Alan Tudyk is a prolific actor whose work has spanned across just about every genre, from sitcoms to sci-fi drama. He may be most famous for playing Hoban “Wash” Washburne in the TV series Firefly and the sequel film Serenity. He’s also played a suburban dentist, voiced a Star Wars droid, and served as Heath Ledger’s squire in A Knight’s Tale. Here are a few of his best roles.
A Knight’s Tale
In 2001, Alan Tudyk charmed audiences worldwide when he played Wat, a penniless squire who gets roped into a dangerous scheme by his fellow squire William Thatcher, played by Heath Ledger. When their master dies in the middle of a jousting tournament, William decides to take his place, winning the prize money for himself. Wat serves William faithfully as he rises through the ranks, and Tudyk is alternately hilarious, vulgar, and charming throughout.
Firefly and Serenity
In Firefly, Joss Whedon’s short-lived space western, Tudyk played Wash, the pilot of the ship Serenity. Wash’s sense of humor was ever resilient, and the character’s ability to crack a joke in the face of danger made him a fan favorite. Tudyk later revived his role for the big budget movie adaptation, Serenity. His character’s final line, “I am a leaf on the wind,” is one of Tudyk’s most memorable moments as an actor.
Suburgatory
The ABC sitcom Suburgatory premiered on ABC in 2011. Alan Tudyk played Dr. Noah Werner, the best friend of George Altman. When George moves to the suburbs with his teenage daughter, Noah helps him get used to the social mores of suburbia. Over the course of three seasons, Tudyk’s character got divorced, fell in love with his maid and reveled in his new bachelor lifestyle.
Wreck-It Ralph
Tudyk is also a popular voice actor thanks to his keen comic timing and malleable voice. Wreck-It Ralph features one of his most notable voice performances; he plays King Candy, the ruler of the game Sugar Rush. To play this character, Tudyk studied the voice of comedian Ed Wynn. His pitch-perfect rendition won him an Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production.
Rogue One
Serenity isn’t Tudyk’s only space opera. In 2016, he played K-2SO in Rogue One, the beloved Star Wars prequel film. K-2SO is an Imperial protocol droid programmed by Cassian Andor to fight for the Rebel Alliance. Tudyk didn’t merely do the voice acting for the part; he also portrayed the motion capture. He wore 13-inch tall stilts every day to play the droid. Tudyk decided to give the droid a proper British accent, as it seemed most appropriate for his Imperial origin story.
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