The best Tony Hale movies and TV shows featured a strong mix of comedies and voiceover roles that have made him one of the most reliable funnymen working in Hollywood today. Hale got his start in the entertainment industry when he joined the Young Actors Theatre as a teenager. Once he graduated from college, he moved to New York City and began studying acting at The Barrow Group and the William Esper Studio. After appearing in some television commercials, he started acting on television.
It didn’t take long for him to break out when he picked up the role of Buster Bluth on Arrested Development. He proved his comic talent on that show, which led to him getting several other big TV and movie parts, mostly in comedy efforts. He especially found critical success on the HBO series Veep, where he won a Primetime Emmy Award. Hale has really made his mark in the realm of voice acting and has roles in several animated TV shows and movies, including some of Pixar’s best releases over the years.
10 Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Tony Hale Plays Jefry Traske/Reverend Traske
In 2022, fans of the cult-classic Hocus Pocus finally received a proper sequel. Directed by Anne Fletcher, the sequel reunited stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as they once again reprised their roles as the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of dastardly witches.
- Director
- Anne Fletcher
- Release Date
- September 30, 2022
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
In 2022, Tony Hale signed on for the legacy sequel to the beloved Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus. Hale is pivotal to the movie as he plays two different characters, one of whom is the descendant of the other. He opened Hocus Pocus 2 as Reverend Traske, the minister who banished a teenage Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler) for disobeying the church when she refused to marry a man. This means he was directly responsible for the Sanderson sisters becoming witches.
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Hale also plays Jefry Traske, the mayor of Salem and a descendant of Reverend Traske. Thanks to what his ancestor did to the Sanderson sisters, his family remains cursed by the witches. The mayor is a smaller role, but he is an important character nonetheless because it is his daughter and her friends who team up to stop the Sanderson sisters, and save him from their vengeance. Released streaming on Disney+, the sequel was a huge success.
9 Chuck (2008-2010)
Tony Hale Plays Emmett Milbarge
When computer whiz and tech store employee Chuck Bartowski receives a mysterious email from an old friend, he ends up with top-secret government information uploaded into his brain. Soon, he finds himself working on secret missions with a CIA agent and NSA operative.
- Release Date
- September 24, 2007
- Seasons
- 5
- Showrunner
- Josh Schwartz
After Arrested Development ended, Tony Hale moved on to another TV series with a role in the action spy comedy Chuck. This NBC series stars Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski, a computer whiz who ends up getting a software program containing the United States’ greatest spy secrets embedded into his brain. This makes him someone the CIA and NSA realize will be invaluable to help them on top-secret missions. However, he is in no way equipped for this and needs more experienced handlers to help him along the way.
Tony Hale joined the cast in the second season as Emmett Milbarge, an employee of Buy More (the computer store Chuck works at). He is an efficiency expert who was sent by corporate to evaluate the staff who is kept on as an assistant manager. After becoming the store manager through underhanded measures, Emmett serves as a minor antagonist to Chuck and his co-workers and a thorn in their side while Chuck has more important battles to face.
8 A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2018-2019)
Tony Hale Plays Jerome Squalor
A Series of Unfortunate Events is a Netflix series based on the book series by Lemony Snicket, chronicling the misadventures of the Baudelaire orphans as they navigate the schemes of their sinister relative, Count Olaf, and uncover family secrets. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf and features a mix of dark comedy and mystery in a uniquely stylized setting.
- Cast
- Neil Patrick Harris , Patrick Warburton , Malina Pauli Weissman , Louis Hynes , K. Todd Freeman , Presley Smith , Usman Ally , Jacqueline Robbins , Matty Cardarople , Joyce Robbins , John DeSantis , Lucy Punch , Dylan Kingwell , Tara Strong , Nathan Fillion , Patrick Breen , Sara Canning , Will Arnett , Cobie Smulders , Avi Lake , Kitana Turnbull , Allison Williams , Sara Rue , Cleo King , Darcey Johnson , Roger Bart , Tony Hale , Kerri Kenney
- Release Date
- January 13, 2017
In 2018, Tony Hale took on a multi-episode role as Jerome Squalor in Netflix’s adaptation, A Series of Unfortunate Events. In the series, Jerome is Esmé Squalor’s (Lucy Punch) husband. Esmé becomes Count Olaf’s (Neil Patrick Harris) girlfriend after the Baudelaires are placed in the care of the Squalors when the Count shows up in disguise. It is after this moment that Esmé and Count Olaf begin working together. Unlike Esmé, Jerome was kind to the Baudelaire children.
He only appeared in four episodes of the series, as he refuses to help the Baudelaires rescue the Quagmires after Esmé leaves him. It is a smaller role, and one that is only meant to show someone who is on the children’s side, but Hale is fantastic in his appearances and is someone who the viewers slightly feel bad for when Count Olaf destroys his family. A Series of Unfortunate Events lasted for three seasons and 25 episodes and Hale appeared in the second season of the show.
