James Ross Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American comedian, impressionist, and actor, known for his work on the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and as the voice of President George W. Bush and other politicians for the internet JibJab animated shorts. He voices Thom Cat, Neighbor John, and Stumpy in Random! Cartoons.
Meskimen was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Marion Ross and Freeman Meskimen. Meskimen portrayed the father of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's characters in the 2000 direct-to-video film Our Lips Are Sealed. He is a Scientologist. He appeared in multiple roles on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1993-96, and he played Officer Wholihan in the 2000 live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. He was also a contestant on Season 8 of America's Got Talent. Since the death of Robin Williams (and even in a few years before that), he's been the voice of the Genie in some of Disney's crossover works. (Meskimen is incredibly skilled at replicating Williams's voice.)
Meskimen has a one-man show entitled Jimpressions that he performs once a month at the Acting Center in Los Angeles, featuring him doing various impressions of actors, presidents, singers, and other celebrities.
His mother is none other than Marion Ross.
Notable roles include:
- Agent Elvis
- Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein: Mr. Yesman
- Avatar: The Last Airbender - General How, Lieutenant Jee, Avatar Kuruk
- Avengers Assemble: Arsenal and Ultron
- Baldur's Gate: Khalid, Edwin Odesseiron
- Batman: Gotham Knight: Lt. Jim Gordon and Deadshot.
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: General Briggs and Ronald Reagan
- Batman vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Jim Gordon, Scarecrow
- The Boondocks: Ronald Reagan
- Big Top Scooby-Doo!: Phil Flaxman, Detective
- Constantine: City of Demons: Beroul
- Critters: A New Binge: Crite voices
- Disney Speedstorm: Genie
- FBI: Most Wanted: Doug Sandwood
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Prof. Jeremy Mansfield, Werner
- Gordy: Bill Clinton
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: Officer Wholihan
- Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths: Archer, Captain Super
- Justice League: Doom: King of the Royal Flush Gang
- Justice League: The New Frontier: Slam Bradley
- Kinect: Disneyland Adventures: Genie
- Kingdom Hearts Re:coded: Genie (in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX)
- The Legend of Korra: Baatar
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite: Ultron (again) as well as the Ultron voice of the Big Bad Ultron-Sigma.
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl: Nigel Thornberry (filling in for Tim Curry)
- Rock, Paper, Scissors: Abraham Lincoln Head
- Thunder Cats 2011: Aburn
- ThunderCats Roar: Monkian
- Time Squad: George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush
