Steve Oedekerk

Last updated

Steve Oedekerk
Steve Oedekerk.jpg
Oedekerk in 2006
Born
Steven Brent Oedekerk

Other namesSteve O.
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • actor
  • stand-up comedian
Years active1983–present
Notable workThe Chosen One in Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
Children2

Steven Brent Oedekerk (born 1961 [1] ) is an American filmmaker, actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac (particularly the Ace Ventura franchise), his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Santa vs. the Snowman 3D , Barnyard , and The Nutty Professor remake. His film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was nominated for an Academy Award. [2]

Contents

Early life

Oedekerk was born in Seattle, Washington; [3] he was raised by his mother Rena Borlandeli and father Martin Oedekerk in Huntington Beach, California. He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California and Golden West College in Huntington Beach. [4] He is of Dutch Frisian, Irish, Hungarian and Italian (Lombard) descent. [5] His mother is an immigrant from Magnago, Italy. His paternal grandfather was an Afrikaner born in South Africa to Dutch parents. [6]

Career

Throughout his career, Oedekerk has appeared in and created several television specials for NBC, ABC, and UPN. He also contributed his writing talents to FOX during the late 1980s and through the early 1990s. It was during this time that Oedekerk befriended fellow comic/actor Jim Carrey while working on the television series In Living Color during its 1990–1994 run; this was the first of numerous collaborations between the two.

Prior to his successful contributions to several unknown episodes in the Color TV series, he wrote and starred in his first independent/directorial film, Smart Alex (1987). It wasn't until 1991 that Oedekerk was attached not only as a writer, but also as the protagonist, as Thane Furrows in the film High Strung . Jim Carrey also starred opposite him in the role of Death, although he went uncredited. They eventually developed a strong friendship, which still exists today. Shortly afterward, Oedekerk again worked alongside Carrey as the project consultant for Tom Shadyac's first film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). The film became a break-out success and he was given the opportunity to both direct and write its sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). This time Oedekerk directed and wrote the movie after Shadyac left before filming. The sequel proved to be more successful, surpassing the box office gross of the original. Despite this, both Oedekerk and Carrey wanted to pursue other projects, but still remained friends.

Following the Ace Ventura franchise, Oedekerk co-wrote The Nutty Professor (1996), which was also directed by Shadyac for Universal Pictures; it became one of the highest-grossing films of that year. He soon wrote, directed and also had a cameo appearance in Nothing to Lose (1997), starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. Oedekerk took a hiatus from directing major film productions for the rest of the 1990s, but continued to write screenplays, including Patch Adams (1998), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002) (which he directed, wrote and starred in [7] ), Bruce Almighty (2003) and Barnyard (2006) (which he directed, wrote, produced, and voiced various characters). In 2003, he signed a first look deal with Universal. [8]

In 2007, Oedekerk produced the screenplay and story for the Bruce Almighty sequel, Evan Almighty; again, Shadyac directed both films. He has also been commissioned to write the screenplay for the Ripley's Believe It or Not! film adaptation; Jim Carrey has since been cast in the title role. No news involving the project has been reported since.

In February 2009, Universal Pictures announced that Steve Oedekerk would be penning a film adaptation of the Stretch Armstrong superhero doll. As of 2016, the film is left in development hell with an animated series currently in the works.

In 2015, it was announced that a sequel to Kung Pow is currently in the works with him returning to write and direct. [9]

O Entertainment

O Entertainment
Company typeProduction company
Industry Animation
Live Action
Founded1990;34 years ago (1990)
FounderSteve Oedekerk
DefunctFebruary 15, 2013
FateClosed
Successor Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Headquarters,
U.S.
Divisions Omation Animation Studio
Website web.archive.org/web/20130622080846/http://oedekerk.com/

O Entertainment was a production company founded by Steve Oedekerk in 1990. O Entertainment's productions include the Thumbmation series (Thumb Wars, Bat Thumb, Thumbtanic, etc.), Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Jimmy Neutron: The Boy Genius, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Back at the Barnyard, Planet Sheen, and the movie The Super Mouse. The animation division, Omation Animation Studio, was founded by Oedekerk himself and hired animators who previously worked in DNA Productions after the studio closed down in 2006.

