Neil Flynn

Neil Richard Flynn, born on November 13, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, is an American actor and comedian best known for his memorable supporting roles on television. Raised on the South Side of Chicago in a devout Catholic household, Flynn discovered his love for performance early, winning a state championship for Humorous Duet Acting while attending Waukegan East High School in 1978. He later pursued higher education at Bradley University, where he joined the Sigma Nu fraternity, honed his craft on the university speech team, and earned a degree in 1982 before returning to Chicago to chase an acting career. In the Windy City, he sharpened his comedic instincts with legendary improv institutions such as The Second City, Improv Olympic, and the Goodman and Steppenwolf theaters, even earning a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for his work in The Ballad of the Sad Café in 1986. Flynn’s first on‑screen appearance came in the 1989 baseball comedy Major League, followed by supporting parts in Rookie of the Year (1993), The Fugitive (1993), and the critically acclaimed Magnolia (1999). His breakthrough arrived when he was cast as the mysterious Janitor on the medical sitcom Scrubs (2001‑2009), a role that evolved from a one‑episode cameo into a series regular celebrated for its dead‑pan humor and enigmatic presence. After Scrubs, Flynn cemented his mainstream appeal as Mike Heck, the lovable patriarch of the working‑class Heck family on ABC’s long‑running sitcom The Middle (2009‑2018), a performance that earned him a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination in 2016. Beyond live‑action, Flynn has lent his voice to animated projects such as Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and the Ratchet & Clank video‑game series, while also appearing in films like Mean Girls (2004) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Throughout a career spanning more than three decades, Flynn’s blend of improvisational talent, rugged character work, and unmistakable comedic timing has made him a beloved fixture in American pop culture.