Thomas Lennon
A master of deadpan absurdity, he built a cult comedy empire from a mustachioed cop in short shorts and blockbuster screenplays.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American comedian, actor, and screenwriter·Birthday: August 9·Generation X
Biography
Thomas Lennon emerged from the 1990s alternative comedy scene as a founding member of the sketch group The State, a breeding ground for a generation of comic talent. His career pivoted on a single, brazen costume choice: the tight uniform shorts of Lieutenant Jim Dangle in 'Reno 911!', a role that turned him into a comedy icon of sheer, unflappable commitment. Alongside writing partner Robert Ben Garant, Lennon operated a stealth engine room for mainstream Hollywood comedy, penning high-concept family hits like 'Night at the Museum' that bankrolled his weirder, character-driven passions. This duality defines him—a disciplined studio craftsman who is never more himself than when embodying the most gloriously unhinged characters on cable television.
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.
Thomas was born in 1970, 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 Thomas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Thomas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
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
1983Became a teenager
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
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
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
1991Turned 21
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
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and starred as Lt. Jim Dangle in the long-running improv comedy series 'Reno 911!'.
- Co-wrote the 'Night at the Museum' film franchise, which has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.
- Revived the role of Felix Unger in a contemporary television adaptation of 'The Odd Couple'.
- Was a founding member of the influential MTV sketch comedy troupe 'The State'.
Did You Know?
He and writing partner Robert Ben Garant outlined their screenwriting method in the book 'Writing Movies for Fun and Profit'.
He is a licensed pilot.
He provided the voice for the villainous Professor Dementor in the animated series 'Kim Possible'.
“The shorts are a character of their own. They have their own fan club.”
