- Zen Gesner
Infobox actor
imagesize = 150px
name = Zen Gesner
birthdate =June 23 ,1970 (37)
birthplace =Van Nuys, California Zen Brant Gesner (born
June 23 ,1970 ) is an American television and movie actor. He is perhaps most recognized for his roles as "Sinbad" in the syndicated television series "The Adventures of Sinbad ", and as a regular cast member on the ABC daytime drama "All My Children " as bad boy and rapistBraden Lavery . More recently he's appeared in Miller Lite's "Man Laws " commercials as one of the "Men Of The Square Table". The actor also guest-starred on an episode of the popular sitcom "Friends " in which he played Rachel Green's boyfriend. A graduate of the prestigiousLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Gesner has appeared in several movies since his cinematic debut as an FBI agent in the 1994 comedyDumb & Dumber , includingMe, Myself & Irene , "Shallow Hal " andThere's Something About Mary . In 2005, he appeared in the romantic comedy "Fever Pitch " starringDrew Barrymore andJimmy Fallon .Biography
Early life
Gesner was born in
Van Nuys, California , the son of stage actressNan Martin andarchitect Harry Gesner . [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/92/Zen-Gesner.html Zen Gesner Biography (1970-) ] ] His parents named him after the Japanese Buddhist sect that preaches enlightenment through meditation, and he had an older half-brother, Casey Martin Dolan, from his mother's first marriage to musicianRobert E. Dolan . He also has two older half-siblings from his father's prior marriages, Jason Gesner (Hydroelectric Manager), and Tara Tanzer-Cartwright (Teacher).Gesner was interested in music as a boy, and plays both the piano and trumpet. He became an aspiring actor while attending
Santa Monica High School after landing a small part in the school's production of Hamlet, and went on to play leading roles in the school's rendition of "Nicholas Nickleby" and "The Sound of Music". Upon graduation, Gesner joinedSouth Coast Repertory Theatre in Orange County, CA, performing in small roles and watching experienced actors ply their craft.Career
After touring the audition circuit, Gesner sought admission to LAMDA's intensive summer program on Shakespeare and was accepted. Towards the end of the course, he was offered a position in the general three-year programme at the Academy, whose American alumni include such actors as
Alexis Denisof ,John Lithgow andDonald Sutherland .As a student at LAMDA, Gesner not only performed in such plays as Richard III,
The Cherry Orchard andAnything Goes , but also studied everything from poetry to archery to fire-blowing. He especially excelled in fencing and during his second year, earned an advanced certificate from The Society of British Fight Directors. Post-graduation from the Academy, the actor worked as Assistant Fight Director to the Royal Opera House, London.Gesner made his feature film debut in
Dumb & Dumber and put his real-life surfing skills to use as a surfer in theChris Isaak music video, "Somebody's Crying."After four auditions and a screen test, Gesner won the title role in the syndicated fantasy-action series, "The Adventures of Sinbad". The series was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, and involved heavy stuntwork and use of special effects. Between shoots, Gesner added to his physical performance skills by picking up tricks from a local circus troupe, such as tightrope walking, inverted rope-climbing, kicking/flipping up from the ground (known as "kipping"), and stunt flips. Although listed on the fall lineup for a third season, the well-rated series ended its run after the second season due to contract disputes between the production company and series distributors.
Since the conclusion of "Sinbad" in 1998, Gesner has appeared on television series such as "
Friends " and "All My Children ". He played the role of David Patrick in the 2005 movie "The Ringer ", a film about theSpecial Olympics . He was also the spokesperson for Chicken Of The Sea's 2005 "What Women Want" marketing campaign. Gesner and his wife Cynthia have three sons: Finn, Rory, and Tuck.Gesner is brother-in-law to the
Farrelly Brothers , and has received several small roles in Farrelly Brothers movies, including "Dumb & Dumber ", "Fever Pitch ", "Kingpin", "Me, Myself & Irene ", "Osmosis Jones ", "Shallow Hal " and "There's Something About Mary ".He is now appearing in the
Man Laws commercials forMiller Lite . [ [http://www.manlaws.com/ Miller Lite > Home of the Original Lite Beer ] ]Personal life
Gesner moved back to the States, where he met and married his wife Cynthia Farrelly Gesner (sister of the writer-directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly) in 1995. They moved to Hollywood, where Gesner worked part-time in construction while auditioning for television and movie roles.
They have three sons: Finn Harry Gesner (b.
24 July 1997 inCapetown, South Africa ), Rory Gesner, and Tuck John Gesner (b.July 11 ,2003 inSanta Monica, California .References
External links
*imdb name|id=0315143|name=Zen Gesner
* [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Makeup/6025/ Sinbad Gallery]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/5302/ House of Zen]
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