Freddie Prinze Jr. Biography

FREDDIE PRINZE JR.

Date of Birth: March 8, 1976

This former amateur boxer is one of the fastest rising teen stars around. His father, also an actor, was best known for his role on the television show Chico and the Man. Unfortunately, he committed suicide when Freddie JR. was still very young, and the boy never really had the opportunity to get to know him. Still, his father's legacy lived on and Freddie JR. became a member of both the Albuquerque Children's Theater and the Duo Drama Company at a young age. He soon began auditioning for television roles when he finished high school in 1994.

Moving to Los Angeles that same year, his first step towards an acting career came with a guest spot on Family Matters. More guest spots, After School Specials and television movies followed. An attractive young man with a dark appeal, he was tailor-made for boyfriend and bully roles.

Prinze made his big screen debut in 1996's To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, a moderately successful film in which he played Claire Danes' boyfriend. Freddie's role was small, but it introduced him into a whole new showbiz world. Landing in Hollywood at the right time, the industry was prepping for a surge in teen-oriented programming which would be spearheaded by Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. By landing a role in the latter and its sequel, he was catapulted to stardom. Freddie's role in the films has proven fortunate, as they have given the visibility that is necessary for any wannabe star.

With his slasher film roles in the bag, Freddie got a taste of real life in Hollywood when his next film, Wing Commander, tanked at the box office. But he bounced back in She's All That, the fun, much loved, and surprisingly successful sleeper hit of the spring of 1999. Opposite Rachel Leigh Cook, he melted hearts and amused audiences.

He finally got to play his real age in Head Over Heels, playing a young FBI agent. Unfortunately, the film was not a success at the box office and received poor reviews. In 2002, he joined his then-girlfriend, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in the campy live action version of the popular animated television series, Scooby Doo. The film was a huge hit at the box office, making over $150 million in the U.S. alone. It won several awards as well, including the Kids' Choice Blimp award, a dubious distinction for "Favorite Fart in a Movie," as well as a Razzie for "Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie." And while Gellar won a Teen Choice Award as Choice Actress in a Film Comedy, Prinze JR. took home a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor.

Prinze JR. and Gellar were married in September 2002, and went to work on a Scooby sequel entitled Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). In 2005, Prinze JR. executive produced, wrote and starred in the new ABC sitcom Freddie, which enjoyed two seasons. On Saturday, September 19, 2009, he and his wife became the proud parents of a baby girl named Charlotte Grace Prinze. In the fall of 2009, Prinze JR. began a regular role as Cole Ortiz on the hit series 24.

Filmography:

Delgo (2008) (voice)
Jack and Jill vs. the World (2008)
New York City Serenade (2007)
Jack and Jill vs. the World (2007)
Happily N'Ever After (2007) (voice)
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Summer Catch (2001)
Boys and Girls (2000)
Head Over Heels (2000)
Down to You (2000)
Wing Commander (1999)
She's All That (1999)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Sparkler (1998)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
The House of Yes (1997)
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)