Harland Williams
A comedian whose uniquely off-kilter delivery and wild-eyed persona became a staple of 90s cult comedies.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Canadian-American comedian and actor·Birthday: November 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Harland Williams built his comedy on a foundation of absurdist, childlike wonder and a delivery that could turn from deadpan to manically gleeful in a heartbeat. After cutting his teeth in the stand-up scenes of Toronto and Los Angeles, his film debut as the mentally unfettered state trooper in 'Dumb and Dumber' announced a new kind of comic force. He followed this with leading roles that played to his strengths: the hopelessly eccentric astronaut in 'RocketMan' and the blissfully clueless stoner in 'Half Baked.' His brief but unforgettable turn as the dangerously cheerful hitchhiker in 'There's Something About Mary' remains a masterclass in building unease through pure, unsettling cheer. While leading-man vehicles proved elusive, Williams carved out a durable niche as a voice actor and live performer, his stand-up specials and voice work in projects like 'Robots' showcasing his ability to find humor in a uniquely skewed perspective on the world.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Harland was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harland Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Harland's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Made a memorable film debut as the bizarre state trooper in the blockbuster comedy 'Dumb and Dumber.'
- Starred as the lead in the Disney space comedy 'RocketMan.'
- Delivered a cult-favorite performance as the psychotic hitchhiker in 'There's Something About Mary.'
- Headlined his own short-lived sitcom, 'Simon,' on The WB network.
- Provided the voice of Pip in the animated film 'Robots' and starred in the cult claymation series 'Gary & Mike.'
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished painter and has held art exhibitions of his work.
Before comedy, he worked as a forest firefighter in Canada.
He wrote and illustrated a children's book called 'Lickety-Split.'
He is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
“I like to find the silly in the serious and the serious in the silly.”
