatrical productions in Santa Cruz, both at the university and in local theater.
After graduating UCSC In 1982 he returned with Argüello to Galicia, and resumed private studies.
Career
In 1983, after living for a time in Madrid on his own, he had an encounter with actor Harvey Keitel and he decided to pursue acting, and moved to New York City.
In New York, he worked as a visual artist, doing illustrations, cartoons and commercial art for various companies. He landed a job designing characters for Rankin/Bass's original series ThunderCats, then in its first season. He worked with producer Jules Bass on expanding the story, and contributed to the ThunderCats "bible."
While working for Rankin/Bass, Meskimen visited one of the recording sessions with actors Bob McFadden, Earl Hammond, Peter Newman, Earl Hyman and others, and began working in radio and TV voiceovers.
He did hundreds of radio and television commercials, and became a series regular on the animated show The Comic Strip, produced by his old employer Rankin/Bass.
He became the voice of several brands in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the voice of the channel that became Comedy Central, (then named HA!) and did campaigns for Swatch Watch as Doctor Swatch, a character he created with marketing head Steven Rechtshaffner.
He became on-camera spokesman on television and radio commercials for Skaggs Alfa Beta grocery stores in 1986.
He worked as a man-on-the-street interviewer for banks, cars, retail chains and other clients, in spontaneous, off-the-cuff comedic campaigns that won dozens of industry awards. Among these were Schnucks Markets, Food Lion, and Kash & Karry.
During those New York years (1983-1993), Meskimen studied and performed improv with several companies, chiefly INTERPLAY and did hundreds of live shows at the National Improvisational Theatre on Eighth Avenue, Chelsea.
On the invitation of producers, he and fellow Interplay member Christopher Smith guest starred several times on Britain's Whose Line Is It, Anyway?
Personal life
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Tamra, who is a co-founder of The Acting Center, an acting school and performance venue in Sherman Oaks, California. They have one daughter, actress, singer and award-winning audio book narrator Taylor Meskimen.
Meskimen is a practicing Scientologist.
Filmography
Video games
Armored Core V – Jack Batty, Men of Honor Unit B, Zodiac No. 8
Baldur's Gate – Edwin Odesseiron, Jebadoh, Khalid, Thaldorn
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn – Edwin Odesseiron
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal – Edwin Odesseiron, Khalid
Batman: Arkham City – Officer Tom Miller
Batman: Arkham Knight – Additional voices
Batman: Arkham Origins – SWAT Officers, Cops
Call of Duty: Black Ops – John F. Kennedy
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – Secretary of Defense David Petraeus
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight – Various
Destroy All Humans! 2 – Additional voices
Diablo III – Additional voices
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Additional voices
Disney Infinity 3.0 – Ultron
Disney Think Fast – Genie
Disney Speedstorm – Genie
Epic Mickey – Voice
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two – Mad Doctor
EverQuest II – Guild Patron Volarian, Baron Zafimus, Sergeant-at-Arms Ironcast, Commission Deputy Halford, Naturalist Tummyfill, Borthen, Amren Talbot, Morte Winghammer, Green Hood Trap Master, Banker Izark, Ubani, Overseer Travog
Internet
Jib Jab – George W. Bush, John Kerry, John McCain
Music
Bugs Bunny and Friends Sing The Beatles – Elmer Fudd