Parents:  Jean (director, Michigan State University Press) and Roger (drama instructor at MSU) divorced when Timothy was 2 years old.

Siblings:  His older brother, Buck, runs the B Street Theatre in Sacramento. Buck is a terrific playwright and director. B Street Theatre wins 'Best Sacramento Theater' in Sacramento Magazine's annual reader poll just about every year. He also has a sister, Julia.

Marital Status:  Filed for divorce from Jenny Merwin, a fashion designer (1988-2008). Previously to Radha Delamarter (divorced in 1986).

Children:   Wilson ("Willy" '82), Daisy ('89) & Samuel ('91).

Pets:   Don't know. But if he doesn't have any, someone at least should get him a goldfish.

Residence:  Current - Malibu.
Previous - by the river in the south Sacramento, CA area & Conway, ARK....and I don't have any notion what "Toad Suck Daze Festival" is, but I think Conway is as well known for that as it is for being Tim's former home.

Height:  In the interest of accuracy, and having been unable to locate a reliable source for this information, we can only offer Mr. Busfield a standing invitation to meet with us and the tape-measure. Until that point, let's call him 5'10"-ish, for argument's sake. Charlie the chicken said he was 5'10" and perhaps he wasn't including his comb.

Weight:  Fluctuates wildly. J.T. McIntyre and Sam Byrd probably didn't weigh 160# soaking wet. Elliot was maybe 165 at the beginning 175 or so at the end. Danny probably comes in at 185-195 and Lloyd perhaps 200 despite the loss of his neck. Clayton Shepherd probably weighed about 230, but we think he was augmented by pillows.

Hair:   Red, and we like it curly.

Eyes:  Sort of blue, green, grey or something. They don't have much melanin any way you look at them.

What he thought he wanted to be when he grew up:  1) Sean Connery 2) a gym teacher because it would be cool to sit around in sweats all day.

Military:   Navy

College:   East Tennessee State, drama major, no degree, left to pursue acting in 1979.

Favorite color:  Green

Favorite sport:  Baseball...  RHP; Played with the Sacramento Smokies. ERA - unknown, but stated that he had a 30-12 lifetime record as a starter as of mid 2001.

Can he juggle?  Yes.

Filmography:  Timothy Busfield Filmography Page

Theater Credits:  Timothy Busfield Theater Credits Page

Awards:   Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series 1990-91, Elliot Weston in thirtysomething

Emmy Nominations:   For Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series, 1987-88, 1988-89 & 1989-90

We don't think he's played... a space alien, a rocket scientist, a president, a lion tamer, or Cinderella; but we'd be watching if he did.

Can he sing?    Passably (thirtysomething).

Can he dance?  If you've seen Revenge of the Nerds, you wouldn't even need to ask...oh, and the hula....hmmm....all that was missing was a grass skirt.

Can he ride a bike?  If he can, we haven't seen it, although he does fine on a horse, scooter, or motorcycle.

Most likely to be drinking...  Beer.

What to order on a pizza...  Mushrooms, pepperoni and worm guts.

Boxers of briefs?  Boxers x 5, Briefs x 1.

Win or lose at arm wrestling?   Lose...and to a girl in under 3 seconds.

Win or lose a fist fight?   Usually lose. Pete did win despite a one punch repertoire.

Win or lose a gun fight?   Usually lose...and why did he think shooting a possessed semi-truck would even work? Pete did shoot the bad guy. But really, he's better with a sword.

Win or lose at poker?   Now here, things improve. Sometimes he wins. Except on Celebrity Poker.... 0 for 2.

Heroism claim to fame...   Killed the Boogey Man.

Time in jail?  Yeah, at least three times.

Has he died?  Yeah, at least five times.   Not sure if Walter and Woods survived their injuries or not.

Good guy or bad guy?  About three times more likely to play a good guy than a bad guy.

Get the girl in the end?   Yes...Danny and CJ off to California...

Best on-screen kiss:  Elliot and Nancy in 'Nancy's First Date.'   Close runner-up for Danny and CJ in 'He Shall from Time to Time.'   And of course, we know that if the TPTB at The West Wing had a clue, there should be other CJ and Danny kisses that could take over as 'best.'   What about Fade to Black?   Well, maybe if it had been someone else he was kissing because it was nicely filmed.

Most common character name:  John (or Jon).

