Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley | |
|---|---|
 Priestley attending the 44th Emmy Awards, 1992. | |
| Born | Jason Bradford Priestley August 28, 1969 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse(s) | Ashlee Petersen (m. 1999-2000) Naomi Lowde-Priestley (m. 2005-present) 2 children |
Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969)[1] is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s.
Biography
Early life
Born Jason Bradford Priestley on August 28, 1969 in Victoria, British Columbia, Priestley became a naturalized American citizen in 2007.[2] He is a graduate of Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver. He has a twin sister, Justine Priestley,[3] and two step siblings, Karin and Kristi.
Career
Jason Priestley first started his television career guest-starring as Bobby Conrad a.k.a Roberto Coronado Jr., a mobster's grandson, in the early 1987 episode "A Piece of Cake" from the final 4th season of the television series "Airwolf", and then moved onto the 1989 short-lived sitcom Sister Kate which starred Stephanie Beacham. He played Todd, one of the fosterchildren under the care of Sister Kate, an English nun. In 1990, Priestley was chosen as Brandon Walsh on the hit series Beverly Hills, 90210. He also directed nineteen of the show's episodes. He remained on the show until 1998, when Brandon moved to Washington, DC. Brandon was the last Walsh to leave the show, however, Priestley would continue to serve as an executive producer until the show's cancellation in 2000.
Priestley joined the cast of Tru Calling as Jack Harper from 2004-2005. He was also a regular on the 2006 program Love Monkey. His television work also includes the WB show What I Like About You and a February 2006 appearance on Without a Trace. Priestley has also made several films, his most notable role perhaps being in 1997's Love and Death on Long Island, in which he played a teen idol struggling to be taken seriously as an actor. He directed the nineteenth episode in the final season of 7th Heaven. He also directed two episodes of The Secret Life of the American Teenager "Slice of Life"and "Just Say No". They appeared on August 26, 2008 and September 9, 2008 on ABC Family.
On July 15, 2007 he returned to series television as one of the lead males in Lifetime Television's comedy-drama Side Order of Life.
On October 15, 2008 TV Guide announced that Priestley would make a guest appearance on NBC’s My Name Is Earl. Priestley played Blake, Earl's better-looking and more successful cousin.[4]
On November 11, 2008, TV Guide reported that Priestley would direct five episodes of Secret Life.[5] Priestley directed the episode when Tori Spelling returned to 90210.
On August 2009, Priestley directed and co-produced all 12 episodes of the web-series The Lake[6] on TheWB.com
In December 2009 along with Dougray Scott, Brian Cox, and Eddie Izzard, Priestley featured in The Day of the Triffids, written by Patrick Harbinson, whose credits include ER and Law & Order. The drama is based on John Wyndham's best-selling post-apocalyptic novel, The Day Of The Triffids.[7]
Priestley directed his former co-star Luke Perry in the Hallmark Channel movie Goodnight for Justice, which aired in January 2011.[8]
Personal life
Priestley dated Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty between 1990–1991, later admitting on The Howard Stern Show that the two had slept together. Between 1992–1997, Priestley lived with actress Christine Elise, who had a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Emily Valentine. In 1999, he married film and television make-up artist Ashlee Petersen, whom he met on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210. They divorced in 2000.
In 2005, he married make-up artist Naomi Lowde. On July 2, 2007, he became a father to daughter, Ava Veronica, with his wife Naomi. She weighed 7 lbs, 4 oz at birth.[9] On April 13, 2009, Priestley announced that he and his wife were expecting their second child, a son, who was born on July 9, 2009 and is reportedly named Dashiell Orson.[10]
On July 9, 2007, he revealed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien that he had become an American citizen several weeks prior.
Priestley's older sister, Justine, is also an actress. He tried to get her to audition for the role of Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210. Although this never came to pass, she did appear in a couple of episodes on the 90210 spin-off Melrose Place in 1996.
Jason and his co-star on Beverly Hills, 90210, Luke Perry were and still are very good friends. Luke Perry revealed on Dame Edna's chat show in 1990-1991 that there is no competition between them at all, and that they get on very well, as well as going fishing and bungee jumping together.
