Nat Faxon
Nathaniel "Nat" Faxon (born October 11, 1975) is an American actor, comedian and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. Though a frequent presence on comedic films and TV series, he is best known for winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing The Descendants (2011) and for his starring role in the FOX comedy series, Ben and Kate (2012-2013). He also co-wrote and co-directed the acclaimed The Way, Way Back (2013) with writing partner Jim Rash. Faxon currently stars in the FX comedy series Married which premiered in July 2014.
Life and career
Faxon's early years started in the seaside community of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, where he attended the Brookwood School. He later graduated from the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire and then Hamilton College in 1997. Faxon is also an alumnus of the Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, where he began performing in 2001.[1]
As an actor, Faxon is best known for his appearances in comedic films such as Orange County (2002), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), and several Broken Lizard films including Beerfest (2006). He co-starred in Darren Star's semi-autobiographical satire Grosse Pointe and had recurring roles in several television series such as The Cleveland Show, Joey, Up All Night and Reno 911!. He was also featured in a series of prominent Holiday Inn commercials featuring Joe Buck as well as an ad by Blockbuster. However, he did not get a significant lead role until 2012 when he was cast as the titular Ben in Ben and Kate,[2] for which he has received many positive reviews.
Faxon and writing partner Jim Rash, whom he met while performing at The Groundlings, co-wrote the screenplay for the film The Descendants, starring George Clooney and directed by Alexander Payne. On February 26, 2012, the screenplay for The Descendants won an Oscar, with Faxon, Rash, and Payne all receiving Oscars for their efforts.[3] The duo made their directorial debut with The Way, Way Back (2013), based on their original screenplay, and starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, and Sam Rockwell, among others.[4] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired it for $10 million,[5] and was released domestically to acclaimed reviews that July.
Faxon currently stars alongside Judy Greer in the FX comedy series Married.
Personal life
Faxon is married to Meaghan Gadd, with whom he has three children: Ruthie, Otis and Beatrice.[6]
Work
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Orange County | Kip | |
Slackers | Karl, the Grad Student | ||
2004 | Club Dread | Manny | |
2006 | The TV Set | Reporter | |
Beerfest | Rolf | ||
2007 | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Awards Show Stage Manager | |
2008 | Hamlet 2 | Glenn from Copy Shop | |
Lower Learning | Turner Abernathy | ||
2009 | The Slammin' Salmon | Carl the Manager | |
2011 | Freeloaders | Fritz | |
Bad Teacher | Mark | ||
Zookeeper | Dave | ||
The Descendants | co-screenwriter only; Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | ||
2012 | The Babymakers | Zig-Zag | |
2013 | The Way, Way Back | Roddy | also co-screenwriter and co-director |
2014 | Tammy | Greg | |
Sex Tape | Max |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Rude Awakening | Slackula | 1 episode |
2000–2001 | Grosse Pointe | Kevin the P.A. | 17 episodes |
2003–2004 | Reno 911! | Milk Shake et al. | 6 episodes |
2004 | Significant Others | Breck | 1 episode |
2004–2005 | Joey | Bodie | 3 episodes |
2005 | Romy and Michele: In the Beginning | Chad | TV movie |
NCIS | Carter Finch | 1 episode | |
Reba | Elder Care Worker | 1 episode | |
2005–2009 | American Dad! | various (voice) | 3 episodes |
2006–2008 | Happy Hour | Brad Cooper | 14 episodes |
2008 | Mad Men | Flatty | 1 episode |
2009 | DJ & the Fro | The Fro et al. (voice) | 12 episodes |
Glen Martin DDS | Trailer Park Teen (voice) | 1 episode | |
The Big D | Brady | pilot | |
The Burr Effect | Dale | pilot | |
2009–2012 | The Cleveland Show | Raymond the Bear et al. (voice) | 10 episodes |
2010 | Party Down | Garlan Greenbush | 1 episode |
2011 | Allen Gregory | Jeremy (voice) | 7 episodes |
Happy Endings | Chef Leslie | 1 episode | |
2012 | Are You There, Chelsea? | Tim Kornick | 1 episode |
Up All Night | Lawrence | 1 episode | |
2012–2013 | Ben and Kate | Ben Fox | Series lead, 16 episodes |
2013 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Earl of Crathmore | 1 episode |
Trophy Wife | Sad Steve | 3 episodes | |
Spy | Alan | pilot | |
2014–present | Married | Russ Bowman | Lead role |
2014 | Marry Me | Scooby | 1 episode |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ Groundlings Page
- ^ Nat Faxon ascends to leading man on Ben And Kate · The A.V. Club
- ^ Lesley Goldberg (February 28, 2012). "Descendents Oscar Winner to Star in Fox Comedy Pilot". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
- ^ Dave Itzkoff (August 24, 2012). "The Writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash Direct The Way, Way Back". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
- ^ The Way, Way Back | Archives | Sundance Institute
- ^ "Biography of Nat Faxon".
- ^ "19TH ANNUAL CRITICS' CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS". Retrieved December 31, 2013.
External links
- 20th-century American male actors
- American male comedians
- American male film actors
- American screenwriters
- American male television actors
- The Groundlings
- Hamilton College (New York) alumni
- Living people
- 1975 births
- 21st-century American male actors
- Writers from Massachusetts
- People from Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
- Male actors from Massachusetts
- Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners