Jeff Doucette

Jeffrey Doucette (born November 25, 1947) is an American comedian and character actor.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth "Betty" (née Andres) and William "Bill" Doucette.

Doucette graduated from Marquette University High School in the mid-1960s. After high school, he attended Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, where he became the first Theater Major at the university. After his undergraduate studies, Doucette enrolled in the graduate school at Northern Illinois University, seeking an additional theater degree.

In 1974, Doucette moved to Chicago, joining The Second City improv theater. During his time at Second City, Doucette met his future comedy partner, Ernst Emling, and formed the comedy duo Jeff and Ernst. Under the guidance of improv teacher Del Close, the pair were quickly signed by the William Morris Agency and began to tour the U.S. with folk singer Bob Gibson, eventually opening in larger venues for acts including Barry Manilow and The Spinners.

In 1976, Doucette and Emling moved to Los Angeles, joining the ranks of a burgeoning group of young comics, including Freddie Prinze, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams, Michael Keaton, Jim Varney, and Andy Kaufman. After many appearances on variety and talk shows, the pair made their first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1977.

To date, Doucette has appeared in over 92 films and television series, including Splash, All The Way, The Dentist 2, Desperate Housewives, Weird Science, Newhart, Alien Nation, Townies, Dog With A Blog, 3rd Rock from the Sun, ER, That '70s Show and Beverly Hills 90210. He has been a voice artist in many television commercials and cartoons.

Doucette was the main antagonist in the Bollywood film Hisss and appeared in the Disney World attraction Cranium Command.

In television commercials, Doucette has portrayed Benjamin Franklin in ads for Chevrolet Volt: Quicken Loans; Ballpark's Finest Hot Dogs; and El Monterrey breakfast foods. He also made a special appearance as Franklin on Mike & Molly.

Doucette is also a writer and director, having written two plays: Big Head Women, a science-fiction comedy; and Without Annette, an improvisational comedy written with actress and writer Hope Juber and published by Playscripts, Inc. in 2015.

In 1991, Doucette received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Lead Performance for "Rage, or I'll Be Home For Christmas" at the Alliance Theater in Burbank. In 2014, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Student Film Festival Hollywood (ISFFH).

Doucette and his wife, Saba, are licensed spiritual practitioners in the United Centers for Spiritual Living; they are active as teachers, counselors and teen and 'tween group leaders. His Life Play seminars and workshops focus on improvisation as a path for spiritual and self-discovery.

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