Bill Irwin

Bill Irwin is the sort of artist I cannot help but admire. A clown and actor from Santa Monica, he helped drive the American circus revival of the 1970s, then went on to win a Tony for Best Actor in a Play. The range it takes to be a serious dramatic lead and a master physical comedian is staggering, and the 1984 MacArthur Fellowship confirms what audiences already felt. What I love most is that he uses the body alone to convey both laughter and sorrow. Behind the painted face lies something deeply human, and I respect performers who reach that depth.

Name (English)

Bill Irwin

Name (Japanese)

ビル・アーウィン

Reading

びる・あーうぃん

Born

April 11, 1950 (age 76)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Aries / Tiger

Origin

Santa Monica, California, United States

Occupation

circus performer / theatre director / clown / stage actor / film actor

University

Oberlin College

Awards & achievements

• 1984 Guggenheim Fellowship
• 1984 MacArthur Fellows Program
• 2005 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
• Bessie Awards

• Official sitehttp://www.bill-irwin.com/
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill%20Irwin
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%93%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%B3%20(%E4%BF%B3%E5%84%AA)
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q603317

Tags

• California
• circus performer
• theatre director
• clown

Last updated

2026-06-17

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.