TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight

Deadpool’s best bud grabs the spotlight as we look back at the most memorable TJ Miller movies and TV appearances

In the upcoming Deadpool feature film, TJ Miller may not have any major action sequences, but he definitely earns some laughs. Miller is playing Deadpool’s buddy, Weasel, a character who originated in Marvel’s comic book universe.

Although he barely appears in his biggest live-action movie, Cloverfield (he’s behind the camera for much of the story), Miller has lent his voice to key big screen roles in films like How to Train Your Dragon and Big Hero 6. Many others, however, know Miller best for his continuing role on HBO‘s Silicon Valley. Where he’ll go next is anyone’s guess!

Before Deadpool opens on February 12, ComingSoon.net has complied a retrospective of the biggest TJ Miller movies and TV roles to date. Miller’s ascension as a star may not be complete, but he seems primed for bigger things.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Carpoolers (2007)

Shortly before the 2007 Writers Guild strike, Miller got his big break in Carpoolers, a short-lived ABC sitcom about four men whose entire relationship revolved around their shared commute to work. Miller was not one of the four leads, instead he played Marmaduke, the adult son of the main character, Gracen Brooker (Fred Goss).

Carpoolers failed to get any traction on ABC, and it came to a grinding halt after only 13 episodes.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Cloverfield (2008)

Miller may rarely appear in Cloverfield, but he is present in every scene as Hud, the man holding the camera in this found-footage monster movie. Miller has said that he shot a significant portion of the movie himself, and Hud’s voice is almost always heard. The use of the camera also demonstrated Hud’s uncomfortable crush on Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), a woman who barely tolerates him.

But just because Hud was the cameraman doesn’t mean that he got to live through the entire film. At the very least, Miller received a memorable onscreen death at the hands of the monster.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Extract (2009)

In his second movie, Miller only had a small role. He played Rory in Extract, a comedy film starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Dustin Milligan, J.K. Simmons, and Ben Affleck. But the most important thing to come out of this film was Miller’s introduction to director and writer Mike Judge, who later cast Miller as one of the leads in HBO’s Silicon Valley.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

DreamWorks Animation cast Miller as Tuffnut, one of the supporting characters in How To Train Your Dragon, a blockbuster animated film that has spawned a sequel and a TV series. Miller has reprised his role in each iteration of How To Train Your Dragon as one of Hiccup’s (Jay Baruchel) fellow students and later, dragon riders. Kristen Wiig plays Tuffnut’s twin, Ruffnut, and they will both be back for How To Train Your Dragon 3 in 2018.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Yogi Bear (2010)

Strangely enough, Yogi Bear featured Miller’s biggest live-action feature film role in a movie to date. Miller lobbied hard to get the role of Ranger Jones, one of the human leads. Miller even filmed an audition with a real bear as a joke! Within the movie, Ranger Jones was duped into helping the evil mayor shut down Jellystone National Park, the home of a CGI Yogi Bear (Dan Aykroyd) and Boo-Boo (Justin Timberlake).

But Ranger Jones was no true villain, and he eventually sided with Yogi and Ranger Smith (The Flash‘s Tom Cavanagh) to save the park.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Sometimes, it’s a pretty thankless task to be a perennial supporting player. Miller was largely sidelined in Our Idiot Brother as Billy, the man dating the ex-girlfriend of the main character, Ned (Paul Rudd). As it turns out, Billy was one of the few characters who was sympathetic to Ned’s problems throughout the film, and he even goes into business with Ned before the end of the movie. It’s an odd friendship that forms between the two, but the movie is primarily about the relationship between Ned and his sisters, as played by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Search Party (2014)

Search Party was one of the few times that Miller has been given a leading role in a film… but you’ll have to form a search party to find someone who has seen it!

Miller played Jason, the best friend of Daniel “Nardo” Narducci (Thomas Middleditch), who ruined his wedding. Nardo ended up stranded in Mexico without any money or clothes, which forced Jason and their other best friend, Evan (Adam Pally) to cross the border to find him.

Despite a $20 million dollar budget, Search Party hasn’t had a proper North American release and hasn’t earned much overseas. On the bright side, this was the first collaboration between Miller and his future Silicon Valley co-star, Middleditch.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Silicon Valley (2014)

From the ashes of Search Party, Miller and Middleditch reteamed in Mike Judge’s HBO comedy series, Silicon Valley. While Middleditch plays the main character, Richard Hendricks, Miller portrays one of Richard’s partners, Erlich Bachman.

Silicon Valley has become Miller’s most prominent project to date, and his character is frequently given the comedic spotlight. The third season will premiere on HBO in April.

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Surprisingly, Deadpool isn’t Miller’s first foray into a Marvel property. That would be Big Hero 6, Disney’s animated adaptation of Marvel’s previously lesser known superhero team. Miller provided the voice of Fred, a college student who was very enthusiastic about becoming a comic book style hero alongside Hiro (Ryan Potter) and his other friends.

Fred was largely a comic relief character, but he had some of the movie’s most memorable moments… including the post-credits scene with Stan Lee!

TJ Miller Movies and TV Spotlight: Deadpool (2016)

With Deadpool, Miller has gone from superhero to superhero adjacent. Although “superhero” is probably not the best way to describe Ryan Reynolds’ lead character. Miller is playing Weasel, the best friend of Wade Wilson (Reynolds), even after Wilson is horribly disfigured. In the trailer, Miller even gets one of the best jokes about Wilson’s physical appearance.

In the comics, Weasel and Deadpool have a little more complicated relationship. Deadpool has mistreated Weasel, and Weasel has worked against Deadpool and gotten himself killed because of it. But what’s a little death and betrayal among friends? Especially in the comic book world.