Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear in May 2006
Born	Gregory Kinnear (1963-06-17) June 17, 1963 (age 49) Logansport, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation	Actor/TV personality
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	Helen Labdon (1999–present)

Gregory "Greg" Kinnear (born June 17, 1963) is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.

Early life[link]

Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of Suzanne, a homemaker, and Edward Kinnear, a career diplomat who worked for the US State Department.^[1][2] He has two brothers, James and Steven. When he was a child, the Kinnear family moved around frequently, from Beirut to Athens, part of a group sometimes referred to as the "Foreign Service Brats". While a student at the American Community Schools in Athens, Greg Kinnear first ventured into the role of talk show host with his radio show "School Daze With Greg Kinnear". Returning to the United States for a college education, he attended the University of Arizona, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in broadcast journalism. At Arizona, Greg was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.^[3]

Career[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

Talk shows[link]

Kinnear hosted a short-lived game show, College Mad House, which was spun off from the kids' show, Fun House. Later he would become the creator, co-executive producer, and host of Best of the Worst which aired from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, Kinnear became the first host of Talk Soup, which he did until 1995, when he left the show for the NBC late-night talk show, Later with Greg Kinnear (1994).

Film roles[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

It was in 1994 that Kinnear had his first big screen role, as a talk show host in the Damon Wayans comedy Blankman. In 1995 he won the part of David Larrabee in Sydney Pollack's remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 classic Sabrina. He later played the lead role in the 1996 comedy Dear God. In 1997, he was cast in James L. Brooks' comedy-drama, As Good as It Gets, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His next film, A Smile Like Yours, had him starring opposite Lauren Holly as part of a couple trying to have a baby. His next film was the popular You've Got Mail, in which he played Meg Ryan's significant other. His following films were Mystery Men, Nurse Betty, Loser, The Gift, and Someone Like You. Kinnear often alternated roles, often playing good guys like a playboy in Sabrina or a gay painter in As Good as It Gets, to bad guys such as a sleazy college professor in Loser and an egotistical soap opera star in Nurse Betty.

In 2002, Kinnear starred in the movie Auto Focus about the life and murder of actor Bob Crane. In 2003 he starred in Stuck On You, a comedy in which he played opposite Matt Damon as a conjoined twin who pursues his dream of becoming a Hollywood actor in spite of his joined brother's desire for a different kind of life. In 2005 he starred in the black comedy The Matador opposite Pierce Brosnan and voiced the main antagonist, Ratchet in the compter-animated film Robots.

In 2006, Kinnear co-starred with Steve Carell in the Oscar-winning comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine, and with Mark Wahlberg in Invincible, based on the true story of a bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He also appeared in Fast Food Nation, playing a fast food executive who discovers secrets about his company. In 2008 starred in the movie Flash of Genius, a docudrama about Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper.

His portrayal of then-Major Bruce P. Crandall in 2002's We Were Soldiers brought public attention to Crandall's heroism during the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. (On February 26, 2007, Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush.)

Greg also appeared in the movie Baby Mama with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. He played a man working in a local smoothie shop and sparked a romantic interest in Tina Fey's character. In 2010, Kinnear starred as the estranged father of Miley Cyrus' character in The Last Song.

In 2011, Kinnear starred in the miniseries The Kennedys playing the lead role as John F. Kennedy. It was originally planned to air on the History Channel, however, it was announced in January 2011 that the miniseries had been pulled from that network.^[4] It was subsequently picked up by ReelzChannel and then first aired on April 3, 2011.

Kinnear is set to star as a famous novelist in the directorial debut of Josh Boone, Writers. The film will follow his complicated relationships with his ex-wife (Jennifer Connelly) and teenage children.^[5]

Personal life[link]

Kinnear married British model Helen Labdon in 1999. Labdon was previously a former Page 3 glamour model.^[6] They have three daughters, Lily Katherine (born September 2003), Audrey Mae (born June 2006) and Kate "Katie" Grace (born fall 2009).

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Academy Awards

• 1997: Nominated, "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" – As Good as It Gets

Blockbuster Entertainment Award

• 1999: Won, "Favorite Supporting Actor in a Comedy/Romance" – You've Got Mail

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

• 1996: Won, Most Promising Actor – Sabrina

Daytime Emmy Awards

• 1995: Won, "Outstanding Special Class Program" – "Talk Soup" (shared w/producers)

Golden Apple Awards

• 1996: Won, "Male Discovery of the Year"

Golden Globe Awards

• 1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" – As Good as It Gets

Gotham Awards

• 2006: Nominated, "Best Ensemble Cast" – Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

National Board of Review Awards

• 1997: Won, "Best Supporting Actor" – As Good as It Gets

The last song Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

• 2006: Won, "Best Ensemble Cast" – Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

Satellite Awards

• 1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy/Musical Motion Picture" – As Good as It Gets

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role" – As Good as It Gets
• 2007: Won, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" – Little Miss Sunshine (shared w/castmembers)

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

• 1998: Won, "Best Supporting Actor" – As Good as It Gets

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Greg Kinnear

• Greg Kinnear at the Internet Movie Database
• "Greg Kinnear interview". Archived from the original on 2008-02-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20080211114234/http://www.moviehole.net/news/20031126_2795.html. 
• Greg interview on WHO.com