Greg Kinnear

Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear in May 2006 Born Gregory Kinnear
June 17, 1963(1963-06-17) (age 44)
Logansport, IndianaSpouse(s) Helen Labdon (1999-present) 2 Children Awards won Emmy AwardsDaytime Emmy - Outstanding Special Class Program
1995 Talk Soup Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Cast - Motion Picture
2006 Little Miss SunshineOther Awards NBR Award for Best Supporting Actor
1997 As Good as It Gets

Gregory "Greg" Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and former television personality, who first rose to stardom as the first host of E!'s Talk Soup.

1 Biography
2 Filmography
3 Awards & Nominations
4 References
5 External links

Biography

Early life

Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of Suzanne, a homemaker, and Edward Kinnear, a career diplomat who worked for the U.S. State Department.[1][2] He has two brothers — one named James, Vice President-Investments at Wachovia Securities in Arizona (born in 1957), and one named Steve. As a child, Greg and his family moved around a lot, from places as far as Beirut, Lebanon to Athens, Greece, and was therefore part of a group sometimes referred to as Foreign Service Brats. While a student at the American Community Schools in Athens, Greg first ventured into the role of talk show host with his radio show "School Daze With Greg Kinnear". Returning to the States for a college education, he attended the University of Arizona, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Early career

From Arizona, Kinnear headed out to Los Angeles, where he landed his first job as a marketing assistant with Empire Entertainment. Following this job he auditioned to be an MTV VJ, but failed and became a host and on-location reporter for Movietime, the precursor to E! Entertainment Television. In addition, he had bit parts on such television shows as L.A. Law and Life Goes On.

Talk shows

Later, he would host a short-lived game show, College Mad House, which was spun-off from the kids' show, Fun House. After that, he would later become the creator, co-executive producer, and host of Best of the Worst which aired from 1990 to 1991. In 1991 he received his breakthrough when he became the first host of Talk Soup until 1995, when he left the show for the NBC late-night talk show, Later with Greg Kinnear (1994).

Film roles

It was also in 1994 that Kinnear had his first big screen role, as a talk show host yet again in the Damon Wayans comedy Blankman. In 1995 he won the part of the David Larrabee in Sydney Pollack's remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 classic Sabrina. He then received the lead role in the 1996 comedy Dear God. In 1997, Greg was cast in James L. Brooks' blockbuster comedy-drama As Good as It Gets, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His next film, the romantic comedy A Smile Like Yours, had him starring opposite Lauren Holly as part of a couple trying to have a baby. The film met with lukewarm reviews and a low box office, but his next film, You've Got Mail, struck gold. He played Meg Ryan's significant other, a newspaper columnist wholly unlike what was to be his next character, that of Captain Amazing in the 1999 summer action film Mystery Men. His next films were Nurse Betty, Loser, and Someone Like You.

In 2002, Kinnear starred in the movie Auto Focus about the life and murder of actor Bob Crane. In 2006, Kinnear co-starred with Steve Carell in the Oscar-winning comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine, 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.

Personal life

Kinnear married Helen Labdon in 1999. In 2001, Labdon was seven months pregnant when she suffered a miscarriage with their first child. The couple gave birth to a daughter in 2003, and another daughter in 2006.

Filmography

Film Year Film Role Other notes 1994 BlankmanTalk Show Host 1995 SabrinaDavid Larrabee 1996 Dear GodTom Turner Beavis and Butt-Head Do AmericaATF Agent Bork Uncredited Voice Role 1997A Smile Like Yours Danny Robertson As Good as It GetsSimon Bishop 1998 You've Got MailFrank Navasky 1999 Mystery MenCaptain Amazing/Lance Hunt 2000 What Planet Are You From?Perry Gordon Nurse BettyDr. David Ravell/George McCord LoserProfessor Edward Alcott The GiftWayne Collins 2001 Someone Like YouRay Brown 2002 We Were Soldiers Maj. Bruce "Snake" Crandall Auto Focus Bob Crane 2003 Stuck on YouWalt Tenor 2004 GodsendPaul Duncan 2005 The MatadorDanny Wright RobotsPhineas T. Ratchet Voice Role Bad News Bears Roy Bullock 2006 Fast Food NationDon Anderson Little Miss SunshineRichard Hoover Invincible Dick Vermeil UnknownBroken Nose 2007 Feast of LoveBradley Smith 2008 Baby MamaRob Ackerman Ghost TownFrank Herlihy awaiting release Flash of GeniusBob Kearns awaiting release 2009 Green ZoneClark Poundstone post-production Television Year Title Role Notes 1988What Price Victory ABC TV-Movie 1989 Life Goes OnCorey Episode: Break a Leg, Mom 1990 Murder in MississippiNews Reporter NBC TV-Movie Mancuso, FBIPhotographer Episode: Adamant Eve 1991 DillingerArizona Legislator ABC TV-Movie L.A. LawReporter Episode: Spleen It to Me, Lucy 1991–1995 Talk SoupHost 1993Based on an Untrue Story Orlando Chang Stein FOX TV-Movie 2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildPrince Gavin Voice Role
Episode: The Frog Princess 2001 Dinner With FriendsTom HBO TV-Movie 2003 FriendsBenjamin Hobart Episode: The One with Ross' Grant

Awards & Nominations

Academy Awards

1998: Nominated, "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" - As Good as It Gets

Blockbuster Entertainment Award

1999: Won, "Favorite Supporting Actor in a Comedy/Romance" - You've Got Mail

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

1996: Won, Most Promising Actor - Sabrina

Daytime Emmy Awards

1995: Won, "Outstanding Special Class Program" - "Talk Soup" (shared w/producers)

Golden Apple Awards

1996: Won, "Male Discovery of the Year"

Golden Globe Awards

1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" - As Good as It Gets

Gotham Awards

2006: Nominated, "Best Ensemble Cast" - Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

National Board of Review Awards

1997: Won, "Best Supporting Actor" - As Good as It Gets

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

2006: Won, "Best Ensemble Cast" - Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

Satellite Awards

1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy/Musical Motion Picture" - As Good as It Gets

Screen Actors Guild Awards

1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role" - As Good as It Gets
2007: Won, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" - Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards