TJ Miller
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Todd Joseph Miller (born June 4, 1981) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter. He played Erlich Bachman in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
sitcom ''
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...
'' (2014–2017) and the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
character
Weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
in the superhero comedy film ''
Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
'' (2016) and its 2018 sequel. Miller took supporting roles in comedies such as ''
Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. He was created by Hanna- ...
'' (2010), ''
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World ''Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'' is a 2012 American apocalyptic romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as a pair of s ...
'' (2012), and '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers'' (2017) as well in action films such as ''
Unstoppable Unstoppable may refer to: Film and television * Unstoppable (2004 film), ''Unstoppable'' (2004 film), an American film directed by David Carson * ''Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis'', a 2005 America ...
'' (2010), '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014), ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'' (2018), and ''
Underwater An underwater environment is a environment of, and immersed in, liquid water in a natural or artificial feature (called a Water, body of water), such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, reservoir, river, canal, or aquifer. Some characteristics of the ...
'' (2020). He also voiced characters in the ''
How to Train Your Dragon ''How to Train Your Dragon'' is a media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the book series How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: '' ...
'' films (2010–2014) and the television series ''
DreamWorks Dragons ''Dragons'', commonly referred to as ''DreamWorks Dragons'', is an American animated television series based on the 2010 film ''How to Train Your Dragon''. The series serves as a bridge between the first film and its 2014 sequel. Jay Baruchel, ...
'' (2012–2018), as well as '' Big Hero 6'' (2014) and ''
The Emoji Movie ''The Emoji Movie'' is a 2017 American animated comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay he co-wrote with Eric Si ...
'' (2017).


Early life and education

Miller was born in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, Colorado, the son of Leslie Miller, a clinical psychologist, and Kent Miller, an attorney from
Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...
. He attended Graland Country Day School and graduated from Denver's East High School, where he participated in drama productions. In 2003, Miller graduated from
George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, with a B.A. in psychology with a concentration in persuasion theory and
social influence Social influence comprises the ways in which individuals adjust their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment. It takes many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience (human behavior), obedience, le ...
. At GWU, he was a member of the comedy group recess and the
Lambda Lambda (; uppercase , lowercase ; , ''lám(b)da'') is the eleventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoen ...
chapter of
Phi Sigma Kappa Phi Sigma Kappa (), colloquially known as Phi Sig or PSK, is a men's social and academic Fraternities and sororities, fraternity with approximately 74 List of Phi Sigma Kappa chapters#Chapters, active chapters and provisional chapters in North Am ...
fraternity. While in college, Miller studied the circus arts at Frichess Theatre Urbain in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and attended the
British American Drama Academy The British American Drama Academy is a drama school in London. It is affiliated with Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers which is adjacent to The Bronx, New York and Yale University. Background The British American Drama Academy (BADA) was founde ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, where he studied
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
for a summer.


Career


Stand-up

After college, Miller moved to
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
to perform improvisation and stand-up comedy, performing with many local troupes. He toured with
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...
for two years. In 2008, he was named one of ''Variety'''s 10 Comics to Watch. In 2011, Miller released a comedy special, ''No Real Reason'', and a comedy album, ''Mash Up Audiofile'' in 2012. In 2015, he was part of
Funny or Die Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staf ...
's Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, a touring show which included
Amy Schumer Amy Beth Schumer (born June 1, 1981) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. Schumer ventured into comedy in the early 2000s before appearing as a contestant on the fifth season of the NBC reality competition ...
,
Aziz Ansari Aziz Ismail Ansari ( ; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He played Tom Haverford on the NBC series '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and created and starred in the Netflix series ''Master of None'' (2 ...
, and other comics. On June 17, 2017, HBO premiered his hour-long stand-up special, ''T.J. Miller: Meticulously Ridiculous'', which was filmed in Miller's native Denver at the end of his 2016 Meticulously Ridiculous Tour. In October 2017, Miller began his Touring In Perpetuity Tour, a self described "One Man Philosophy Circus".


