Greg Kinnear

Last updated

Greg Kinnear
GregKinnearTIFFSept2012 (cropped).jpg
Born
Gregory Buck Kinnear

(1963-06-17) June 17, 1963 (age 60)
Alma mater University of Arizona
OccupationActor
Years active1988–present
Spouse
Helen Labdon
(m. 1999)
Children3

Gregory Buck Kinnear [1] (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in As Good as It Gets (1997).

Contents

Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including Sabrina (1995), You've Got Mail (1998), Nurse Betty (2000), Someone like You (2001), We Were Soldiers , Auto Focus (both 2002), Stuck on You (2003), Robots (2005), Little Miss Sunshine, Invincible (both 2006), Green Zone , The Last Song (both 2010), Heaven Is for Real (2014), and Misbehaviour (2020). His television roles include Friends , Talk Soup , Modern Family , House of Cards , Rake , and the miniseries The Stand (2020). Kinnear portrayed John F. Kennedy in The Kennedys (2011), and Joe Biden in Confirmation (2016).

Early life

Kinnear was born on June 17, 1963, in Logansport, Indiana, to Suzanne ( née Buck), a homemaker, and Edward Kinnear, a career diplomat who worked for the US State Department. [2] [3] [4] He has two older brothers, James (born 1957) and Steven (born 1959). He is of Scottish-Irish descent. [5] Kinnear grew up a "Foreign Service brat", having moved around frequently, from Beirut to Athens. While a student at the American Community Schools in Athens, Kinnear first ventured into the role of talk show host with his radio show School Daze With Greg Kinnear. [5] Returning to the United States for a university education, he attended the University of Arizona, graduating in 1985 with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. [6]

Career

Kinnear hosted a short-lived game show, College Mad House , which was spun off from the kids' show Fun House . He became the creator, co-executive producer and host of Best of the Worst , which aired from 1991 to 1992. In 1991, Kinnear became the first host of Talk Soup , which he hosted until 1995, when he left the show for the NBC late-night talk show Later with Greg Kinnear (1994).

After his film debut, Blankman , Kinnear won the part of David Larrabee in Sydney Pollack's 1995 remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 classic Sabrina . He played the lead role in the 1996 comedy Dear God . In 1997, he was cast in James L. Brooks' comedy-drama As Good as It Gets , and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in A Smile Like Yours with Lauren Holly, as part of a couple trying to have a baby. His next film was the popular You've Got Mail as Kathleen's (Meg Ryan) significant other. Other films are Mystery Men , Nurse Betty , Loser , The Gift and Someone Like You . Kinnear often alternated roles, often playing good guys like a righteous principal in The Gift or a gay painter in As Good as It Gets, to bad guys such as a sleazy college professor in Loser, a womanizer in Someone Like You as well as Sabrina and an egotistical soap opera star in Nurse Betty.

In 2002, Kinnear starred in Auto Focus about the life and murder of actor Bob Crane. Kinnear portrayed Crane. In 2003, he starred in the comedy Stuck on You , with Matt Damon as a conjoined twin who pursues his dream of becoming a Hollywood actor in spite of his joined brother's desire for a different kind of life. In 2005, he starred in the black comedy The Matador with Pierce Brosnan and voiced Phineas T. Ratchet in the computer-animated film Robots . Kinnear co-starred with Steve Carell in the Oscar-winning comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine in 2006, and with Mark Wahlberg in Invincible , based on the true story of a bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He also appeared in Fast Food Nation , playing a fast food executive who discovers secrets about his company. In 2008, he starred in Flash of Genius , a docudrama about Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. His portrayal of then-Major Bruce P. Crandall in 2002's We Were Soldiers brought public attention to Crandall's heroism during the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. (On February 26, 2007, Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush.) In Baby Mama , Kinnear played Rob, a local smoothie shop owner and the romantic interest of Kate (Tina Fey).

