Kevin Chamberlin gives eccentric supporting characters warmth and well-timed comedy. We like the way he takes their feelings seriously, though his television and stage work explain his appeal more clearly than his film credits alone.
Fi1m perspective
In Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Kevin Chamberlin plays Charles Weiss, an enthusiastic police bomb expert. His film debut gives us an early glimpse of the eccentric authority figures he often plays. We enjoyed the film because Willis and Jackson make their friction as entertaining as the danger. The plotting grows untidy and the last act tires, but the partnership earns our recommendation. Chamberlin is worth noticing in the supporting cast, although the film is hardly a full account of his comic gifts.
Road to Perdition (2002) gives him another supporting part, as Frank the Bouncer. Sam Mendes’ gangster drama relies on Tom Hanks and Paul Newman for its gravity, while Conrad Hall’s rain-soaked photography rewards the patience the story sometimes asks of us. The father-son relationship could use more warmth. We would recommend it for those performances and images rather than as the place to discover Chamberlin.
The stage offers a clearer view of his strengths. He originated Charlie, the shy film archivist in Dirty Blonde (2000), Horton the Elephant in Seussical (2001) and Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (2010). His physicality and sincerity are particularly suited to those more outlandish characters. We value the warmth he brings to such parts, letting their feelings matter even when the comedy is broad.
Jessie (2011–2015), in which he plays Bertram Winkle, brought his comedy to a wider audience. His timing and ability to make a quirky character emotionally credible suit a sitcom, where we have to want to spend time with the same people. It also gives a better sense of his appeal than counting the recognisable titles in his filmography. Start there for Chamberlin the comedian; choose Road to Perdition when solemnity is what the evening needs.
Biography
Kevin Chamberlin is an American actor and singer. He made his film debut playing Charles Weiss in Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995).
Chamberlin graduated with a B.F.A. in acting from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts in 1985. He is known for his Broadway work, receiving Tony Award nominations for Dirty Blonde, Seussical (as Horton the Elephant) and The Addams Family (as Uncle Fester). On television he played Bertram Winkle in the Disney Channel series Jessie (2011–2015).
