Zack Gottsagen
{{short description|American actor, musician and baseball player}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Zack Gottsagen
| birth_name = Zachary Robin Gottsagen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|4|22}}
| birth_place = United States
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2019–present
| spouse =
}}
Zachary Robin Gottsagen (born April 22, 1985) is an American actor and rapper. He had a breakout role for the film The Peanut Butter Falcon.
Career
His screen debut happened as an infant in an instructional film on natural childbirth.{{Cite web|title=Zack Gottsagen - 2018 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient|url=https://bebeautifulbeyourself.org/zack-gottsagen/|website=Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show |access-date=June 5, 2021 |language=en}}
While at Zeno Mountain Farm, a camp for people with and without disabilities, Gottsagen met Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. At his request for them to make a film with him as the star, Nilson and Schwartz wrote and directed The Peanut Butter Falcon. In the film, Gottsagen had a starring role as an aspiring professional wrestler with Down Syndrome.{{Cite web|last=Rosen|first=Lisa|date=2019-12-03|title=Zack Gottsagen has Down Syndrome. And a movie role. And a best bud named Shia LaBeouf|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-12-03/zack-gottsagen-shia-labeouf-peanut-butter-falcon-dakota-johnson|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}
In 2020, Gottsagen became the first person with Down Syndrome to be a presenter at the Academy Awards, when he and Shia LaBeouf presented the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.{{Cite web|title='The Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Zack Gottsagen Takes Stage as First Oscar Presenter With Down Syndrome |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/peanut-butter-falcon-star-zack-gottsagen-makes-history-at-oscars-1277720|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Hollywood Reporter|date=9 February 2020 }} In 2019, he was recognized as a Breakthrough Entertainer by the Associated Press.{{Cite web|last=Isaza|first=Marcela|date=2019-12-17|title=Breakthrough Entertainer: Zack Gottsagen realizes a dream|url=https://apnews.com/article/e9f2308710bae22c27af1ea14a4989ab|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Associated Press}}
Gottsagen starred with Felicity Huffman in an ABC television pilot based on the life of Susan Savage, owner of the minor league baseball team the Sacramento River Cats.{{cite news |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title=Felicity Huffman To Headline Baseball TV Comedy In Acting Return; ABC Nabs Project Co-Starring Zack Gottsagen From Becky Hartman Edwards & Kapital |url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/felicity-huffman-return-acting-tv-baseball-comedy-abc-zack-gottsagan-college-admissions-scandal-zack-gottsagen-becky-hartman-edwards-kapital-1234618744/ |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=Deadline |date=November 30, 2020}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role ! class="unsortable" |Notes |
| 2012
|Bulletproof (short) | Gar Vunderson / Grimm Jim |
| 2014
|Becoming Bulletproof (documentary) |self |
| 2019
|Zak |
| 2020
|Cheerleader |
| TBA
|Kenny |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Work ! Result ! Ref. |
|---|
| rowspan=2| 2020
|Palm Springs International Film Festival Rising Star Award | The Peanut Butter Falcon | {{Won}} |
| Hollywood Critics Association Newcomer Award
| The Peanut Butter Falcon | {{Won}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|5789377|Zack Gottsagen}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gottsagen, Zach}}
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:Actors with Down syndrome
Category:American actors with disabilities