Ethan Suplee (born May 25, 1976) is an American film and television actor best known for his roles as Frankie Stechino in Boy Meets World and Randy Hickey in My Name Is Earl. He stands at 6’2 ½”.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Suplee was born in Manhattan, the son of Debbie and Bill Suplee (the latter of whom would go on to play "Willie," the one-eyed mailman, in My Name Is Earl). His parents were actors who met while performing summer stock and appeared on Broadway; his mother also worked as a drama teacher.[1] Suplee's family moved to Los Angeles, California, when he was one year old.
Career[]
Suplee began acting in school plays. At 16, after high school, he was encouraged by friend Giovanni Ribisi to take an acting class. (It was also through Ribisi that Suplee first met his friend and future "Earl" castmate, Jason Lee.) Ethan dropped out of the acting class at 17, however he felt inspired to pursue acting as a career. He was originally best known as the kid from Sega's "Dead Squirrel" Game Gear commercials in the early 1990s.
The first major role Ethan landed was his comedic performance as Willam Black in Mallrats, directed by Kevin Smith, alongside Jason Lee. Smith recast both Suplee and Lee in later films Chasing Amy, and Dogma. They both make cameos in Clerks II. He went on to a guest starring role as Frankie "The Enforcer" Stechino in Boy Meets World, from 1994-1998. Suplee's notable dramatic performances include the roles of the obese Nazi skinhead Seth in American History X, a Goth in The Butterfly Effect, football player Louie Lastik in Remember the Titans, Johnny Depp's buddy and initial drug-dealing partner Tuna in Blow, and the simpleminded Pangle in Cold Mountain. Suplee also had an uncredited cameo in the HBO TV series Entourage as the scene-mate of movie star Vincent Chase in the fictional movie Queen's Boulevard.[2]
Personal life[]
Suplee married Brandy Lewis, daughter of Geoffrey Lewis and sister of Juliette Lewis, in the summer of 2006. The couple have two daughters, Frances Clementine (born 2005) and Billie Grace (born 2007). Lewis also has two daughters from a previous marriage. Both Suplee and Lewis are members of the Church of Scientology.[3] In Clerks II, he was shown to have lost a substantial amount of weight.
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Boy Meets World (TV) | Frankie Stechino |
| 1995 | Mallrats | Willam Black |
| 1997 | Chasing Amy | Comic Fan |
| 1998 | American History X | Seth Ryan |
| Desert Blue | Cale | |
| 1999 | Tyrone | Joshua Schatzberg |
| Dogma | Noman the Golgothan (voice) | |
| 2000 | Takedown | Dan Brodley |
| Road Trip | Ed | |
| Vulgar | Frankie Fanelli | |
| Remember the Titans | Louie Lastik | |
| 2001 | Don's Plum | Big Bum |
| Blow | Tuna | |
| Evolution | Deke | |
| 2002 | John Q | Max Conlin |
| The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest | Tiny | |
| 2003 | Cold Mountain | Pangle |
| 2004 | The Butterfly Effect | Thumper |
| Without a Paddle | Elwood | |
| 2005 | Neo Ned | Johnny (orderly) |
| My Name Is Earl (TV series) | Randy Hickey | |
| Entourage (TV series) | Unnamed (cameo appearance) | |
| 2006 | Art School Confidential | Vince |
| The Fountain | Manny | |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus | Jingle | |
| Clerks II | Teen #2 | |
| 2007 | Mr. Woodcock | Nedderman |
| American Pie Presents: Beta House | Fraternity Geek |