Jason Behr Biography
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Jason Behr
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| Jason Behr | |
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 Jason Behr, June 2007 |
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| Born | Jason Nathaniel Behr December 30, 1973 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. |
| Occupation | Film, television actor |
| Spouse(s) | KaDee Strickland (2006-present) |
Jason Nathaniel Behr (born December 30, 1973) is a Saturn Award nominated American film and television actor. He first starred in the American television series Roswell followed by roles in the films The Shipping News and the Japanese horror film The Grudge. Behr had a series of guest appearances in various television shows like Step by Step, The Profiler, 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG and had a recurring role in the American television series Dawson's Creek.
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Early life
Jason Nathaniel Behr, the second of four boys, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 30, 1973 to Patricia Ann and David Behr. After his parents divorce, Patricia moved her sons back to Richfield, where Jason attended St. Richards Elementary, a private grade school. Behr first started acting at the age of five when he participated in a school play as a sunflower. By age eight he was doing commercials for Stomper Trucks and modeling for local department stores. Behr continued to perform throughout his school years. In 1992 he graduated from Richfield Senior High School, in Richfield, Minnesota. At the age of 19, after a chance meeting with Hollywood manager Marvin Dauer in Minneapolis, Behr moved to Los Angeles. In his early acting career, he appeared in over 75 commercials, and in 1995 landed the role of Tyler Baker in the racy Showtime comedy series Sherman Oaks. It ran for two seasons until it was cancelled in early 1997.
Career
After Sherman Oaks, Behr had a series of guest appearances in various television shows (Step by Step, The Profiler, 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG). He was cast in the ABC series Push, but the ill-fated show only aired a few times before being cancelled. Then Behr picked up a recurring role as the character Chris Wolfe in The WB's series Dawson's Creek. While filming the show in North Carolina, Jason read the script for a pilot called Roswell High — later shortened to Roswell — and felt an immediate affinity for the lead alien, Max Evans. Roswell had a moderately successful run on The WB for two seasons, then moved to UPN for its third and final season. While the show never hit it big in the ratings, the series had an extremely loyal fan base.
Since Roswell, Behr has taken on a variety of roles in independent films such as: Unsu Lee's "Happily, Even After";1 Jefery Levy's Man of God, and Rebecca Cook's Shooting Livien. In 2001 he played Dennis Buggit in Lasse Hallstrom's The Shipping News, co-starring with Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore, and Cate Blanchett. He made a guest appearance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1998, and was later reunited with leading actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in the hit Japanese/American film collaboration The Grudge. His two most recent film appearances were in the Korean CGI dragon fantasy D-War and Lions Gate's reinvention of the werewolf tale, Skinwalkers.
In the spring of 2006, Behr wrapped the CBS dramatic pilot, The Way, about a powerful New England family that uses witchcraft to further its business enterprises. Jason plays Michael Warden, the show's male lead, one of the family's children who is at the center of a sibling power rivalry. Jason is in good company with fellow castmates who include, Jane Alexander, Julia Ormond, Peter Strauss, Will Patton, and Andrew McCarthy. As of May 17, 2006, CBS announced its fall lineup — and The Way was not picked up. In May 2006, Behr wrapped Senseless, filmed in and around Glasgow, Scotland, for Matador Pictures, Circle of Confusion, Shoreline Entertainment, and in association with Plum Films; a dark chiller written by Simon Hynd, based on the book of the same name by Stona Fitch. Once again, Jason takes the lead, playing Eliott Gast, an American economist who is abducted in Europe by a shadowy anti-globalization group.
- "Senseless unfolds as an affluent business man (Jason Behr) finds himself the unwilling hostage to political extremists who brutally torture him for acts he has no recollection of ever committing.2
- "Audiences of blood-thirsty home viewers fixate on their computer screens as his torment is streamed across the internet and delivers the most graphic and disturbing reality show ever to be broadcast".
