Scooby-Doo, 24, I Know What You Did Last Summer
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$19 Million
"Life is not about making dough or how many movies you can make in a year. It's about finding someone that you can share things with." Freddie Prinze Jr. became one of the hottest film stars of the late 90s and early 00s. However, before long, he was fading from the industry almost entirely. After a prolonged absence, which included serious health complications, Prinze has returned with several high-profile roles.
Originally finding fame in films like Scooby-Doo and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Prinze has become one of the more diverse talents in the industry. Prinze has spent much of his career working on screen, voicing animated, characters, and even writing for developmental projects. Prinze even spent a year working for World Wrestling Entertainment as a writer for their weekly show!
Life of a Prinze
Freddie Prinze Jr. was born on March 8, 1976, in Los Angeles, California. His father was Freddie Prinze and his mother was Katherine Prinze. Freddie Prinze was a famous actor and stand-up comedian during the height of his career. Tragically, Prinze would end up passing away at the age of 22, shortly after his son had been born. Katherine worked as a real estate agent.
While Prinze had been born in Los Angeles, he spent much of his life growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prinze was raised in a Catholic household, and he embraced his Hispanic roots, learning to speak Spanish with fluency in order to honor his heritage. Prinze would graduate from high school in 1994, and he would move to Los Angeles shortly thereafter to begin his pursuit of the Hollywood dream.
Star of the 90s
After making his way to Los Angeles, Prinze wouldn't have to wait very long to leave an impression. Prinze would hit the ground running with a minor part on Family Matters (1995) and To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996). While both of these projects were of relatively little notoriety, they did serve to get Prinze's career started.
Prinze would quickly embrace his momentum to star in a string of major films during the 90s and early 00s. Prinze would find his star-turning performance in the hit horror-classic, I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). Prinze would find himself on the verge of becoming a household name when he reprised his role in the follow-up film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).
After establishing himself as one of the charming leading men in the industry, Prinze would find himself starring in films like She's All That (1999), Wing Commander (1999) and Head Over Heels (2001). Prinze's work was relatively harmless, and he never took that next step on his path to superstardom. However, Prinze's career would take a serious turn upward in 2002 when he was cast as Fred in Scooby-Doo. The Scooby-Doo film would become a major hit and it would spawn a sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2005) just three years later. What makes this series so important to Prinze is the fact that he would meet his future wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, on set.
When Scooby-Doo 2 ended up becoming a hit, Prinze would segue into a successful television run on the series, Freddie (2005). Prinze starred as Freddie Moreno for 22 episodes before the project was canceled. Prinze would appear in a number of middling films including The Reef (2006), Brooklyn Rules (2007), and Atlanta (2007). Prinze would find regular work on the TV series 24 (2010) as the series regular, Cole Ortiz. From there, Prinze would begin a prolific career in voice acting with numerous starring performances in Mass Effect 3 (2012), Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (2012), Star Wars Rebels (2014) and Robot Chicken (2005).
In 2014, Prinze would fall victim to a serious disc issue in his spine. He would have to undergo serious physical therapy to regain full mobility. Fortunately, Prinze was able to experience a full recovery, and he has continued to work in Hollywood. Prinze's most recent roles include the TV-movie, I Mom So Hard, Killer Skin, and Bordertown.
Outside of his work as an actor, Prinze has found some success as a writer and producer. Prinze joined the WWE Smackdown Live! (2008) writing team for a 26-episode run. During that timeframe, Prinze became more comfortable in the world of combat sports. He has since become a personality in the world of mixed martial arts, most notably appearing on programs relating to MMA.
In Prinze's personal life, he has been married to Sarah Michelle Gellar since 2002. The beautiful couple got married in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, in Western Mexico. The two had met while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer, but they wouldn't start dating until 2000. Prinze and Gellar would co-star in several projects together including both Scooby-Doo films as well as Happily N'Ever After (2006) and Star Wars Rebels (2015). Gellar and Prinze have two children together, a daughter and a son. Prinze lives with his family in Los Angeles, California.
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