Race car driving
Priestley's hobbies include race car driving. He rallied a Toyota Celica All-Trac ST185 in the SCCA Pro Rally Series during the early to mid-1990s. He has provided commentary and interviews of racers for ABC's TV coverage of IndyCar racing. In 1999 he participated in the first Gumball 3000 rally, driving a Lotus Esprit V-8. On August 11, 2002, he was seriously injured during a practice run at the Kentucky Speedway when his Indy Pro Series car crashed into a wall at nearly 180 miles per hour. Luke Perry visited him in the hospital, as they are good friends in real life. After the accident he was initially transferred to University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center where he was admitted to Trauma ICU in critical conditon. After being stabilized he was then transferred to a Indianapolis hospital where he made a quick and full recovery.
According to a January 2008 Associated Press article, it was announced that Priestley would become a joint owner in a new IndyCar Series team. The new team was known as Rubicon Race Team managed by co-owner Jim Freudenberg. They initially entered a car in the 2008 Indianapolis 500. The car was prepared by Indianapolis-based Sam Schmidt Motorsports and the driver was Max Papis.[11]
In the article, Priestley said, "I'm excited to be able to spend the month of May in Indy with my good friends and be a part of the greatest open wheel race," "It's been more than five years since my accident, and it's going to be so good to get to see everyone."[12] Despite the team's enthusiasm, it suffered a crash during the second weekend of qualifying then had subsequent gearbox problems and failed to qualify for the race.
Priestley is an owner of the new FAZZT Race Team, which is competing full time in the IndyCar Series in 2010 with Canadian racer Alex Tagliani.
Promotional activity for Barenaked Ladies
Priestley is a big fan of the band Barenaked Ladies and went to many of their California concerts in the early to mid-1990s. He eventually met the band and in his desire to help them succeed, suggested that he direct the music video for "The Old Apartment",[13] and used his fame to persuade American stations to air it. He did just that, and also invited the band to play at the "Peach Pit After Dark" on an episode of 90210.[14] Lead singer, Ed Robertson, continues to cite him as being instrumental in their American success. His final notable contribution to the band came when he directed a feature-length documentary about the band's 1999 whirlwind of success entitled Barenaked in America, intending to capture on film the fun he had while riding around on the tour bus with the band.[15]
Filmography
Movies
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | The Boy Who Could Fly | Gary | |
| 1988 | Watchers | Boy on Bike | |
| 1993 | Calendar Girl | Roy Darpinian | |
| 1993 | Tombstone | Deputy Billy Breckinridge | |
| 1995 | Coldblooded | Cosmo Reif | |
| 1997 | Love and Death on Long Island | Ronnie Bostock | |
| Hacks | The Dude | ||
| 1998 | Conversations in Limbo | ||
| The Thin Pink Line | Hunter Green | ||
| 1999 | Choose Life | DJ | |
| Dill Scallion | Jo Joe Hicks | ||
| Standing on Fishes | Jason | ||
| Eye of the Beholder | Gary | ||
| 2000 | Lion of Oz | Lion | Voice Role |
| Herschel Hopper: New York Rabbit | Xavier | Voice Role | |
| The Highwayman | Breakfast | ||
| 2001 | Zigs | David | |
| The Fourth Angel | Davidson | ||
| 2002 | Darkness Falling | Michael Pacer | |
| Cherish | Andrew | ||
| Cover Story | JC Peck | ||
| Time of the Wolf | Mr. Nelson | ||
| Fancy Dancing | Asa Gemmil | ||
| 2003 | Die, Mommie, Die! | Tony Parker | |
| 2004 | Chicks with Sticks | Steve Cooper | |
| Going the Distance | Lenny Swackhammer | ||
| 2006 | Hot Tamale | Jude | |
| Made in Brooklyn | D.J. | ||
Television
| TV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Airwolf | Bobby | A Piece of Cake |
| 21 Jump Street | Tober Brian |
Mean Streets and Pastel Houses, Two for the Road | |
| Danger Bay | Derek | Deep Trouble | |
| 1988 | MacGyver | Danny | Blood Brothers |
| 1989 | Teen Angel | Buzz Gunderson | |
| Quantum Leap | Pencil | Camikazi Kid | |
| Sister Kate | Todd Mahaffey | ||
| 1990 | Teen Angel Returns | Buzz Gunderson | |
| 1990–1998 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Brandon Walsh | |