Television

Miller appeared frequently as a member of the "round table" on ''
Chelsea Lately ''Chelsea Lately'' is an American late-night comedy talk show created by Brody Stevens and hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler. The show was produced by Handler's production company (Borderline Amazing Productions), and taped its later years a ...
''. He appeared as Marmaduke Brooker in ''
Carpoolers ''Carpoolers'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 2, 2007, to March 4, 2008. The show was created by Bruce McCulloch, who also executive produced alongside Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, David Miner, Marsh McCall, Jo ...
'', which ran for 13 episodes on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
in 20072008. In 2012, he voiced Robbie Valentino on the Disney channel cartoon ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...
''. On December 13, 2010, October 28, 2011, and June 14, 2012, he performed stand-up on ''
Conan Conan may refer to: People * Saint Conan (died 684), bishop of the Isle of Man * Conan of Cornwall (c. 930 – c. 950), bishop of Cornwall * Conan I of Rennes (died 992), duke of Brythonic Brittany * Conan II, Duke of Brittany (died 1066), duke ...
''. On November 15, 2011, his stand-up special ''No Real Reason'' premiered on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
. In 2011, he hosted a special called ''Mash Up'', which was picked up in 2012 for a full season by Comedy Central. He starred in the Fox TV series ''
The Goodwin Games ''The Goodwin Games'' is an American television sitcom that aired as a midseason replacement on Fox from May 20 to July 1, 2013. The show was created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (creators of ''How I Met Your Mother'') alongside Chris Harris. ...
'' as Jimmy Goodwin. Miller starred in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
sitcom ''
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...
'', which has been met with widespread critical acclaim and he won the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) to recognize the work done by television actors. Winners and nomi ...
in 2015. In May 2017, Miller and HBO jointly announced that Miller would not be returning for the 5th season of ''Silicon Valley''. Series creator
Mike Judge Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for being the creator of the animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present). He ...
later revealed that Miller was removed from the show for failing to show up to work, and for coming to work "seemingly under the influence". As a commercial actor, he voiced a talking ball of mucus in commercials for
Mucinex Guaifenesin, also known as glyceryl guaiacolate, sold under the brand name Mucinex, among others, is an expectorant medication taken by mouth and marketed as an aid to eliminate sputum from the respiratory tract. Chemically, it is an ether of ...
and starred as Greg the Genie in a promotional campaign for Slim Jim meat snacks. He voiced Gorburger, a giant blue monster talk show host, on '' The Gorburger Show'', which originally aired on
Funny or Die Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staf ...
and
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
for 2 seasons in 201213, then on
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
for a 3rd season in 2017 before being canceled.


Film

In ''
Cloverfield ''Cloverfield'' is a 2008 American Found footage (film technique), found footage monster movie, monster horror film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard. It stars Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller (in his film debut), Mic ...
'', Miller's film debut, he appeared onscreen for only a few minutes, but his voice was heard in almost every scene as the character who videotaped most of the events depicted. In 2009, he played Cessna Jim in '' The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard'' and the dim-witted
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, e ...
musician Rory in
Mike Judge Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for being the creator of the animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present). He ...
's comedy ''
Extract An extract (essence) is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or absolutes or dried and powdered. The aromatic principles of ma ...
''. In 2010, he co-starred in ''
She's Out of My League ''She's Out of My League'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith in his feature directorial debut, and written by Sean Anders and John Morris. It stars Jay Baruchel as an average man who begins a relationship ...
'' as Stainer, played Brian the Concierge in ''
Get Him to the Greek ''Get Him to the Greek'' is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller that serves as a spin-off sequel to '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (2008), and reunites director Stoller with stars Russell Brand and Jo ...
'' and appeared in a supporting role in the film ''
Unstoppable Unstoppable may refer to: Film and television * Unstoppable (2004 film), ''Unstoppable'' (2004 film), an American film directed by David Carson * ''Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis'', a 2005 America ...
''. He voiced the character Tuffnut Thorston in the Oscar-nominated animated films ''
How to Train Your Dragon ''How to Train Your Dragon'' is a media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the book series How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: '' ...
'' and ''
How to Train Your Dragon 2 ''How to Train Your Dragon 2'' is a 2014 American animated fantasy film loosely based on the How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), book series by Cressida Cowell. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and written and directed by Dean DeBlois, it i ...
''. He also played Dan in ''
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', originally titled ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'', is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clerg ...
'', released in December 2010. He played the supporting character of Ranger Jones in the live-action/animated ''
Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. He was created by Hanna- ...
'' 2010 film. Unlike his character on the cartoon show, he is "dumb-but-not-in-a-funny-way", according to the ''Buffalo News''. He was cast in the part after two auditions; as a joke, he sent Warner Bros. an improvised video audition with an actual bear, though he had already been offered the part before they received it. In 2011, he appeared in the film ''
Our Idiot Brother ''Our Idiot Brother'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. The script was written by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall based on Jesse and E ...
''. He had a cameo as administrative personnel for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' in the 2012 film ''
Rock of Ages Rock of Ages is an epithet that is used in some translations of Isaiah 26, Isaiah 26:4 and may refer to: Films * Rock of Ages (1918 film), ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * Rock of Ages (2012 film), ''Roc ...
''. He starred in the 2016 film '' Search Party'' alongside
Adam Pally Adam Saul Pally (born March 18, 1982) is an American comedian and actor. He first earned recognition for starring as Max Blum in '' Happy Endings'', as Dr. Peter Prentice in ''The Mindy Project'', as Wade Whipple in ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (202 ...
. In 2014, he appeared in '' Transformers: Age of Extinction''. In November 2014, he was the voice of
Fred Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...
in the superhero CGI film '' Big Hero 6''. He also played
Weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
in ''
Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
'' and ''
Deadpool 2 ''Deadpool 2'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool. It is the sequel to ''Deadpool (film), Deadpool'' (2016) and the eleventh installment in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film series. The film wa ...
''. In 2017, he portrayed the voice of the main protagonist Gene, a
meh Meh is an English interjection expressing indifference or boredom. MEH or meh may refer to: Music *" @ Meh", a 2020 single by rapper Playboi Carti * "Meh", another 2020 song by the rapper on ''Whole Lotta Red'' Science and technology * Multi ...
emoji with abnormal expressions, in the animated ''
The Emoji Movie ''The Emoji Movie'' is a 2017 American animated comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was directed by Tony Leondis from a screenplay he co-wrote with Eric Si ...
,'' which received extremely negative reviews. In late March 2018, he appeared in a supporting role as I-R0K in the film ''
Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...
'', which was directed by Steven Spielberg.


