# Ron Butler > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ron_Butler > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ron_Butler.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Butler > Source revision: 1296015638 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Ronald Butler Jr.** is a [Bahamian](/source/Bahamas)-born American television actor, director and comedian who is best known for portraying Oscar, the clever receptionist, on the Nickelodeon television series *[True Jackson, VP](/source/True_Jackson,_VP)*, from 2008 to 2011. He often portrays former President [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) in comedy sketches. He has performed with the Atlantic Theater Company for over 20 years. ## Early life Butler is originally from the [Bahamas](/source/Bahamas). He is named after his father [Ronnie Butler, Sr.](/source/Ronnie_Butler), a calypso singer, songwriter, and recording artist. As a child, Butler sometimes performed with his father.[1] Butler grew up partly in the [United States](/source/United_States) ([Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington,_D.C.), [Virginia](/source/Virginia), and the suburbs of [Syracuse, New York](/source/Syracuse,_New_York)) and partly in the Bahamas. He attended high school in the Bahamas and graduated magna cum laude from [Trinity International University](/source/Trinity_International_University) near [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago,_Illinois), receiving a B.A. in History and Economics in 1985. Butler worked as an economic consultant for a law firm based in Washington, D.C., before beginning his acting career. While in Washington, Butler studied acting privately with Vera Katz of [Howard University](/source/Howard_University) and performed in regional theatre around Washington.[1] Later, he studied with [David Mamet](/source/David_Mamet), [William H. Macy](/source/William_H._Macy), [Felicity Huffman](/source/Felicity_Huffman), Scott Zigler and [Robert Bella](/source/Robert_Bella) of the [Atlantic Theater Company](/source/Atlantic_Theater_Company). ## Career Butler became a member of the [Off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) Atlantic Theater Company in New York City in 1991, the same year that he appeared in the film *[Homicide](/source/Homicide_(1991_film))*. With Atlantic, he has performed in, among other works, *[Once in a Lifetime](/source/Once_in_a_Lifetime_(play))*.[2] Among other Off-Broadway and regional theatre roles, he played Bunker and other roles in a revival of *[Merrily We Roll Along](/source/Merrily_We_Roll_Along_(musical))* (and on the cast recording) with the [York Theatre Company](/source/York_Theatre_Company) in 1994.[3][4] He then sang in a swing band, The Solicitors, in Europe for some years.[1] In 2007, he played Henry in the concert production of *[South Pacific](/source/South_Pacific_(musical))* at the [Hollywood Bowl](/source/Hollywood_Bowl) with [Reba McEntire](/source/Reba_McEntire) and [Brian Stokes Mitchell](/source/Brian_Stokes_Mitchell).[5] He appeared in the 2004 [HBO](/source/HBO) film *[Everyday People](/source/Everyday_People_(film))*, as Ron Harding, for which he won an IFP Award for Best Breakout Performance.[1] He also appeared in the films *[Smother](/source/Smother_(film))* (2007) and *[Rain](/source/Rain_(2008_film))* (2008). He played Oscar, the clever receptionist for Mad Style, on the television series *[True Jackson, VP](/source/True_Jackson,_VP)*, from 2008 to 2011. He was in the [Hollywood Bowl](/source/Hollywood_Bowl) production of *[South Pacific](/source/South_Pacific_(musical))*. He plays Vice Principal Lewis on the web series *First Day*. He has guest-starred in such TV shows as *[Without a Trace](/source/Without_a_Trace)*, *[Crossing Jordan](/source/Crossing_Jordan)*, *[Boston Legal](/source/Boston_Legal)*, *[How I Met Your Mother](/source/How_I_Met_Your_Mother)*, *[Scrubs](/source/Scrubs_(TV_series))*, *[Ugly Betty](/source/Ugly_Betty)*, *[Medium](/source/Medium_(TV_series))*, *[Dirty Sexy Money](/source/Dirty_Sexy_Money)* and in the first episode of the [fourth series](/source/Torchwood:_Miracle_Day) of *[Torchwood](/source/Torchwood)* entitled "[The New World](/source/The_New_World_(Torchwood))". Butler also writes and performs sketch comedies. President [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) is one of his most noted characters. In October 2010, he released a YouTube video, as Obama, singing a pastiche of the "[Major-General's Song](/source/Major-General's_Song)" that affectionately lampooned the President. The video was widely distributed on the internet.[6] ## Television and film appearances Show Role Year Homicide Rookie 1991 Everyday People Ron Harding 2004 Spartan Headquarters Agent 2004 Boston Legal Dr. Kohler 2005 Summerland Doctor 2005 / 2010 Invasion Coroner, Asst. Coroner Arvin Morton (2 episodes) 2005 Related Front desk clerk (Episode: "Sisters are Forever") 2006 Ugly Betty Reporter #2 (Episode: Queens for a Day) 2006 Without a Trace Mr. Roberts 2006 Crossing Jordan Attorney, lawyer (2 episodes) 2006–2007 Nurses Clerk 2007 Medium Desk Clerk (Episode: "Head Games") 2007 How I Met Your Mother Proctor (Episode: Spoiler Alert) 2007 Smother Friendly Man 2007 Eli Stone Jury Foreman 2008 Rain The Preacher 2008 Dirty Sexy Money Severin (Episode: "The Silence") 2008 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Social Worker (Episode: "The Demon Hand") 2008 True Jackson, VP Oscar (46 episodes) 2008 - 2011 Torchwood: Miracle Day Senior Professor (1st episode) 2011 Dog with a Blog Commercial Director (Episode: "Dog with a Hog") 2012 Parenthood Council Secretary (Episode: "Trouble in Candyland") 2012 Grey's Anatomy Jordan Shouse (Episode: "Things We Said Today") 2013 Bunheads Eric Sinclair (3 episodes) 2012 - 2013 Shameless Advisor (Episode: "Civil Wrongs") 2013 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Scientist (Episode: "Mac Day") 2013 Old Dogs & New Tricks Barack Obama (Episode: "WeHo Horror Story") 2014 The Hungover Games President Snowbama 2014 ### Narrations Year Title Author 2015 Til the Well Runs Dry Laura Francis-Sharma 2015 Notes of a Native Son James Baldwin 2015 Grant Park Leonard Pitts 2016 Who Was Roberto Clemente? James Buckley, Jr. 2019 The Black Jacobins C. L. R. James 2019 On Time: A Princely Life in Funk Morris Day and David Ritz 2021 The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism Edward E Baptist ### Web Year Title Role Notes 2011 First Day 2: First Dance Vice Principal Lewis 6 episodes ## References 1. [Oscar](http://www.nick.com/shows/true-jackson-vp/characters/oscar.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111126225657/http://www.nick.com/shows/true-jackson-vp/characters/oscar.html) 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine, True Jackson, VP, Nickelodeon, accessed December 3, 2011 1. [Ron Butler](http://whatispilgrim.com/index.php?go=cast&who=butler), Biography for *Pilgrim: The Musical*, 2006, accessed December 2, 2011 1. [Ron Butler theatre credits](http://broadwayworld.com/bwidb/sections/people/index.php?var=42706) at BroadwayWorld.com, accessed December 2, 2011 1. [Ron Butler theatre credits](http://contests.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/9593) at Playbill.com, accessed December 2, 2011 1. ["Mitchell and McEntire Share Three Enchanted Evenings at the Hollywood Bowl Aug. 3-5"](http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110023-Mitchell-and-McEntire-Share-Three-Enchanted-Evenings-at-the-Hollywood-Bowl-Aug-3-5), Playbill, August 3, 2007, accessed December 2, 2011 1. Butler, Ron (11 October 2010). ["Obama! A Modern U.S. President (musical spoof)"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54FRMedT_s). [YouTube](/source/YouTube). Retrieved 15 October 2010. ## External links - [Ron Butler](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125117/) at IMDb - [World Animal Awareness Society interview, 2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrokI4uMcv4) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ron Butler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Butler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Butler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.