Greg Kinnear

Greg Kinnear

Born Gregory Buck Kinnear
(1963-06-17) June 17, 1963
Logansport, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation Actor, television personality
Years active 1988–present
Spouse(s) Helen Labdon (m. 1999)
Children 3

Gregory Buck "Greg" Kinnear[1] (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and television personality. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.

Kinnear has appeared in many popular films, including Sabrina, You've Got Mail, Nurse Betty, We Were Soldiers, Little Miss Sunshine, Invincible and Green Zone, and television roles, such as Friends, Talk Soup, The Kennedys, Modern Family and Rake.

Early life

Kinnear was born 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 brothers, James and Steven. He 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. Returning to the United States for a college 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.[5]

Career

Talk shows

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 1990 to 1991. The show was canceled. Rooster Teeth founder Burnie Burns recounts the tale of impersonating his college friend Dal as a candidate for Best of the Worst Jobs, where it escalated to the point that Dal had actually won the competition. The truth of his entry was later revealed, and the issue is believed to have caused the end of the series.[6] 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).

Film roles

Kinnear in 2006

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.

Kinnear starred in Auto Focus about the life and murder of actor Bob Crane in 2002. 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 then first aired on April 3, 2011. Kinnear played a famous novelist in the Josh Boone's directorial debut film, Stuck in Love, which followed his relationships with his ex-wife (Jennifer Connelly) and teenage children.[8]

Personal life

Kinnear married British glamour model Helen Labdon on May 1, 1999.[9] They have three daughters: Lily Kathryn (born September 2003), Audrey Mae (born June 2006) and Kate Grace (born 2009).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Blankman Talk Show Host
1995 Sabrina David Larrabee
1996 Dear God Tom Turner
1996 Beavis and Butt-Head Do America ATF Agent Bork (voice) Uncredited
1997 A Smile Like Yours Danny Robertson
1997 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
2000 Nurse Betty Dr. David Ravell/George McCord
2000 Loser Professor Edward Alcott
2000 The Gift Wayne Collins
2001 Someone Like You Ray Brown
2002 We Were Soldiers Maj. Bruce "Snake" Crandall
2002 Auto Focus Bob Crane
2003 Stuck on You Walt Tenor
2004 Godsend Paul Duncan
2005 The Matador Danny Wright
2005 Robots Phineas T. Ratchet Voice
2005 Bad News Bears Roy Bullock
2006 Fast Food Nation Don Anderson
2006 Little Miss Sunshine Richard Hoover
2006 Invincible Dick Vermeil
2006 Unknown Broken Nose
2007 Feast of Love Bradley Smith
2008 Baby Mama Rob Ackerman
2008 Ghost Town Frank Herlihy
2008 Flash of Genius Bob Kearns
2010 Green Zone Clark Poundstone
2010 The Last Song Steve Miller
2011 Thin Ice Mickey Prohaska
2011 That's What I Am Narrator Uncredited
2011 Salvation Boulevard Carl Vanderveer
2011 I Don't Know How She Does It Richard Reddy
2012 Stuck in Love Bill Borgens
2013 Movie 43 Griffin Schraeder Segment "The Pitch"
2013 The English Teacher Dr. Tom Sherwood
2013 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Gary
2014 Heaven Is for Real Todd Burpo
2014 Murder of a Cat Ford
2016 Little Men Brian Jardine
2016 Confirmation Joe Biden
2017 Same Kind of Different as Me Ron Hall

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 What Price Victory Assistance Movie
1989 Life Goes On Corey Episode: "Break a Leg, Mom"
1990 Murder in Mississippi News Reporter Movie
1990 Mancuso, FBI Photographer Episode: "Adamant Eve"
1991 Dillinger Arizona Legislator Movie
1991 L.A. Law Reporter Episode: "Spleen It to Me, Lucy"
1991–1995 Talk Soup Host 2 episodes
1993 Based on an Untrue Story Orlando Chang Stein Movie
2000 Happily Ever After:
Fairy Tales for Every Child
Prince Gavin Episode: "The Frog Princess"
2001 Dinner With Friends Tom Movie
2003 Friends Benjamin Hobart Episode: "The One with Ross' Grant"
2011 The Kennedys John F. Kennedy 8 episodes
2012 Modern Family Tad Episode: "Me? Jealous?"
2014 Rake Keegan Deane 13 episodes
2015 Drunk History Thaddeus Lowe Episode: "New Jersey"
2016 Confirmation Joe Biden Movie

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1995 CableACE Awards Best Entertainment Host Talk Soup Nominated
Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Class Program Won
1996 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Most Promising Actor Sabrina Won
1997 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actor As Good as It Gets Won
1998 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor Won
1999 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Supporting Actor – Comedy or Romance Nominated
2002 New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor Auto Focus Nominated
2005 St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor The Matador Nominated
2006 Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Cast Little Miss Sunshine Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Cast Won
2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Won
2008 Boston Film Festival Best Actor Flash of Genius Won
2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie The Kennedys Nominated
2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Modern Family Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie The Kennedys Nominated
2014 MTV Movie Awards Best Fight Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Nominated

References

  1. 20 Other Stuff You Might Want to Know (Greg Kinnear). Stason.org. Retrieved on 2014-06-05.
  2. "Greg Kinnear profile at". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  3. "Greg Kinnear Biography". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  4. Logansport Pharos Tribune, July 2, 1955, Logansport, Indiana; engagement announcement of Edward Kinnear and Suzanne Buck
  5. Alpha Tau Omega website; accessed February 14, 2014.
  6. Rooster Teeth · RT Podcast #192. Roosterteeth.com (2014-02-13). Retrieved on 2014-06-05.
  7. Hollywood Reporter.aspx
  8. Kilday, Gregg (January 26, 2012). "Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly to Star in 'Writers'". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  9. Pringle, Gill (13 March 2009). "Greg Kinnear – 'We all lead double lives'". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 24 January 2015.

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