Jamie Kennedy

Jamie Kennedy is best known for his breakthrough performance as Randy Meeks, the video store clerk well-versed in the conventions of scary movies, in Wes Craven's 1996 self-referential horror film "Scream" and its follow-up "Scream 2" (1997). The Pennsylvania native headed west after high school and began performing stand-up comedy while supporting himself in a variety of odd jobs. Kennedy was spotted at one of the comedy clubs and cast in the little-seen 1995 indie comedy "The Road to Flin Flon". An appearance as a punked-out rival to John Leguizamo in "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" (1996) and as a street hustler who attacks Greg Kinnear in the Oscar-nominated "As Good As It Gets" (1997) can be counted among his smaller roles.

This offbeat, high-energy actor frequently sports a shock of peroxide blond in his short brown hair and has cultivated a rumpled hipster look complete with colorful eye-catching shoes reportedly culled from the set of "Scream". His laid-back yet edgy persona and dynamic performances have earned him an impressive fan following. Following his success in "Scream", Kennedy took on roles in the 1997 films "Sparkler", as one of a trio of youths headed to Las Vegas, and "Clockwatchers", as the office mailman who develops a crush on a temp worker. He continued to add to his gallery of eccentric characters with a dramatic turn as a heroin addict in "Bongwater" and a novice screenwriter in the comedy "Starf*cker" (both 1998). He added much-needed comedy in the dramas "The Three Kings" (1999) and "The Boiler Room" (2000). After years of obtaining his fair-share of supporting and featured roles, Kennedy was given his own sketched comedy show.

In 2002, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (JKX), a television show that can best be described as a combination of Candid Camera and Saturday Night Live, was born. "JKX" quickly became The WB's highest ranking new show. Among the wacky characters (played by Kennedy), one became across the board an all-time favorite—Brad Gluckman the Malibu rapper. The character was such a hit that Kennedy decided to take it, naturally, to the next level. Thus, in 2003, "Malibu's Most Wanted" was released starring Kennedy as the white "wanna-be rapper" from Malibu. Kennedy was set to elevate his profile with “Son of the Mask” (2005), the sequel to the blockbuster Jim Carrey vehicle. In the movie, Kennedy played a cartoonist who finds the Mask of Loki and later has a son that possesses some of its spectacular powers. Loki, however, comes down to earth and engages Kennedy in an epic power struggle.

  • Also Credited As:
    James Harvey Kennedy
  • Born:
    James Harvey Kennedy on May 25, 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Job Titles:
    Actor, Comic, Delivered singing telegrams, Health care attendant (at home for the elderly), Pizza delivery man, Scraped gum off of floors of Kmart
Significant Others
  • Companion: Jennifer Love Hewitt. Hewitt announced they were dating on Ryan Seacrest s radio show in March 2009; Rumored to be engaged as of July 2009
Education
  • Delaware County Community College, Media, PA
  • British American Drama Academy, Oxford, England
Milestones
  • 1989 Worked as an extra in Dead Poets Society
  • 1995 Feature debut in The Road to Flin Flon
  • 1995 Had recurring roles on the WB s Unhappily Ever After and ABC s Ellen
  • 1996 Breakthrough screen role, playing Randy Meeks in Wes Craven s Scream
  • 1996 Played Sampson in William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet
  • 1997 Reprised role of Randy for the sequel Scream 2
  • 1998 Co-starred in Tony Scott s Enemy of the State
  • 1999 Appeared in David O. Russell s Gulf War-set drama Three Kings
  • 2000 Once again played Randy Meeks in Scream 3
  • 2001 Played the Evil Ice Cream Man in the children s comedy Max Keeble s Big Move
  • 2002 Hosted and starred in the WB show, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment ; also wrote and produced
  • 2003 Wrote and starred in Malibu s Most Wanted, a movie based on his most popular character, Brad Gluckman; also co-starred Kal Penn
  • 2005 Created the short-lived sitcom Living With Fran on the WB; starring Fran Drescher
  • 2005 Created the short-lived reality program The Starlet on the WB
  • 2005 Played the lead role in Son of the Mask ; co-starred with Kal Penn
  • 2006 Featured in the stand-up comedy special Jamie Kennedy: Unwashed (also aired on Comedy Central)
  • 2006 Starred in the comedic reality show Blowin Up on MTV
  • 2007 Appeared as himself in the documentary film, Heckler
  • 2007 Starred as a 32 years old breakdancer in Kickin It Old Skool
  • 2008 Cast as psychology professor Eli James in the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer
  • Began career as a stand-up comic and created the false persona Marty Power
  • Moved to Los Angeles after graduating from high school

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