Casper Van Dien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Casper Van Dien
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![]() Van Dien in 2013
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Born |
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr.
December 18, 1968 Milton, Florida, U.S.
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Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1984–present |
Spouse(s) |
Carrie Mitchum
(m. 1993; div. 1997)Catherine Oxenberg
(m. 1999; div. 2015)Jennifer Wenger
(m. 2018) |
Children | 4, including Grace Van Dien |
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Johnny Rico in the 1997 science-fiction action movie Starship Troopers. He has also acted in many TV shows and movies. These include TV movies and films released straight to video. He even returned as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, a sequel to the first movie.
Contents
Discovering Casper Van Dien: Early Life and Family History
Van Dien was born in Milton, Florida. His mother, Diane, was a nursery school teacher. His father, Casper Robert Van Dien Sr., was a U.S. Navy Commander and a fighter pilot.
His family has a long history of serving in the military. His grandfather was a Marine during World War II. Van Dien's family came from the Netherlands a long time ago. They settled in the New York area. He also has Swedish, French, and English family roots.
The street where Van Dien grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, called Van Dien Avenue, was named after his great-great-great-grandfather. Later, his family moved back to Florida. He went to the Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg. He graduated as 3rd in command. After high school, Van Dien studied at Florida State University.
Casper Van Dien's Acting Journey: From TV to Sci-Fi Stardom
After moving to Los Angeles, Van Dien got small parts in many TV shows and movies. He had early roles as Ty Moody on the TV show One Life to Live. He also appeared in the drama Beverly Hills, 90210. To improve his acting, Van Dien took a small role in the video game Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom.
In 1996, Van Dien played King Tal in Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus. This was a sequel to the 1982 movie The Beastmaster. Van Dien also starred in the 1997 movie James Dean: Race with Destiny. This film was about the famous actor James Dean.
His big break came when he played Johnny Rico in the 1997 science fiction action film Starship Troopers. Because of his success in Starship Troopers, he was cast as Tarzan in Tarzan and the Lost City (1998). Van Dien then played Brom von Brunt in Tim Burton's 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow. This movie was a new version of a classic story.
In 2008, Van Dien returned to play Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. This was a direct-to-video sequel to the first Starship Troopers movie.
Van Dien also took over the role of Johnny Cage for the second season of the YouTube web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. In 2022, Van Dien played Samuel Hyst in the series Salvage Marines. He was also a producer for this show. He said this role was similar to playing Johnny Rico.
Casper Van Dien's Family Life
From 1993 to 1997, Van Dien was married to Carrie Mitchum. They have two children together. One of their children is the actress Grace Van Dien (born in 1996).
In 1999, Van Dien met actress Catherine Oxenberg. They worked together on a TV movie and a thriller film. They got married on May 8, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2005, the couple had their own reality series called I Married a Princess. This show aired on TV channels in the United States and other countries. Catherine Oxenberg's mother is Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Van Dien and Oxenberg have two daughters together. In 2015, they divorced. Van Dien and Oxenberg were also ambassadors for the non-profit group Childhelp.
Van Dien married Jennifer Wenger in June 2018.
Filmography: Movies
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1996 | Night Eyes 4: Fatal Passion | Roy | |
1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Bystander | Direct-to-video |
Starship Troopers | Johnny Rico | ||
1998 | Tarzan and the Lost City | Tarzan / John Clayton II | |
Casper Meets Wendy | Crewcut Hunk | Direct-to-video | |
1999 | The Omega Code | Gillen Lane | |
Sleepy Hollow | Brom Van Brunt | ||
2000 | Sanctimony | Tom Gerrick | |
2002 | The Rules of Attraction | Patrick Bateman | Deleted scene |
2004 | Dracula 3000 | Captain Abraham Van Helsing | Direct-to-video |
2008 | Starship Troopers 3: Marauder | Colonel Johnny Rico | Direct-to-video |
2009 | Through the Air to Calais or the Wonderful Cruise of Blanchard's Balloon | John Jeffries | Short film, also executive producer |
2011 | Born to Ride | Mike Callahan | |
2012 | Shiver | Sebastian Delgado | |
Malibu Days | Short film | ||
The Pact | Bill Creek | ||
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Sequels | James K. Polk | Short film | |
noobz | Himself | Also co-producer | |
Christmas Twister | Ethan | ||
Starship Troopers: Invasion | N/A | Direct-to-video, executive producer | |
2013 | 500 MPH Storm | Nathan Sims | |
Assumed Killer | Sam Morrow | Also co-producer | |
Higher Mission | John Perryman | ||
2014 | Sleeping Beauty | King David | Direct-to-video, also director |
2015 | Avengers Grimm | Rumpelstiltskin | Direct-to-video |
June | Dave Anderson | Also co-executive producer | |
