Jamie Kennedy Biography

Date of Birth: May 25, 1970

Jamie Kennedy grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, the son of a machinist and a paralegal, and the youngest of six children. After high school, Kennedy enrolled at the Delaware County Community College, but dropped out after one semester to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

His first job was as an extra in Dead Poets Society (1989), but the experience made him realize that background performing wasn't for him. He worked in a variety of restaurants while taking acting classes, but when no jobs came his way, he went to Oxford for a summer to study at the British American Drama Academy. When he returned to Los Angeles, his finances were nearly depleted, so in desperation Kennedy took a job as a telemarketer during the day and spent his nights doing stand-up comedy. Unable to get an agent, he made up a fictitious one, calling agents and managers over the phone himself by using a gravely voice, and pitching "his client" to them. His efforts finally worked, and agents began to come see his shows. They liked what he saw, and he was signed up and began getting auditions. His first film role was in the feature Road to Flin Flon, but it wasn't released until several years after it was filmed. However, his career finally got underway when he was cast in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996), followed by the role of Randy Meeks in the big box office success Scream (1996), which grossed over $100 million at the U.S. box office.

Kennedy has worked in a slew of movies since, even winning a Blockbuster Entertainment Award as "Favorite Supporting Actor--Horror" for Scream 2 (1997). In 2002, his own TV show, JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment debuted on the WB network. The hidden camera show takes regular people and plays pranks on them. Kennedy not only hosts, but also writes many of the gags and is one of the executive producers.

In the feature film comedy Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), Kennedy played the lead role, having co-written the screenplay. In the role of Brad Gluckman, a wannabe rap star from Malibu, he gets a taste of what the ghetto is really all about after embarrassing his politically ambitious father. More recently, Jamie starred in Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015) alongside Michael Gross and Spinning Man (2018) with Pierce Brosnan and Guy Pearce.

Kennedy lives in the Los Angeles area and keeps fit by playing basketball in his spare time.

Filmography:

Spinning Man (2018)
Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)
Bending the Rules (2012)
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (2012)
Extreme Movie (2009)
Blonde Ambition (2007)
Kickin It Old Skool (2007)
Parental Guidance Suggested (2007)
Robots (2005) (voice)
Son of the Mask (2005)
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
Malibu's Most Wanted (2003)
Bug (2001)
Sol Goode (2001)
Seduced (2001)
Max Keeble's Big Move (2001)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) (voice)
Road to Flin Flon (2000)
The Specials (2000)
Bait (2000)
Boiler Room (2000)
Three Kings (1999)
The Debtors (1999)
Bowfinger (1999)
Stricken (1998)
Enemy of the State (1998)
Sparkler (1998)
The Pass (1998)
Bongwater (1998)
Starstruck (1998)
As Good As It Gets (1997)
Scream 2 (1997)
Clockwatchers (1997)
Scream (1996)
Romeo + Juliet (1996)