Baseball, baseball, baseball:   In addition to the two baseball-themed movies, Field of Dreams and Little Big League, several of his other shows and movies feature him playing baseball, baseball scenes, his character making baseball references, or using baseball props. These include: Trapper John, M.D.; thirtysomething; Byrds of Paradise; Champs; Dream House; Murder Between Friends ; Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer ; Ed ; Hotel ; When Secrets Kill ; and Darklings.

Character that would make a great best friend:   If you're 25, J.T. McIntyre. He'd be low maintenance. He has an appreciation for fun and a creativity in finding it. And if you needed a friend, he'd be there. If you're 45, Danny Concannon. He's smart and wise. He's got principles. He's funny. He has an appreciation for the simple pleasures of life. And if you needed a friend, he'd be there.

Character that would be fun to date:  J.T. McIntyre if you didn't expect to see him every day.  He's smart, resourceful, has prospects, is slightly crazy, can be brave when necessary, is very cute and he'll have a doctor's income in a couple of years.

Character that would be best to marry:  Sam Byrd...hey you'd get to live in a beautiful house on a beautiful island with a guy with a good heart and steady job, and two of three children are almost old enough to leave home.   And, Arlo Guthrie comes by and sings.

Best feature:  His forehead... Just kidding.... His beard, his red curls, his eyes when they sparkle, his charm in a character like J.T. or Danny....heck, it's a toss up.

Scenes sadly left on the cutting room floor (good money paid for illicit copies of the director's working print):   "Life Class" from thirtysomething.

Most acclaimed movie:  Field of Dreams .

Best movie:  Well, this is clearly in the eye of the beholder, but considering both size of role and quality of the movie, probably Little Big League.  Revenge of Nerds takes a close second.

Best known TV role:  Elliot Weston (thirtysomething).

Best looking TV show:   Byrds of Paradise. Granted the setting is a Director of Photography's wet dream; but even so, many of the shots were stunningly beautiful. The West Wing in its first two seasons was a nice looking show as well. Too bad it went to the cimenatic dark, dungeon look.

"That's who I am. I'm a jerk, first and foremost. I don't know the answers. I'm an idiot. I make mistakes. I put my foot in my mouth. I'm insenstive when I don't want to be. I certainly am not above having the same faults as Elliot has."   Timothy Busfield, in 1990, describing himself and why he was well suited to playing Elliot.

"I wouldn't even walk by the theater. It was such a nice role, I couldn't afford to want it."   Timothy Busfield on how he felt before he was cast in A Few Good Men.

"He actually had a recurring role although it never really grew into anything. You knew right away there was something special about him. Timothy has this incredible look that sets him apart from everyone else. That coloring of his makes him stand out and blend in at the same time. I wish we could have used him more."   Joan D'Incecco, All My Children casting director, on Timothy's first series role.

"He's a genius. We've been around long enough. We've seen the dregs. You don't get writing like this outside of maybe 'thirtysomething.' Aaron is the difference between The Washington Post and some free rag at the corner."   Timothy Busfield, comparing the writing of The West Wing and thirtysomething in an article about Aaron Sorkin that appeared in the Washington Post.

"You could see in him the weight of it all. And then you'd go to him and you know, you'd give him a hug and sort of rub the back of his neck. And he'd say, 'You know I just want some sushi; I just want some sushi. There's no sushi in Deyersville.' "   Timothy Busfield on how he tried to help Field of Dreams director, Phil Alden Robinson, when it appeared he was falling apart at the seams over production problems.

"... a pop-culture antihero icon of the late'80s "   TV guide columnist, Elaine Warren describing Elliot.

"I had to dance. I had to do the Poindexter dance. I think he discovers that part of his body on that night and he discovered it in a big way."'   Timothy Busfield remembering Revenge of the Nerds.

"She's the real deal. She's a real actress. She's not just a personality actor. ... So when you work with [her] the bar is just very high. She's just a phenomenal actress. "   Timothy Busfield describing Allison Janney.

" ...what's funny is that we worked together for less than an hour. I got him a rough cut of Heartbeat through a regular at the B Street Theatre, and Tim really liked the film and agreed to do the voiceover. It took me about a year to actually get him into the studio for the voiceover, and he cut it in less than an hour. He's so talented and energetic. "   filmmaker Matt Perry, on Timothy Busfield's involvement in the movie, Heartbeat.

" ...a character [that] has gone from being an immature, fun-loving jerk to one of the most angst-ridden jerks in the history of television."   Stephan Fried, GQ, on Elliot.

"When Aaron writes, he feels everything all the characters are feeling. He experiences everything everybody is feeling. It's not like anything you've ever seen. You don't move. If you're in a chair that will creak you don't get up until he pauses."   Timothy Busfield describing Aaron Sorkin.