Audio

On September 12, 2011, Miller released a comedy rap
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
titled ''The Extended Play E.P.'' The album features comedians
Bo Burnham Robert Pickering Burnham (born August 21, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber. Burnham's work combines elements of filmmaking with Comedy music, music, Sketch comedy, sketch, and stand-up comedy, co ...
,
Doug Benson Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television and podcast host, and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006–present), '' The Benson Interr ...
,
Pete Holmes Peter Benedict Holmes (born March 30, 1979) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcaster. Holmes gained recognition in the early 2010s as a stand-up comic, during which he launched his podcast ''You Made It Weird'' (2011–p ...
and hip-hop artists
Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" () is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. First Volume. First Collec ...
and
Johnny Polygon John Willima Armour (born May 15, 1984), better known by his stage name Johnny Polygon, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and music producer. Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Polygon would meet American producer DJ Green Lantern in 2008, who o ...
. In 2012, Miller released ''The Extended Play E.P.
Illegal Art Illegal Art is a sampling record label that was started in 1998. The label gained immediate notoriety from legal threats surrounding '' Deconstructing Beck'', a compilation made exclusively from sampling Beck's music. This was followed by two oth ...
Remix Tape.'' Also in 2012, Miller released ''Mash Up Audiofile'' on Comedy Central Records to mixed reviews. Miller started appearing on Chicago-based comedy podcast ''Red Bar Radio'' in 2006 as a semi-regular co-host. He hosts a podcast with friend and fellow comedian Cash Levy, titled ''Cashing in with TJ Miller'', which began airing in March 2012 on the artist Network. He is also a frequent guest on
Doug Benson Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television and podcast host, and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006–present), '' The Benson Interr ...
's podcast ''Doug Loves Movies''.


Personal life

In 2014, Miller became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, actress and installation artist Kate Gorney, who changed her last name to Miller. They were married at the
Denver Botanic Gardens The Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden located in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in the ...
on September 6, 2015. Miller described learning about an undiagnosed
cerebral arteriovenous malformation A cerebral arteriovenous malformation (cerebral AVM, CAVM, cAVM, brain AVM, or BAVM) is an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins in the brain—specifically, an arteriovenous malformation in the cerebrum. Signs and symptoms The mos ...
on his right frontal lobe on the
Pete Holmes Peter Benedict Holmes (born March 30, 1979) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcaster. Holmes gained recognition in the early 2010s as a stand-up comic, during which he launched his podcast ''You Made It Weird'' (2011–p ...
podcast '' You Made It Weird'' on October 28, 2011. He stated that he became more philosophical, narrated his behaviors, and was unable to sleep while filming ''
Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. He was created by Hanna- ...
'' in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in 2010. His brain surgery was successful, though there was a 10 percent risk of fatality. Miller considers himself a "positive
nihilist Nihilism () encompasses various views that reject certain aspects of existence. There have been different nihilist positions, including the views that life is meaningless, that moral values are baseless, and that knowledge is impossible. Thes ...
".


