Steve Zahn Biography

Fast Facts

• Traveled from New Orleans to Tuscaloosa, Ala․, to help with the relief effort in the aftermath of the massive tornado that struck in 2011
• Attended the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University in Boston
• Received an honorary PhD in Fine Arts from Northern Kentucky University in 2007
• Started out as a stage actor who appeared in productions of "Biloxi Blues," "Bye Bye Birdie" and "SubUrbia․"
• Made his screen acting debut in "All My Children" in 1990
• Discovered by director Ben Stiller, who cast him in the film "Reality Bites" after seeing his performance opposite Ethan Hawke in the play "Sophistry" at Playwrights Horizons
• Quote: "(On being typecast as a funny sidekick) "It's a pleasure and a privilege․ I really look at it as a career, and not what movies I'm doing this year․․․ And to be typecast and make money and make people happy․․․ what a great thing, man․""
• Quote: "You still really fight for good parts․ It never stops․ It's never a breeze․ The people at the top of their game work as hard as the people at the bottom․"
• Known for his role as Tucker in "Dallas Buyers Club" and as Davis McAlary in "Treme․"
• Typically typecast into the comic relief sidekick roles
• Founded the New York-based Malaparte non-profit theater company in 1991