John Goodman, born on June 20, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American actor with around 150 screen credits across film, television and voice work. He is widely known as Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski (1998) and as the voice of Sullivan in Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013). His voice roles also include Pacha in The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) and Hound in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).
In live-action films, he played John Chambers in Argo (2012), Howard in 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and Bill Randa in Kong: Skull Island (2017). His honors include a 2006 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, being named a Disney Legend in 2013, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His upcoming project, Skeletons, is scheduled for June 3, 2027.
New & upcoming work
- Skeletons · 3 Jun 2027
Frequent co-stars
- Steve Buscemi · 3 films together: Monsters, Inc., Monsters University, The Big Lebowski
- Rihanna · 2 films together: Smurfs, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
- Mark Wahlberg · 2 films together: Transformers: Age of Extinction, Transformers: The Last Knight
- Bradley Cooper · 2 films together: The Hangover Part III, 10 Cloverfield Lane
- Peter Cullen · 2 films together: Transformers: Age of Extinction, Transformers: The Last Knight
- Jenifer Lewis · 2 films together: The Princess and the Frog, Cars
Awards won
- Disney Legends (2013)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2006)
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Career at a glance
First credit: The Survivors (1983) · Credits: 150
Roles played
Titles reviewed on Drama4U
Digger2026 · President CompsonReviewed
Other work
Chili Finger2026 · Blake Jr.
Monsters Funday Football2025 · Sulley (Voice)
A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever2025 · Doodle (voice)
Smurfs2025 · Papa Smurf (voice)
Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain2023 · Narrator (voice)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters2023 · Bill Randa
The Freak Brothers2021 · Fat Freddy Freekowtski (voice)
Monsters at Work2021 · Sulley (voice)
Easy Does It2020 · "Catfish" Crawford (voice)
The Righteous Gemstones2019 · Eli Gemstone
Captive State2019 · William Mulligan
The Conners2018 · Dan Conner
Black Earth Rising2018 · Michael Ennis
Atomic Blonde2017 · Emmett Kurzfeld
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets2017 · Igon Siruss (voice)
Transformers: The Last Knight2017 · Hound (voice)
Once Upon a Time in Venice2017 · Dave Phillips
Kong: Skull Island2017 · Bill Randa
Bunyan and Babe2017 · Paul Bunyan (voice)
Show all (60 more)
Patriots Day2016 · Commisioner Ed Davis
Ratchet & Clank2016 · Grimroth (voice)
10 Cloverfield Lane2016 · Howard
Love the Coopers2015 · Sam Cooper
Trumbo2015 · Frank King
Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle2015 · Hal Houston (voice)
The Gambler2014 · Frank
Transformers: Age of Extinction2014 · Hound (voice)
Party Central2014 · Sullivan (voice)
The Monuments Men2014 · Sgt. Walter Garfield
Inside Llewyn Davis2013 · Roland Turner
Monsters University2013 · Sullivan (voice)
The Internship2013 · Sammy Boscoe (uncredited)
The Hangover Part III2013 · Marshall
Alpha House2013 · Senator Gil John Biggs
Dancing on the Edge2013 · Masterson
All Star Bowling Trick Shots2012
It's a SpongeBob Christmas!2012 · Santa Claus
Argo2012 · John Chambers
Trouble with the Curve2012 · Pete Klein
The Campaign2012 · Congressman Scott Talley (uncredited)
ParaNorman2012 · Mr. Prenderghast (voice)
Drunkboat2012 · Mr. Fletcher
Flight2012 · Harling Mays
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close2011 · Stan the Doorman
The Artist2011 · Al Zimmer
Red State2011 · Joseph Keenan
You Don't Know Jack2010 · Neal Nicol
Treme2010
The Princess and the Frog2009 · "Big Daddy" La Bouff (voice)
Alabama Moon2009 · Mr. Wellington
Pope Joan2009 · Pope Sergius II.
Community2009 · Vice Dean Laybourne
In the Electric Mist2009 · Julie 'Baby Feet' Balboni
Confessions of a Shopaholic2009 · Graham Bloomwood
Girls Gone Gangsta2009 · Mortimer J Hamm
Gigantic2008 · Happy's Father
Speed Racer2008 · Pops
Bee Movie2007 · Layton T. Montgomery (voice)
Death Sentence2007 · Bones Darley
Damages2007 · Howard Erickson
Evan Almighty2007 · Congressman Long
The Year Without a Santa Claus2006 · Santa Claus
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip2006 · Judge Robert Bebe
Cars2006 · Sullivan Truck (voice)
The Emperor's New School2006 · Pacha (voice)
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School2006 · Steve Mills
Kronk's New Groove2005 · Pacha (voice)
Beyond the Sea2004 · Steve Blauner
Center of the Universe2004 · John Barnett
Father of the Pride2004 · Larry (voice)
Clifford's Really Big Movie2004 · George Wolfsbottom (voice)
Freshman Orientation2004 · Rodney
Masked and Anonymous2003 · Uncle Sweetheart
The Jungle Book 22003 · Baloo (voice)
Dirty Deeds2002 · Tony
Mike's New Car2002 · Sulley (voice)
Storytelling2001 · Marty Livingston
Monsters, Inc.2001 · Sullivan (voice)
My First Mister2001 · Benjamin
and 70 more
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Profile based on TMDB and Wikidata facts and checked against public sources. Career information only.