Steve Zahn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steve Zahn
Zahn in 2008
Born	Steven James Zahn (1967-11-13) November 13, 1967 (age 57) Marshall, Minnesota, U.S.
Education	Gustavus Adolphus College Harvard University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Robyn Peterman ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2

Steven James Zahn (born November 13, 1967) is an American actor. He has won an Independent Spirit Award and has been nominated for other big awards like a Primetime Emmy Award.

Steve Zahn is well-known for his main roles in movies such as That Thing You Do! (1996), Happy, Texas (1999), and Joy Ride (2001). Many kids know him as Frank Heffley, the dad in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie series (2010–2012). He has also played important supporting roles in films like Stuart Little (1999–2002) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).

On TV, Zahn has starred in several popular shows. He was Davis McAlary in the HBO series Treme (2010–2013) and Mark Mossbacher in the first season of The White Lotus (2021).

Early Life and Education

Steve Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota. His father was a minister, and his mother worked at a bookstore. Steve spent some of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota. Later, his family moved to the suburbs of Minneapolis for his high school years.

While in high school, Steve loved acting in school plays. He even became a two-time state speech champion in Minnesota! After graduating in 1986, he thought about joining the United States Marine Corps.

Steve Zahn with Jennifer Aniston at the premiere of their 2008 movie Management

Zahn went to Gustavus Adolphus College for a short time. But he decided to leave after seeing the musical Les Misérables in London. He felt inspired and wanted to be an actor. He later studied acting at Harvard University and earned a special degree in Fine Arts.

Acting Career Highlights

Steve Zahn started his acting career on stage in 1991. He performed in a play called Biloxi Blues in Minnesota. He also helped start a theater company called Malaparte with friends like Ethan Hawke.

His big break in movies came in 1994 with the film Reality Bites. After this, he became known for playing friendly, easygoing characters in movies. Some of these roles include That Thing You Do! (1996) and You've Got Mail (1998).

In 1999, Steve Zahn got his first main role in the movie Happy, Texas. He won an award at the Sundance Film Festival for his funny performance in this film. After Happy, Texas, he started taking on more serious and complex characters. For example, he played an investigative journalist in Shattered Glass (2003).

To prepare for his role in the 2007 film Rescue Dawn, Steve Zahn lost 40 pounds. He played a prisoner of war in the Vietnam War.

From 2010 to 2012, Steve Zahn played Frank Heffley, the father of Greg Heffley, in the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie series.

In 2017, he played a character called Bad Ape in War for the Planet of the Apes. This role was very challenging because it involved motion capture technology. He studied chimpanzee videos to prepare for it.

Steve Zahn has also worked a lot in television. He was a regular on the HBO show Treme for 36 episodes. In 2021, he had a main role in the hit HBO series The White Lotus.

Personal Life and Interests

Steve Zahn met his wife, Robyn Peterman, in 1991 when they were both performing in a play. They got married in 1994 and have two children.

The family lives on a horse farm outside Lexington, Kentucky. Steve enjoys gardening and raising animals like horses, goats, and sheep there. He and his wife also help run a local community theater, where Steve sometimes performs. He also has a cabin near Pine City, Minnesota, where he likes to go tubing and fishing with his kids.

Steve Zahn is a big fan of military history. He also loves University of Kentucky sports and often attends their games. In 2007, he received an honorary Ph.D. from Northern Kentucky University.

Filmography

Steve Zahn has been in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of his notable works.

Selected Films

Selected Television Shows

Video Games

Theatre Performances

See also

In Spanish: Steve Zahn para niños