Jerry Trainor
{{Short description|American actor (born 1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jerry Trainor
| image = Jerry Trainor Photo Op GalaxyCon Richmond 2025.jpg
| caption = Trainor at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2025
| image_size =
| birth_name = Gerald William Trainor
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|01|21}}
| birth_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
| education = University of California, Santa Barbara (B.F.A.)
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|musician}}
| yearsactive = 1997–present
| parents =
| children =
}}
Gerald William "Jerry" Trainor (born January 21, 1977){{cite news|title=Jerry Train or Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards|website=TV Guide}} is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as "Crazy" Steve in Drake & Josh and Spencer Shay in the teen sitcom iCarly (both on Nickelodeon) and its Paramount+ revival series of the same name, winning three Kids' Choice Awards for his performances. He also did voice work in T.U.F.F. Puppy as Dudley Puppy, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Since 2004, Trainor has worked primarily on the Nickelodeon network. Outside of this, he has had recurring and guest roles on young adult-oriented shows on the Disney Channel and Netflix as well as in the more mature shows Crossing Jordan and 2 Broke Girls.
Early life and education
Trainor was born and raised in San Diego, California,{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Diane |date=2013-02-15 |title=San Diego native stars in new Nickelodeon series |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2013/02/15/san-diego-native-stars-in-new-nickelodeon-series/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2013-02-15 |title=Jerry Trainor of 'iCarly' stars in new sitcom |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2013/02/15/jerry-trainor-of-icarly-stars-in-new-sitcom/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}} the son of Bill Trainor, a retired Navy fighter pilot and public defender, and Madelyn Trainor, a retired high school calculus teacher. He has an older sister named Liz. He is of Irish, Croatian, and German descent.{{cite tweet|last=Trainor|first=Jerry|author-link=Jerry Trainor|user=jerrytrainor|number=324698094568624128|date=April 17, 2013|title=@SeddieMania I'm Irish, of course I want some of your baked potato! Duh! Get it in my stomach now!|language=en|access-date=March 3, 2021}}
Trainor grew up in the San Diego community of Scripps Ranch and attended the University of San Diego High School.{{Cite web|date=February 16, 2013|title=San Diego native stars in new Nickelodeon series|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/tv/sdut-nickelodeon-vinnie-trainor-cox-icarly-county-2013feb15-story.html|access-date=March 3, 2021|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027045402/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/tv/sdut-nickelodeon-vinnie-trainor-cox-icarly-county-2013feb15-story.html|url-status=live}} He studied drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.{{Cite web |url=https://sfsketchfest2015.sched.com/artist/jerry_trainor.1t5eu47j |title=Jerry Trainor |date=2015 |website=sfsketchfest2015.sched.com |accessdate=May 10, 2022 |archive-date=June 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626224228/https://sfsketchfest2015.sched.com/artist/jerry_trainor.1t5eu47j |url-status=live }} He studied improvisation at The Groundlings school in Los Angeles. Before becoming an actor, he worked at San Diego SeaWorld.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/tv/sdut-nickelodeon-vinnie-trainor-cox-icarly-county-2013feb15-story.html%3f_amp=true |title=San Diego native stars in new Nickelodeon series - the San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921204959/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/tv/sdut-nickelodeon-vinnie-trainor-cox-icarly-county-2013feb15-story.html?_amp=true |url-status=dead }}
Acting career
His first television role was in the MTV series Undressed as Eric. Some of his other television credits include Law & Order True Crime, Angel, and Malcolm in the Middle. His first recurring TV role was as Brian "the A.V. guy" on Crossing Jordan. He has had several small roles in films such as the science fiction drama Donnie Darko and the cheerleader comedy Bring It On Again. He appeared on the web series Hungry Girl.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGw_gup9NJo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/BGw_gup9NJo |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Fun With... The Hungry Girl Book |author=HungryGirlTV |date=December 15, 2008 |access-date=November 7, 2011 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
Trainor had a recurring role on Drake & Josh as "Crazy Steve", a movie theater worker, from 2004 to 2007. He starred in iCarly as Spencer Shay, the older brother and guardian of Miranda Cosgrove's title character from 2007 to 2012 (him and Cosgrove had both previously acted on Drake & Josh, as Cosgrove played the role of the title duo's little sister Megan). For iCarly, he won three Kids' Choice Awards. He completed the 2008 music-themed comedy Wreckless Epic, in which he stars. Trainor starred in the animated series T.U.F.F. Puppy as the voice of Dudley Puppy, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.
