Jake Kasdan

American filmmaker

Jake Kasdan

Kasdan in 2012

Born|

Jacob Kasdan

(1974-10-28) October 28, 1974 (age 49)

Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

Occupations|

* Director
* producer
* screenwriter
* actor

Years active| 1983–present
Spouse| Inara George
Children| 3
Father| Lawrence Kasdan
Relatives|

* Jonathan Kasdan (brother)
* Mark Kasdan (uncle)

Jacob Kasdan (born October 28, 1974) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing Walk Hard (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), Sex Tape (2014), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).

## Early life

[edit]

Kasdan was born and raised in a Jewish family, with little religious education[1] in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Meg (née Goldman), a writer, and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan.[2] His younger brother, Jon Kasdan, also works in the film and television industry as an actor and writer.

## Career

[edit]

Kasdan has directed seven theatrical films: Zero Effect (1998), Orange County (2002), The TV Set (2006), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), Sex Tape (2014), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). He has also worked in television, most notably with Judd Apatow, as a consulting producer and director on Freaks and Geeks and as a director on Undeclared. He has also directed numerous stage productions. He is attached to direct John Grisham novel Calico Joe to a family film adaptation.

In 2008, Kasdan received his first Golden Globe nomination for Walk Hard in the Best Original Song category (shared with John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, and Marshall Crenshaw), but lost to "Guaranteed" from Into the Wild (written by Eddie Vedder).

As a child, he made several appearances in his father's movies such as The Big Chill and Silverado (in the former he is an autograph seeker at a funeral and in the latter a stable boy).

After the success of New Girl, Kasdan announced that on July 11, 2012, that he had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Television, through The Detective Agency, to pursue own projects.[3]

In February 2015, Fox announced it had greenlit a pilot for the comedy The Grinder to be directed by Kasdan and starring Rob Lowe.[4]

On March 26, 2019, The Detective Agency's producing partners Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar reupped, and signed a new overall deal at 20th Century Fox Television.[5]

In October 2021, it was announced that Disney+ had given a series order to a television adaptation of the graphic novel American Born Chinese. It will be produced by 20th Television with Kelvin Yu and Charles Yu as writers and executive producers, Marvin Mar and Kasdan as executive producers, and Destin Daniel Cretton as director and executive producer.[6] Most recently, he served as executive producer of the workplace comedy pilot XYZ at ABC.[7]

## Personal life

[edit]

Kasdan is married to singer-songwriter Inara George of The Bird and the Bee. They have three children, including twins, Beau and Lorelei Kasdan and older son Otis Kasdan.[8]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Films

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Director | Producer | Writer

|
|
|
|

1998  | Zero Effect | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
2002  | Orange County | Yes  | No  | No
2006  | The TV Set | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
2007  | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
2011  | Bad Teacher | Yes  | Executive  | No
2014  | Sex Tape | Yes  | Executive  | No
2017  | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Yes  | Executive  | No
2019  | Jumanji: The Next Level | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
2024  | Red One | Yes  | Yes  | No

Producer

Year  | Title  | Producer

|
|

2008  | Shades of Ray | Executive
2011  | Friends with Kids | Yes

Acting credits

Year  | Title  | Role

|
|

1983  | The Big Chill | Autograph Seeker
1985  | Silverado | Stable Boy
1988  | The Accidental Tourist | Scott Canfield
1998  | Zero Effect | Bank Teller (voice)
2008  | Shades of Ray | Director # 3

Soundtrack credits

Year  | Title  | Song

|
|

1998  | Zero Effect | Let's Run Off and Get Married
Cold and Dark in My Heart
2007  | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Walk Hard
Take My Hand
(Mama) You Got To Love Your Negro Man
Cut My Brother in Half Blues
There's a Change a'Happening (I Can Feel It)
(You Make Me So) Hard

Other credits

Year  | Title  | Role

|
|

1991  | Grand Canyon | Production assistant
1994  | Wyatt Earp | Archivist

### Television

[edit]

Year(s)  | Title  | Director | Executive
Producer  | Writer  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

