Phill Lewis is an American film and television actor,director and comedian, often seen in comedic roles. He is best known for his role as Mr. Moseby

Mr. Moseby

Mr. Marion Moseby is a character on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck...

 on Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

, The Suite Life on Deck

The Suite Life on Deck

The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...

. He also played T.C. on The Wayans Bros.

The Wayans Bros.

The Wayans Bros. is a situation comedy that aired from 1995 to 1999 on The WB. The series starred real-life brothers Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. Both brothers were already well-known from the sketch comedy show In Living Color...

and has played small parts in more than a dozen films.

Early life

Lewis is the son of former Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone

C&P Telephone

The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, usually known as C&P Telephone, was a d/b/a name for four Bell Operating Companies providing service to Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia....

 executive and former U.S. Ambassador Delano Lewis

Delano Lewis

Delano Eugene Lewis is an American attorney, businessman, and diplomat. He was the ambassador to South Africa from 1999 to 2001, and previously held leadership roles with the Peace Corps, National Public Radio, and the U.S...

. He was born in Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

, East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

 during his father's stint as Peace Corps

Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...

' associate director and country director for Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

 and Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

.

Career

After appearing in guest roles on episodic television, Lewis's first big break was being cast in the title role of the short-lived 1991 situation comedy, Teech

Teech

Teech is an American situation comedy that briefly aired on CBS as part of its 1991 Fall lineup. The series was co-produced by Kid'n'Graph Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television for CBS.-Synopsis:...

. The show was cancelled after only four episodes. He appeared in guest parts on various television series including Pacific Blue

Pacific Blue (TV series)

Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...

, JAG

JAG (TV series)

JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...

, Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal

Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...

, Joan of Arcadia

Joan of Arcadia

Joan of Arcadia is an American television fantasy/family drama telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi , who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays, 8-9 p.m...

, Brothers & Sisters, 8 Simple Rules

8 Simple Rules

8 Simple Rules is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 17, 2002, to April 15, 2005, with 76 episodes produced over three seasons. It is based on the self-improvement book of the same name. The show starred John Ritter until his death on September 11, 2003...

, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV series), and How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...

. Lewis has also had recurring roles on A Different World, The Wayans Bros., Lizzie McGuire

Lizzie McGuire

Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...

, Yes, Dear

Yes, Dear

Yes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....

, Friends

Friends

Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...

, and Scrubs

Scrubs (TV series)

Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...

.

Lewis co-starred in the Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

 original series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Mr. Moseby. Since 2008, he has reprised the role on a spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

 The Suite Life on Deck

The Suite Life on Deck

The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...

, where he plays the manager of The S.S. Tipton. He has appeared as a guest star on Disney Channel's That's So Raven

That's So Raven

That's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...

and Phineas and Ferb

Phineas and Ferb

Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...

and also in one of the channel's original movies, Dadnapped

Dadnapped

Dadnapped is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered February 16, 2009. Starring actors from Disney Channel Original Series, the movie had 4.6 million viewers for its premiere...

. On the children's show Special Agent Oso

Special Agent Oso

Special Agent Oso is a current Disney Channel series created by Ford Riley. The program was originally part of the Playhouse Disney block intended for preschoolers...

he has a recurring role as the voice of Agent Wolfie.

As a television director

Television director

A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...

, he directed several episodes of The Suite Life on Deck, first making his directorial debut in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody episode "I Want My Mummy" (2007). He has since gone on to direct episodes of A.N.T. Farm

A.N.T. Farm

A.N.T. Farm is a Disney Channel television sitcom that premiered on May 6, 2011 as a special preview and continued as a regular series on June 17, 2011. The pilot episode, "TransplANTed" aired after the series finale of The Suite Life on Deck...

, Good Luck Charlie

Good Luck Charlie

Good Luck Charlie is an original Disney Channel television sitcom, which premiered April 4, 2010. The series was created by Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, who wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, as opposed to children only...

and Jessie

Jessie (TV series)

Jessie is an American television sitcom which premiered on September 30, 2011 on the Disney Channel. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell and stars Debby Ryan as Jessie, a small town Texas girl who moves to New York City and becomes a nanny to a high profile...

starring his former Suite Life on Deck co-star Debby Ryan

Debby Ryan

Deborah "Debby" Ryan is an American actress and singer. Ryan is best known for starring as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck became the most watched children's show on television...

.

In addition to his television work, Lewis has appeared in several films. He made his film debut as Dennis in the 1989 dark comedy Heathers

Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional Ohio high school...

. He has appeared in smaller roles in more than a dozen films, including City Slickers

City Slickers

City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....

(1991), Bowfinger

Bowfinger

Bowfinger is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film...

(1999), I Spy

I Spy (film)

I Spy is a 2002 American spy comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. The film was based on the television series of the same name, that aired in the 1960s which starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby.- Plot :...

(2002), Surviving Christmas

Surviving Christmas

Surviving Christmas is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a Christmas movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, Paycheck....

(2004), Kicking & Screaming (2005), and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is a 2011 Disney direct-to-DVD sequel to the family comedy film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Directed by Alex Zamm, and starring George Lopez, Odette Yustman and Zachary Gordon, the film focuses on Papi and Chloe, now married, and their five puppies...

(2011).

Personal life

In late December 1991, Lewis was arrested after a car he was driving collided head on with another car driven by 21 year-old Isabel Duarte in the Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 suburb of Potomac, Maryland

Potomac, Maryland

Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...

. Duarte, a resident of nearby Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...

