Trivia

Did not start acting until he was 36.

Has a younger sister named Mary who has been institutionalized since the mid-1950s, when she was six. Mary was diagnosed with what were then referred to as mental retardation and "infantile schizophrenia", the former term for the condition now diagnosed under the name "autism".

Father was William Shawn, editor of "The New Yorker" magazine from 1952-87.

Does not own a television set.

Wrote an adaptation of the "Threepenny Opera", which opened on Broadway on April 20, 2006, at Studio 54. Its many stars included Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer and Cyndi Lauper.

Is the longtime companion of Deborah Eisenberg.

He met Andre Gregory, his co-star in My Dinner with Andre (1981), by arranging to attend every performance of Gregory's New York staging of "Alice in Wonderland" in 1970--a run which lasted for a year. The two have been friends and occasional collaborators ever since.

Was considered for the role of Eddie Valiant in Qui veut la peau de Roger Rabbit (1988).

He has appeared in five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Manhattan (1979), Que le spectacle commence... (1979), Atlantic City (1980), Princess Bride (1987) and Toy Story (1995).

Brother of Allen Shawn, American composer.

In 2005 he received a career achievement award from the PEN/Laura Pels Foundation. The writers organizations gave him this honor for his work in the theater.

Was considered for the role of Gargamel in Les Schtroumpfs (2011).

He has appeared in four films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Que le spectacle commence... (1979), Atlantic City (1980), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Marriage Story (2019).

Brother-in-law of Jamaica Kincaid, West Indian author.

Mentioned in The Hunt (2015).

No relation to Dick Shawn ("The Producers", "Captain Eo", "Maid to Order"), despite a popular misconception.