Jason Michael Lee is an accomplished American entertainer with a colorful career spanning acting, filmmaking, photography, and professional skateboarding.
He is perhaps best known for his role as Earl Hickey in the critically acclaimed television comedy series My Name is Earl, a role for which he was nominated twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, in 2005 and 2006.
Bruce Lee first gained recognition as a talented professional skateboarder in the 1990s, becoming known for his technical prowess and creative style.
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- Full name: Jason Michael Lee
- Stage name: Jason Lee
- Date of Birth: April 25, 1970
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Santa Ana, California, USA
- Nationality: American actor
- Occupation: American actor and film producer
- Height: 1.87 m
- Parents: Greg Lee and Carol Lee
- Siblings: James Lee
- Spouse: Ceren Alkac (m. 2008), Carmen Llywelyn (m. 2001)
- Children: Pilot Inspector Lee and Caspar Lee
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: $24 million
Early life and education
Jason Michael Lee was born on April 25, 1970 in Santa Ana, California, USA. He was raised by his parents Greg Lee and Carol Lee. His father Greg Lee was a car dealership manager and his mother Carol Lee was a housewife. Lee has an older brother named James Lee.
Lee grew up in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School. Although he did not receive a formal education at a traditional college, he is white and of Christian faith.
Profession
Lee was a professional skateboarder in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1992, he co-founded Stereo Sound Agency (also known as Stereo Skateboards) with skateboarder Chris “Dune” Pastras. After a few years of hiatus, they re-launched the company in 2003, and as of 2013, they are still part of the professional “classic” team.
Lee transitioned from skateboarding to acting in the early 1990s. He quickly made a name for himself with roles in independent films, particularly those directed by Kevin Smith.
He rose to fame playing Brodie Bruce in Smith’s 1995 film, The Cool Kids. He has appeared in several of Smith’s other films, including Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II, The Big Short and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
Lee’s performance as Banky Edwards in Chasing Amy earned him an Independent Spirit Award. His long-standing friendship and collaboration with director Kevin Smith has led to him playing multiple roles in Smith’s films over the years.
Jason Lee began his television career playing Earl Hickey on the hit sitcom My Name is Earl. The show aired for four seasons from 2005 to 2009, and Lee received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
Lee also has a prolific film career, appearing in a variety of notable roles. His other impressive film credits include Mumford (1999), Almost Famous (2000), Heartbreakers (2001), Big Trouble (2002), Dreamcatcher (2003), and Columbus Circle (2011).
In addition to his live-action film work, Lee has also voiced several animated projects. He voiced Sin Ram in The Incredibles (2004), Bones in Monster House (2006), and the title character in Losers (2007). Lee also played Dave Sewell in the live-action/animated Alvin and the Chipmunks series from 2007 to 2015.
Lee began taking photos regularly in the early 2000s and developed an interest in instant photography. In 2016, he published his first photography book through Refuelled magazine.
The book contains 184 pages of Polaroid and Fuji instant film photos taken by Lee between 2006 and 2016. The book is limited to 500 copies.
Awards and nominations
Jason Michael Lee, known for his roles in films such as The Cool Kids and Chasing Amy, as well as the TV series My Name is Earl, has received several awards and nominations throughout his career.
Notable Awards and Nominations
Independent Spirit Awards
- Best Supporting Actor (Chasing Amy)
Golden Globe Awards
- Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (My Name is Earl) – two nominations
Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (My Name is Earl) – Nominated
Satellite Award
- Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series (My Name is Earl) – Nominated twice
- Online Film Critics Society Awards
- Best Ensemble Cast (The Incredibles)
Social Media
- Instagram account: @jasonlee
- Facebook account: Jason Michael Lee
- Twitter: @theonlyjasonlee
Personal life
Lee’s personal life was complicated. He was married to actress and photographer Carmen Llywelyn from 1995 to 2001. When they divorced, Llywelyn accused Lee of alcoholism, domestic violence, and claimed that Lee’s belief in Scientology was the main reason for their separation.
After the divorce, Lee became engaged to actress Beth Riesgraf, with whom he had a son, Pilot Inspektor, in 2003. Lee married Turkish model Ceren Alkaç in California in 2008. A month later, Alkaç gave birth to their daughter, Casper.
The couple later had two more children, a son named Sonny in 2012 and a daughter named Alberta ‘Birdy’ Lee in 2017. Lee currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her family after living in Denton, Texas for four years.
Filmography
Film:
- The Cool Family (1995)
- Chasing Amy (1997)
- Dogma (1999)
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
- Crazy Madness 2 (2006)
- Police Out (2010)
- Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
- Enemy of the State (1998)
- Almost Famous (2000)
- Vanilla Sky (2001)
- Stealing Harvard (2002)
- Men’s Thing (2003)
- The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)
- The Incredibles (2004) (voice of Sindrome)
- Monster House (2006) (Bones dubbing)
TV series:
- My Name is Earl (2005-2009)
- Sleepless Night (2011-2013)
- Memphis Beats (2011)
- We Bare Bears (2015-2019) (Charlie)
net worth
Jason Michael Lee has an estimated net worth of $24 million. His wealth is primarily derived from his acting career, which includes prominent roles in films such as The Cool Kids, Chasing Amy, Almost Famous, and The Incredibles.
Additionally, Lee has been involved in the skateboarding industry as a professional skateboarder and co-founder of Stereo Skateboards.