In 1990, Oedekerk founded an entertainment company, O Entertainment. In 1997, he created and starred in a variety special, featuring computer animation, entitled The O Show (also known as steve.oedekerk.com). [10] He is also executive producer of the animated series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius on Nickelodeon.

Omation Animation Studio

Omation Animation Studio
Company type Division
Industry Animation
Predecessor DNA Productions
Founded2002;22 years ago (2002)
FounderSteve Oedekerk
DefunctFebruary 15, 2013
FateClosed
Successor Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Headquarters,
U.S.
Website web.archive.org/web/20091031132652/http://www.omation.com

Oedekerk founded Omation Animation Studio (commonly known as Omation) in 2002 as a division of O Entertainment. [11] Their first animation project was the feature film Barnyard (which Oedekerk wrote, directed, produced, and performed as a voice actor). Around 2006–2007, the studio began production on a Nicktoon based on the film titled Back at the Barnyard . The series premiered on Nickelodeon on September 29, 2007. A second season followed, and six additional episodes airing on Nickelodeon's sister channel Nicktoons from September 12, 2011, until November 12, 2011. Following the closure of DNA Productions in 2006, many of the employees there moved to Omation.

Oedekerk also gained popularity with his series of "Thumbmation" shorts: Thumb Wars , Bat Thumb , The Godthumb , Frankenthumb , The Blair Thumb and Thumbtanic.

Following the failure of Planet Sheen and its subsequent cancellation in 2013, the studio was shut down along with O Entertainment.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1987Smart AlexYesYesNoIncomplete, never released
1991 High Strung NoYesNo
1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls YesYesNo
1996 The Nutty Professor NoYesNo
1997 Nothing to Lose YesYesNo
1998 Patch Adams NoYesCo
2000 Nutty Professor II: The Klumps NoStoryNo
2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius CoYesYesNominated – Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
2002 Kung Pow! Enter the Fist YesYesYesalso songwriter: (Les Aliens)
Juwanna Mann NoNoExecutive
Santa vs. the Snowman 3D NoCreatorYesShort film
2003 Bruce Almighty NoYesExecutive
2006 Barnyard YesYesYes
2007 Evan Almighty NoYesNo
2011 Cowboys & Aliens NoStoryNo

Other credits

YearTitleRole
1994 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Executive consultant
2015 Harbinger Down Producers would like to thank
2024 Ricky Stanicky Additional literary material

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Smart AlexAlexIncomplete, never released
1988 Casual Sex? Joey
1991 High Strung Thane Furrows
1997 Nothing to Lose Security Guard Baxter Cameo
2002 Kung Pow! Enter the Fist The Chosen One
Santa vs. the Snowman 3D Sno' HelltonVoice only
2006 Barnyard Snotty Boy / Pizza Twin #2 / Mr. Beady / Snotty Boy's Father

Television

YearTitleCreatorDirectorExecutive
Producer
WriterNotes
1990–1994 In Living Color NoNoNoYesStarted in 1992 [12]
1997 The O Show YesYesYesYesTV movie
1999–present Thumbs! NoYesYesYes
2002–2006 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius NoNoYesYesWriter, Time is Money
2007–2011 Back at the Barnyard YesYesYesYes
2010–2013 Planet Sheen YesYesYesYes

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Star Search Contestant
1987–1988Comedy Club (1987–1988)Himself
1989 Full House HimselfEpisode: "Star Search"
1997 The O Show HimselfTV movie
1999–present Thumbs! MultipleVoice only
2007–2011 Back at the Barnyard Snotty Boy, Mr. Beady, Additional voicesVoice only

Related Research Articles

<i>Bruce Almighty</i> 2003 film by Tom Shadyac

Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. It co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall and Catherine Bell. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).

<i>The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius</i> American animated series

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius is an American animated television series created by John A. Davis for Nickelodeon. Based on the 2001 film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, the series serves as a sequel to the film. It originally aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from July 20, 2002, to November 25, 2006. The show follows an 11-year-old genius from the fictitious town of Retroville, Texas, the eponymous character, as he goes on adventures with his best friends Carl Wheezer and Sheen Estevez. Throughout the show, various mishaps and conflicts occur on these adventures, as Jimmy's various inventions go awry. The series features voices of Debi Derryberry (Jimmy), Rob Paulsen (Carl), and Jeffrey Garcia (Sheen) for the three main characters. It was the first Nicktoon series to be animated in CGI.

<i>Ace Ventura: Pet Detective</i> 1994 film by Tom Shadyac

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film starring Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an animal detective who is tasked with finding the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team. The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, who wrote the screenplay with Jack Bernstein and Carrey. The film co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and then–Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and features a cameo appearance from death metal band Cannibal Corpse.

<i>Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls</i> 1995 American film directed by Steve Oedekerk

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is a 1995 American detective comedy film and the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and the second installment of the Ace Ventura franchise. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame and captive animals, and has been summoned to Africa to locate a missing bat. Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, and Sophie Okonedo co-star. Tommy Davidson, who co-starred with Carrey on the show In Living Color, makes a cameo appearance in the film.

<i>Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius</i> 2001 American computer-animated film

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies, O Entertainment and DNA Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by John A. Davis and written by Davis, Steve Oedekerk, David N. Weiss, and J. David Stern based on a story conceived by Davis and Oedekerk. Its voice cast includes Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Rob Paulsen, and Jeffrey Garcia. The film follows the title character, a schoolboy with super-genius intelligence, who must save all of the parents of his hometown from a race of egg-like aliens known as the Yolkians.

<i>Kung Pow! Enter the Fist</i> 2002 film by Steve Oedekerk

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist is a 2002 American martial arts comedy film that parodies Hong Kong action cinema. Written, directed by and starring Steve Oedekerk, it uses footage from the 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film Tiger & Crane Fists starring and directed by Jimmy Wang Yu, along with new footage shot by Oedekerk, who is also digitally inserted over Wang in many scenes, to create an original, unrelated plot.

Thumb Wars: The Phantom Cuticle is a 1999 short film directed by Steve Oedekerk. Using dressed up and coifed thumbs as puppets, Oedekerk created a parody of Star Wars, with characters like Loke Groundrunner, Princess Bunhead, Oobeedoob Benubi, Hand Duet, Crunchaka, Beeboobeep, Prissypeo, Black Helmet Man and Gabba the Butt. It is the first film in the Thumbs! series. Thumb Wars debuted on American television May 18, 1999, on UPN. It had its cable premiere on Cartoon Network on October 2, 2008 to promote the 2008 Clone Wars series that premiered the next day. The TV version provided a trimmed down version of the film. It was also re-released in 2002 alongside Thumbtanic as the Thumb Wars/Thumbtanic Thumb Double Feature on VHS and DVD. In 2005, the filmettes were again released together as a UMD Video on the PlayStation Portable system.

John Alexander Davis is an American film director, writer, animator, voice actor and composer known for his work both in stop-motion animation as well as computer animation, live action and live-action/CGI hybrids. Davis is best known for creating Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron franchise, which enjoyed popularity in the early to mid 2000s.

Thomas Peter Shadyac is an American director, producer, and writer. The youngest joke-writer ever for comedian Bob Hope, Shadyac is widely known for writing and directing the comedy films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty. In 2010, Shadyac retired from the comedy genre and wrote, directed, and narrated his own documentary film I Am, that explores his abandonment of a materialistic lifestyle following his involvement in a bicycle accident three years earlier.

<i>Evan Almighty</i> 2007 film by Tom Shadyac

Evan Almighty is a 2007 American fantasy comedy film that is a spin-off and sequel of Bruce Almighty (2003). The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, based on the characters created by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe from the original film. It stars Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles as Evan Baxter and God, respectively, with new cast members Lauren Graham and John Goodman. The film is a modern-day retelling of Noah's Ark, which Evan reluctantly re-enacts because God commands him to do so at the same time Evan pursues a new career in government.

<i>Barnyard</i> (film) 2006 film by Steve Oedekerk

Barnyard is a 2006 animated comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and O Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is produced, written, and directed by Steve Oedekerk, and stars the voices of Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell, Tino Insana, John DiMaggio, and David Koechner. It tells the story of Otis, a carefree cow who learns the value of responsibility when he becomes the leader of his farm home's community after his adoptive father's death from a coyote attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNA Productions</span> American animation studio

DNA Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio and production company based in Irving, Texas. It was founded in 1987 by John A. Davis and Keith Alcorn. The studio originally worked on miscellaneous projects for other companies, including commercials and corporate videos, before branching out to television and film animation.