Behr starred in the thriller The Tattooist, which cast him as a tattoo artist who becomes fascinated by the Samoan tatau tradition, but his desire to learn the ancient skill brings him into conflict and danger with the island mysticism and a deadly spirit is released as a result. The film was commercial director Peter Burger's feature film debut.3 Filming started in Auckland, New Zealand, in September 2006, and finished in early November 2006. It was released in New Zealand on 30 August 2007.4
In April 2007, Behr began shooting his new film project 'Frost' which has since been renamed 'The Last International Playboy'. This New York City based indie is being made by first time writer director Steve Clark. It is a coming of age story about a New York City writer and playboy socialite. The film made its debut at the Gen Art film festival in New York City in April 2008, with its nationwide theatrical release coming June 12 2009. 5
Personal life
Jason previously dated his Roswell co-star Katherine Heigl.6 While shooting The Grudge in Japan, he met actress KaDee Strickland, whom he married November 10, 2006 in Ojai, California.7
In 2007 after completing the Singapore/ New Zealand film "The Tattooist" he along with the director, Peter Burger both received Samoan Chiefly Titles. Their ceremonies were held in the area of South Auckland in New Zealand. The Samoan Chief (who was also the chief tatau designer on the film) who anointed them said, [Translated] "that they have both played important parts not only in making a film for entertainment but also putting the message out there of the Samoan tradition of the tatau and how sacred it is to our Samoan culture. It is through their willingness not to make this important tradition into a farce however present it in a way that should garner it more respect.
Behr described it as a "honor that will never elude my mind, for the importance is too great, I'm extremely grateful and honored that the Samoan people believed that I was noble enough to receive such a great responsibility not only for me and my family but for the Samoan culture"..." this culture is beautiful and the people are the same, i think this is one of the only ethnic groups that have not lost touch with their traditions."
It was publicized in NZ/US that when the star retires he would love to live in New Zealand. "It's just one of those countries that are laid back and relaxed. I think its one of the havens of the world that haven't been trashed with pollution and skyscrapers... I think the rural parts of the North Island, by Wellington would suit me nicely."
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Mark's Lackey #2 | |
| 1999 | Rites of Passage | Campbell Farraday | |
| 2001 | The Shipping News | Dennis Buggit | |
| 2004 | Happily Even After | Jake | |
| The Grudge | Doug | ||
| 2005 | Man of God | Ben Cohen | |
| Shooting Livien | John Livien | ||
| 2007 | Skinwalkers | Varek | |
| D-War | Ethan Kendrick | ||
| The Tattooist | Jake Sawyer | ||
| 2008 | The Last International Playboy | Jack Frost | DVD available through the film's official website June 25, 2009. |
| Senseless | Eliott Gast | Released on DVD October 6, 2009 in US. | |
| 2011 | Pinkville | Lt. Stephen Brooks | pre-production |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Step by Step | Larry | Episode: Something Wild Episode: I'll Be Home for Christmas |
| 1995 | Sherman Oaks | Tyler Baker | |
| 1996 | Alien Nation: Millennium | FOX TV-Movie | |
| Pacific Blue | Jack | Episode: Genuine Heroes | |
| 1997 | JAG | Midshipman Danvers | Episode: Ghosts |
| Profiler | Waiter | Episode: Crisis | |
| Cracker | Andrew Lang | Episode: Lemmings Will Fly | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Billy 'Ford' Fordham | Episode: Lie to Me | |
| 7th Heaven | Brian Heaz | Episode: Truth or Dare | |
| 1998 | Push | Dempsey Easton | 8 episodes |
| 1998–1999 | Dawson's Creek | Chris Wolfe | 6 episodes |
| 1999–2002 | Roswell | Max Evans | 61 episodes |
| 2006 | The Way | Michael Warden | Unsold CBS TV-Pilot |
| 2007 | Company Man | Paul Fisher | Unsold FOX TV-Pilot Scheduled to air in 2010. |
| 2010 | Batman: The Series | Sal Maroni | |
Awards and nominations
- 2000: Nominated, "Best Actor on Television" - Roswell
- 2001: Nominated, "Best Actor on Television" - Roswell
- 2000: Nominated, "Choice TV Actor" - Roswell
- 2001: Nominated, "Choice TV Actor" - Roswell
Young Hollywood Awards
- 2002: Won, " Standout Performance by a Young Male Actor"
References
External links
- Jason Behr at the Internet Movie Database
- Jason Behr at Allmovie
- Jason Behr at MTV Movies
- Jason-behr.com(Fansite)
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