In 2010, he starred as the estranged father of Miley Cyrus' character in The Last Song . In 2011, Kinnear starred in the miniseries The Kennedys playing the lead role as John F. Kennedy. It was originally planned to air on the History Channel; however, it was announced in January 2011, that the miniseries had been pulled from that network. [7] It was subsequently picked up by ReelzChannel and first aired on April 3, 2011. Kinnear played a famous novelist in Josh Boone's directorial debut film Stuck in Love , which followed his relationships with his former wife (Jennifer Connelly) and teenage children. [8]

On March 9, 2023, Netflix announced that Kinnear will guest star in Part 2 of Season 4 of You as Tom Lockwood, the father of Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) latest love interest, Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie). [9]

Personal life

On May 1, 1999, Kinnear married Helen Labdon, a retired British glamour model. [10] They have three daughters.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 Blankman Talk Show HostFilm role debut
1995 Sabrina David Larrabee
1996 Dear God Tom Turner
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America ATF Agent BorkVoice; uncredited
1997 A Smile Like Yours Danny Robertson
As Good as It Gets Simon Bishop
1998 You've Got Mail Frank Navasky
1999 Mystery Men Captain Amazing / Lance Hunt
2000 What Planet Are You From? Perry Gordon
Nurse Betty Dr. David Ravell / George McCord
Loser Professor Edward Alcott
The Gift Wayne Collins
2001 Someone like You Ray Brown
2002 We Were Soldiers Maj. Bruce "Snake" Crandall
Auto Focus Bob Crane
2003 Stuck on You Walter Tenor
2004 Godsend Paul Duncan
2005 The Matador Danny Wright
Robots Phineas T. RatchetVoice
Bad News Bears Ray Bullock
2006 Fast Food Nation Robert Anderson
Little Miss Sunshine Richard Hoover
Invincible Dick Vermeil
Unknown Broken Nose
2007 Feast of Love Bradley Miller
2008 Baby Mama Rob Ackerman
Ghost Town Frank Herlihy
Flash of Genius Bob Kearns
2010 Green Zone Clark Poundstone
The Last Song Steve Miller
2011 Thin Ice Mickey Prohaska
That's What I Am NarratorUncredited
Salvation Boulevard Carl Vanderveer
I Don't Know How She Does It Richard Reddy
2012 Stuck in Love Bill Borgens
2013 Movie 43 Griffin SchraederSegment: "The Pitch"
The English Teacher Dr. Richard Riker
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Gary Bragger
2014 Heaven Is for Real Todd Burpo
Murder of a Cat Al Ford
2016 Little Men Brian Jardine
2017 Brigsby Bear Detective Vogel
Same Kind of Different as Me Ron Hall
2018 Brian Banks Justin Brooks
2019 Frankie Gary
Strange but True Richard Chase
Phil PhilAlso director and executive producer
The Red Sea Diving Resort Walton Bowen
2020 Misbehaviour Bob Hope
2021 Crisis Dean Geoff Talbot
2024 The Present TBAPost-production
Sight Misha BartnovskyPost-production
TBA You Gotta Believe Coach Jon KellyPost-production
Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988What Price VictoryTeacher's Assistant Television film
1989 Life Goes On CoreyEpisode: "Break a Leg, Mom"
1990 Murder in Mississippi News ReporterTelevision film
Mancuso, F.B.I. PhotographerEpisode: "Adamant Eve"
1991 L.A. Law ReporterEpisode: "Spleen It to Me, Lucy"
Best of the Worst Himself (host)
Dillinger Arizona LegislatorTelevision film
1991–1995 Talk Soup Himself (host)Also executive producer
1993Based on an Untrue StoryOrlando Chang SteinTelevision film
1994–1996 Later with Greg Kinnear Himself (host)Also executive producer
1998 The Larry Sanders Show Greg KinnearEpisode: "Flip"
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Prince GavinEpisode: "The Frog Princess"
2001 Dinner with Friends TomTelevision film
2003 Friends Benjamin HobartEpisode: "The One with Ross's Grant"
2011 The Kennedys John F. Kennedy Main role
2012 Modern Family TadEpisode: "Me? Jealous?"
2014 Rake Keegan DeaneMain role; also executive producer
2015 Drunk History Thaddeus Lowe Episode: "New Jersey"
2016 Confirmation Joe Biden Television film
BoJack Horseman Greg KinglearVoice role; episode: "Start Spreading the News"
2018 Electric Dreams FatherEpisode: "Father Thing"
House of Cards Bill Shepherd7 episodes
2018, 2019 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Himself2 episodes
2019 The Twilight Zone Captain Lane PendletonEpisode: "A Traveler" [11]
2020–2021 The Stand Glen Bateman5 episodes
2022 Black Bird Brian MillerMiniseries
2022–2023 Shining Vale Terry Phelps16 episodes
2023 You Tom Lockwood3 episodes
2024 Curb Your Enthusiasm Earl MackEpisode: "No Lessons Learned"
TBA Firebug Upcoming miniseries

Theatre

YearTitleRoleTheatreRefs.
2012The Power of DuffCharles Duff Powerhouse Theater [12]
2022 To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch Shubert Theatre, Broadway [13]

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Crystal</span> American comedian, actor, and filmmaker

William Edward Crystal is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Crystal is known as a standup comedian and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Giamatti</span> American actor (born 1967)

Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globes, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Keaton</span> American actor (born 1951)

Michael John Douglas, known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his leading roles in a wide variety of genre films. He has won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty White</span> American actress and comedian (1922–2021)

Betty Marion Ludden was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast number of television appearances acting in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows. She produced and starred in the series Life with Elizabeth (1953–1955), thus becoming the first woman to produce a sitcom.

<i>Nurse Betty</i> 2000 American black comedy film

Nurse Betty is a 2000 American black comedy film directed by Neil LaBute and starring Renée Zellweger as the title character, a small town, Kansas housewife-waitress who suffers a nervous breakdown after witnessing her husband's torture murder, and starts obsessively pursuing her favorite television soap opera character, while in a fugue state. Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock play the hitmen who killed her husband and subsequently pursue her to Los Angeles.

<i>Sabrina</i> (1995 film) 1995 American romantic comedy by Sydney Pollack

Sabrina is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack from a screenplay by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel. It is a remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 film of the same name, which in turn was based upon the 1953 play Sabrina Fair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Jordan</span> American actor, comedian, writer and singer (1955–2022)

Leslie Allen Jordan was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. His television roles include Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace, several characters on television in the American Horror Story franchise (2013–2019), Sid on The Cool Kids (2018–2019), Phil on Call Me Kat (2021–2022), and Lonnie Garr on Hearts Afire (1993–1995). On stage, he played Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in the 1996 play Sordid Lives, later portraying the character in the 2000 film of the same name. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan became an Instagram contributor, amassing 5.8 million followers in 2020, and published his autobiography How Y'all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived in April 2021.

<i>Stuck on You</i> (film) 2003 American film

Stuck on You is a 2003 American comedy film written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, and starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twin brothers, whose conflicting aspirations provide both conflict and humorous situations, in particular when one of them wishes to move to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niecy Nash</span> American actress and television host (born 1970)

Carol Denise Betts is an American actress and television host. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films Boys on the Side (1995) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911!, along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House (2003—2010), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

Mykel Shannon Jenkins is an American actor and filmmaker whose professional career started when he became winner of the first season of the SOAPnet series I Wanna Be a Soap Star. Jenkin's career spans across numerous film and television productions, from soaps to network television to independent and studio films.

