Freddie James Prinze Jr was born on March 8, 1976. Shortly after his birth his mother, Kathy Cochran, left his father and filed a restraining order against him. It’s believed that this led to Freddie's father’s suicide in 1977. The ruling of suicide was later questioned because it was determined he was under the influence of Quaaludes at the time of death.
His father’s death left him and his mother in dire straights, and Freddie grew up with a single mother who worked hard to provide for him. In 1994 he graduated from La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and headed to California to try his hand at acting.
His first break came quickly, a four line role on the sitcom Family Matters in 1995.
The following year he got his start in movies with a supporting role in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes. He has said that he was very nervous during his scenes with Danes because he had to kiss her and at that point in his life he hadn’t kissed many girls.
The following year Freddie hit it big with the scary teen movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. He stared in the film with his future wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Ryan Phillippe. The film was a box office success and its four stars became teen idols. Freddie also stared in the 1998 sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
In 1999 he had box office success again with the romantic teen comedy She’s All That, opposite Rachel Leigh Cook. Other romantic comedies had him star opposite Julia Stiles (Down to You in 2000) and Jessica Beil (Summer Catch in 2001). In 2002 he and Sarah Michelle Gellar again stared together in the film Scooby-Doo and they reprised their roles in the 2004 sequel.
Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar became engaged in April of 2001, and married on September 1, 2002. Although the tabloids periodically reported that their marriage was on the rocks, it appeared that the couple were doing fine as they announced the arrival of their first child, a daughter, Charlotte Grace on September 19th 200.
Before his relationship with Gellar, Freddie dated Kimberly McCullough, an actress best known for her role as the much loved Robin Scorpio on General Hospital.
Freddie's acting career turned to the small screen when he landed a role starring in the sitcom Freddie on ABC, which was inspired by his real life experiences growing up in a houseful of women. His co-star in the show was Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills 90210 fame.
YUDDY