Thumbs! is a collective term for the O Entertainment short films created by Steve Oedekerk using "Thumbation" technology, a process which combines live-action thumbs and superimposition of the voice actors' faces. The first short, Thumb Wars, was created as a television special and spawned the rest of the series.

<i>The Nutty Professor</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

The Nutty Professor is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, which starred Jerry Lewis, which itself was a parody of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The film co-stars Jada Pinkett, James Coburn, Larry Miller, Dave Chappelle, and John Ales. Filming began on May 8, 1995, and concluded on September 8, 1995. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won Best Makeup at the 69th Academy Awards.

<i>Back at the Barnyard</i> Animated television series

Back at the Barnyard is an American animated television series based on the 2006 film Barnyard serving as a direct sequel to it. The series features the voice of Chris Hardwick as Otis. It was the second Nickelodeon TV series to be based on a film, with the first being The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. It aired from September 29, 2007 to September 18, 2010 on Nickelodeon for two seasons. The show was a co-production between Omation Animation Studio and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. The last five episodes aired from September 12 to November 12, 2011, on Nicktoons.

<i>Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective</i> 2009 film by David Mickey Evans

Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective is a 2009 American made-for-television adventure comedy film standalone sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, without involvement from either lead actor Jim Carrey or writer Steve Oedekerk. The third installment in the Ace Ventura franchise, it began production in Orlando, Florida on September 17, 2007, and was directed by David Mickey Evans and written by Jeff Sank, Jason Heimberg, and Justin Heimberg.

<i>Planet Sheen</i> American animated television series

Planet Sheen is an American animated television series created by Keith Alcorn and Steve Oedekerk. It is a spin-off series of the Jimmy Neutron franchise, the second sequel television series of the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and also a sequel to the television series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. The series was picked up for 26 episodes by Nickelodeon for its only season. Jeffrey Garcia returns as the voice of Sheen, and Bob Joles and Rob Paulsen are the voices of Nesmith and Doppy. The series was originally animated by C.O.R.E. in Toronto, but animation production moved to Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver after C.O.R.E closed down. At that time, Chris Neuhahn took over as Supervising Producer. Planet Sheen premiered on Nickelodeon on October 2, 2010 in the United States, and then aired its final episode on February 15, 2013.

<i>I Am</i> (2010 American documentary film) 2010 American film

I Am is a 2010 American documentary film written, directed, and narrated by Tom Shadyac. The film asks the question: "What is wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?", and explores Shadyac's personal journey after a bicycling accident in 2007 which led him to the answers "the nature of humanity", "the world's ever-growing addiction to materialism", and "human connections". Shot with Shadyac and a team of four, the film contrasts sharply with the director's most notable comedic works, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty, all of which he collaborated with Canadian comic actor Jim Carrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Carrey filmography</span> Actor filmography

Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian who has appeared in various feature films, television films/series, along with one video game appearance. He is one of the top-50 highest-grossing actors of all time at the North American box office, with over $2.5 billion total gross and an average of $94.3 million per film. He has been involved with thirteen films that grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office; the highest-grossing film being Bruce Almighty. Carrey gained his first lead role on the short-lived television series The Duck Factory in 1984, playing a young cartoonist. His first starring role in film was the 1985 comedy horror Once Bitten, with Lauren Hutton as a vampire countess and Carrey playing her victim. He landed supporting roles in films, such as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Dead Pool (1988) and Earth Girls Are Easy. In 1990, Carrey received his commercial breakthrough on Fox's In Living Color (1990–1994), where he displayed his character work.

<i>Jimmy Neutron</i> (franchise) American media franchise

Jimmy Neutron is a Nickelodeon computer-animated media franchise created by John A. Davis in the 1980s and commenced in 1998 with the pilot Runaway Rocketboy. The franchise focuses on the titular Jimmy Neutron, a young boy with a genius-level intellect.

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