Jeremy Suarez
{{short description|American actor (born 1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{multiple issues|
{{notability|bio|date=April 2020}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2020}}
}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jeremy Suarez
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Jeremy Steven Suarez
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|7|6}}
| birth_place = Burbank, California, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1996–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Maria Suarez|2017}}
}}
Jeremy Steven Suarez (born July 6, 1990){{Cite news |date=July 5, 2003 |title=Celebrations |work=The Madison Courier |page=B7}} is an American former actor, best known for his role as Jordan Thomkins on The Bernie Mac Show (2001–2006), and as the voice of Koda in Brother Bear (2003) and Brother Bear 2 (2006).
Beginning his career as a child actor at the age of five, he first appeared as Tyson Tidwell in Jerry Maguire (1996), and most recently appeared as Nathaniel in The Fix (2017). Throughout his career, Suarez has been nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, two Young Artist Awards and an Annie Award.
Biography
Suarez is of African and Cuban descent, and is the oldest of three siblings.
He was raised in the Muslim religion.{{Cite news |date=November 5, 2003 |title=ACTORS BEAR UP WELL IN THEIR BROTHERHOOD |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2003-11-05-0311040304-story.html |access-date=November 4, 2022 |work=The Orlando Sentinel}}
In 1996, he made his debut in Jerry Maguire as Rod Tidwell's son Tyson.{{Cite web |title=Jeremy Suarez |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/jeremy-suarez-58340741/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910034659/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/jeremy-suarez-58340741/ |archive-date=2015-09-10 |website=Hollywood.com}} He appeared in the short-lived sitcom Built to Last (1997) as Ryce Watkins,{{Cite book |last=Leszczak |first=Bob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C3JuDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Jeremy+Suarez%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA36 |title=Single Season Sitcoms of the 1990s |date=August 31, 2018 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9781476670775 |page=36}} the youngest son in a family of seven.{{Cite news |last=Bianco |first=Robert |date=September 24, 1997 |title='Dharma & Greg' hipper than 'Danza,' 'Built to Last' |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=D-7}} Suarez made guest appearances on sitcoms Sister, Sister (1996) and The Wayans Bros. (1998), and had a recurring role as Raymond Wilkes on medical drama Chicago Hope (1996−98).
When Suarez was 8 years old, he joined the cast of the sitcom The Bernie Mac Show (2001−06) as Jordan Tompkins, the nephew of the titular character Bernie Mac.{{Cite book |last=Riley |first=Sam |title=Star Struck: An Encyclopedia of Celebrity Culture |publisher=ABC-Clio |year=2009 |isbn=9780313358135 |pages=40 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Jamieson |first1=Patrick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vNXUFQf6-iIC&dq=%22Jeremy+Suarez%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA206 |title=The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950 |last2=Romer |first2=Daniel |date=July 22, 2008 |isbn=9780199711390 |page=206|publisher=Oxford University Press }} For portraying Jordan, Suarez received two NAACP Image Award nominations.{{Cite magazine |date=2003 |title=The 34th NAACP Image Awards |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S9orwsHJ9BcC&dq=%22Jeremy+Suarez%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA27 |magazine=The Crisis |publisher=National Association for the Advancement of Colored People |page=27}}{{Cite news |date=January 16, 2004 |title=The 2004 NAACP Image Award nominees |url=https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=INR20040116-01.1.23&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Jeremy+Suarez%22------ |work=Indianapolis Recorder |page=C5}} Suarez appeared on Larry King Live in 2008 with his fellow cast to discuss Mac's death.{{Cite web |date=August 12, 2008 |title=CNN Larry King Live Tribute to Bernie Mac |url=http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/12/lkl.01.html |website=CNN}}
He voiced Koda, a bear cub whose mother was killed by the protagonist,{{Cite news |date=November 18, 2003 |title='Brother Bear' is lovable, huggable |work=Calhoun Times |pages=1, 6}} in the Disney film Brother Bear (2003).{{Cite web |title=Brother Bear Movie Preview, Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Suarez, Directed by Aaron Blaise and Bob Walker, Sister, Sister |url=http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/tickermaster/listing.cfm?TMID=90:Brother_Bear |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203020/http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/tickermaster/listing.cfm?TMID=90%3ABrother_Bear |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=October 1, 2011 |publisher=BoxOfficeProphets}} A book author believed Suarez's performance was the best in the film.{{Cite book |last=Klossner |first=Michael |title=Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television: 581 Dramas, Comedies and Documentaries, 1905-2004 |date=January 12, 2006 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9780786422159 |page=18}} Suarez received an Annie Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production as Koda, but lost to Ellen DeGeneres.