Diedrich Bader's deep voice is useful for comedy because it gives even foolish characters a certain dignity. We prefer his relaxed supporting work in Office Space to the broader turns, though both suit his timing.
Fi1m perspective
In Office Space (1999), Diedrich Bader's Lawrence is a construction-worker neighbour who seems to have no urgent need to impress anyone. His laid-back manner gives Mike Judge's workplace comedy a change of pace without demanding that it become a different film. We found his ease a relief after all those small humiliations at work. Bader's timing matters here: the character can be broad without making every appearance feel like an interruption. The film's thin plot weakens towards the end, but Lawrence belongs among the people worth staying for.
The broader side is more obvious in Napoleon Dynamite (2004), where Jared Hess casts him as dojo owner Rex. Bader plays the physical comedy without seeming embarrassed by Rex, which matters in a film so interested in awkward people. We like the film, though its wandering story sometimes leaves a joke waiting too long to happen. Rex makes good use of Bader in a small dose. There is pleasure in his willingness to be this broad, but Lawrence gives us more reason to want his company.
Those two parts sit within a career spent largely in ensembles. Before either film, he had appeared in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) and become a regular as Oswald in The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004). That television experience helps explain the economy of the film appearances: Bader knows how to establish a comic character without taking over the story. Later recurring roles in Veep and Better Things kept him in television ensembles. The risk is repetition, particularly when the job amounts to supplying another dim or eccentric man.
Animation offers a different use for the same deep voice. As Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–2011), he took a leading part in a lighter-toned version of the character. The voice can give a character authority, and animation lets him use it for a lead. We would welcome more live-action parts that make use of that authority. For an introduction to what he does with a supporting part, choose Office Space.
Biography
Diedrich Bader is an American actor and comedian. He trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and began his career with guest roles in television series including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Cheers.
Bader played Lawrence in the 1999 film Office Space. He is also known for his role as Oswald Lee Harvey in the television series The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004) and for providing the voice of Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–2011) and related projects. His other film credits include Napoleon Dynamite (2004).
