Jamie Kennedy

James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the Scream franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) on The WB. His other film roles include Romeo + Juliet (1996), Bowfinger (1999), Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), Finding Bliss (2009), and Good Deeds (2012).

Jamie Kennedy
Kennedy at the 2012 Comic-Con
Born
James Harvey Kennedy

(1970-05-25) May 25, 1970
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer
Years active1989–present

He has starred in the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer (2005–2010), provided voice-work for The Cleveland Show (2009–2013) and regularly tours as a stand-up comedian and podcaster.

Early life

Kennedy was born on May 25, 1970, in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kennedy was raised Catholic.[1][2][3] He attended and graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 1988. After high school, Kennedy began his career as a Hollywood extra. Meanwhile, he worked on voice impersonations.

Career

Jamie Kennedy, 2010

When Kennedy first arrived in Los Angeles, he became a professional Hollywood extra.

After a few years of struggling, Kennedy was unable to find an agent and worked as a host at Red Lobster. He auditioned for over 80 commercials and could not book one. He then took a job as a telemarketer and learned that he had a talent for selling things. Kennedy then thought that if he could sell anything, "why not sell myself?", becoming his own agent.

Kennedy created a false persona, screen agent "Marty Power", to attract the attention of real agents and managers over the phone, who would later book his performances. He came to prominence in the late 1990s for playing Randy Meeks in the Scream film series.[4] His lead role as Tim Avery in Son of the Mask earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor, he would later voice his experiences with the film on his YouTube channel in the later years after its release.[5] The film would also go on to inspire Kennedy to host the 2007 documentary Heckler after feeling hurt by the film's poor reception in which some reviewers attacked him personally.

Kennedy formed a production company called Wannabe Producers, alongside Josh through which he has produced the shows The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Blowin' Up, The Starlet, and Living with Fran created by David Garrett. Following Malibu's Most Wanted, in which he both wrote and starred, Kennedy co-wrote the MTV show Blowin' Up (2006) featuring his friend, Stu Stone.

Kennedy lent his voice to the videogame ESPN NFL 2K5 as a celebrity adversary with his own football team, the Upper Darby Cheesesteaks. He is also unlockable as a free agent tight end in season mode. His stint as Activision's emcee at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2007, however, drew much criticism not only for his ignorance of the industry, but also for appearing to perform drunk as he insulted the audience.[6] In a video uploaded to YouTube on June 14, 2021, Kennedy claimed that Activision had scrapped his script at the last minute and he was ad-libbing his jokes while suffering from burnout.[7]

While working on his film Malibu's Most Wanted, Kennedy wrote an autobiography titled, Wannabe: A Hollywood Experiment. The book chronicles his life in Hollywood as he attempts to become a star. It gives background on his life and family and quickly dives into his adventures. It tells of such things as Kennedy's living conditions in the Hollywood slums, his dilapidated car, and his kidney issues.

A performer of stand-up comedy, he is also known for his sketch performances on his television reality show, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, which became the WB Network's highest-ranking new show in 2002, but which was cancelled in April 2004 due to falling viewership.[8] In 2006, Jizzy Entertainment released Unwashed: The Stand-Up Special. In 2008, Kennedy released the documentary Heckler, about the plight of stand-up comics versus their often-aggressive audiences.[9] In 2007 and 2017, he made two appearances in Criminal Minds as a cannibal satanist serial killer.

From 2008 to 2010, Kennedy played psychology professor Eli James in the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer. From 2009 to 2013, he was in the TV series, The Cleveland Show, playing Roberta Tubbs' boyfriend.[10]

He also stars in Nicktoons' Fanboy & Chum Chum as Kyle, an insecure boy wizard who loathes the fun-loving Fanboy and Chum Chum, but who secretly yearns for their friendship. In April 2010, sources reported that Kennedy would very likely return to the Scream franchise to star in the fourth installment;[11] however, according to Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson, plans were never made for him to rejoin the franchise, attributing the misinformation to a fabrication by Kennedy.[12]

On December 31, 2012, Kennedy hosted and produced First Night 2013 with Jamie Kennedy, a New Year's Eve television special widely considered one of the worst shows of all time. His film Lost & Found in Armenia, in which he plays an American tourist who ends up in an Armenian village, accused of being a Turkish spy, later opened to select theatres on June 7, 2013. His film Buddy Hutchins, in which Kennedy plays a down-on-his-luck recovering alcoholic, was released in 2015.[13] In 2015, he portrayed Frump in the Colton Tran adventure mystery film Gloom and Beach Patrolman Alex in Allegra Pictures' horror film The Sand.[14] In 2015, he also starred as Travis Welker in Tremors 5: Bloodlines[15] and as Rob in Rivers 9.[16]

Kennedy played NARAL Pro-Choice America founder Larry Lader in the 2020 film Roe v. Wade, which stars a predominantly conservative ensemble cast.[17] In an interview with The Daily Beast, which noted the film depicts Lader as "a shady figure pulling strings from behind the scenes who treats abortions as a money-making operation," Kennedy said he appeared in the film to perform in a dramatic role that he is not normally offered, and personally identifies as pro-choice, and that, "it’s also not fair for people to think that because I’m in a project with them that I’m like that, or that I believe in this stuff".[18]

Personal life

Kennedy with then-girlfriend Jennifer Love Hewitt at the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards

Kennedy dated his Ghost Whisperer co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt from March 2009 to March 2010.[19]