7 Being The Ricardos (2021)
Tony Hale Plays Jess Oppenheimer
Being the Ricardos is an Amazon original movie starring Nicole Kidman as I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball. The film focuses on Ball’s relationship with Desi Arnaz, played by Javier Bardem, and is told from three different perspectives. Directed by Aaron Sorkin, Being the Ricardos was nominated for three Academy Awards and also won a Golden Globe for Kidman’s performance.
- Release Date
- December 21, 2021
- Distributor(s)
- Amazon Studios
- Runtime
- 131 Minutes
In 2021, Tony Hale took on the role of a real-life entertainment figure in the biopic Being the Ricardos. The film stars Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz and shows the trials and tribulations of their marriage as they become one of television’s most beloved couples. Hale stars in the movie as Jess Oppenheimer, the producer and head writer of I Love Lucy. According to Lucille Ball, Oppenheimer was the “brains” behind the hit sitcom.
This made Hale’s character integral to the story, and Being the Ricardos is actually told from the point of view of three people, with Oppenheimer being one of them (played in his older years by John Rubinstein). Oppenheimer plays a big role when Lucy becomes pregnant and she and Desi begin to have marital problems while at the height of their popularity. The series earned three Oscar nominations, and Nicole Kidman won Best Actress at the Golden Globes.
6 Harley Quinn (2019-Present)
Tony Hale Voices Doctor Psycho, Felix Faust
Developed by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, Harley Quinn is a Max original series focusing on Harley Quinn, the former therapist led astray by the Joker. The show sees Harley learn that the Joker truly doesn’t love her and decides to find her place in the world without him – and cause a little mayhem along the way.
- Release Date
- November 29, 2019
- Seasons
- 5
- Showrunner
- Dean Lorey , Chrissy Pietrosh , Jessica Goldstein
Harley Quinn got its start as an adult animated DC series on DC Universe before moving over to HBO Max. It is also one of the longest-lasting DC Universe shows to still be playing on Max in 2024. Based on the DC Comics character, Kaley Cuoco voices Harley Quinn in a show that follows her personal life and relationship with Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). The series is an action-comedy-drama and also features funny, off-kilter versions of several Batman villains in different roles than what fans are used to.
Tony Hale voices two characters on the show: Doctor Psycho and Felix Faust, with those two villains listed among the main characters. Doctor Psycho is a diminutive villain with a Napoleon complex who is “canceled” after he makes some misogynistic comments about Wonder Woman and Giganta on television. Felix Faust is a little more important of an antagonist, a member of the Legion of Doom, but is nowhere near as funny as Hale’s performance as Doctor Psycho.
5 The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021-2022)
Tony Hale Plays Nicholas Benedict / L.D. Curtain
The Mysterious Benedict Society follows four gifted orphans recruited by the enigmatic Mr. Benedict to infiltrate a secretive institution known as the Institute. With a mission to prevent a global crisis referred to as The Emergency, the children must use their unique talents to uncover the truth and thwart a dangerous conspiracy threatening society.
- Cast
- Tony Hale , Kristen Schaal , Mystic Inscho , Seth Carr , Marta Timofeeva , Emmy DeOliveira , Maameyaa Boafo , Ryan Hurst
- Release Date
- June 25, 2021
- Seasons
- 2
Based on the books by Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society is a Disney Channel series that sees a man named Mr. Benedict recruit four kids for dangerous missions at the Learning Institute for Veritas and Enlightenment (L.I.V.E) on Nomansan Island. The institute is run by Dr. L.D. Curtain, a villain who is using the kids there to send messages into people’s subconscious to control them. Mr. Benedict needs these four kids to stop L.D. Curtain.
Tony Hale plays both Benedict and Curtain in the series, as the twist is that they are twin brothers — one good and one evil. This allows Hale to stretch his acting skills to play two men who are diametrically different from one another and often at odds throughout the two seasons of the series. 16 episodes in total, The Mysterious Benedict Society it won four Children’s and Family Emmy Awards, with Hale winning Outstanding Lead Performance in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program in 2023.
4 Inside Out 2 (2024)
Tony Hale Voices Fear
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. – literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
- Director
- Kelsey Mann
- Release Date
- June 14, 2024
- Cast
- Amy Poehler , Maya Hawke , Kensington Tallman , Liza Lapira , Tony Hale , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Ayo Edebiri , Lilimar , Grace Lu , Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green , Adèle Exarchopoulos , Diane Lane , Kyle MacLachlan , Paul Walter Hauser , Yvette Nicole Brown , Ron Funches , James Austin Johnson , Yong Yea , Steve Purcell , Dave Goelz , Kirk R. Thatcher , Frank Oz , Paula Pell , June Squibb , Pete Docter , Paula Poundstone , John Ratzenberger , Sarayu Blue , Flea , Bobby Moynihan , Kendall Coyne Schofield
- Runtime
- 96 Minutes
Tony Hale joined the cast of Inside Out 2 as a returning character. After playing Fear in the first movie, Bill Hader left the franchise and didn’t take on the role in the second based on a pay dispute. Mindy Kaling (Disgust) also left the Inside Out franchise for the same reasons, and both ended up recast. Liza Lapira took over the role of Disgust and Tony Hale voiced Fear in the second movie, while the rest of the original voice cast (Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black) returned for their roles.
