Jason Segel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Jason Segel
Jason Segel 2011.jpg
Segel at the The Muppets Australian film Premiere in December 2011.
Born Jason Jordan Segel
(1980-01-18) January 18, 1980 (age 33)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor, screenwriter, composer, musician, singer, comedian
Years active 1998–present
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Jason Jordan Segel (born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, screenwriter, songwriter, and musician. He is known for his work with producer Judd Apatow on the cult classic, short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared; the films Forgetting Sarah Marshall; Knocked Up; I Love You, Man; Gulliver's Travels; Bad Teacher; Despicable Me; The Muppets and The Five-Year Engagement; and also for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Contents

Early life [edit]

Segel was born in Los Angeles, the son of Jillian (née Jordan), a homemaker, and Alvin G. Segel, a lawyer,[1][2] and grew up in Pacific Palisades, California. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian.[3] He has stated that he was raised Jewish,[4] as well as "a little bit of everything".[5] He went to Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah, and also attended St. Matthew's Parish School, a private Episcopal school.[6][7] He has an older half-brother, Adam, and a younger sister, Alison.[8][9]

Following elementary school and middle school, Segel completed his high school studies at Harvard-Westlake School,[citation needed] where his 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) frame[10][11] helped him as an active member of the 1996 and 1997 CIF state champion boys' basketball team. He was a backup to the team's star center, Jason Collins, who went on to play in the NBA.[12] Segel had hopes of becoming a professional actor while in college, although he ultimately chose not to go to college. Instead, he acted in local theater productions at Palisades Playhouse.[dead link][13]

Career [edit]

Segel at the World of Color premiere in 2010

Segel's first major role was as stoner "freak" Nick Andopolis on the critically acclaimed but short-lived 1999 NBC comedy-drama series Freaks and Geeks. The series revolved around a group of suburban Detroit high school students circa 1980. Segel personally composed a song for his character, Nick, to sing to the lead female character, Lindsay (Linda Cardellini).[14] Cardellini and Segel dated for a few years following the show's cancellation.[15][16] It was rumored that she broke up with him for gaining too much weight,[17] but it was later revealed that the statement was in fact a joke taken out of context.[18]

Segel had recurring roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Neil Jansen and on Undeclared as Eric. He currently plays Marshall Eriksen on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother; he had previously stated he will move on to other projects in 2013 when his contract expires,[19] but was successfully convinced to finish the series after its ninth season in 2014.[20] Feature film appearances include Slackers, SLC Punk!, The Good Humor Man, and Dead Man on Campus. In 2007, he appeared in Knocked Up, directed by Freaks and Geeks creator Judd Apatow. Segel starred in the lead role of 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a film he wrote and Apatow produced with Shauna Robertson for Universal Pictures. He also starred in I Love You, Man, which was released on March 20, 2009[21] by DreamWorks.

In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Segel's character writes a "Dracula" musical performed by puppets. He also appeared in a full frontal nude scene in the film.[22] In an interview,[23] he stated that the Dracula musical with puppets, as well as being broken up with while naked, were real experiences he wrote into the movie. Those cloth creatures were custom-made by the Jim Henson Company, and the experience emboldened Segel to pitch his concept for a Muppets movie.[24] Segel performed a song from the film, entitled "Dracula's Lament", on the 1000th episode of Craig Ferguson's show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Segel with Rashida Jones and Paul Rudd at the I Love You, Man premiere, March 2009

For the 2010 comedy Get Him to the Greek, Segel co-wrote most of the soundtrack's music which was performed by the fictional band Infant Sorrow. He also appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and sang an original song entitled "Wonky Eyed Girl".[9]

In 2010, he voiced Gru's arch-rival Vector in the Universal's CGI animated film, Despicable Me and appeared as "Horatio" in a fantasy comedy film Gulliver's Travels directed by Rob Letterman and very loosely based on Part One of the 18th-century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift. Segel appeared in Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz, which opened in June 2011. He played gym teacher and thwarted suitor Russell Gettis.[25] Along with Nicholas Stoller, Segel approached Disney in 2007 to write the latest Muppets film. Disney was unsure on how to take the request, as Segel had just done frontal nudity in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but after realizing that he was an avid fan, the project was approved. Segel stated that he wanted to do the film because the last film in the series to be released in theaters was Muppets from Space in 1999, and he felt that the younger generation was missing out on enjoying one of his childhood favorites.[26] He has stated that he will not star in the sequel to The Muppets.[27] He filmed The Five-Year Engagement, with Emily Blunt, in spring 2011, in Michigan, and the film was released on April 27, 2012.

In 2013, Segel revealed he was working on a series of young adult novels, based on a story he came up with when he was 21.[28]

Personal life [edit]

Segel dated Michelle Williams for about a year, breaking up at the end of February 2013.[29] Furthermore, he is an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church.[30] He performed a wedding ceremony on The Tonight Show on July 6, 2010 for a couple that solicited his services by placing wanted pictures of him around his home town and the bar he frequently visits.[31]

Filmography [edit]

Segel with Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris in September 2011

Film [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Can't Hardly Wait Watermelon Guy Film debut
Dead Man on Campus Kyle
SLC Punk! Mike
1999 New Jersey Turnpikes Unknown
2001 North Hollywood Unknown TV Movie
2002 Slackers Sam Schechter
2003 11:14 Leon (Paramedic #1)
Certainly Not a Fairytale Leo
2004 LolliLove Jason
2005 Good Humor Man, TheThe Good Humor Man Smelly Bob
2006 Bye Bye Benjamin Theodore Everest
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Frat Boy Scenes deleted
2007 Knocked Up Jason
2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Peter Bretter Also Writer
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment
Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Breakout Male
2009 I Love You, Man Sydney Fife
2010 Despicable Me Vector Voice only
Animation debut
Get Him to the Greek N/A Writer/Producer Only
Gulliver's Travels Horatio
Todd vs. High School Himself [32]
2011 Muppets, TheThe Muppets Gary Also Writer/Executive Producer[33]
Critics Choice Award for Best Song Shared with Amy Adams and Bret McKenzie
Nominated – Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Friends with Benefits Brice Uncredited
Bad Teacher Russell Gettis
Jeff, Who Lives at Home Jeff
2012 This Is 40 Jason
The Five-Year Engagement Tom Solomon Also Writer/Executive Producer
2013 This Is the End Jason Segel Post-Production
Undercover Cop Actor Script