Legal issues

On December 9, 2016, Miller was arrested and jailed in Los Angeles for allegedly assaulting an
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...
driver. He was released on his own recognizance after bail was set at $20,000. Miller reached a settlement with the driver in March 2018.


Sexual assault allegation

In late 2017, an allegation against Miller from his time in college in 2001 resurfaced, part of the
MeToo movement #MeToo is a social movement and Consciousness raising, awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment and rape culture, in which women publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was init ...
and
Weinstein effect The Weinstein effect is a scandal in which famous or powerful figures – previously thought to be immune from most consequences due to their fame – are later accused of sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct. The term ''Weinstein effect'' ...
. An anonymous woman who attended
George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
with Miller told ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' reporter Asawin Suebsaeng that Miller became violent with her during a sexual encounter; he allegedly choked, shook, and punched her in the mouth, all without her consent. Suebsaeng attempted to contact witnesses and other people involved with the case, some of whom corroborated the accuser's story, adding that it was brought to the attention of the college at the time. Student conduct proceedings were held, the results of which are sealed, although Suebsaeng wrote that "knowledgeable sources" had said that he was declared to be " expelled" at the conclusion of the proceedings. The Millers responded to the allegation, characterizing the accuser as a vindictive former colleague in a campus comedy troupe who was asked to leave due to inappropriate behavior. The statement said that "sadly she is now using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations again", and also stated that her accusation "undermines the important movement to make women feel safe coming forward about legitimate claims against real known predators". In response to the controversy,
DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal as part of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios, Inc, Universal Stud ...
removed Miller from '' How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World'' and had Justin Rupple dub over his lines.


Amtrak bomb threat incident

Miller was arrested on the night of April 9, 2018, at
LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...
in
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, New York, on federal charges related to a fake bomb threat made while aboard an
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
train. According to a
Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
press release, he placed an
emergency call An emergency telephone number is a number that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency number differs from country to country; it is typically a three-digit number so that it can be easily remembered and ...
on March 18, 2018, and reported that a female passenger had "a bomb in her bag" while traveling on Amtrak train #2256 from Washington, D.C., toward
New York Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station) is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers ...
. After authorities evacuated passengers and searched Amtrak Train 2256, it turned out that Miller was actually on train #2258, which was also evacuated of passengers and searched. No evidence of any
explosive device An explosive device is a device that relies on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide a violent release of energy. Applications of explosive devices include: *Building implosion (demolition) * Excavation *Explosive forming ...
or materials was detected after officials stopped and inspected both trains. According to
witness In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know. A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jur ...
es interviewed by Amtrak investigators, he appeared to be heavily intoxicated and involved "in hostile exchanges with a woman who was sitting in a different row from him in the first-class car", and that he had been removed from the train prior to his intended stop due to his intoxication. On April 10, 2018, he was released on a $100,000 bond following an appearance at a federal court hearing in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
. Ultimately, Miller's charges were dropped. The preliminary hearing in the case, after several postponements, was scheduled for March 31, 2020. In July 2021, charges against Miller were dismissed. Prosecutors said their decision was based on "expert medical analyses and reports regarding the defendant's prior brain surgery and its continued neurological impacts, which cast doubt upon the requisite legal element of intent to commit the charged offense." Miller agreed to "make full financial restitution for the costs of the law enforcement response to the false 911 call, and to continue a thorough and necessary program of cognitive remediation to render any recurrence of such conduct most highly unlikely".


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, T.J. 1981 births Living people 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors Alumni of the British American Drama Academy American Ashkenazi Jews American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent American expatriate actors in New Zealand American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American people of German-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of Swedish descent American stand-up comedians Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni Comedians from Denver American critics of religions Jewish American comedians Jewish American male actors Jewish male comedians Male actors from Denver Jews from Colorado East High School (Denver, Colorado) alumni Jewish American film people