Frederick James Prinze Jr. (born March 8, 1976)[1] is an American actor, television and film producer, and screenwriter. He has starred in films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), She's All That (1999), Summer Catch (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), and its sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Prinze has also had recurring and starring roles in television shows, including Friends (2002), Boston Legal (2004), Freddie (2005–06) and 24 (2010), and voiced Kanan Jarrus in the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels. He is the only child of comedian and actor Freddie Prinze.
Frederick James Prinze Jr. was born March 8, 1976 in Los Angeles, California.[2] On January 29, 1977, his father, actor and stand-up comedian Freddie Prinze, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after which Prinze Jr. relocated with his mother to Albuquerque, New Mexico.[2] He was raised Catholic,[3] embraces his Latin ancestry (as his paternal grandmother was Puerto Rican, from Boquerón),[4][5] and is fluent in Spanish.[5] His mother is of Italian descent.[6] By the age of 15, he was inspired to get into show business after his dying grandfather told him he needed to "fix" what his father had "f'd up." He soon thereafter saw Neil Patrick Harris at his high school getting kids excited about getting into acting, and he decided to do that.[7] After graduating from high school in 1994, Prinze moved to Los Angeles to audition for television roles.[8][9]
Prinze was cast in a guest role on the ABC TV series Family Matters in 1995. He then appeared in a few programs and made-for-TV movies, before making his motion picture debut in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday in 1996. In subsequent years, Prinze appeared in youth-oriented movies. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), made him known to teenage audiences. His first leading role, the romantic comedy She's All That (1999), grossed $63 million in the United States.[10]
Subsequently, he had leading roles in Wing Commander (1999), Down to You (2000), Boys and Girls (2000), Head over Heels (2001) and Summer Catch (2001), most of which were disliked by critics[11] and had moderate box office success.[12]
He played Fred Jones in the 2002 live-action film version of the popular cartoon Scooby-Doo, and reprised the role in the 2004 sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, both alongside his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar and along with Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini. He guest starred on the popular NBC show Friends as a sensitive male nanny named Sandy on the series' 200th episode. He also appeared as Donny Crane, a character believed to be Denny Crane's son in the ABC legal drama-comedy Boston Legal. Prinze starred in his own television sitcom, titled Freddie. The sitcom is said to depict some actual events from his life, and was cancelled after one season in May 2006. He guest starred on George Lopez for a crossover with Freddie. In 2004, Prinze accepted a special award from TV Land on behalf of his late father. He thanked his father's former co-star Della Reese for her continued advice and support. In 2006, he lent his voice to the character of Pi in the computer-animated film Shark Bait. Also in 2007, he lent his voice to the character of Rick in Happily N'Ever After along with his wife Gellar, Wallace Shawn, Andy Dick, George Carlin, and Sigourney Weaver. In 2008, he auditioned for Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone, but was not given the part at the decision of Lionsgate Studios. He later was the voice of the titular character in the animated movie Delgo.[13] In 2010, Prinze guest starred on Psych as Dennis, a grade school friend of Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster.[citation needed] In March 2019, Prinze was cast as Nancy Drew's father, Carson Drew, in The CW mystery pilot Nancy Drew, but was later replaced by Scott Wolf.[14] He also voiced the future version of Tim and Jim Possible in the Kim Possible movie Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time.[citation needed]
In March 2009, it was announced that Prinze had signed on to star as Bradley, aka Ultimatum, in the ABC show No Heroics, a U.S. remake of the British show of the same name.[15][16][17] The show was not picked up, but Prinze was cast as a series regular for the eighth season of the television show 24, where he played Cole Ortiz, a new CTU operative.[18]
In 2021, Prinze joined the reboot of Punky Brewster on Peacock, playing the title character's ex-husband.[19]
He voiced a pilot in a Vatta's War: Trading in Danger graphic audio book. Prinze voiced different characters in BioWare video games: Lieutenant James Vega in Mass Effect 3 and The Iron Bull in Dragon Age: Inquisition.[20][21] He returned to the role of James Vega again for the animated feature film Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, dubbed by FUNimation. From 2014 until 2018, he was the voice of Kanan Jarrus, one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, on the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels.[22] He reprised the role for the opening scene of the pilot episode of the Disney+ series The Bad Batch in May 2021.
Prinze is a WWE fan and was seen on television in attendance at the March 2008 WrestleMania XXIV pay-per-view and its preceding Hall of Fame ceremony. He also made a cameo on an episode of The Dirt Sheet, an online program hosted by wrestlers John Morrison and The Miz,[23] and had created an official profile on WWE's "Universe" blog community where he would regularly write his thoughts about the current goings-on in the world of the WWE. His relationship with the company was furthered when he was hired as a member of the creative staff to contribute to weekly television and pay-per-view programming for the SmackDown brand.[24][25] It was reported on February 22, 2009 that Prinze and WWE had parted ways.[citation needed]
On August 17, Prinze appeared on Raw as a special guest host, where he was assaulted by then WWE Champion Randy Orton after refusing to bail Orton out of his tag team match with John Cena, who was due to challenge him in the upcoming SummerSlam.[26] Prinze later returned to the program and got his payback during Orton's match with Cena against Big Show and Chris Jericho, by setting up a lumberjack match involving Mark Henry, Primo, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, MVP, and Jamie Noble.[citation needed]
Prinze returned to WWE on October 1, 2010 in a role as a producer and director.[27] On the November 1, 2010 episode of Monday Night RAW, Prinze made an on-screen appearance as Vince McMahon's doctor, a dream sequence scene that coincided with Linda McMahon's attempt to win a seat in the Senate for the state of Connecticut.[28][29]
In November 2021, Prinze started his own podcast Wrestling With Freddie[30].
Prinze married actress Sarah Michelle Gellar on September 1, 2002, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. The couple met several years before, while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997),[31] started dating in 2000 and were engaged in April 2001. They also co-starred in Scooby-Doo (2002), Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Happily N'Ever After (2006), and Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018). Gellar also made a non-speaking cameo in Prinze's film She's All That. They have two children together: a daughter born September 2009, and a son born September 2012,[32][33] and live in Los Angeles.[34]
Prinze is an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has reached the rank of purple belt in the sport, having been promoted under Jean Jacques Machado.[35]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday | Joey Bost | |
1997 | The House of Yes | Anthony Pascal | |
Sparkler | Brad | ||
I Know What You Did Last Summer | Ray Bronson | ||
1998 | I Still Know What You Did Last Summer | ||
1999 | She's All That | Zachary "Zack" Siler | |
Wing Commander | Lt. Christopher Blair | ||
2000 | Down to You | Alfred "Al" Connelly | |
Boys and Girls | Ryan Walker | ||
2001 | Head over Heels | Jim Winston/Bob Smoot | |
Summer Catch | Ryan Dunne | ||
2002 | Scooby-Doo | Fred Jones | |
2004 | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed | ||
2005 | Shooting Gallery | Jericho Hudson | Also producer |
2006 | Shark Bait | Pisces "Pi" | Voice role |
Happily N'Ever After | Rick | ||
2007 | Brooklyn Rules | Michael Turner | |
New York City Serenade | Owen | ||
2008 | Jack and Jill vs. the World | Jack | |
Delgo | Delgo | Voice role | |
2012 | Mass Effect: Paragon Lost | Lieutenant James Vega | |
2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Kanan Jarrus[36] | |
2022 | Clerks III | Auditioner | |
2022 | Christmas with You |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Family Matters | Tough Guy | Episode: "The Gun" |
1996 | ABC Afterschool Special | Jeff | Episode: "Too Soon for Jeff" |
1997 | Detention: The Siege at Johnson High | Aaron Sullivan | Television film |
1998 | Vig | Tony | |
2000 | Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak | Himself | |
2002 | Frasier | Mike | Voice role; episode: "Juvenilia" |
Friends | Sandy | Episode: "The One with the Male Nanny" | |
2003 | Kim Possible: A Sitch In Time | Future Jim / Future Tim | Television film; voice role |
2004–2006 | Boston Legal | Donny Crane | Recurring role (Season 1–2) |
2005–2006 | Freddie | Freddie Moreno | Lead role Also co-creator, co-writer and executive producer |
2006 | George Lopez | Episode: "George Gets Cross Over Freddie" | |
2007 | Atlanta | Eric | Unaired pilot |
2009 | No Heroics | Bradley / Ultimatum | |
2009–2010 | WWE Raw | Guest host; Vince McMahon's doctor | 2 episodes |
2010 | 24 | Cole Ortiz | 24 episodes |
Psych | Dennis | Episode: "Not Even Close, Encounters" | |
2012 | Happy Valley | Noah | Unaired pilot |
2005–2022 | Robot Chicken | Fred Jones / Various (voice) | 7 episodes |
2013 | Witches of East End | Leo Wingate | Episodes: "A Few Good Talismen", "Unburied" |
2013–14 | Bones | Danny Beck | 2 episodes |
2014–2018 | Star Wars Rebels | Kanan Jarrus (voice) | Animated series |
2016 | Bordertown | Tut (voice) | Episode: "The Engagement" |
First Impressions | Self / Host | 6 episodes; game show | |
Movie Trivia Schmoedown | Self / Commentator | Web series; trivia show | |
2021 | Star Wars: The Bad Batch | Caleb Dume (voice) | Episode: "Aftermath" |
Punky Brewster | Travis | 10 episodes | |
2022 | WWE Rivals | Himself | Host |
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
2012 | Mass Effect 3 | Lt. James Vega |
2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Iron Bull |
2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Kanan Jarrus |
Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions | ||
2021 | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition | Lt. James Vega |
![]() | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (February 2020) |
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Golden Globe Awards | Mr. Golden Globe (Shared with Jaime Nicole Dudney as Miss Golden Globe) | Himself | Won |
1998 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actor – Horror | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Nominated |
1999 | Won | |||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Actor | She's All That | ||
Alma Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film in a Crossover Roll | I Still Know What You Did Last Summer | Nominated | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Chemistry for Sexiest Love Scene (Shared with Rachael Leigh Cook) | She's All That | Won | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with Rachael Leigh Cook) | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Actor | Down to You | Won | |
Choice Chemistry (Shared with Julia Stiles) | Nominated | |||
2000 | Alma Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film | She's All That | |
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actor – Comedy/Romance | |||
Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Couple | Won | ||
2002 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Comedy Actor | Scooby Doo | Nominated |
Choice Chemistry (Shared with Sarah Michelle Gellar) | ||||
Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Supporting Actor | |||
2013 | Behind the Voice Actors Awards | BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award – Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Mass Effect 3 | Won |
Nominated | ||||
2015 | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Won | |
Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | Star Wars: Rebels | Nominated | ||
2018 | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series |
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{citation}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)Freddie Prinze Jr. is going to be involved creatively in the Smackdown brand from what I gather.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)General | |
---|---|
National libraries | |
Other |
|