Jeff was born in San Francisco, California and raised in San Jose, the youngest of three children. His father, Bill, was a basic research scientist (mathematician) who worked for NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffet Field until his death in 1969. Jeff's mother, Helen, is a Stanford graduate and retired RN who still lives in the Bay Area. His brother, John, is also a basic research scientist (geophysicist); his sister, Janet, is a probate attorney. After a detour through broadcasting, Jeff went back to school and received a B.A. in Theatre from the University of California, Santa Cruz (1985). Additional training includes stints with Eric Morris as well as workshops with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company (Tony Church, Patrick Stewart and others). Jeff has spent considerable time on stage in plays ranging from Shakespeare to Ackbourne to Shepherd. Over the past several years he has begun to make his mark as a character actor in television and film appearing in From the Earth to the Moon (1998) and Jeepers Creepers (2001) and working with gifted performers such as Steven Bauer and Michael Winslow. Jeff has been married to his wife, Mary, since 1980. They have two very tall children.