The new movie saw Riley discovering new emotions as she experienced puberty, and the original emotions have to find a way to deal with the newcomers, who want to take over and lead Riley in unknown directions. As with the first movie, the sequel was a massive success, with a 90% positive Rotten Tomatoes score and an incredible $1.691 billion box office take, making Inside Out 2 the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.
3 Arrested Development (2003-2019)
Tony Hale Plays Byron “Buster” Bluth
Arrested Development is a comedy TV series that chronicles the descent from the wealth of the fictional Bluth Family. Michael Bluth, the most “well-adjusted” of the group, decides to break away from the family and let them fall into ruin after his father is imprisoned for real estate fraud. Despite his attempts, Michael tries to protect his family – from themselves – as he tries to settle his family’s affairs and clear them of wrongdoing while caring for his teenaged son.
- Release Date
- March 15, 2019
- Seasons
- 5
- Showrunner
- Mitchell Hurwitz
Tony Hale has been in a lot of TV shows and movies, but his most famous role might be that of Buster Bluth in Arrested Development. The show had an unsure life on television, always at risk of cancellation despite high critical reviews and a devoted fanbase. In the end, it only lasted for three seasons before Fox finally ended it, and then it picked up two more on Netflix after that. The series followed the dysfunctional Bluth family who tries to maintain its wealthy lifestyle after losing their money after patriarch George Bluth goes to prison.
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Tony Hale plays Buster Bluth, the only sibling who is not a son of George Sr, as his dad is Oscar Bluth (George’s twin brother). He is the youngest of the Bluths, and is often shown to be childish and immature, although he might actually be the smartest of them all. Buster is often the brunt of jokes and even ends up with a prosthetic hand when a “loose seal” bites his hand off. While never winning any individual awards, Hale was part of the ensemble SAG nominations in 2004, 2005, and 2014.
2 Veep (2012-2019)
Tony Hale Plays Gary Walsh
When former U.S. Senator Selina Meyer becomes Vice President of the United States, she finds that it is less like what she hoped for, and more what people warned her it would be.
- Release Date
- April 22, 2012
- Seasons
- 7
- Showrunner
- Armando Iannucci
In 2012, Tony Hale joined a very different kind of comedy TV series. While most of his roles involved him in comic roles that often allowed him to go over-the-top, this series saw him in an award-winning political satire called Veep. Airing on HBO, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina Meyer, the Vice President of the United States who wants to make their mark in the world of politics, but mostly ends up stuck in the political games that keep them from getting anything accomplished.
Hale won two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013 and 2015.
Tony Hale stars as Gary Walsh, Selina’s personal aide and confidant. He is often one of the smartest people in the room and helps Selina navigate most of her problems, but struggles later when she becomes the President of the United States. This was Hale’s most successful television role, as he earned four Primetime Emmy nominations for his performances, and Hale won two Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013 and 2015.
1 Toy Story 4 (2019)
Tony Hale Voices Forky
Josh Cooley directed the fourth installment in the Toy Story series and the direct sequel to 2010’s Toy Story 3. Once again starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Annie Potts, 2019’s Toy Story 4 sees Woody struggling to adapt to his new life as one of Bonnie’s toys, as Andy heads off to college.
- Director
- Josh Cooley
- Release Date
- June 21, 2019
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Cast
- Patricia Arquette , Tim Allen , Kristen Schaal , Estelle Harris , Jodi Benson , Tony Hale , Blake Clark , Jeff Pidgeon , Joan Cusack , Laurie Metcalf , Tom Hanks , Annie Potts , Jeff Garlin , Bonnie Hunt , Wallace Shawn
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
The biggest animated voice-over role that Tony Hale ever took on came in a Pixar movie. While Inside Out 2 was the highest-grossing animated movie that he appeared in, Toy Story 4 was the best one for the actor. This movie saw Woody, Buzz, and the other toys return for their new life post-Andy, but then they find themselves lost and have to find a way back to Bonnie. This was a beautiful farewell for Woody, who finally found his independence, knowing his mission was completed.
However, Tony Hale played the most important new character in the movie — Forky. It was a brilliant role, a plastic fork that Bonnie glued eyes onto, which turned something that was never supposed to be more than trash into a toy. Forky then spent the movie learning that he could be anything he wanted, even if it wasn’t what he was created to be. Hale’s performance and the portrayal of Forky were so great that a Disney+ series was created to deliver more Forky stories to Toy Story fans with the series of shorts, Forky Asks a Question.
