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Steve Zahn Bio
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Steve Zahn
Steven James Zahn was born November 13, 1967 in Marshall, Minnesota. Zahn’s father was Carleton Edward Zahn, a Lutheran pastor. Zahn attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School and later Gustavus Adolphus College. Almost always cast as the crazy sidekick, fans might be surprised to find he also attended Harvard University.
Zahn’s acting debut was in a stage production of Biloxi Blues for which he allegedly crashed the auditions and ending up landing the lead. He also devoted his acting time to television whenever possible. He appeared for one episode (not even credited) in All My Children (1990) followed by an appearance, albeit a bit role, in Rain Without Thunder, a 1992 film dealing with the issue of abortion and starring Jeff Daniels and Ming-Na.
However, it was 1994 that would prove to bring Zahn’s lucky break. Zahn and good friend, Ethan Hawke, founded a theater company entitled Malaparte. The two were working together on a New York production of Sophistry when Ben Stiller noticed both. Stiller was impressed and cast the two in his new directorial project Reality Bites (1994). Along with Hawke, Winona Ryder, and Janeane Garofalo, Zahn found himself in the center of a cult classic. Zahn capitalized on this generation defining film to take a smaller role in Picture Windows (also 1994). A collection of shorts, each segment was created under the artistry of a different famous director.
In 1995, Zahn continued his already established trend of taking side roles. He appeared opposite Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen and James Gandolfini in the Tony Scott film Crimson Tide. In this same year, he switched genres to star in one episode of Friends playing Phoebe’s (Lisa Kudrow) long-lost husband.
In 1996, Zahn was noticed yet again, but this time it was by Hollywood’s favorite leading man, Tom Hanks. Hanks was writing and directing a new film at the time and needed somebody to fill the comedic sidekick role. Zahn proved to fit the bill perfectly. Along with Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi and Hanks himself, Zahn starred in That Thing You Do! Actually an accomplished musician in real life, Zahn played the guitar and sang for the film.
Also continuing the trend of starring in quirky, independent productions, Zahn next appeared in the Richard Linklater directed film SubUrbia (1996) beside Ribisi and indie queen Parker Posey. Two years later, Zahn played another small part in The Object of My Affection (1998) wherein Jennifer Aniston falls in love with her gay best friend, Paul Rudd. This same year, he took a supporting role in George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez’s film Out of Sight and costarred with Sam Rockwell in Safe Men. He even landed a bit part in another Hanks film, but this time it was the familiar pairing of Meg Ryan and Hanks in You’ve Got Mail (1998).
In 1999, Zahn finally landed a leading role in a successful film. He starred in the independent comedy Happy Texas with William H. Macy, Jeremy Northam and Illeana Douglas. Zahn was showered with positive critical reviews, winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He followed with another independent film that was unfortunately less successful. Freak Talks About Sex (1999) also featured Josh Hamilton, but whether it was due to the title or the film’s content, it just never found a following.
Zahn continued to work steadily, taking varied roles such as voicing Monty the Mouth in Stuart Little, tackling modern Shakespeare in Hamlet (teaming up again with Hawke), and portraying a suicidal barber in Chain of Fools.
In 2001 Zahn scored another hit with Saving Silverman. With a strong cast including Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Jason Biggs, and even Neil Diamond, Zahn found himself increasingly famous for his comedic ability and likable demeanor. In this same year, Zahn again found critical acclaim for his role alongside Drew Barrymore in Riding in Cars with Boys. He followed this with two larger budget but poorly received films, National Security and Daddy Day Care.
But it was 2005 that really rocketed Zahn into the spotlight. He costarred with Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz in the Clive Cussler adaptation Sahara. His portrayal of adventuring sidekick Al Giordino helped solidify much of the film’s success. He worked with Cruz again the following year in Bandidas. Zahn also starred in the new Werner Herzog film Rescue Dawn with Christian Bale.
Zahn has completed Strange Wilderness and is currently filming Calvin Marshall.
Zahn is married to Robyn Peterman (daughter of catalogue mogul J. Peterman). They wed in 1994 and have two children together. |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Jim Doughan in Stuart Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with David Alan Grier in Stuart Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Bruno Kirby in Stuart Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Joan Cusack in Chicken Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Wallace Shawn in Chicken Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Harry Shearer in Chicken Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Fred Willard in Chicken Little |
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Steve Zahn - Appeared with Regina King in Daddy Day Care |
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