| 1992 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Jason Priestley/Teenage Fanclub |
| Drexell's Class | Teen Priest | Cruisin' | |
| Eek! The Cat | Bo Diddly Squat | Voice Role | |
| 1994 | Kings Island 20th Anniversary Special | Host | TV Special |
| 1995 | Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story | Narrator | TV-Movie |
| Biker Mice from Mars | Jack McCyber | Virtual Unreality Hit the Road, Jack | |
| 1997 | Vanishing Point | The Voice | TV Movie |
| The Outer Limits | Anthony Szigetti | New Lease | |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Reep Daggle/Chameleon Boy | New Kids in Town |
| 2000 | Common Ground | Billy | TV Movie |
| Homicide: The Movie | Det. Robert Hall | TV-Movie | |
| The 11 O'Clock Show | Himself | 4.41 | |
| Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye | Jarred | TV Movie | |
| 2001 | Spin City | Scott | In the Company of Dudes |
| 2002 | Jeremiah | Michael | ...And the Ground, Sown with Salt |
| Tom Stone | Doug | Little Bitty | |
| Warning: Parental Advisory | Charlie Burner | TV Movie | |
| The True Meaning of Christmas Specials | Santa Dude | TV Special | |
| 2003 | 8 Simple Rules | Carter Tibbits | Every Picture Tells a Story |
| 2004 | Rides | Host | Documentary |
| I Want to Marry Ryan Banks | Ryan Banks | TV Movie | |
| Sleep Murder | Peter Radwell | TV Movie | |
| Quintuplets | Steve Chase | Thanksgiving Day Charade | |
| 2004–2005 | Tru Calling | Jack Harper | |
| 2005 | Colditz | Flying Officer Rhett Barker | TV Movie |
| Murder at the Presidio | Tom | TV Movie | |
| What I Like About You | Charlie | The Perfect Date Halloween | |
| Snow Wonder | Warren | TV Movie | |
| 2006 | Hockeyville | Himself | |
| Love Monkey | Mike Freed | ||
| Without a Trace | Allen Davis | Crossroads | |
| Above and Beyond | Sir Frederick Banting | Miniseries | |
| Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story | Jeff Riley | TV Movie | |
| Masters of Horror | Alan | The Screwfly Solution | |
| 2007 | Subs | Mr. Clayton | Pilot |
| Luna: Spirit of the Whale | Ted Jeffries | TV Movie | |
| Medium | Walter Paxton | Head Games Heads Will Roll Everything Comes to a Head | |
| Don't Cry Now | Nick | TV Movie | |
| Termination Point | Caleb Smith | TV Movie | |
| Everest '82 | John Lauchlan | Miniseries | |
| Side Order of Life | Ian Denison | ||
| 2008 | The Other Woman | Pete | TV Movie |
| My Name Is Earl | Cousin Blake | Earl and Joy's Anniversary | |
| A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride | William | TV Movie | |
| 2009 | Expecting a Miracle | Pete Stanhope | TV Movie |
| The Day of the Triffids | Coker | TV Series | |
| 2010 | Call Me Fitz | Richard Fitzpatrick | TV Series |
Awards and nominations
- 2003: Nominated, "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series" - The True Meaning of Christmas Specials (shared w/co-stars)
- 1993: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series (Drama)" - Beverly Hills, 90210
- 1995: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series (Drama)" - Beverly Hills, 90210
- 1990: Nominated, "Best Young Actor Supporting Role in a Television Series" - Sister Kate
References
- ^ Rovin, Jeff (1991) Luke mania! Jason fever! Fantail, London
- ^ Top 100
- ^ Rovin, ibid.
- ^ Camden County, 08102: Priestley to Play Blake on Earl" TV Guide.Retrieved on October 16, 2008.
- ^ Jason Priestley Gets Busy on Earl, Secret Life, 90210" TV Guide. Retrieved on November 12, 2008.
- ^ http://www.thewb.com/thelake
- ^ "Vanessa Redgrave to star in BBC's The Day of the Triffids". The Daily Telegraph. London. February 11, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ "Goodnight for Justice (TV 2011)". imdb.com. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
- ^ "Jason Priestley: First Look at My Daughter "Took My Breath Away"". USmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
- ^ http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/04/13/jason-priestley-and-naomi-lowde-expecting-second-child/
- ^ www.motorsport-total.com, March 04, 2008
- ^ Herman, Steve. Actor Jason Priestley to become joint owner in new IRL race team, Associated Press, January 21, 2008
- ^ Jason Priestley - Beverly Hills 90210
- ^ Barenaked Ladies Biography on Yahoo! Music
- ^ Review: Barenaked in America directed by Jason Priestley
External links
