Jake Kasdan
Jacob "Jake" Kasdan (born October 28, 1974) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for directing Bad Teacher (2011), Sex Tape (2014), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).
Jake Kasdan | |
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 Kasdan at Paleyfest 2012 | |
| Born | Jacob Kasdan October 28, 1974 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) | Inara George |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Lawrence Kasdan |
| Relatives | Jonathan Kasdan (brother) |
Early life
Kasdan was born and raised in a Jewish family, with little religious education[1] in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Meg (née Goldman), a writer, and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan.[2] His younger brother, Jon Kasdan, also works in the film and television industry as an actor and writer.
Career
Kasdan has directed seven theatrical films: Zero Effect (1998), Orange County (2002), The TV Set (2006), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), Sex Tape (2014), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). He has also worked in television, most notably with Judd Apatow, as a consulting producer and director on Freaks and Geeks and as a director on Undeclared. He has also directed numerous stage productions. He is attached to direct John Grisham novel Calico Joe to a family film adaptation.
In 2008, Kasdan received his first Golden Globe nomination for Walk Hard in the Best Original Song category (shared with John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, and Marshall Crenshaw), but lost to "Guaranteed" from Into the Wild (written by Eddie Vedder).
As a child, he made several appearances in his father's movies such as The Big Chill and Silverado (in the former he is an autograph seeker at a funeral and in the latter a stable boy).
In February 2015, Fox announced it had greenlit a pilot for the comedy The Grinder to be directed by Kasdan and starring Rob Lowe.[3]
He attained true global fame after working for the Jumanji franchise between 2017 and 2019.
Personal life
Kasdan is married to singer-songwriter Inara George of The Bird and the Bee. They have three children: Otis, and twins Beau and Lorelei.[4]
Filmography
Filmmaking credits
| Title | Year | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero Effect | 1998 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Orange County | 2002 | Yes | No | No |
| The TV Set | 2006 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | 2007 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shades of Ray | 2008 | No | Executive | No |
| Bad Teacher | 2011 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Friends with Kids | 2011 | No | Yes | No |
| Sex Tape | 2014 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 2017 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Jumanji: The Next Level | 2019 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Acting credits
| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| The Big Chill | 1983 | Autograph Seeker |
| Silverado | 1985 | Stable Boy |
| The Accidental Tourist | 1988 | Scott Canfield |
| Zero Effect | 1998 | Bank Teller (voice) |
| Shades of Ray | 2008 | Director # 3 |
Soundtrack credits
| Song written | Film |
|---|---|
| Let's Run Off and Get Married | Zero Effect |
| Cold and Dark in My Heart | |
| Walk Hard | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story |
| Take My Hand | |
| (Mama) You Got To Love Your Negro Man | |
| Cut My Brother in Half Blues | |
| There's a Change a'Happening (I Can Feel It) | |
| (You Make Me So) Hard |
Other credits
| Title | Year | Credited as |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | 1991 | Production assistant |
| Wyatt Earp | 1994 | Archivist |
Television
| Title | Year(s) | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freaks and Geeks | 1999–00 | Yes | Consulting | No | Director (5 episodes) / Producer (15 episodes) |
| Grosse Pointe | 2000 | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| Undeclared | 2001 | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Prototype" |
| Zero Effect | 2002 | Yes | Co-Executive | Yes | Unsold television pilot |
| Cracking Up | 2006 | Yes | No | No | Episode: "The Fixer" |
| Californication | 2008 | Yes | No | No | Episode: "In a Lonely Place" |
| Spring/Fall | 2011 | Yes | No | No | Television film |
| New Girl | 2011–18 | Yes | Executive | No | Director (7 episodes) / Producer (146 episodes) |
| Ben and Kate | 2012–13 | Yes | Executive | No | Director (2 episodes) / Producer (16 episodes) |
| Weird Loners | 2015 | Yes | Executive | No | Director (2 episodes) / Producer (6 episodes) |
| The Grinder | 2015–16 | Yes | Executive | No | Director (2 episodes) / Producer (22 episodes) |
| Fresh off the Boat | 2015–20 | Yes | Executive | No | Director (Episode: "The Shunning") / Producer (116 episodes) |
| Speechless | 2016–19 | No | Executive | No | 63 episodes |
| Jalen Vs. Everybody | 2017 | No | Executive | No | Television film |
| Heart of Life | 2019 | No | Executive | No | Television film |
| Bless This Mess | 2019–20 | No | Executive | No | 26 episodes |
Music video
- Believe by Shawn Mendes (2015)
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sierra Award | Best Song | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Won | Shared with Judd Apatow, Marshall Crenshaw and John C. Reilly |
| 2008 | Golden Globe | Best Original Song | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Grammy | Best Song Written for Motion Picture Television or Other Visual Media | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Emmy Award | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | New Girl | Nominated | Pilot |
References
- Jewish Daily Forward: "What's a Nice Jewish Boy Like Jake Kasdan Doing Making a 'Sex Tape?'" by Curt Schleier July 18, 2014
- Lawrence Kasdan Biography (1949–)
- Wagmeister, Elizabeth. "Fox Orders Rob Lowe Comedy 'The Grinder' To Pilot". Variety.
- Audio commentary to Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
External links
- Jake Kasdan at IMDb
- The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, The TV Set at Filmmaker Magazine
- The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story at Filmmaker Magazine
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