Jamie Kennedy

Biography

Actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy's work often centers on satirizing not only Hollywood, but also his own film and television career. Born in Upper Darby, PA, in 1970, Kennedy attended and dropped out of Delaware County Community College before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting/standup career. After an extended stint of jobs as an extra, Kennedy created the made-up persona of celebrity agent Marty Power, named after the real agent Marty Bauer. Posing as Power over the phone, Kennedy obtained his own standup bookings. His gonzo approach to comedy eventually led to his first film role in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. Subsequently, Kennedy was cast in what is perhaps his best-known role as the horror film fanatic Randy Meeks in the breakout 1996 horror/comedy Scream and its subsequent sequels. This notoriety helped Kennedy secure his own television show, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, in 2002, which -- despite good initial ratings -- was canceled two years later. Along with this show, Kennedy has also produced such programs as WB's The Starlet and Living with Fran. As a recognizable character and lead actor, Kennedy has acted in numerous films and television shows, including Malibu's Most Wanted about a privileged white son of a U.S. senator who fancies himself an aspiring rap artist. Perhaps not so ironically, Kennedy himself made the foray into hip-hop with the pseudo-reality show Blowin' Up on MTV. Detailing Kennedy and his partner Stu Stone's attempts to record and release a rap album, Blowin' Up resulted in the release of an album of the same title in 2006. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide