Steve Zahn (full name Stephen James Zahn) is an American film and theater actor, producer, winner of the Sundance Film Festival, and two-time Actors Guild Award nominee. He began his creative career in the 1990s.
Zahn's career began at the local theater in Minnesota. He was cast and starred in the production of Biloxi Blues, without yet having a professional acting education. Then he played in the national theater. Later he founded his own troupe Malaparte.
In 2007, Zan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Visual Arts from Northern Kentucky University.
In film and television, Zan has played about a hundred roles. He also often takes part in the voice acting of famous animated films.
Biography facts
The future actor was born in the fall of 1967 in the United States. His father was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, and his mother worked for the YMCA youth volunteer organization. His ancestors were from Germany and Sweden.
Steve never dreamed of an acting profession. He was going to serve in the army and be a Marine. Steve had a desire to become an actor after attending the play Les Miserables. He was so impressed with the production that he decided to study acting.
During his school years, Steve became interested not only in theater, but also in music. He started taking guitar lessons and taking vocals. Later, having already started acting in films, Steve repeatedly demonstrated his musical abilities and vocal abilities on the set.
Zan received his primary education at Robbinsdale-Cooper Senior High School. Then he entered Gustavus Adolphus College, where he began to study drama and acting. For some time Steve attended the Guthrie Theater Drama School, and then continued his studies at the theater institute at the Repertory Theater of Harvard University.
Creative way
Zan played his first role in the theater in the play "Biloxi Blues". This was followed by work in the national theater, with which he toured throughout the year in the cities of America.
Zan appeared in films in the early 1990s. He made his debut role in the little-known television drama "First Love, Fatal Love" in 1991.
A year later, Steve got one of the central roles in the science fiction film Rain Without Thunder. The picture was not successful and passed unnoticed at the box office.
The next work in big cinema was the role of Sammy Gray in the melodrama Reality Bites. Zan then starred in several television projects.
In 1996 he got one of the main roles in the musical drama What You Do, directed by the famous actor Tom Hanks. In this picture, Zan demonstrated not only his acting, but also musical talent. After the release of the picture on the screens, Zahn's career in cinema began to develop rapidly.
Zan is best known for his roles in projects: "You've Got Mail", "National Security", "Strong Woman", "What You Do", "Dallas Buyers Club", "Friends", "American Family", "Defective Detective", Captain Fantastic, War for the Planet of the Apes, Reservoir Dogs, Mind Games, Blaze.
Zan has voiced cartoon characters in projects: "Doctor Dolittle 2", "Stuart Little", "Chicken Chicken", "Escape from Planet Earth", "The Good Dinosaur".
Personal life
In the early 1990s, Steve met artist Robin Peterman. The romantic relationship lasted three years. In 1994, Steve and Robin became husband and wife. The couple had two children: Audrey Claire and Henry James.
The family lived in New Jersey for several years, and then settled on a farm in Kentucky. They are engaged in agriculture and horse breeding.
Steve is an avid fisherman, so he often spends his free time on the lake, fishing and taking a break from work.
