J.K Simmons is an American actor from the Midwest. Simmons attended college and graduated with a degree in music before focusing on acting where she made her start with theater work. In Broadway he appeared in productions such as Guys and Dolls and Birds of Paradise. He made his television debut in the television film Popeye Doyle in 1986 and his first feature film in the 1994 film The Ref. He rose to fame for his roles in series and films such as Law & Order, Oz, and The Closer, Spider-Man, and Whiplash which won him an Academy award, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA award.