Wallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr. Hall in Clueless . On television he played Grand Nagus Zek in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Shawn is well known for his distinctive and high pitched voice. In the animated Toy Story films he provided the voice of Rex, an insecure toy Tyrannosaurus Rex. Shawn has pursued a parallel career as a playwright whose work is often... dark, politically charged and controversial. He most recently starred as the voice of Taotie in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Shawn was born into a prominent Jewish family in New York City, where he continues to reside. He is the son of William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker, and journalist Cecille Shawn ; his brother, Allen, is a composer. Shawn attended The Putney School, a private liberal arts high school in Putney, Vermont, and graduated with an A.B. in history from Harvard College.
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