Time for another Celebrity Birthday of the Day bio on an actor whose work with Joss Whedon has turned him into a veritable nerd god! Alan Tudyk studied drama at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, acting in several stage productions while studying there before leaving to attend Juilliard (which he left before obtaining a degree). We’ve already featured an early example of Tudyk’s movie work when he played a small role in Patch Adams, but other early credits to his name include the films 28 Days, Wonder Boys, A Knight’s Tale, Hearts in Atlantis, and Ice Age. In 2002, Tudyk was cast in the awesome sci-fi series Firefly and instantly won the hearts of Joss Whedon fans as Wash, pilot of the spaceship Serenity. Following the premature cancellation of Firefly, Tudyk began to play more and more prominent roles in film and television, acting in the movies Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, I, Robot, Death at a Funeral, Knocked Up, 3:10 to Yuma, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He’s also appeared on the TV shows Arrested Development, CSI, V, American Dad, Dollhouse, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and has even lent his voice talent to the video game Halo 3! But to Whedon fans like myself, Tudyk will always be Hoban “Wash” Washburne first and foremost. He turns 41 today.