Kenny Hotz

Kenny Hotz
Born	Kenneth Joel Hotz
Occupation(s)	Actor, director, screenwriter, and producer
Years active	1989–present
Website	http://www.kennyhotz.com

Kenneth Joel "Kenny" Hotz is an award-winning Canadian writer, director, actor, producer, photographer, creator/co-star of the Canadian television show Kenny vs. Spenny and creator/co-writer of the Showcase/FX series Testees.

Early life

Hotz was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When Kenny was three, the top of his right index finger was removed in a bicycle accident. At the age of six years old, Kenny was sent to a film camp where he made his first film. Hotz began making documentaries in 1989, and had the idea to develop a television show in which he and a friend competed in a series of challenges to prove who was the best, which eventually evolved into Kenny vs. Spenny.

Upon graduating from Ryerson University's media arts program, Hotz became an accomplished filmmaker and photographer, and in 1991, he traveled around the world. In that year he went to cover the Gulf War, -- the only registered Canadian artist to do so. Hotz had been working as a photographer since 1986, photographing numerous countries and historic world events. The subjects of his photo essays include Auschwitz, Dachau, Needle Park (Zurich, Switzerland), David Koresh, Mount Carmel, Waco, and New Years' in Times Square 2000.

Career

After returning to Canada, Hotz worked on a comedic short about the life and death of a homeless dwarf in Toronto named Shorty Gordy with Spencer Rice. He also worked as a writer for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1997. In that same year, he starred (with Rice) in the documentary Pitch. Hotz then moved to Los Angeles to develop television programming. Eventually, Hotz started development on Kenny vs. Spenny.

Kenny vs. Spenny was nominated for a Gemini award in 2004. Hotz was recently a guest with Rice on Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Green, Carson Daly and Late Night with Conan O'Brien in New York. Hotz notes that “I sat next to Conan.” In 2007, he finished his second award-winning feature film titled The Papal Chase, a documentary about Hotz trying to meet the Pope John Paul II. The film is directed by and stars Hotz, and features cameos by The Rolling Stones and Pope John Paul II. Hotz was given an unprecedented $10,000 prize by a jury when the film won the acclaimed Phillip Borsos award for Best Canadian Feature Film in 2004 at the Whistler Film Festival. He also created the concept for the 3D video game "Versusville" for the Kenny vs. Spenny series and was nominated for the Canadian New Media Awards for "Excellence in Gaming."

Hotz recently consulted on the animated Emmy award-winning series South Park, also writing the episodes "Follow That Egg!" and "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow".

In 2008, Hotz was writing a third feature film. He developed a sitcom called Testees for the Fox-owned FX that year, producing 13 shows centering on product testers in various markets. The show started airing in October 2008 on FX and the Canadian-owned Showcase cable channel.

Kenny is Jewish, as evidenced in one episode of Kenny vs. Spenny ("Who Can Eat the Most Meat?"). As he blends up a "meat smoothie," to which he adds pork, he notes that his "rabbi is going to be so pissed." He also pretends to sing in his local synagogue choir in "First to Stop Singing Loses" (against the rules of that particular competition) and he mentions it in the "Who Do Old People Like More" episode, where he believes it will help him win. He is fluent in Hebrew, as noted in "Who's the Better Jew". However, in an interview Kenny Hotz stated that he doesn't care about religion and considers himself as atheist.

Kenny was recently embroiled in a controversy with the British Columbia Human Rights Commission for alleged hate speech for his actions in the episode "Who Can Piss Off More People", where he paid to have a plane fly over Toronto dragging a banner that reads "Jesus Sucks".

Hotz had a small part in Kevin Smith's 2008 film Zack and Miri Make A Porno, starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks.

Personal life

Hotz is currently dating Canadian model Audrey Gair, who is at least 15 years his junior (Hotz's age is disputed; IMDB lists his age as 41, whereas his Facebook page says he is 35). She has appeared in a number of Kenny vs. Spenny episodes, including their appearance on MTV's Cribs. IMDB finally has his correct birthdate. May 3, 1969.

Filmography

• It Don't Cost Nothin' to Say Good Morning (1994)
• Pitch (1997)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1997)
• Kenny vs. Spenny (2002-present)
• The Papal Chase (2004)
• Ed vs. Spencer (2004)
• South Park - Three episodes (2005)
• Elton vs. Simon (2005)
• Testees (2008)
• Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Cameo) (2008)

Awards and nominations

• Brooklyn international film festival (2005) - Audience award (best documentary) for The Papal Chase
• Canadian Filmmakers' Festival (2005) - Audience award (documentary) for The Papal Chase
• Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (1996) - Best Canadian documentary for It Don't Cost Nothin' to Say Good Morning
• Whistler Film Festival (2004) - Phillip Borsos Award For the Papal Chase
• Gemini Awards (2004) - Gemini for Kenny vs. Spenny (Nomination)
• Gemini Awards (2006) - Gemini for Kenny vs. Spenny (Nomination)
• Gemini Awards (2008) - Gemini for Kenny vs. Spenny (Nomination)

Trivia

• He is an award-winning 'Gulf War 1991' photographer. He served as the only Canadian registered Artist to document 'The Gulf War in 1991' and other historical events.
• He made his 1st film when he was 6 years old and was given a directing award for his effort by Henry Winkler.
• He is a video game expert and designer.
• Kenny is a contributing writer and award winning columnist for VICE (magazine).

External links

• Kenny Hotz Merchandise Kenny Hotz Merchandise.
• Kenny Hotz Official Website Kenny Hotz's Official Website.
• Kenny's My Space Home Kenny Hotz's MySpace.
• Kenny´s Blog Kenny Hotz MSN blog.
• 10 Questions: Kenny Hotz interview.