Ken Marino : biography
Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Marino (born December 19, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He was a cast member on MTV’s The State and on the Starz comedy Party Down. He currently co-stars on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital and stars on the web series Burning Love.
Early life and career
Marino was born in West Islip, New York to an Italian family. He studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in New York City. He had early success on television as a member of a comedy troupe on the MTV sketch comedy series’ The State in 1993, of which he was also a founding member. Marino co-starred with Rob Schneider in the second season of Men Behaving Badly. He starred in the short lived series First Years in 2001. He had a recurring role as Prof. Wilder on the TV series Dawson’s Creek (2001–2002) and in You Wrote It, You Watch It (1992). He made multiple appearances on Charmed, Reaper and Rock Me Baby, and appeared in three seasons of Veronica Mars as private detective Vinnie Van Lowe. He was cast to star in a re-make of the TV series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, but the pilot was not picked up. Instead, he was cast in the Starz original series Party Down. He also starred as a homosexual demon on the TV series Reaper. He currently plays Dr. Glenn Richie in the satirical television series Childrens Hospital.
Marino also made guest appearances in Will & Grace (in the season three episode "Three’s a Crowd, Six Is a Freakshow"), in Angel season one, in Reno 911! (episode 2 season 1 and episode 3 season 3), in Stella season one, in Grey’s Anatomy season two, in Monk (in season 3’s "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine") and in season three of Private Practice.
Filmography
Feature films
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Gattaca | Sequencing Technician | |
1999 | Love Happens | Mike Parker | |
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster | Music Producer | Short film, non-speaking role | |
Carlo’s Wake | Antonio Torello | ||
2000 | 101 Ways | Officer Russotelli | |
2001 | Tortilla Soup | Jeff | |
Wet Hot American Summer | Victor Kulak | ||
Joe Somebody | Rick Raglow | ||
2002 | Charmed | Miles | Phoebe’s love interest |
2002 | Dawson’s Creek | Professor David Wilder | Recurring guest star in season 5 |
2004-2007 | Veronica Mars | Vincent Van Lowe | Recurring Seasons 1-3 |
2005 | Hoodwinked! | Racoon Jerry | Voice Only |
The Baxter | Jack Mechanic | ||
2006 | Duncan Removed | Ben | Short Film |
Diggers | Lozo | Also Producer/Writer | |
2007 | The Ten | Dr. Glenn Richie | Also Producer/Writer |
Reno 911!: Miami | Deaf Tattoo Artist | ||
2008 | Role Models | Jim Stansel | Also Writer |
2009 | The Antagonist | Part Host | Short Film |
2010 | Jeffie Was Here | Roger | |
2012 | Wanderlust | Rick Gergenblatt | Also Producer/Writer |
2013 | Axe Cop | Flute Cop | |
2014 | Veronica Mars | Vinnie Van Lowe |
Film and screenwriting
Marino starred in 2004’s Love for Rent. He can also be seen in a non speaking role as the music producer/board operator in the pre-ride film that accompanies Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He has appeared in Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten and Role Models, and had a cameo in the end of The Baxter. He also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door in 2006. In 2009, he had a cameo in an episode of Californication.
Marino wrote the screenplay for Diggers (2007), a coming-of-age film set in mid-1970s Long Island, as well as and co-writing/producing The Ten and Role Models with David Wain.
Marino and Wain wrote the screenplay for the comedy film Wanderlust, which starred Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston and was released in 2012. Also in 2012 he starred as the bachelor, Mark Orlando, in the web series Burning Love, a spoof of the TV series The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
Personal life
Marino is married to actress/writer Erica Oyama (born 1981) and together they have a son Riley Ken’ichi Marino and welcomed a daughter, Ruby in August of 2009. He also stars on Krogzilla.