Dax Shepard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dax Shepard
Shepard at PaleyFest 2013 in Los Angeles
Born	Dax Randall Shepard (1975-01-02) January 2, 1975 (age 50) Milford Township, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater	Santa Monica College West Los Angeles College University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation	Actor comedian filmmaker podcaster
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Kristen Bell ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	2

Dax Randall Shepard (born January 2, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster. He is known for his roles in movies and TV shows. Since 2018, he has hosted Armchair Expert, a popular podcast. On his podcast, he talks with famous people, writers, and experts about their lives.

Shepard has been in many films like Without a Paddle (2004) and Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005). He also wrote and directed movies such as Hit and Run (2012) and CHiPs (2017). On TV, he played Crosby Braverman in Parenthood from 2010 to 2015. He also appeared in The Ranch and Bless This Mess. Early in his career, he was on the MTV show Punk'd.

Dax Shepard also helped start a company called Hello Bello. It makes diapers and baby products. He co-founded it with his wife, actress Kristen Bell.

Early Life and Education

Dax Shepard was born in Michigan, near Detroit. His mother, Laura LaBo, worked at General Motors (GM). His father, David Robert "Dave" Shepard Sr., was a car salesman. His parents divorced when he was three years old.

Shepard's mother became very successful in business. She started as a janitor at GM and later managed publicity events for magazines. From age 14 to 18, Dax worked with his mother. They traveled to different racetracks for car shows.

Dax Shepard was named after a character in a book called The Adventurers. He has an older brother, David Shepard Jr. He also has a younger half-sister, Carly Hatter. Carly appeared in two of his movies, Hit and Run and CHiPs.

Shepard grew up in suburban Detroit, mainly in Walled Lake, Michigan. He has Dyslexia, which means he learns differently. He has said that dyslexia helped inspire his acting career. He finished high school in 1993. Then he went to The Groundlings school, which teaches improv comedy. He also attended Santa Monica College and West Los Angeles College. Later, he went to UCLA and earned a degree in anthropology.

Career Highlights

Shepard at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City

After moving to Los Angeles in 1996, Shepard joined The Groundlings. This is a famous improv comedy group. He took classes for five years before becoming part of their Sunday Company. Other famous comedians like Melissa McCarthy were in his group.

Early TV and Film Roles

From 2003, Shepard was on the TV show Punk'd. This show played practical jokes on celebrities. He became friends with Ashton Kutcher, who hosted the show. Punk'd was Dax's first acting job after trying out for ten years.

In 2004, Shepard starred in the comedy movie Without a Paddle. He was alongside Seth Green and Matthew Lillard. Even though critics didn't love it, the movie made a lot of money. In 2005, he played The Astronaut in the science fiction film Zathura: A Space Adventure. He also appeared in Employee of the Month and Idiocracy in 2006.

Shepard got his first main role in the 2006 movie Let's Go to Prison. He also had a big role in the 2008 comedy Baby Mama. He wrote, directed, and starred in the movie Brother's Justice in 2010. This film won an award at the Austin Film Festival. He also had a small role in When in Rome, where he met his future wife, Kristen Bell.

TV Series and Directing

From 2010 to 2015, Dax Shepard was a main actor in the NBC show Parenthood. He played the character Crosby Braverman.

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard

In 2012, Shepard wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in Hit and Run. His wife, Kristen Bell, and friend Bradley Cooper were also in the movie. He said the film, which has many car chases, let him live out a childhood dream.

Shepard also had a supporting role in the 2014 film The Judge. In 2014, he and Kristen Bell starred in popular commercials for Samsung.

Shepard wrote and directed the movie CHiPs, released in 2017. It was based on an old TV show. He played Officer Jon Baker in the film.

Podcasting Success

On February 14, 2018, Shepard started his podcast called Armchair Expert. His co-host is Monica Padman. The podcast explores the lives of their guests. Famous guests have included Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Kristen Bell. The show also has "Experts on Expert" episodes, where they interview specialists in different fields. Armchair Expert was the most popular new podcast on iTunes in 2018. In 2024, it was one of the top podcasts on Spotify.

In 2019, it was announced that Shepard would host the new Top Gear America. This show premiered in January 2021.

Personal Life

Shepard and Kristen Bell at the 2012 DoSomething Awards

Dax Shepard met actress Kristen Bell at a friend's birthday party. They started dating in late 2007. They got engaged in January 2010. They decided to wait to get married until same-sex marriage was legal in California. They married on October 17, 2013. They have two daughters, born in March 2013 and December 2014.

Hobbies and Interests

Shepard loves racing motorcycles at places like Buttonwillow Raceway. He also enjoys cars and races off-road. He owns a 1967 Lincoln Continental car that was used in his movie Hit and Run.

He also gives his time to the Hollenbeck Youth Center. This program helps young people in the city after school. He helps with their toy giveaway program.

Shepard and his wife, Kristen Bell, supported a law called "no-kids paparazzi." This law helps protect children of famous people from photographers. The law passed in California in 2013.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: Dax Shepard para niños