2016 | Army Dog | Tom Holloway | Also producer |
Showdown in Manila | Charlie Benz | ||
Storage Locker 181 | Dayton | ||
Isra 88 | Harold Richards | ||
2017 | Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine | Saber Raine | |
All About the Money | Kurt Pomeroy | Also producer | |
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars | Colonel Johnny Rico (voice) | Direct-to-video, also executive producer | |
2018 | Last Seen in Idaho | Brock | Also co-producer |
Darkness Reigns | Himself | ||
Dead Water | John Livingston | ||
Deadpool The Musical 2 - Ultimate Disney Parody | Cyclops | Short fan film | |
Alpha Wolf | Jack Lupo | ||
2019 | Alita: Battle Angel | Amok | |
Madness in the Method | Tim | ||
Chokehold | Javier | ||
2020 | Acquitted by Faith | Benjamin Stills | |
The Warrant | Virgil St. Denis / The Saint | ||
The Road to Camp Miracle | Ernest Robertson | Short film | |
Roped | Robert Peterson | ||
Lady Driver | Elliot Lansing | ||
G-Loc | Decker | ||
The 2nd | Melvin "The Driver" Sampras | ||
One Nation Under God | Kingsley | ||
2021 | Real Talk | Rick the Republican | |
Shooting Paul | Ben | ||
Serena's Game | Ben | ||
2022 | A Tale of Two Guns | Abel Cruz | |
Assailant | Michael | ||
Mad Heidi | President Meili | ||
The Most Dangerous Game | Baron Von Wolf | ||
Battle of Saipan | Vic | ||
County Line: No Fear | Zed Dalton | ||
2023 | Daughter | Father | |
The Flood | |||
Monsters of California | Myers |
Filmography: Television Roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1990 | Menu for Murder | Lifeguard | TV movie |
1991 | Saved by the Bell | Student | Uncredited; episode: "Pipe Dreams" |
Dangerous Women | Brad Morris | Recurring | |
1992 | Freshman Dorm | Zack Taylor | 5 episodes |
Life Goes On | Unknown | Episode: "Udder Madness" | |
1993–1994 | One Life to Live | Tyler "Ty" Moody | TV series |
1994 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Jesse | Episode: "Cattle Drive: Part 1 & 2" |
Beverly Hills, 90210 | Griffin Stone | 7 episodes | |
1995 | P. C. H. | Randy | TV movie |
Silk Stalkings | Roger Barrows | Episode: "I Know What Scares You" | |
Married... with Children | Eric Waters | Episode: "Blonde and Blonder" | |
1996 | Backroads to Vegas | Adam | TV movie |
Lethal Orbit | Tom Corbett | ||
Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus | King Tal | ||
The Colony | Sawyer | ||
1997 | The Outer Limits | Jake Miller | Episode: "Heart's Desire" |
NightScream | Teddy Johnson / Ray Ordwell Jr. | TV movie | |
James Dean: Race with Destiny | James Dean | ||
1998 | Modern Vampires | Dallas | TV movie, also producer |
On the Border | Jake Barnes | TV movie | |
1999 | Shark Attack | Steven McKray | |
The Collectors | A.K. | ||
Thrill Seekers | Tom Merrick | ||
2000 | Partners | Axel | |
Python | Bart Parker | ||
Road Rage | Jim Travis | ||
Cutaway | Delmira | ||
2000–2001 | Titans | Chandler Williams | 14 episodes |
2001 | Chasing Destiny | Bobby Moritz | TV movie |
Under Heavy Fire | Captain Ramsey | ||
The Tracker | Connor Spears | ||
Danger Beneath the Sea | Miles Sheffield | ||
2002 | The Vector File | Gerry | |
2003 | Big Spender | Eddie Burton | |
Windfall | "Ace" Logan | ||
2004 | Skeleton Man | Oberron | |
Dracula 3000 | Abraham Van Helsing | ||
What the Bleep Do We Know!? | Romantic Moritz | Documentary; uncredited | |
Rock Me, Baby | Michael | Episode: "Love at First Flight" | |
2005 | I Married a Princess | Himself | Also producer |
Hollywood Flies | Zach | TV movie | |
Maiden Voyage | Kyle Considine | ||
Personal Effects | Chris Locke | ||
The Fallen Ones | Matt Fletcher | ||
Officer Down | Philip Hallows | ||
Premonition | Jack Barnes | ||
2006 | Meltdown | Tom | |
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Danny Freemont | ||
Slayer | "Hawk" | ||
2006–2007 | Watch Over Me | Andre Forester | 64 episodes |
2008 | Aces 'N' Eights | Luke Rivers | TV movie |
Mask of the Ninja | Jack Barrett | ||
2008, 2009 | Monk | Steven Albright | 2 episodes |
2009 | One Hot Summer | Luther Simmonds | TV movie |
2010 | Turbulent Skies | Tom | |
Laugh Track Mash-ups | James | Episode: "Coopin' with Mr. Levy" | |
The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation | Randy McGovern | TV movie | |
2012 | Lake Effects | Ash Henson | |
Fugitive at 17 | Spencer Oliphant | ||
Femme Fatales | Joe Hallenbeck | Episode: "One Man's Death" | |
Baby's First Christmas | Kyle | TV movie | |
2015 | Fire Twister | Scott | |
Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf | Ray | ||
Patient Killer | Jason | TV movie; also director | |
2017 | Hawaii Five-0 | Roger Niles | Episode: "Na La Ilio" (Dog Days) |
2018–present | All American | Harold Adams | 10 episodes |
2022–present | Salvage Marines | Samuel Hyst | |
TBA | Stripped | Chris Cameron | 6 episodes |
Filmography: Web Series and Video Games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Johnny Cage | 5 episodes |
2015 | Interns of F.I.E.L.D. | Hawk Guy | 2 episodes |
2015–2016 | Con Man | Waiter (cameo) | 6 episodes |
2016 | Crunch Time | Casper Van Dien | 3 episodes |
2017 | Super Power Beat Down - Boba Fett vs Star-Lord | Hal Jordan / Green Lantern | Fan film |
2018 | Deadpool The Musical 2 - Ultimate Disney Parody! | Cyclops | |
2021 | Batman: Dying Is Easy | James Gordon | Fan film |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1996 | Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom | Confed Redshirt #3 | |
2005 | Starship Troopers: The Video Game | General Johnny Rico (voice) | |
2024 | Starship Troopers: Extermination | General Johnny Rico (voice) |
See also
In Spanish: Casper Van Dien para niños