The son of the troubled
Chico and the Man star of the same name, Prinze was less than a year old when his father shot himself in the head and died. Due to his dad's twisted relationship with fame, Prinze's mother decided to raise him out of the spotlight. Yet the boyish actor was drawn to entertainment and moved to Hollywood upon graduating high school. At 21 he won a featured role in the 1997 teen horror flick
I Know What You Did Last Summer. Not only did the film spawn a sequel, it sparked both his career and a romance with costar and future wife Sarah Michelle Gellar. With dark good looks and an easygoing presence, Prinze livened up a string of mediocre romantic comedies (
Head over Heels,
Summer Catch) and starred opposite his spouse in a pair of critically lambasted but commercially successful
Scooby-Doo movies. In a change of direction (and perhaps as a nod to his funny father), Prinze cocreated the vaguely autobiographical series
Freddie in 2005 as a way to showcase his Latino identity and comedic skills.Unfortunately the sitcom only lasted a season.
Freddie Prinze Jr. Fast Facts:
- Was 10-months-old when his father, Chico and the Man sitcom star Freddie Prinze, shot himself in the head and died on January 29, 1977, at age 22. Although ruled a suicide, some members of his family claimed it was accidental.
- First acting job was a four-line role in a 1995 episode of Family Matters.
- Named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1999 and 2000.
- Became the youngest executive producer in ABC's history with the 2005 premiere of Freddie, which he also co-created.
- Freddie Prinze Jr. Relationships:
- Kathy Cochran - Mother
- Sarah Michelle Gellar - Wife
- Charlotte Grace Prinze - Daughter
- Freddie Prinze - Father