Kennedy was active in California's tourism campaign, having appeared in several commercials with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Dead Poets Society Extra Uncredited[20]
1996 Romeo + Juliet Sampson
Scream Randy Meeks
1997 Coax Jamie Short film
Bongwater Tommy
On the Edge of Innocence Luke Canby TV movie
Clockwatchers Eddie
Sparkler Trent
Scream 2 Randy Meeks Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Horror
As Good as It Gets Street Hustler
1998 Stricken Banyon
Starstruck George Gordon Flynn
The Pass Deputy Jim Banks
Soundman Frank's Assistant / Marty (voice)
Enemy of the State NSA Agent Jamie
1999 Bowfinger Dave
Three Kings Walter Wogaman
2000 Road to Flin Flon Brad
Boiler Room Adam
Scream 3 Randy Meeks Cameo
Bait Agent Blum
The Specials Amok
2001 Slacker Cats Buckley (voice) TV movie
Dr. Dolittle 2 Various (voice)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Chaka's Production Assistant
Max Keeble's Big Move Evil Ice Cream Man
Pretty When You Cry Albert Straka
2002 Bug Dwight
Night Visions Mark Stevens segment 'Cargo'
2003 Malibu's Most Wanted Brad 'B-Rad' Gluckman Also writer
Sol Goode Justin Sax
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Creepy Guy Uncredited
2005 Son of the Mask Tim Avery / The Mask Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with anybody stuck sharing the screen with him)
Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone Spazz (voice) Direct-to-video
2006 Farce of the Penguins Jamie (voice)
Wild 'n Out Himself
2007 Me & Lee? Joel TV movie
Kickin' It Old Skool Justin Schumacher
Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Spectacular Ghost of Christmas Past TV movie
Extreme Movie Mateus
Hollywood Residential Himself
Heckler Himself
2009 Finding Bliss Dick Harder
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! Danno Wolfe (voice)
2010 Cafe Dealer
2011 Spring Break '83 Ballzack
2012 Bending the Rules Theo Gold
The Patriot of America Frank (voice)
The Reef 2: High Tide Ronny (voice) Direct-to-video
Good Deeds Mark Freeze
Lost & Found in Armenia Bill
2013 Foreclosed Forrest Hayes Lifetime Movie
2014 The Hungover Games Justmitch
The After David TV movie
Nowhere Safe Kevin Carlisle TV movie
Bermuda Tentacles Dr. Zimmern TV movie
2015 Buddy Hutchins Buddy
Other Plans Nathan McKeon
Tremors 5: Bloodlines Travis B. Welker Video
The Sand Alex, Beach Patrol
2016 Drawn of the Dead Adam Simmons (voice)
Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House Simon Direct to Video
Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le Jerry Heller Lifetime Movie
2017 Walk of Fame Hugo
2018 Surviving the Wild Kristopher
Spinning Man Ross
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell Travis B. Welker Direct-to-Video
Trick Dr. Steven
2020 Roe v. Wade Larry Lader
Jamie Kennedy: Stoopid Smart Himself
2021 Last Call "Whitey"
2022 Scream Partygoer Voice cameo

Discography

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Result
1996 Awards Circuit Community Awards for Best Cast Ensemble Romeo + Juliet Nominated
1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Horror Scream 2 Won
2003 Teen Choice Award Malibu's Most Wanted Nominated
2005 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards-Worst Actor Son of the Mask Won
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards-Worst Screen Couple Won
2006 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor Nominated
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple Nominated

References

  1. Kennedy does stand-up Archived June 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Dailytargum.com
  2. Jamie Kennedy: Man-Child In The Promised Land | Mens Magazine Online Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Barry, Rebecca (August 13, 2006). "A quick word with Jamie Kennedy". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  4. "Jamie Kennedy Talks 'Buddy Hutchins' and 'Tremors 5′". BloodyDisgusting.com. April 27, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  5. "2005 RAZZIE Nominees & "Winners"". Razzies.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  6. Sliwinski, Alexander (July 19, 2007). "Watch Activision alienate E3 audience with Jamie Kennedy". Joystiq. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  7. Kennedy, Jamie. "Jamie Kennedy Reacts to E3 TRAINWRECK". YouTube.
  8. Jamie Kennedy review
  9. "Interview with Kennedy about Heckling". Lvrj.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  10. "California's new winter tourism ad to star Jamie Kennedy, Arnold Schwarzenegger". Industry.visitcalifornia.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  11. "Jamie Kennedy, Cinephile, Returning in 'Scream IV'". Bloody-disgusting.com. April 14, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  12. "Jamie Kennedy NOT Back for Scream 4!". Dread Central. April 27, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  13. "Interview: Jamie Kennedy, 'Buddy Hutchins'". Renegade Cinema. February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  14. "Exclusive: Jamie Kennedy Talks Buddy Hutchins, Chainsaws, and Tremors 5". dreadcentral.com. February 18, 2015.
  15. "Tremors 5 Shakes, Rattles, and Rolls in October 2015". dreadcentral.com. January 7, 2015.
  16. Gingold, Michael (February 26, 2015). "Jamie Kennedy Talks 'BUDDY HUTCHINS,' 'TREMORS 5' and More" Archived September 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Fangoria.
  17. Andrews, Travis M. (July 16, 2018). "The 'Roe v. Wade' movie has an all-star cast". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  18. Stern, Marlow (April 2, 2021). "Jamie Kennedy on How He Ended Up in an Anti-Abortion Film". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  19. Chiu, Alexis (March 12, 2010). "Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy Split". People. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  20. "Dead Poet's Society Full Cast & Crew". imdb. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
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