Rise to Fame
Freaks and Geeks ran 18 episodes before NBC pulled the plug. He played Bill Haverchuck, the quietest, saddest kid in the cast, and when the show died, so did his early momentum. At 22 he fired his agent, told people he was done, and mostly meant it. What saved him was Judd Apatow, who'd produced Freaks and Geeks and kept casting his people in everything afterward. Knocked Up, Superbad, and Walk Hard all came out in 2007, and suddenly the guy who almost quit was the recognizable face in every ensemble comedy.
In the Spotlight
Bertram Gilfoyle, the deadpan libertarian sysadmin he played for six seasons on Silicon Valley, became the role that defined him. The show wrapped in 2019 and he landed in Tulsa King on Paramount+, playing a weed store owner across 29 episodes. Party Down came back in 2023 and he reprised Roman DeBeers too. His brand has calcified into something narrower than a range, but the deadpan still lands every time, and the parts keep coming.
Side Notes
His real name is Martin James Pflieger Schienle, which explains the stage name. He debuted in Dustin Hoffman's Hero at 9 under the full Schienle. His mother is actress Jean St. James. Raised Buddhist, he hosts competitive board game nights and in 2025 co-founded a candy company called Sweet Stash that makes gummies shaped like musical notes. He married Alex Gehring, bassist for psych-rock outfit Ringo Deathstarr, in 2024. The candy venture and the musician wife suggest he's most comfortable being the most interesting person in any room as long as nobody's filming.