Early life and education

Heald was born in New Rochelle, New York, the son of an editor. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1971.

Career

Heald has worked extensively on Broadway and has been twice nominated for the Tony Award for his work as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes (1988) and Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995). He also appeared in McNally's The Lisbon Traviata (1989) with Nathan Lane, Inherit the Wind opposite George C. Scott and Charles Durning (1998), Deep Rising (1998) and Lips Together, Teeth Apart (1991) with Lane, Christine Baranski, and Swoosie Kurtz. In addition to his work on stage, screen and film, Heald has recorded over 60 audio books/books on tape, including works as varied as Where the Red Fern Grows, The New York Times bestsellers such as The Pelican Brief (in the film adaptation of which he also played a villainous lawyer), Jurassic Park and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, several works by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, as well as a sizable number of titles in the Star Wars audio book library. Heald also had brief appearances in the second season of Miami Vice ("The Prodigal Son"), the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand, and the Cheers series finale "One for the Road". He later appeared in the Cheers spin-off Frasier as the outgoing "Corkmaster" of Frasier and Niles' wine club.

Heald also appeared in Unaccompanied Minors as a distressed, Christmas-hating airport employee.

Personal life

Heald lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife Robin and children Zoe and Dylan. He has converted to Judaism, his wife's faith. He regularly performs in productions of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. During the 2010 season of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Heald played Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]