Their distinctive faces, and voices, are probably familiar. Between them, they are ubiquitous – on the small screen and in film with scores of acting credits between them, in addition to appearances in myriad national commercials and stage work.
Multi-faceted veteran actors Wayne Wilderson and Maile Flanagan — Boston College alumni who are based in Los Angeles and have been close friends since their undergraduate days performing in the improv comedy group “My Mother’s Fleabag” – visit campus on Nov. 2 to give a joint lecture.
Wayne Wilderson
During “From The Heights to Hollywood,” which will take place at 7 p.m. in Robsham Theater, they will discuss their journeys from Boston College students to established professionals with long and thriving careers, working in multiple areas of the entertainment industry.
Their appearance, which is free and open to the public, is part of the University’s Matthew R. DeVoy and John H. DeVoy IV Perspectives on Theatre Series, which annually brings leading arts professionals to BC.
Flanagan, a 1987 graduate, has an extensive history of voice-over work for animated films, television shows and video games. She won an Emmy Award in 2006 – one of three times she has been nominated – for voicing the recurring role of Young Piggley Winks on PBS Kids’ “Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks.”
She also has made guest appearances on some 40 television shows, including “The Office,” “Modern Family,” “Weeds,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “ER,” and had recurring roles on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Reno 911!,” “Shameless,” “Bad Teacher,” and “The Class.”
A longtime Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) member like Flanagan, Wilderson – who graduated from BC in 1989 – has made guest appearances on some of television’s biggest hits, including “The Office,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom,” “The Middle,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Private Practice,” “CSI,” “Frasier,” “Seinfeld,” and more than 30 other programs.
During “From The Heights to Hollywood,” which will take place at 7 p.m. in Robsham Theater, they will discuss their journeys from Boston College students to established professionals with long and thriving careers, working in multiple areas of the entertainment industry.
Their appearance, which is free and open to the public, is part of the University’s Matthew R. DeVoy and John H. DeVoy IV Perspectives on Theatre Series, which annually brings leading arts professionals to BC.
Flanagan, a 1987 graduate, has an extensive history of voice-over work for animated films, television shows and video games. She won an Emmy Award in 2006 – one of three times she has been nominated – for voicing the recurring role of Young Piggley Winks on PBS Kids’ “Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks.”
She also has made guest appearances on some 40 television shows, including “The Office,” “Modern Family,” “Weeds,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “ER,” and had recurring roles on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Reno 911!,” “Shameless,” “Bad Teacher,” and “The Class.”
A longtime Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) member like Flanagan, Wilderson – who graduated from BC in 1989 – has made guest appearances on some of television’s biggest hits, including “The Office,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom,” “The Middle,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Private Practice,” “CSI,” “Frasier,” “Seinfeld,” and more than 30 other programs.
Maile Flanagan
He is perhaps best known for his recurring role in season five of HBO’s “Veep,” for which he was nominated for a SAG award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.” Wilderson also has appeared in popular films including “Evan Almighty,” “Independence Day,” and Disney’s “Space Buddies,” and is a frequent commercial actor.
“Maile and Wayne are the definition of successful working actors in this country,” says Luke Jorgensen, an associate professor of the practice who is the Theatre Department’s assistant chair. “Both of them have careers that bridge the worlds of stage, television, film, improv, print, movies, directing and writing.
“Few people know the ins and outs of the industry as these two, and both have been lauded by their fellow actors. The Theatre Department is excited to hear of their experiences: both the successes and the obstacles they’ve had to overcome to get where they are today. As Wayne once remarked, ‘I am not hungry for fame, I am hungry for work.’”
Jorgensen will lead a Q&A following Wilderson and Flanagan’s presentation. The duo also will speak to students in two of Jorgensen’s Theatre Department classes.
This is the fourth annual lecture in the DeVoy Perspectives on Theatre Series, a program made possible by a gift from the DeVoy family. For more information, contact the Theatre Department at theatre@bc.edu or ext.2-4012.
–University Communications