Jimmi Simpson
A character actor with a piercing gaze and unsettling calm, he specializes in playing brilliant, unstable, and often terrifyingly polite oddballs.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American actor·Birthday: November 21·Generation X
Biography
Jimmi Simpson has built a formidable career out of being memorably strange. With a background in theatre, he brings a precise, almost theatrical intensity to every role, whether in a blockbuster film or a cult TV series. He first gained wider attention as the scheming Liam McPoyle on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' a role that showcased his ability to be both hilarious and horrifying. This set the template for a string of complex, intellectually-driven characters, most notably his BAFTA-nominated turn as the young William (the Man in Black) in 'Westworld.' Simpson excels at conveying a razor-sharp intelligence lurking just beneath a veneer of social awkwardness or placid calm, making him a go-to actor for roles that require a deep, unsettling psychological dimension.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jimmi was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jimmi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jimmi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
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
1980Started school
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
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Westworld.'
- Earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for 'Westworld.'
- Was part of the ensemble nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for 'The Newsroom.'
- Played a recurring role as Mary Lightly in the television series 'Psych.'
Did You Know?
He is a trained stage actor and graduated from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
He is married to actress Melanie Lynskey.
He voiced the character of 'The Operator' in the video game 'Until Dawn.'
He played a young version of Lyle the Intern on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' in a series of sketches.
“I'm drawn to characters who are a little off, who have a specific, peculiar rhythm.”
