Jason Lee (entertainer)

Infobox actor
name = Jason Lee


imagesize =
caption = Jason Lee in 2006
birthname = Jason Michael Lee
yearsactive = 1991 – present
birthdate = birth date and age|1970|04|25
birthplace = Orange, California, U.S.A.
occupation = actor, professional skateboarder
website =

Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor and former professional skateboarder. Lee is best known for his roles in the films of director Kevin Smith and the television show "My Name Is Earl".

Biography

Early life

Lee was born in Orange County, California, the son of Carol (née Weaver), a homemaker, and Greg Lee. [ [http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jason-lee/bio/155987 Jason Lee Biography | TVGuide.com ] ] He was raised in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School.

kateboarding

Lee was a prominent professional skateboarder in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Notable tricks performed by Lee included: 360 flips, kickflip backside tailslides, and curb cut launched Japan airs. He was co-founder of Stereo Skateboards with Chris Pastras in 1992; the pair revived the company in 2003 after it had been defunct for several years. Chris Pastras' first Stereo Skateboard was famously thrown into a sulfur pit as part of the company's edgy advertisement campaign. [ [http://www.stereosoundagency.com/history_frameset.html History] ]

Lee and Tony Hawk were the first two skateboarders to receive a pro model shoe with Airwalk and also professional contracts with Element Skateboards. [ [http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/twbiz/industrynews/article/0,21214,708335,00.html Powerful Pro Shoes- What are some of the top-selling skate shoes of all time?] ] [ [http://www.skateboarding.com/skate/magazine/article/0,23271,594229,00.html My First Paycheck - Jason Lee] ] He had a part in the 1991 Blind skateboards video "Video Days", shot by Spike Jonze. He also lent his voice and likeness to the skateboarding video-game "Tony Hawk's Project 8".

In 2004, Jason Lee's skateboarding was featured in the video "Way Out East!", a video by his company, "Stereo" Skateboards.

Acting career

After taking some minor acting roles, including the Jonze-directed Sonic Youth music video for "100%," in 1992 and a small part in Allison Anders' 1993 film "Mi Vida Loca", Lee left professional skating for a full-time acting career. His first major movie role was in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" which became a cult hit. He remained a close friend of Smith and has appeared in most of the director's works, including "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Jersey Girl", and "Clerks II". Lee won an Independent Spirit Award for his role in "Chasing Amy" as Banky Edwards, a comic book inker.

Lee graduated to leading man roles in "Heartbreakers" (alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt) and "Stealing Harvard" (alongside Tom Green) as well as "A Guy Thing" (alongside Julia Stiles). He has had supporting roles in "Vanilla Sky", "Almost Famous" as an egotistical rock star, "Dreamcatcher", "Big Trouble", "The Ballad of Jack and Rose", and "Mumford", as well as a minor role in "Enemy of the State". Lee also voiced the supervillain Syndrome in the animated movie "The Incredibles" and its DVD bonus video "Jack-Jack Attack". Lee reprised the role as a "robot copy" of Syndrome in the 2006 Disney on Ice play "Disney Presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure". He is also the voice of Underdog in "Underdog", and plays Dave Seville in the film "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

On January 28, 2008, Jason Lee guest appeared as Kevin Bacon on internet rock comedy show Yacht Rock. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX1Nh6c80wo Episode 11: Footloose] ]

Television success

Lee was offered the lead role in the 2005 NBC sitcom, "My Name Is Earl". According to interviews on the first season DVD, he passed on the series twice before finally agreeing to read the pilot. In the series, Lee stars as Earl Hickey, a petty thief who finds karma and sets out to put right all his past wrongs. The series received critical acclaim and strong ratings on its debut (September 20, 2005). A hit for NBC, the show was quickly ordered for a full season — the first sitcom of the season to do so. Several months later, it was renewed for a second season. Lee received a Golden Globe nomination for as well as a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. "My Name is Earl" is currently in its fourth season, once again receiving high ratings from viewers. The third season saw appearances from past cast members as well as celebrities such as comedian Howie Mandel and actress Alyssa Milano and The Incredibles co-star Craig T. Nelson.

Earl's brother Randy is played by Ethan Suplee, with whom Lee previously appeared in the movies "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", and "Clerks II".

Personal life

Lee married actress and photographer Carmen Llywelyn in 1995, but they divorced in 2001. August 10th, 2008, Lee and his fiancée Ceren Alkaç gave birth to a daughter. [http://www.usmagazine.com/news/actor-jason-lee-welcomes-baby-girl EXCLUSIVE: My Name Is Earl Star Jason Lee Has Baby Girl!] ]

Lee has a substantial collection of rare motorcycles which he rides daily. He owns a rare post-war custom Falcon Motorcycle which he unveiled on May 3, with its builder at this year's Legend Of The Motorcycle. [http://legendofthemotorcycle.com/pdf/pressrelease/LeeRibisElvis.pdf Legend Of The Motorcycle Press Release] ]

Lee is a member of the Church of Scientology [cite web | title=Dianetics and Scientology Center Opens on Melrose in Los Angeles | publisher=Church of Scientology International| url=http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/briefing/openings/melrose/ | accessdate=2007-02-06] [ [http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/popup?id=1882601&contentIndex=1&page=4&start=false ABC News ] ] and is on the Board of Advisors for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, [cite web| url = http://www.cchr.org/about_cchr/cchrs_board_of_advisors.html| title = CCHR's Board of Advisors| publisher = "Citizens Commission on Human Rights"] an organization founded by the Church of Scientology "dedicated to investigating and exposing psychiatric violations of human rights." [cite web| url = http://www.cchr.org/about_cchr/faq.html| title = Frequently Asked Questions - Citizens Commission on Human Rights| publisher = "Citizens Commission on Human Rights"]

Filmography

*"Video Days" (1991)
*"My Crazy Life" (1993)
*"Mallrats" (1995)
*"Drawing Flies" (1996)
*"Chasing Amy" (1997)
*"A Better Place" (1997)
*"Kissing a Fool" (1998)
*"American Cuisine (film)" (1998)
*"Enemy of the State" (1998)
*"Dogma" (1999)
*"Mumford" (1999)
*"Almost Famous" (2000)
*"Heartbreakers" (2001)
*"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001)
*"Vanilla Sky" (2001)
*"Big Trouble" (2002)
*"Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator" (2002) (documentary)
*"Stealing Harvard" (2002)
*"A Guy Thing" (2003)
*"Dreamcatcher" (2003)
*"I Love Your Work" (2003)
*"Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party" (2004) (documentary)
*"Jersey Girl" (2004)
*"Ninth November Night" (2004) (short subject)
*"The Incredibles" (2004) (voice)
*"The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (2005)
*"Drop Dead Sexy" (2005)
*"Clerks II" (2006)
*"" (2006) (documentary)
*"Monster House" (2006) (voice)
*"Underdog" (2007) (voice)
*"The Man Who Souled the World" (2007) (documentary)
*"Alvin and the Chipmunks" (2007) as David "Dave" Seville

Upcoming films

*"" (2008) (voice)
*"The Other Side" (2008) (voice)

Television work

*"Hiatus" (1996) (unsold pilot)
*"Weapons of Mass Distraction" (1997)
*"My Name Is Earl" (2005 – present)
*"Celebrity Family Feud" (2008) as Earl

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0005134|name=Jason Lee
* [http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=394&Itemid=92 Interview conducted November 2006]
*dmoz|Arts/People/L/Lee,_Jason/|Jason Lee
* [http://www.laweekly.com/la-people-2007/jason-lee/16315/ LA Weekly interview] May 9, 2007