Trainor was involved in a World of Warcraft video series titled Project Lore, playing the Draenei shaman Goggins. In February 2009, he left the series and was replaced by Jeff Cannata. He also starred alongside iCarly co-star Jennette McCurdy in the Nickelodeon TV movie Best Player, where he played Quincy Johnson, a video-game enthusiast whose main competition in a video-gaming contest is McCurdy's character.
In 2013, Trainor starred in the short-lived series Wendell & Vinnie as Vinnie, the uncle and guardian of Buddy Handleson's character Wendell. He played Commander Michael Sullivan for both seasons of the Halo in-universe podcast Hunt the Truth. In 2017, Trainor voiced the recurring role of Commander Cone on Bunsen Is a Beast.
File:Jerry Trainor KCA 2021.jpg]]Since 2018, Trainor and Mike O'Gorman have starred in a comedy Web series called The Porch, which can be found on YouTube. In 2018, Trainor starred in the film Cover Versions written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Todd Berger. The film premiered at the 2018 Palm Springs Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Sony Pictures. Parts of the film were shot on location during the KAABOO Del Mar music festival (in coastal northern San Diego County). Trainor's performance was heralded as being edgy and thought-provoking.
In March 2021, it was announced that iCarly was being revived. The series premiered on Paramount+ in June of that year, with Trainor reprising his role as Spencer Shay.{{Cite web|title=iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress to Reunite at the Kids' Choice Awards|url=https://people.com/tv/icarly-miranda-cosgrove-jerry-trainor-and-nathan-kress-to-reunite-at-the-kids-choice-awards/|access-date=March 8, 2021|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en|archive-date=March 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307134609/https://people.com/tv/icarly-miranda-cosgrove-jerry-trainor-and-nathan-kress-to-reunite-at-the-kids-choice-awards/|url-status=live}}
Music career
In October 2015, Trainor formed the band Nice Enough People with guitarist-vocalist Mike O'Gorman, drummer Andrew Zuber, and guitarist Allison Scagliotti, who also happened to be a co-star of Trainor's in Drake & Josh as the character Mindy Crenshaw.{{cite web|last=Grant|first=Stacey|date=April 12, 2016|title=Crazy Steve And Mindy From Drake & Josh Started A Band With A Very Appropriate Name|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2865761/drake-and-josh-crazy-steve-mindy-jerry-trainor-allison-scagliotti-nice-enough-people/|access-date=August 23, 2016|website=MTV News|archive-date=August 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825191116/http://www.mtv.com/news/2865761/drake-and-josh-crazy-steve-mindy-jerry-trainor-allison-scagliotti-nice-enough-people/|url-status=dead}} Trainor plays bass for the group. The group released its first EP, Hanover Hideaway, on June 22, 2016.{{cite tweet|author=Nice Enough People|user=NiceEnoughPpl|number=745661251347308545|date=June 21, 2016|title=It's here! Our debut EP "Hanover Hideaway" now on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify & Amazon etc. Here's the iTunes link|access-date=August 23, 2016}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| rowspan=3| 2001
| Lanky Kid |
| Evolution
| Tommy | Cameo{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} |
| Wayside
| Tommy | Direct-to-video film |
| 2004
| Smug Guy | Direct-to-video film |
| 2007
| Waking Dreams | Andrew | Direct-to-video film |
| 2008
|Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh |Crazy Steve |TV film |
| rowspan="3" | 2009
| Factory 9 | Roland Waters | Direct-to-video film |
| Wreckless Epic: The Journey to SXSW
| Kelly Kirkwood | |
| The Gamers
| Himself | Television film |
| rowspan="2" |2011
| Quincy "Q" Johnson | Television film |
| iParty with Victorious
| Television film |
| 2012
| Holiday Road | Doug | Segment: "October" |
| 2013
| Pororo, The Racing Adventure | Walter Featherbottom | Voice role |
| 2017
| Cover Versions | Travis | |
| 2018
| "Nigel"/Nick | Direct-to-video film |
| 2022
| Snow Day | Snowplow Man | Television film |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2000
| Eric | 2 episodes |
| 2001
| Private Edwards | Episode: "Evacuation" |
| rowspan=3| 2002
| Star Trek fan | Episode: "The Bowling Show" |
| Angel
| Jared | Episode: "Supersymmetry" |
| ER
| Darius | Episode: "One Can Only Hope" |
| 2004–2005
| Brian - A.V. Guy | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2004–2007
| Recurring role; 10 episodes |
| 2007–2012
| iCarly | Main role; also Director: "iApril Fools" and "iLost My Head in Vegas" |
| 2009
| Himself | Contestant |
| 2010
| Eddie (Cockroach) | Voice role; episode: "Stop Bugging Me" |
| 2010–2015
| Dudley Puppy | Main voice role |
| rowspan=2| 2010–2013
|rowspan=2| Victorious | Audience member | Episode: "Jade Dumps Beck" (uncredited){{citation needed|date=January 2020}} |
| Spencer Shay
| Episode: "April Fools Blank" |
| 2011
| That Movie Show | {{TableTBA|N/A}} | 1 episode |
| 2012–2013
| Will | Recurring voice role; 4 episodes |
| 2012
| Simian Undercover Detective Squad | Kelly the Elastic Man / Heptagan Scientist | 2 episodes |
| 2013
| Vinnie | Main role |
| rowspan=2| 2014
| "Crazy" Steve (voice only) / Himself | 2 episodes |
| Living the Dream
| Cal Logan | Television film |
| rowspan=3| 2016
| Lenin |
| Still the King
| P.M.S. Leader | 3 episodes |
| Star vs. the Forces of Evil
| Roy | Voice role; episode: "Goblin Dogs" |
| rowspan=2| 2017
| Commander Cone | Voice role; 3 episodes |
| Law & Order True Crime
| Will Canton | Episode: "The Menendez Murders: Episode 3" |
| rowspan=2| 2018
| The Adventures of Kid Danger | The Wahoo Punch Bro | Voice role; episode: "The Wahoo Punch Bro" |
| Henry Danger
| Joey | Episode: "Thumb War" |
| 2019
| Todd | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| rowspan=2| 2020
| Apocalypse Goals | News Janitor | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| Bunk'd
| Dave | Episode: "My Fairy Lady" |
| 2021–2022
| Himself |
| 2021–2023
| iCarly | Spencer Shay | Main role; also producer |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2009
| iCarly |rowspan=3|Spencer Shay |rowspan=4|Voice role |
| rowspan=2| 2010
| iCarly: iDream in Toons |
| iCarly 2: iJoin the Click! |
| 2014
| Todd Marcus |
Discography
=Soundtrack appearances=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Song |
| 2022
|Snow Day |"These Kids" |
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{IMDb name|0999117}}
- {{Twitter}}
- [http://www.nick.com/shows/specials/starpages/jerry-trainor.jhtml Jerry Trainor] at Nick.com
- {{Instagram|jerrytrainor}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trainor, Jerry}}
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:American Internet celebrities
Category:American male comedians
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Croatian descent
Category:American people of German descent
Category:Male actors from California
Category:Male actors from San Diego
Category:Musicians from San Diego
Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni