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Billy Gardell

Billy Gardell

Actor, also producer and writer · Born August 20, 1969 (57) · Swissvale, Pennsylvania, USA

Billy Gardell (born August 20, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, game show host and voice artist. He has been visible within the comedy world industry since 1989. Gardell played Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on Mike & Molly. He also made an appearance in a dozen episodes of My Name Is Earl as a police officer. Gardell voiced Santa in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, as well as starring on Sullivan & Son in the recurring role of Lyle Winkler.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 20, 1969 (57)
From
Swissvale, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer and writer
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28

What are Billy Gardell's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Self
24%
Society
20%
Survival
10%
Morality
7%
Power
5%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 0 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 6
Ally
1 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
8
Joyful
6
Tense
3
Absurd
3
Contemplative
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Billy Gardell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Billy Gardell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

45 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 16 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Electric State(2025)

    as Garbage Bot (voice)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Vortex(2025)

    as Pete

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Extended Family(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Bill

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Bob Hearts Abishola(2019)

    Show 95 episodes · as Bob Wheeler

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • The Toll Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Colin

  • A Very Merry Toy Store(2017)

    as Roy Barnes

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Special Unit(2017)

    as Captain Wynn

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Young Sheldon(2017)

    Show 5 episodes · as Herschel Sparks

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Once Upon a Time in Venice(2017)

    as Office Bill

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Sun Records(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · as Colonel Parker

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Undrafted(2016)

    as Umpire Haze

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Angie Tribeca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Officer Depot

  • Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Warden Bowman / Prisoner 1 (voice)

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Dancer and the Dame(2015)

    Executive Producer · as Rick Dancer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Girl Meets World(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Coach Bobby Campagnola

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Jersey Boys(2014)

    as Our Sons Owner

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Billy Gardell Presents Road Dogs: Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Billy Gardell Presents Road Dogs: Las Vegas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Sullivan & Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Lyle Winkler

  • Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas(2011)

    as Santa (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • New Girl(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Jason

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Billy Gardell: Halftime(2011)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mike & Molly(2010)

    Show 127 episodes · as Mike Biggs

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • The Deported (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Agent Michael Levinrothsteinberg

  • Dragon Wars: D-War(2007)

    as Zoo Guard

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • You, Me and Dupree(2006)

    as Bartender Dave

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 5 episodes · as Billy O'Brien

  • My Name Is Earl(2005)

    Show 10 episodes · as Officer Billy Hoyne

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Bones(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Bob Sayles

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Unscripted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Billy Gardell

  • Desperate Housewives(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Roy Harding

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Quintuplets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Brad

  • Bad Santa(2003)

    as Milwaukee Security Guard

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Las Vegas(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Sid Turner

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • Gary the Rat(2003)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Lucky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Avenging Angelo(2002)

    as Bruno

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Monk(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Ian Agnew

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Kristin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Pete

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Jackson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Yes, Dear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 5 episodes · as Billy

  • Judging Amy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 4 episodes · as Lyle Cooper

  • Family Guy(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike Biggs (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The King of Queens(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Billy Kelner

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 4 episodes · as Manny Quinn

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 46 titles from 1997 to 2025; peak year 2002.

Biggest box office

Dragon Wars: D-War (2007)

$75M worldwide

Highest rated

Sun Records (2017)

Midcredits 73rd

Most popular right now

Mike & Molly (2010)

Film career

19972025

Peak 2002 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 46: 44 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stWriting1 of 46: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 46: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s4 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s22 · 21 acting · 2 crew2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 13th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles
0212

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Billy Gardell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 35th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 23rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

23rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

The Vortex (2025)

89th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer, producer

Billy Gardell: Halftime (2011)

Midcredits 87th · 74% liked

Reviewers score the acting 54/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 32. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Billy Gardell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Billy Gardell's MovieCove titles; Christopher Titus shares the most, 2.