Kevin Heffernan is an American actor, writer, producer, and director, and member of the Broken Lizard comedy group.
Kevin Heffernan | |
|---|---|
 Heffernan signs autographs during a visit to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station in 2016. | |
| Born | West Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Colgate University (BA) Brooklyn Law School (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, producer, writer, comedian |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Life and career
editHeffernan was born in West Haven, Connecticut. His mother, Catheryn Jane (née Eiby), is the West Haven treasurer, and his father, Eugene Michael Heffernan, worked as a probate judge. His paternal grandfather, William J. Heffernan, was mayor of West Haven.[1]
Heffernan is a graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School and later Colgate University, the latter where he was a part of comedy group Charred Goosebeak with other members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. This group would stay together outside college, and become the group Broken Lizard. Heffernan is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, and passed the bar exams in Connecticut and New York, but does not practice law.[1]
Instead, he and the other members of Broken Lizard spent several years to make the film Super Troopers. They took it to the Sundance Film Festival, and sold the distribution rights to Fox Searchlight Pictures for $3.25 million.[2][1] It grossed $23.1 million when released in 2001, and Heffernan's comedy acting career was made.[1] Heffernan is best known for his role of Vermont State Trooper Rod Farva in Super Troopers and its 2018 sequel Super Troopers 2.[2][3]
He works especially closely with fellow Broken Lizard member Steve Lemme. They do a two-man touring standup comedy show, a podcast, a web series, and a Netflix special.[2]
Heffernan also played Landfill and Gil in Beerfest, and co-starred in the Dukes of Hazzard film as "Sheev".
He has also appeared on How I Met Your Mother (ep. "I'm Not That Guy"), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Arrested Development, Agent Carter,[2] and in two episodes of season 5 of The Goldbergs, as Ms.Torg's favorite "chalk throwing" teacher.
From 2019 to 2023, he portrayed Chief Terry McConky in the TruTV cable television firefighter comedy series Tacoma FD. This series launched in March 2019, and was partly based on the stories of Heffernan's cousin William "Bill" Heffernan, who is the historian for the West Haven Fire Department, and a consultant for the program.[4][3] In February 2024, TruTV canceled the series after four seasons.[5]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda | Lieutenant Henry Fowler / Large Green Bay Packer Fan | |
| 1996 | Puddle Cruiser | Grogan | With Broken Lizard |
| 1998 | No Looking Back | Guy in Diner #1 | |
| 1999 | Big Helium Dog | Phil | |
| 2001 | Super Troopers | Rod Farva | With Broken Lizard |
| 2004 | Club Dread | Lars | With Broken Lizard |
| 2004 | The 100 Scariest Movie Moments | Himself | |
| 2005 | Sky High | Ron Wilson, Bus Driver | |
| 2005 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Sheev | |
| 2006 | Preaching to the Choir | Amish Man | Also screenwriter[6][7] |
| 2006 | The Lather Effect | Pink Panty Dude | |
| 2006 | Beerfest | Landfill/Gil/Sausage Lady | With Broken Lizard |
| 2008 | Strange Wilderness | Whitaker | |
| 2008 | Management | Jed | |
| 2009 | The Slammin' Salmon | Rich Ferente | Director debut; with Broken Lizard |
| 2012 | The Babymakers | Wade | |
| 2012 | Freeloaders | Scotty the Boom Guy | |
| 2014 | Life | The Runner | Short film |
| 2015 | Super Troopers Boot Camp | Rod Farva | Short film; with Broken Lizard |
| 2018 | The Goldbergs: 1990 Something | Doc | TV movie |
| 2018 | Super Troopers 2 | Rod Farva | With Broken Lizard |
| 2018 | Beerfest: Thirst for Victory | Landfill | TV movie |
| 2018 | Miss Arizona | Bigs | |
| 2019 | Airplane Mode | Gary Marshall | |
| 2020 | Fulfillment | Harold | Short film |
| 2020 | Scoob! | Bike Cop Gary | Voice debut |
| 2020 | Calls | Jerk Store Call | Short film |
| 2023 | Quasi | Duchamp Rousseau / Henri-Francoise | Also director and writer; with Broken Lizard |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Comedy Central Canned Ham | Rod Farva | Episode: "Super Troopers"; with Broken Lizard |
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Announcer | Episode: "Sword of Destiny" |
| 2007 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | TiVo Guy | Episode: "The TiVo Guy" |
| 2007 | How I Met Your Mother | Ted Mosby Porn Star | Episode: "I'm Not That Guy" |
| 2007 | iThunes | Parking Enforcement Officer | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Veep | Fast Food Executive | Episode: "Baseball" |
| 2012 | Animal Practice | Max Ricketts | Episode: "Dr. Yamamazing" |
| 2014 | Workaholics | Officer Don Burton | Episode: "DeputyDong" |
| 2015 | Agent Carter | Madison Avenue Guy | Episode: "Now is Not the End" |
| 2015 | MOCKpocalypse | Himself | Episode: "Metal" |
| 2015 | GGN: Snoop Dogg's Double G News Network | Farva | Episode: "GGN Super Troopers" |
| 2016 | Time Traveling Bong | Donnie | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | The Goldbergs | Doc | 2 episodes |
| 2019-2023 | Tacoma FD | Chief Terry McConky | Main cast; also creator and executive producer |
| 2020 | Hell Den | C.H.A.Z. | Episode: "BET-C Versus the House" |
| 2022 | The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder | Police Chief | Episode: "The Show Off" |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Fenster, Jordan (July 14, 2011). "West Haven native returns home after hitting it big in Hollywood". New Haven Register. Retrieved December 23, 2020. Also available as Fenster, Jordan (July 15, 2011). "Conn. native returns home after hitting it big in Hollywood". New Haven Register. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Pai, Tanya (October 17, 2014). "After Hours Interviews: "Super Troopers" Actor Kevin Heffernan". Washingtonian. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Amarante, Joe (March 14, 2019). "West Haven-raised Heffernans keeping it real (sort of) in new TV comedy". New Haven Register. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Amarante, Dan (April 12, 2019). "West Haven native brings his family in to help with new show". WTIC-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 13, 2024). "'Tacoma FD' Canceled After Four Seasons at TruTV". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (2010). Screen World 2007. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781557837295.page 199
- ^ Anderson, John (April 12, 2006). "Preaching to the Choir". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2022.