Carl Garant

Thomas Lennon, born August 9, 1970, is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and author. He gained significant recognition for his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in the comedy series Reno 911! and for his writing collaborations with Robert Ben Garant, which include the successful Night at the Museum film franchise. Lennon's career began with the sketch comedy troupe The State on MTV, and he later co-created and starred in Viva Variety on Comedy Central.

Beyond his television and film acting and screenwriting, Lennon has also ventured into writing young adult novels, with his Ronan Boyle series achieving New York Times Best Seller status. He has also contributed to theater as a writer for musicals. Lennon's personal life includes his residence in Wisconsin with his wife and son, and his involvement in music as a guitarist for a tribute band.

Thomas Lennon's comedic journey began in his youth, meeting future collaborator Kerri Kenney at theater camp. They later attended New York University, where they joined a comedy troupe that evolved into The State. This group gained a following through live performances in New York City and a stint on MTV's "You Wrote It, You Watch It," leading to their own MTV series, "The State," which ran from 1993 to 1995 and earned a Cable Ace Award nomination. Following "The State's" run and unsuccessful development deals, Lennon, along with Kenney and Robert Ben Garant, created "Viva Variety" for Comedy Central. This show, based on a sketch from "The State," also received a Cable Ace Award nomination for Best Comedy Series.

A significant part of Lennon's acting career is defined by his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle in the popular Comedy Central series "Reno 911!," which he co-created with Kenney and Garant. The show initially faced rejection from Fox for being too risqué before finding a home on Comedy Central. Lennon has also appeared in numerous guest roles on popular television shows and had a memorable guest appearance on "Friends." He has also lent his voice to animated projects such as "Kim Possible," "Bob's Burgers," and "Archer," and voiced characters in films like "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." His filmography includes roles in "Memento," "Bad Teacher," and "Transformers: Age of Extinction."

As a screenwriter, Thomas Lennon has achieved considerable success, often collaborating with Robert Ben Garant. Their joint screenwriting efforts have produced commercially successful films, including the "Night at the Museum" series, "The Pacifier," and "Baywatch." They also wrote the book "Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can Too!" Lennon has also written three young adult novels in the Ronan Boyle series, with "Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles" appearing on The New York Times Best Seller list. Additionally, he penned the book for the musical production "Trading Places: The Musical!"