{{Cite web |title=31st Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2003) |url=http://annieawards.org/31st-annie-awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701220856/http://annieawards.org/31st-annie-awards |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=Annie Awards}} He reprised the role of Koda in sequel Brother Bear 2 (2006).{{Cite web |last=Moore, Andre |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Not Kids Anymore: 16 Black TV Child Stars Who Are All Grown Up |url=http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/06/19/kids-anymore-16-black-tv-child-stars-grown/5/ |publisher=Atlanta Black Star |pages=5}}
In 2004, Suarez appeared in two feature films. He provided the voice of Russell in an animated sequence of Fat Albert{{Cite book |last1=Monush |first1=Barry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCCkhsztnYgC&dq=%22Jeremy+Suarez%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA176 |title=Screen World: 2005 Film Annual |last2=Willis |first2=John |author-link2=John A. Willis |date=April 2006 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9781557836687 |page=176}} and portrayed Li'l Gawain in The Ladykillers.{{Cite book |last=Rowell |first=Erica |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R4MlJ8n-B4wC&dq=%22Jeremy+Suarez%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA373 |title=The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen |date=May 30, 2007 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9781461664086 |page=373}} Following the end of The Bernie Mac Show, Suarez struggled to find acting work and found employment in more conventional jobs outside of the film industry, including as a boilermaker.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Janesha |date=June 24, 2021 |title='I Had Never Gone Six Months Without a Job': 'The Bernie Mac Show' Star Jeremy Suarez Explains What Happened to His Acting Career |url=https://atlantablackstar.com/2021/06/24/i-had-never-gone-six-months-without-a-job-the-bernie-mac-show-star-jeremy-suarez-explains-what-happened-to-his-acting-career/ |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=Atlanta Black Star}}
Most of Suarez's work post-Bernie Mac have been in voice-overs, guest starring on King of the Hill and voicing a puppet in Nike commercials during the 2009 NBA Playoffs. He provided Kai's voice in the animated feature film, Zambezia (2012).{{Cite web |title=Jeremy Suarez (visual voices guide) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jeremy-Suarez/ |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=Behind the Voice Actors}} In Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014), Suarez played Cooper Folly, the nerd's sidekick.{{Cite web |title=Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angry_video_game_nerd_the_movie/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{Cite web |last=Rich |first=Jacob |date=September 7, 2014 |title='Angry Video Game Nerd' a disappointing failure |url=https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/09angry-video-game-nerd-movie-review12/ |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=The Michigan Daily}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1996
|Tyson Tidwell | |
| 1998
|Kevin | |
| 2001
|The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze |Tippy |Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2002
|Alien Kid, additional voices |Voice (deleted scenes) |
| 2003
|Koda |Voice |
| rowspan=2|2004
|Li'l Gawain | |
| Fat Albert
|Russell |Voice{{Cite web |title=Fat Albert – A Film That Didn't Work Then and Doesn't Work Now |url=https://tremg.info/2020/10/08/fat-albert-a-film-that-didnt-work-then-and-doesnt-work-now/ |website=tremg.info|date=October 8, 2020 }}{{Cite web |title=Russell Cosby - Fat Albert (Movie) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Fat-Albert/Russell-Cosby/ |website=www.behindthevoiceactors.com}} |
| 2005
|Room to Grow |Teasel |Short |
| 2006
|Koda |Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2008
|RJ | |
| 2012
|Kai |Voice |
| 2014
|Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie |Cooper Folly |
| 2017
|The Fix |Nathaniel | |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Television |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1996
|Little Boy |Episode: Kid-Napped |
| 1996–98
|Raymond Wilkes |6 episodes |
| 1997
|Ryce Watkins |8 episodes |
| 1998
|Dexter |Episode: The Son of Marlon |
| 1998
|Ryan |Episode: Local Hero |
| 2000
|Cowboy Trick or Treater |2 episodes |
| 2001
|Nuebert |Voice, episode: "Fun in the Sun" |
| 2001–06
|Jordan Thomkins |104 episodes |
| 2002
|Scared Boy |Voice, episode: "The Journal" |
| 2005
|Wally |Voice, television film |
| 2007–08
|Arrow Kid #1, Jack |Voice, 3 episodes |
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0836836|name=Jeremy Suarez}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez, Jeremy}}
Category:20th-century African-American male actors
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century African-American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:African-American male child actors
Category:American entertainers of Cuban descent
Category:American male child actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors