Writer, director and producer Jake Kasdan may be the progeny of renowned Hollywood writer, director, producer Lawrence Kasdan, but stylistically, the apple fell far from the tree in this family. Dad’s name was synonymous with big, broad, blockbusters like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “Return of the Jedi” (1983) and “The Bodyguard” (1993), while son Jake’s reputation was built on smart, offbeat, comedic projects like the cult TV hit “Freaks & Geeks” (NBC 1999-2000) and the oddball detective feature, “Zero Effect” (1998).
Jake Kasdan was born in Detroit, MI, on Oct. 8, 1974 to mom Meg and dad Lawrence. He always had an interest in film, specifically in directing, as a result of growing up around the sets of his fathers productions. As a kid, he enjoyed cameo parts in films like “The Big Chill” (1983) and “The Accidental Tourist” (1993). He began writing and directing plays while in high school, and just afterwards got his first professional writing credit when he and his dad co-authored a book about the making of the film “Wyatt Earp” (1994) called Wyatt Earp, The Film and the Filmmakers. Kasdan attended Hampshire College in Massachusetts and U.C. Santa Cruz but did not graduate from either, choosing instead to drop out and devote his time to writing.
Back in Los Angeles, the young hopeful wrote and directed the play “The Behavioral Patterns of Funnyman Tyler Hudson,” which was staged at the Hollywood Playhouse in 1996. He also completed the screenplay for “Zero Effect” and recruited Bill Pullman for the lead role, after the two had become friendly during the filming of “Wyatt Earp.” Once the resourceful 24-year-old landed representation and backing, the film was shot and released, making critics stand up and take notice of this promising and refreshingly clever young talent. The darkly funny film centered on an eccentric and reclusive private detective (Pullman) drawn into an investigation, out of his apartment, and under the spell of a mysterious female suspect. “Zero Effect” was featured at Cannes in 1998.
Kasdan then began the first of many projects with writer-producer Judd Apatow, who recognized that Kasdan’s young, wry sensibility would be a good fit with his developing show, “Freaks & Geeks.” Kasdan directed the pilot and several other episodes of this widely-hailed period high school drama, with its painfully truthful look at teens navigating the world of social cliques. Kasdan went on to direct two episodes of the teen satire “Grosse Pointe” (WB 2000-01) before he rejoined Apatow, directing on the Fox college sitcom, “Undeclared” (2000-02) which, like “Freaks & Geeks,” fell prey to a network schedule juggling act. Despite its fan base, “Undeclared” did not graduate to another season.
By this time, Kasdan had earned a solid reputation as the director of choice for young adult alternative comedies, and based on that, he was asked to direct “Orange County” (2002). The film starred Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks) as an ambitious wannabe writer trying to get into Stamford University, with the help of his scheming pothead brother Jack Black. Unfortunately, the film missed the mark on showcasing the real talent of all involved but was a moderate hit with on the teen circuit and was endlessly rerun on Comedy Central.
Kasdan appeared to be back at the top of his game when his next feature, “The TV Set,” screened at the TriBeCa Film Festival in 2006 to glowing reviews. Written, directed, and produced by Kasdan, “The TV Set” (2007) was loosely based on his experiences working in the Hollywood creative bureaucracy. David Duchovny starred as an idealistic writer trying to bring his vision to the small screen, only to run into roadblocks and numbers-driven executives every step of the way.
After wrapping “The TV Set,” Kasdan had nearly completed his next film – a parody of the abundance of recent musician biopics like “Walk the Line” (2005) and “Ray” (2004) called “Walk Hard” (2008), co-written with buddy Judd Apatow. The film starred John C. Reilly as a hard-livin’, old-school performer along the lines of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings and early buzz was promising.