Jason Lee (actor)
Jason Lee | |
|---|---|
 Jason Lee in 2006 | |
| Born | Jason Michael Lee April 25, 1970 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Voice actor, Producer, Professional skateboarder |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse(s) | Carmen Llywelyn (1995–2001) Ceren Alkaç (2008–present) |
| Partner | Beth Riesgraf (2001–2007) |
Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin Smith.[1]
Career
Acting career
After taking some minor acting roles in 1992, including the Jonze-directed Sonic Youth music video for "100%," and a small part in Allison Anders' 1993 film Mi Vida Loca, Lee left professional skateboarding for a full-time acting career.[2] His first major movie role was in Kevin Smith's Mallrats, which became a cult hit.[2][3] This started a friendship that subsequently led to appearances in many of Smith's films, including Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks 2, and Cop Out.[4][5] Lee won an Independent Spirit Award for his role in Chasing Amy as Banky Edwards, a comic book inker.
Lee graduated to leading man roles in Heartbreakers (with Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Stealing Harvard (with Tom Green), as well as A Guy Thing (with Julia Stiles).[6][7][8] He has had supporting roles in Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous as a rock star, Dreamcatcher, Big Trouble, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, and Mumford, as well as a minor role in Enemy of the State.[4] Lee also voiced the supervillain Syndrome in the animated movie The Incredibles and its DVD bonus video Jack-Jack Attack.[4] Lee reprised the role as a "robot copy" of Syndrome in the 2006 Disney on Ice play Disney Presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure.[citation needed] He is also the voice of Underdog in Underdog and plays David "Dave" Seville in the films Alvin and the Chipmunks and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.[4][5]
In 2005, Lee was offered the lead role in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl.[9] According to interviews on the first-season DVD, he passed on the series twice before finally agreeing to read for the pilot. In the series, Lee stars as Earl Hickey, a petty thief who discovers karma and sets out to put right all his past wrongs. Lee received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2006 and 2007, as well as a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006.[10][11][12] After four seasons of My Name is Earl NBC cancelled the series.
On June 22, 2010, the new TNT series Memphis Beat premiered. Lee stars with Alfre Woodard[13] and plays Dwight Hendricks, a character who works as a police officer and moonlights as a blues singer.[13] In October 2011, it was announced the series was not renewed for a third season.
Lee also guest-starred on an episode of Fox's Raising Hope, a show created by My Name is Earl producer and creator Greg Garcia.[14][15]
Beginning in October 2011, Lee became a recurring guest star in the new NBC comedy Up All Night.
Personal life
Lee married actress and photographer Carmen Llywelyn in 1995, but they divorced in 2001. Lee was engaged to actress Beth Riesgraf, and together have a son named Pilot Inspektor. The couple came up with the unusual name after listening to the song "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot" by the indie rock band Grandaddy.[16] Lee and Riesgraf separated in 2007. On August 10, 2008, Lee's partner Ceren Alkaç gave birth to a daughter Casper.[16] On November 24, 2008, Lee's publicist announced that the couple had secretly wed in California in July 2008.[17]
Lee is a member of the Church of Scientology.[18]
Filmography
Video games
| Year | Game | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Syndrome | |
| 2006 | Tony Hawk's Project 8 | ||
| 2007 | Alvin and the Chipmunks | David Seville | Cutscenes Only |
| 2010 | Skate 3 | Coach Frank | [19] |
References
- ^ Episode list for "Memphis Beat" IMDb
- ^ a b Paatsch, Leigh (March 21, 2002). "Reel Deal". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. p. 38.
- ^ Howe, Desson (October 20, 1995). "Overcrowded Mallrats". Washington Post. p. N44.
- ^ a b c d "Filmography by year for Jason Lee". IMDB. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Koltnow, Barry (January 3, 2008). "Chasing chipmunks". The Courier Mail. Brisbane, Australia. p. 34.
- ^ Crawford, Jeff (July 11, 2001). "Hot Heartbreakers Only Mildly Amusing". Messenger. Adelaide, Australia. p. 11.
- ^ Dowell, Gary (September 13, 2002). "Getting into Harvard lawless school – Ivy League requires some stolen green in likeable comedy". The Dallas Morning News. p. 1J.
- ^ Burr, Ty (March 21, 2003). "Bleedful Things – 'Dreamcatcher' a Jumble of Classic Stephen King Gore". The Boston Globe. p. D1.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (January 8, 2006). "Trust Me, I'm Funnier With the Moustache". The New York Times. p. 33.
- ^ Nepales, Ruben V. (December 16, 2005). "Brokeback Mountain tops Golden Globe nominations". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. 2.
- ^ "Golden Globes Ballot". San Francisco Chronicle. January 14, 2007. p. 24.
- ^ Longino, Bob (January 5, 2007). "SAG nominees have Oscar feel, diversified look". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E14.
- ^ a b Stanley, Alessandra (June 22, 2010). "Take Your Time, Crime Will Wait". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ "'Raising Hope' creator Greg Garcia is not talking white trash". USA Today.com. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
- ^ "Jason Lee to Guest Star on Raising Hope". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE: My Name Is Earl Star Jason Lee Has Baby Girl".
- ^ "Jason Lee secretly marries". people magazine.
- ^ Cheney, Jen (July 21, 2006). "Jason Lee by any other name". Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
Staff (April 30, 2006). "My name is not Earl, Actor says". Daily News. New York. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
Oppenheimer, Mark (July 15, 2007). "Something happened". New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2011. - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Skate3was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links
