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Actor

United States · Male

15 series in the catalog

Jeff Hiller (born December 7, 1975) is an American actor, improvisor and comedian. He is best known for his portrayal of Joel on the television series Somebody Somewhere, for which he won the 2025 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Early life and education

Hiller grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He has a sister, Melissa, and was raised Lutheran.

Hiller is a 1994 graduate of Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, where he performed in some of his earliest theater productions. He enrolled at Texas Lutheran University with the intention of becoming a pastor, and though he completed theology coursework, his love of performing deepened and he earned a bachelor’s degree in theater in 1998. During his junior year of college, he studied in Namibia.

Career

Hiller started performing improv comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2001 where he was part of the improv teams People People, The Scam, Creep, Rumpleteaser and Police Chief Rumble. He taught improv comedy for a decade.

Hiller has appeared in various television series, including Guiding Light, Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Psych, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Community. Hiller appeared in the films Morning Glory and Ghost Town. Hiller was well-received for his performance as John Quincy Adams in the hit rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. In 2018, Hiller replaced Drew Droege's solo show Bright Colors and Bold Patterns off-Broadway, which was directed by Michael Urie.

Hiller played Joel for all three seasons of Bridget Everett's Peabody Award-winning series Somebody Somewhere (2022). Hiller won the 2025 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance.

His memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, was released June 10, 2025. On the first printing of the book, the spine was misspelled, missing an "R" in the word Certain; Hiller joked about it on The Daily Show with Desi Lydic.

In the 2025 revival of Urinetown, Hiller played the role of Mr. McQueen.

In June 2025, Hiller served as a panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and was interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air in August 2025.

Personal life

Hiller is gay and founded the all-gay improv troupe Neely O'Hara. Hiller is married to artist Neil Goldberg with whom he lives in New York City.

Hiller has a medical condition called morphea, which causes hair loss, as well as other dermatological changes. His character on the series Somebody Somewhere, Joel, also has the condition.

Memoir

Hiller, Jeff (2025). Actress of a Certain Age.