Jim Piddock (born 8 April 1956 in Rochester, Kent) is an English actor, writer, producer, and author whose career spans over four decades. After training at Drama Studio London and graduating from King’s College, London, he began on stage in the UK before relocating to the United States in his early twenties. He made his U.S. theatrical debut in the one-man show The Boy’s Own Story in San Francisco, winning critical praise, and soon moved to Broadway, appearing in productions including Present Laughter, Noises Off, The Knack, and Design for Living.

Transitioning into television and film, Piddock has collected a wide-ranging résumé. He has appeared in ensemble comedies by Christopher Guest, such as Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. Piddock has also worked on numerous major studio films such as Lethal Weapon 2, Independence Day, The Prestige, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and The Five-Year Engagement. On television, his credits include guest roles on Friends, ER, Lost, Modern Family, Mom, Castle, Law & Order: LA, among many others.

In addition to acting, Piddock is a prolific voice actor, lending his voice to video games (notably Major Zero in Metal Gear Solid 3) and animated series. He made his first major writing breakthrough in the 1990s, selling a spec screenplay, and went on to write and produce films such as The Tooth Fairy and A Different Loyalty. He also co-created the HBO/BBC series Family Tree with Christopher Guest. In 2022, he published his memoir, Caught With My Pants Down and Other Tales from a Life in Hollywood.

James Anthony Piddock was born on April 8, 1956 to Celia Mary (née O'Callaghan) and Charles Frederick Piddock, in Rochester, Kent. His mother worked as a medical receptionist, and his father, raised by an aunt, became an agricultural engineer. Although Piddock decided as a teenager that he wanted to be an actor, he later learned that his family had deep roots in show business. His grandfather, Harry Piddock, had performed a Music Hall act with Charlie Chaplin, and his great-grandfather, J.C. Piddock, was a well-known comedian and singer.

Piddock attended Worth School from the age of 10, a Catholic boarding school in Sussex. In his memoir, he referred to being "bored" during his education, until he was cast in a school play. He described opening night of the play as the moment he knew he wanted to become an actor. After that, Piddock wrote and acted in the school's annual comedy revues, often appearing with Robert Bathurst. The comedy revues at Worth had also seen Harry Enfield perform while at the school.

After finishing school, Piddock studied English Literature and Language at King's College, London University, where by his own admission he spent "most of my time majoring in the subjects of acting and playing football." He was accepted into Drama Studio London, having auditioned for his first choice Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Before moving to the United States, Piddock built his early career on the British stage. After graduating from drama school, he toured the UK for nine months with the Spectrum Theatre Company. He then worked extensively in regional repertory theatres in Chelmsford, Tunbridge Wells, Torquay, and Weston-Super-Mare, frequently playing leading roles. During this period, he also became the youngest director working in British repertory theatre. His early professional credits included a role in John Bull’s Other Island at the Greenwich Theatre in 1980.

After leaving England for the United States, Piddock made his American theatrical debut in The Boy's Own Story, a one-man show about a football goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco, for which he received the Bay Area Theatre Critics award for Best Actor (1981). He also won the Drama-Logue Critics Award for best actor for his performances in the one-man show. After being extended twice to accommodate the growing demand to see the show, the play transferred to the York Theatre, off-Broadway in New York in 1982. That same year, he was cast as Fred in Noël Coward's Present Laughter, starring George C. Scott and in which he made his Broadway debut along with Nathan Lane, Kate Burton, and Dana Ivey. The production was an instant hit and other Broadway and Off-Broadway shows followed, including the original US production of Noises Off,, in which he created the role of Tim Allgood in America, The Knack at the Roundabout Theatre, Make and Break starring Peter Falk, and Otto in Design For Living. Piddock said this about his stage career;