Television [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1999–2000 Freaks and Geeks Nick Andopolis Main role, 18 episodes
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series: Young Ensemble
2001–2002 Undeclared Eric Recurring role, 7 episodes
2004 Harry Green and Eugene Eugene Green Unaired pilot[34]
2004–2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Neil Jansen Episode: "Mea Culpa"
Episode: "Compulsion"
Episode: "Iced"
2005 Alias Sam Hauser Episode: "The Road Home"
2005–present How I Met Your Mother Marshall Eriksen Main role
2009 Family Guy Marshall Eriksen Episode: "Peter's Progress"
2011 Saturday Night Live Himself, Host Episode: "Jason Segel/Florence and the Machine"
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb Himself Episode: "Jason Segel"

References [edit]

  1. ^ Mills, Nancy (July 8, 2010). "'Despicable Me' star Jason Segel really gets into his roles". USA Today. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
  2. ^ "Biography Jason Segel, The Adventurer s Handbook, Bad Teacher". Torrentreactor.net. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  3. ^ "Turning nasty was no stretch for Sarah Marshall's Jason Segel". The Sydney Morning Herald. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 
  4. ^ Bloom, Nate (2009-03-31). "Interfaith Celebrities: Jason Segel on the Benefits of Not Fitting In". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  5. ^ "Jason Segel on the universe—and ‘The Five Year Engagement’ | The Ticket". Jewish Journal. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  6. ^ Elkin, Michael (March 19, 2009). "Who Loves Ya, Man?". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved March 19, 2009. 
  7. ^ "Segel’s starry-eyed man-child amuses and moves us | The Ticket". Jewish Journal. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  8. ^ Abele, Robert (April 13, 2008). "This breakup really broke up Jason Segel". Los Angeles Times. 
  9. ^ a b YouTube – Craig Ferguson has Jason Segel serenade his "Wonky Eyed Girl"
  10. ^ "Jason Segel Biography". Buddy TV. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  11. ^ "Michelle Williams Opens Up About (Tall) Boyfriend Jason Segel". tooFab.com. February 5, 2013.
  12. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (October 30, 1996). "Fastbreak to Silver Screen". Daily News of Los Angeles. Retrieved April 29, 2013. 
  13. ^ "Segel is 6'4" Tall". BuddyTV.[dead link]
  14. ^ "gbdesigns.com". "The William S. Paley Television Festival: A Dedication to Freaks and Geeks". Retrieved January 12, 2007. 
  15. ^ "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" [commentary track], Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series [DVD], 2004, Los Angeles, CA: Shout! Factory
  16. ^ "Smooching and Mooching" [2nd commentary track], Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series [DVD], 2004, Los Angeles, CA: Shout! Factory
  17. ^ "Linda Cardellini Broke Up With Ex Because He Was Overweight". Starpulse.com. February 17, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2013. 
  18. ^ "As writer and star, Jason Segel is fully exposed" (page), Timeout Chicago
  19. ^ "Jason Segel to quit 'How I Met Your Mother'". timeslive.co.za. August 1, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013. 
  20. ^ Finke, Nikki (December 21, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: ‘How I Met Your Mother’ To Return For Season 9; Cast Deals Closed Today After Jason Segel Turnaround; Show Was Given Up For Dead Until 11th Hour". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013. 
  21. ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (March 10, 2009). A Romantic Comedy About Two Straight Men: John Hamburg's I Love You, Man May be the First Dude Flick With a Heart (HTML). The New York Observer. The New York Observer, LLC. Retrieved on March 11, 2009
  22. ^ "Jason Segel Goes Full-Frontal In "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"". The Huffington Post. April 25, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2013. 
  23. ^ Opie and Anthony, 104.1 WBCN in Boston
  24. ^ Fleming, Michael (March 12, 2008). "Segel and Stoller take on Muppets". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2013. 
  25. ^ Dargis, Manohla, "When the Teacher Gets High Marks in the Raunchy and the Profane", The New York Times, June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  26. ^ Jay Leno. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Jason Segel, Part 2 (11/8/11) - Video". NBC.com. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  27. ^ Angela Dawson/Front Row Features. "'Home' boy: Jason Segel 'was just born hilarious'". Knoxville.com. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  28. ^ "Jason Segel writing young adult book series". 3 News NZ. April 8, 2013. 
  29. ^ "Michelle Williams, Jason Segel quietly go separate ways". usatoday.com. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-02-27. 
  30. ^ "Ordained Minister Jason Segel Marries Couple on 'Tonight Show' (VIDEO)". Aoltv.com. Retrieved 2012-08-10. 
  31. ^ Karpel, Ari (December 10, 2010). "Kevin Smith, Kathy Griffin and Jason Segel Officiate at Weddings". The New York Times. 
  32. ^ Todd vs. High School (2010) – IMDb
  33. ^ "The Muppets". EW. Retrieved November 29, 2012. 
  34. ^ "dangerousuniverse.com". "2004–2005 Television Pilots (Incomplete at Best)". Retrieved January 12, 2007. 

External links [edit]

Portal icon biography portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Segel
Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jason_Segel&oldid=555244963"