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Jamie Kennedy

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Jamie Kennedy
Kennedy in 2024
Born
James Harvey Kennedy

(1970-05-25) May 25, 1970 (age 54)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1989–present

James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian.

In film, Kennedy is best known for his role as Randy Meeks in the Scream film series (1996–2000), which saw him as a supporting character in the first and third installments and a lead ensemble member in the second installment. He has also had lead roles in Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), Son of the Mask (2005), Kickin' It Old Skool (2007), Finding Bliss (2009), and Trick (2019). He has had notable supporting roles in films such as Romeo + Juliet (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Bowfinger (1999), Three Kings (1999), Boiler Room (2000), Max Keeble's Big Move (2001), Good Deeds (2012), and Ad Astra (2019).

In television, Kennedy is known for hosting the WB sketch comedy series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) and his main cast roles as Professor Eli James on the CBS series Ghost Whisperer (2008–2010) and Dr. Callahan on the NBC medical comedy-drama series Heartbeat (2016). He has had recurring voice roles on the Fox sitcom The Cleveland Show (2009–2013), the Nickelodeon series Fanboy & Chum Chum (2009–2014), and the Comedy Central sitcom Legends of Chamberlain Heights (2016–2017).

Early life

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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

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Kennedy at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con

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.[citation needed]

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 [citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

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]

Kennedy in 2012

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 personally supports abortion rights and appeared in the film to perform in a dramatic role that he is not normally offered, 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

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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.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film

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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
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
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
Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone Spazz (voice)
2006 Farce of the Penguins Jamie (voice)
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
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)
Good Deeds Mark Freeze
Lost & Found in Armenia Bill
2013 Foreclosed Forrest Hayes
2014 The Hungover Games Justmitch Also writer and producer
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
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
Trick Dr. Steven
2019 Ad Astra Peter Bello [21]
2020 Roe v. Wade Larry Lader
Jamie Kennedy: Stoopid Smart Himself
2021 Last Call "Whitey"
2022 Scream Partygoer Voice cameo
2023 Don't Suck Pete

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 VR Troopers Elmo Episode: "Cybertron (Pilot)"
California Dreams Sea Kelp 2 episodes
1995 Unhappily Ever After Stoney / Pony Burger Attendant 3 episodes
Ellen Tad 2 episodes
1997 Perversions of Science Spaceman John Episode: "Panic"
2000 Stark Raving Mad Doobs Episode: "My Bodyguard"
2001 Strange Frequency Derek Episode: "A Change Will Do You Good"
2001–2002 Da Möb Rooster (voice) Main role; 8 episodes
2002 Night Visions Mark Stevens Episode: "Cargo / Switch"
2002–2004 The Jamie Kennedy Experiment Himself / various characters 62 episodes
2003–2004 King of the Hill Various characters (voice) 2 episodes
2004 Crank Yankers Wally Palumbo (voice) Episode: "#2.23"
2006 Mind of Mencia Will Pillowbiter Episode: "Stereotype Olympics"
2007 Living with Fran Alan Episode: "School Ties"
2007; 2017 Criminal Minds Floyd Feylinn Ferell 2 episodes
2008 Reaper Ryan Milner Episode: "Hungry for Fame"
2008–2010 Ghost Whisperer Professor Eli James Main role (season 4–5); 45 episodes
2009–2013 The Cleveland Show Various characters (voice) 25 episodes
2009–2014 Fanboy & Chum Chum Kyle Recurring role; 26 episodes
2010 Eureka Dr. Ramsey Episode: "The Story of O2"
2012 Entourage Himself 2 episodes
2013 The Soul Man Kevin Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor"
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ed Kapena Episode: "Long Road Home"
Kingdom Bucky DeMarco 2 episodes
2015 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Helios (voice) Episode: "Freeze Day / Royal Pain"
2016 Interns of F.I.E.L.D. Black Skull Episode: "Villains"
Heartbeat Dr. Callahan Main role; 8 episodes
2016–2017 Legends of Chamberlain Heights Dave "Uncle Joey" Couliers / Officer Jaime Kennedy Main role; 14 episodes
2017 Lucifer Andy Kleinburg Episode: "Stewardess Interruptus"

Discography

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1996 Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Cast Ensemble Romeo + Juliet Nominated
1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Supporting Actor – Horror Scream 2 Won
2002 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Personality Jamie Kennedy Nominated
2003 Nominated
Choice Comedian Nominated
Choice Movie Actor – Comedy Malibu's Most Wanted Nominated
2005 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Actor Son of the Mask Won
Worst Song or Song Performance in a Film or End Credits Nominated
2006 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actor Nominated
Worst Screen Couple Nominated

References

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  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[permanent dead link]
  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. Archived from the original on May 23, 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.
  21. ^ "Jamie Kennedy Joins James Gray's 'Ad Astra' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
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