<i>Later</i> (talk show) Former American late-night talk show

Later is a nightly half-hour-long late-night talk show that ran on NBC from 1988 until 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Woodward</span> American actress (born 1984)

Shannon Marie Woodward is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sabrina Collins on the FOX sitcom Raising Hope (2010–2014), Elsie Hughes on the HBO science-fiction thriller series Westworld (2016–2018), and the voice and motion capture of Dina in the video game The Last of Us Part II, for which she received a BAFTA Award for Performer in a Supporting Role nomination at the 17th British Academy Games Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Kinnear</span> English actor (born 1978)

Rory Michael Kinnear is an English actor. He won two Olivier Awards, both at the National Theatre, in 2008 for his portrayal of Sir Fopling Flutter in The Man of Mode, and for playing the William Shakespeare villain Iago in Othello in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Stonestreet</span> American actor

Eric Allen Stonestreet is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Tucker in the ABC sitcom Modern Family, for which he received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series out of three nominations. He first rose to prominence in a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He has also appeared in films including Bad Teacher (2011), Identity Thief (2013), The Loft (2013), and Confirmation (2016), and provides the voice of Duke in the animated The Secret Life of Pets film franchise (2016–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zachary Gordon</span> American actor (born 1998)

Zachary Adam Gordon is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Heffley in the first three films of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, based on the namesake book series. Gordon was then cast as Tate Wilson in Good Trouble, and Jason Cohen in Dead of Summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Hope filmography</span>

This is a selection of films and television appearances by British-American comedian and actor Bob Hope (1903-2003). Hope, a former boxer, began his acting career in 1925 in various vaudeville acts and stage performances

Valente Rodriguez is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ernie Cardenas on the sitcom George Lopez. He also starred as Cesar in the TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced, as well as guest starring on Yes, Dear, Mad About You, and ER, and had film roles as Chuey in Salsa, Frankie in 1993's Blood In Blood Out and as Marco in Suckers (2001).

<i>The Kennedys</i> (miniseries) TV series or program

The Kennedys is a television miniseries chronicling the lives of the famous political Kennedy family, including key triumphs and tragedies it has experienced. It stars Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Katie Holmes, and Tom Wilkinson among others, and is directed by Jon Cassar. The series premiered in the United States in April 2011 on the Reelz Channel, on History Television in Canada and on the History Channel in the United Kingdom.

<i>Stuck in Love</i> (film) 2012 American film

Stuck in Love is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Boone in his directorial debut. The independent film stars Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff, and Logan Lerman. It focuses on the complicated relationships between a successful novelist, played by Kinnear, his ex-wife (Connelly), their college daughter (Collins), and their teenage son (Wolff). The film began a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 5, 2013.

References

  1. 20 Other Stuff You Might Want to Know (Greg Kinnear). Stason.org. Retrieved on June 5, 2014.
  2. "Greg Kinnear". TV Guide . Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  3. "Greg Kinnear Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  4. Logansport Pharos Tribune, July 2, 1955; engagement announcement of Edward Kinnear and Suzanne Buck
  5. 1 2 kevinpollakschatshow (January 9, 2018), KPCS: Greg Kinnear #338, archived from the original on November 11, 2021, retrieved February 5, 2018
  6. "Famous ATO's". Alpha Tau Omega. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. Belloni, Matthew (January 7, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: History Channel Pulls 'The Kennedys'; Says Controversial Miniseries 'Not a Fit'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  8. Kilday, Gregg (January 26, 2012). "Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly to Star in 'Writers'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  9. "Greg Kinnear Is a (Very) Bad Dad in 'You' Season 4". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  10. Pringle, Gill (March 13, 2009). "Greg Kinnear – 'We all lead double lives'". The Independent . Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  11. Petski, Denise (December 13, 2018). "'The Twilight Zone': Greg Kinnear To Star In Episode Of CBS All Access Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  12. Hetrick, Adam (July 18, 2012). "The Power of Duff, Starring Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Westfeldt, Debuts at Powerhouse Theater July 18". Playbill. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  13. Evans, Greg (November 3, 2021). "Greg Kinnear To Make Broadway Debut As Atticus Finch In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 3, 2021.