A Southern California native, Jason Michael Lee was born April 25, 1970. Skating since the age of thirteen, Lee became a dominate figure in the professional skateboarding circuit by the late 1980s. In contrast to iconic skateboarding colleague Tony Hawk, whose vertical tactics are legendary, Lee was known for his street style skating. He was one of the first professional skaters to be given a pro-model shoe and was an influential part of Spike Jonze’s Blind promotional video Video Days in 1991. In 1992, along with partner Chris Pastras, Lee founded the Stereo Skateboards company.

Even though Lee was living the Southern California dream with a successful skateboarding career, he was intrigued by the world of acting. After a few small roles, including a second project with Spike Jonze in a music video for Sonic Youth, Lee left professional skateboarding to pursue acting.

His first successful role to bolster his acting career was in Kevin Smith’s 1995 film Mallrats. Smith, being pleased with Lee’s performance, wrote a part for him in his next film, Chasing Amy, which starred Ben Affleck. Working steadily through the remainder of the 1990s, Lee moved on to lead roles by early 2000. He appeared in Heartbreakers, opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt and co-starred with Tom Green in the 2002 comedy Stealing Harvard. Lee also lent his voice to computer animated films The Incredibles, as Craig T Nelson’s Mr. Incredible’s arch-nemesis Syndrome, and Monster House.

Lee’s television success began in 2005 as Earl Hickey on the NBC comedy series My Name is Earl. The show’s premise centers around Earl’s desire to make amends for all the wrongs he’s done in his life after he develops a belief in a karma. The show’s producers were looking for an actor who could make the seemingly demoralized character amicable and Lee foot the bill. Fellow cast members include Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples, and Nadine Velazquez. The show was an immediate success and Lee earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

While Lee continues with Earl’s second season, he will also appear in an up-coming film, The Other Side. Lee, who was previously married to actress Carmen Lylwelyn, is now engaged to Beth Reisgraf, with whom he has a son. Their son’s name, which garnered a lot of attention, is Pilot Inspektor Reisgraf-Lee. Jason Lee also appears as an unlikable character in the 2006 video game Tony Hawk’s Project 8.

YUDDY