He lived in Manhattan, New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in 1977. He got his breakthrough film role in "Beetlejuice" as interior decorator Otho, while appearing in The Groundlings comedy troupe and performing in the stage play "Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights", portraying Gertrude Stein. "Beetlejuice" filmmaker Tim Burton went on to cast Shadix in 1993's "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and the 2001 remake of "Planet of the Apes". Throughout the 1990s he had small roles on iconic television shows, including "Cheers", "Roseanne", "Seinfeld" and