, would eventually die from her injuries. Lewis was charged with drunk driving. He apologized, saying "I am extremely and sincerely sorry for my disorderly actions."

According to the February 8, 1993 issue of Jet Magazine:

Lewis was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter with a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated, but a Maryland judge suspended all but one year of the sentence. Montgomery County, Md., Circuit Court Judge William Miller said he suspended most of the sentence because of [Lewis's] excellent behavior since the car accident, which killed Isabel Duarte, 21, of Bethesda, Md. Lewis [subsequently] ... worked with a prison-based theater group ... aimed at making audiences aware of the tragedy of drug abuse at schools, churches and jails. Lewis ... was also given two years supervised probation and ordered to perform 350 hours of community service.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	227 227 (TV series) 227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins...	Ken	Episode: "Come Into My Parlor"
1987	Amen Amen (TV series) Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...	Marvin	Episode: "Deacon on the Line"
1988	Heathers Heathers Heathers is a 1989 black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional Ohio high school...	Dennis
1989	How I Got Into College How I Got Into College How I Got Into College is a 1989 romantic comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland.-Plot:The story follows a girl named Jessica and her attempt to get into Ramsey College, a fictional college in Pennsylvania, and Marlon, a boy who tries to get into Ramsey to pursue Jessica, whom he is in love...	Earnest Boy
1990	Charles in Charge Charles in Charge Charles in Charge is an American sitcom series which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board...	Bernie	Episode: "Buddy Flips a Disc"
1991	City Slickers City Slickers City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....	Dr. Steven Jessup
1992	Aces: Iron Eagle III Aces: Iron Eagle III Aces: Iron Eagle III is a 1992 action film directed by John Glen and is the third installment of the Iron Eagle film series, with Louis Gossett, Jr. reprising his role as Col. Charles "Chappy" Sinclair. Also starring are Japanese actor Sonny Chiba and retired boxing champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini...	Tee Vee	Alternative title: Iron Eagle III
1995	Sister, Sister Sister, Sister (TV series) Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....	Ed	Episode: "Field Trip"
1995 to 1998	The Wayans Bros. The Wayans Bros. The Wayans Bros. is a situation comedy that aired from 1995 to 1999 on The WB. The series starred real-life brothers Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. Both brothers were already well-known from the sketch comedy show In Living Color...	T.C.	19 episodes
1996	Married... with Children Married... with Children Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...	George	Episode: "Enemies"
1997 to 1998	Sparks Sparks (TV series) Sparks is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 26, 1996 to March 2, 1998. The series stars James Avery, Robin Givens, Terrence Howard, and Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.. The sitcom is set in Compton, California, and is about the every day lives of a family of lawyers running a family owned law...	Detective Floyd Pitts	3 episodes
1998	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Mr. Platt	Episode: "Beauty and the Beasts"
1999	Bowfinger Bowfinger Bowfinger is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film...	Actor at Audition
2000	What Planet Are You From? What Planet Are You From? What Planet Are You From? is a 2000 comedy film starring Garry Shandling and Annette Bening. It was directed by Mike Nichols.-Plot:A denizen of a faraway planet occupied only by highly evolved males is ordered to find a female human, impregnate her and bring the baby back to the planet...	Other MD
2001 to 2002	Lizzie McGuire Lizzie McGuire Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...	Principal Tweedy	3 episodes
2001 to 2006	Yes, Dear Yes, Dear Yes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....	Roy	10 episodes
2002	I Spy I Spy (film) I Spy is a 2002 American spy comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. The film was based on the television series of the same name, that aired in the 1960s which starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby.- Plot :...	Jerry
2003	Friends Friends Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...	Steve	3 episodes
2004	Elvis Has Left the Building	Charlie
2005	Kicking & Screaming	John Ryan
2005 to 2009	Scrubs Scrubs (TV series) Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...	Hooch	5 episodes
2005 to 2008	The Suite Life of Zack and Cody The Suite Life of Zack and Cody The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series premiered on Disney Channel on March 18, 2005 with 4 million viewers, making it the most successful premiere for Disney Channel in 2005. It was one of their first five shows available on the...	Marion Moseby Mr. Moseby Mr. Marion Moseby is a character on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck...	87 episodes
2005 to 2010	American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...	Duper (voice)	3 episodes
2006	That's So Raven That's So Raven That's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...	Marion Moseby	Episode: "Checkin' Out"
2007	How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...	Loan Officer	Episode: "Dowisetrepla Dowisetrepla "Dowisetrepla" is the 7th episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 51st overall. It originally aired on November 5, 2007.-Plot:... "
2008 to 2011	The Suite Life on Deck The Suite Life on Deck The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...	Marion Moseby	64 episodes
2009	Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso is a current Disney Channel series created by Ford Riley. The program was originally part of the Playhouse Disney block intended for preschoolers...	Special Agent Wolfie (voice)	18 episodes
2010	The Big C The Big C (TV series) The Big C is a Showtime original television series created by Darlene Hunt which premiered on August 16, 2010. It drew the largest audience for a Showtime original series premiere in eight years. On September 20, 2010, The Big C was renewed for a second season which premiered on June 27, 2011...	Pool man	2 episodes
2010	Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...	Hawaiian hotel manager	Episode: "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation"
2011	The Suite Life Movie The Suite Life Movie The Suite Life Movie is a comedy-drama science fiction film directed by Sean McNamara, written by Michael Saltzman, and starring Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Debby Ryan, Matthew Timmons, John Ducey, Matthew Glave, and Phill Lewis...	Marion Moseby	Television movie

External links