One of the most prolific character actors working today, Stephen Root has worked alongside many of the biggest names in Hollywood. Stephen was born November 17, 1951 in Sarasota, Florida, USA and went on to attend the University of Florida during the 1970s. He worked in theater after graduation, first with the National Shakespeare Company before moving up to off-Broadway theater and finally moving on to Broadway.

His first acting role on screen came in George Romero's cult horror classic Monkey Shines. After that, many more under-the-radar supporting roles came his way until he found some moderate fame in the acclaimed series NewsRadio, where he played the owner of a radio station with Dave Foley as a host. The show also introduced him to comedian Andy Dick, one of many comedian-actors whom he would work with again later in the nineties and beyond. Besides the character of Jimmy James on News Radio, Root has played more eccentric characters in recent years.

Root began voicing several characters in the hit animated TV series King of the Hill , a show created and starring Mike Judge. Judge would later cast Root in another cult classic film, Office Space, where Root played the squirrelly and unforgettable Milton Waddams, a man who is pushed around at work and has a fetish for Swingline staplers. More recently, Root has worked with such directors as the Coen brothers and Kevin Smith as yet more oddball characters as well as making guest appearances on numerous TV shows.