1999–00  | Freaks and Geeks | Yes  | No  | No  | Director (5 episodes) / Also consulting producer (15 episodes)
2000  | Grosse Pointe | Yes  | No  | No  | 2 episodes
2001  | Undeclared | Yes  | No  | No  | Episode: "Prototype"
2002  | Zero Effect | Yes  | Co-Executive  | Yes  | Unsold television pilot
2006  | Cracking Up | Yes  | No  | No  | Episode: "The Fixer"
2008  | Californication | Yes  | No  | No  | Episode: "In a Lonely Place"
2011  | Spring/Fall | Yes  | No  | No  | Television film
2011–18  | New Girl | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (7 episodes) / Executive producer (146 episodes)
2012–13  | Ben and Kate | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (2 episodes) / Executive producer (16 episodes)
2015  | Weird Loners | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (2 episodes) / Executive producer (6 episodes)
2015–16  | The Grinder | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (2 episodes) / Executive producer (22 episodes)
2015–20  | Fresh off the Boat | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (Episode: "The Shunning") /
Executive producer (116 episodes)
2016–19  | Speechless | No  | Yes  | No  | 63 episodes
2017  | Jalen Vs. Everybody | No  | Yes  | No  | Television film
2019  | Heart of Life | No  | Yes  | No  | Television film
2019–20  | Bless This Mess | No  | Yes  | No  | 26 episodes
2021–2023  | Doogie Kamealoha, M.D | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Director (Episode: "Aloha – The Hello One") /
Executive producer (10 episodes)
2023  | Prom Pact | No  | Yes  | No  | Television film
2023  | American Born Chinese | No  | Yes  | No  | [9]

Acting credits

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2021  | Young Rock | Tyler the Director  | Episode: "A Christmas Peril"

### Music video

[edit]

* Believe by Shawn Mendes (2015)

## Awards

[edit]

Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

2007 | Sierra Award | Best Song | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Won | Shared with Judd Apatow,
Marshall Crenshaw and John C. Reilly
2008 | Golden Globe | Best Original Song | Nominated
2009 | Grammy | Best Song Written for Motion Picture
Television or Other Visual Media | Nominated
2012 | Emmy Award | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Directing for a Comedy Series | New Girl | Nominated | Pilot

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jewish Daily Forward: "What's a Nice Jewish Boy Like Jake Kasdan Doing Making a 'Sex Tape?'" by Curt Schleier July 18, 2014
2. ^ Lawrence Kasdan Biography (1949–)
3. ^ Marechal, A. J. (2012-07-12). "Kasdan signs deal with 20th TV". Variety. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
4. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (12 February 2015). "Fox Orders Rob Lowe Comedy 'The Grinder' To Pilot". Variety.
5. ^ Thorne, Will (2019-03-26). "Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar Sign New Overall Deal at 20th Century Fox". Variety. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2021). "Disney+ Greenlights 'American Born Chinese' Series From Melvin Mar, Kelvin Yu & Jake Kasdan; 'Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
7. ^ White, Peter (2021-12-15). "'Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.' Duo Alison Bennett & Melvin Mar Set Workplace Comedy 'XYZ' At ABC". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
8. ^ Audio commentary to Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 7, 2022). "'Shang-Chi's Michelle Yeoh & Destin Daniel Cretton Reunite For Disney+ Series 'American Born Chinese;' Chin Han, Yeo Yann Yann & Daniel Wu Also Star". Retrieved February 7, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Jake Kasdan at IMDb
* The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, The TV Set Archived 2009-12-12 at the Wayback Machine at Filmmaker Magazine
* The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story at Filmmaker Magazine

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Jake Kasdan

* Zero Effect (1998)
* Orange County (2002)
* The TV Set (2006)
* Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
* Bad Teacher (2011)
* Sex Tape (2014)
* Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
* Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
* Red One (2024)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Norway
* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Israel
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Korea
* Netherlands
* Poland

Artists|

* Grammy Awards
* Museum of Modern Art

Other|

* IdRef

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