"I took a look at this kid, and say 'Excuse me, are you an actor?'  And he says, 'No, but you are.'  "   Timothy Busfield describing how, at the last minute, he found an actor for a role on Ed in a New York fast food joint.

"My personality has always been to be the class clown. I'm not overly ambitious. "   Timothy Busfield describing himself.

"Woo-hoo!"   The wife of Salt Lake Tribune columnist, Vince Hoiuchi, upon hearing that Danny Concannon would return to The West Wing for some shows in season 4.

"We're not pretty boys, if that's what you're saying."   Josh Malina, to The Sacramento Bee TV columnist, Rick Kushman, on himself and brother-in-law, Timothy Busfield, being technical actors.

"Show me an actor who isn't willing to not be likeable all the time and I'll show you an actor that's going to screw up the production, whatever it is."   Timothy Busfield, on actors.

"I was in a supermarket once and this woman walks up and says,'Oh, it's you. What you said to Nancy was awful!' and I felt this hand hit the side of my face.   I said, 'That's going a little far, don't you think?' "   Timothy Busfield describing one women's apparent confusion over the difference between actor and character.

"The kiss. It's great. I don't think we've got that right--I need another take....he's so sexy. Tim Busfield is a wonderful actor and hysterically funny. And anyone who makes me laugh I want to kiss."   Allison Janney on her first on-screen kiss.

"I like Timothy Busfield. He's not afraid to be uncool and I always liked that."   Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.

"I guess I'll be getting a call from the network on Thursday morning."   Timothy Busfield, on the less than fortuitous happenstance of his guest starring roles on Ed and The West Wing running back-to-back on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2002.

"Tim isn't afraid to dig into the dark parts of himself and put some ugliness on-camera. When he walked into the room to audition, we could tell right away he understood the voice and attitude of the show and what its needs would be. He's so able to be emotionally honest that we regularly write for him to do very quick turnarounds in deep emotion."   Marshall Herskovitz, co-Executive Producer of thirtysomething.

"We went to Houston, and I was just completely obsessed with sex. My marriage had broken up, and I was discovering myself and what I like, and wondering if I was any good. I was pumping him about how to make sex work in a marriage and what it's like? And he's thinking 'You're a big pervert, you know, Busfield? All you're talking about is sex.'   And then a year later I end up doing bed scenes with his wife [actress Patricia Wettig] and he's thinking 'This is the same pervert I was in Houston with. I can't believe he's doing this.' "   Timothy Busfield on a trip he took with Ken Olin to Houston when they didn't know each other very well.

"This is his famous story. He says I thought he was a sex-crazed guy. He says that because he wants to endow himself that way. I thought it was sort of a pathetic cry for help actually. "   Ken Olin theorizing on why Timothy Busfield told the Houston trip story.

"And Tim has this wonderful ability to be able to be the butt of a joke, and still be absolutely in charge of a scene. That's a hard thing to find and it really helps our storytelling."   Charles Eglee on the casting of Timothy Busfield in Byrds of Paradise.

"They started to phase these guys out [Pernell Roberts and Gregory Harrison] so I got to play and bring some attitude to the set. But I couldn't even get two actresses to talk to each other. I'd sit between them and say 'Don't you guys talk?' They'd say, 'We're professional.'   'Professional? You guys are children. This is insane.' "   Timothy Busfield on the on-set problems at Trapper John, M.D. by the time he joined the cast.

"Playing to 400 bug-eyed, mesmerized kids gave me an immediate rush."   Playing 'Puck' in a children's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Timothy Busfield on when he finally settled on acting as a career.

"I don't like it when I see him kissing Patty. I know they are acting, but it's still lips on lips."   His wife, Jennifer, on one of the sometimes difficult parts of being an actor's wife.

"I'm not dropping my pants for anyone, not even Bochco."   Timothy Busfield, on working with Byrds of Paradise Executive Producer Steven Bochco.

"Patrick Norris would say that I would wear a barrel if it was in my trailer. I was very much a part of the wardrobe concept and [I] had total approval of everything I wore."   Timothy Busfield, answering a fan's question on whether he approved of Elliot's wardrobe in an interview at the thirtysomething fan forum.

" 'Nerds' was my favorite big screen role because he was so different from any other roles I've played and we laughed all day long."   Timothy Busfield in a recent interview, in response to a question from thirtysomething fan forum moderator, Mary Welty, about his favorite role in film.