Image: Wikimedia Commons

Bill Irwin

American actor, clown, and comedian (born 1950)

PersonAge 76humanQ603317

Also known as William Mills Irwin · William Mills "Bill" Irwin · William Thomas Irwin

Born: April 11, 1950
2
Sources
1.Stated in SNACRetrieved 2017-10-09
2.Stated in Internet Broadway DatabaseRetrieved 2017-10-09
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Birthplace: Santa Monica
Citizenship: United States
Occupation: circus performer
, theatre director
, clown
+10 more
Education: Oberlin College
, University of California, Los Angeles
, California Institute of the Arts
+1 more
Languages spoken, written or signed: English

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

William Mills Irwin is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He won a Tony Award for his role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He also worked as a choreographer on Broadway and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1989 for Largely New York. He is also known as Mr. Noodle on the Sesame Street segment Elmo's World, and he appeared in the Sesame Street film short Does Air Move Things?

Overview

Life at a glance

Positions, education, employers and awards over time

Spans and dates from Wikidata qualifiers (start/end/point in time). Hover for details; click to open.

Appears in

40 linked to Bill Irwin in Wikidata

Show all 40

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas(2000)
Just the Ticket(1999)
A Midsummer Night's Dream(1999)
Illuminata(1998)
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit(1993)
Silent Tongue(1993)
Hot Shots!(1991)
Scenes from a Mall(1991)
Stepping Out(1991)
My Blue Heaven(1990)
Don't Worry, Be Happy(1988)
A New Life(1988)
Eight Men Out(1988)
American Masters(1986)
Popeye(1980)
Sesame Street(1969)

Performed

4 linked to Bill Irwin in Wikidata

All data

104 statements · 20% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Sex or gender: male
1
Sources
1.Stated in Integrated Authority FileRetrieved 2024-07-21
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Awards: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play(2005) statement is subject of: 59th Tony Awards
Guggenheim Fellowship(1984) field of work: drama, performance art
MacArthur Fellows Program(1984)
1
Sources
1.macfound.org/fellows/228/
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Bessie Awards
Given name: Bill
Family name: Irwin
Nominations: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play(1989) statement is subject of: 43rd Tony Awards
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play(1989) statement is subject of: 43rd Tony Awards
Name in native language: William Mills Irwin
Website: bill-irwin.com
Start of work period: 1974
Native language: English
Writing language: English

On other databases

66 identifiers linking Bill Irwin across the web's reference databases

Data quality

104

statements

20%

externally sourced

Source last edited September 25, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). Bill Irwin (Q603317). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/bill-irwin-Q603317