Verne Troyer

Infobox actor


caption = Verne Troyer, May 2007
birthdate = birth date and age|1969|1|1
birthplace = Sturgis, Michigan, USA
spouse =
yearsactive = 1994 - present
occupation = actor, stunt

Verne Troyer (born January 1 1969 ] imdb name|id=0873942|name=Verne Troyer] ) is an American actor and stunt man. Verne is notable for his height of height|ft=2|in=8, the result of dwarfism. As a professional actor, he is most noted for playing the character of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies.

Biography

Personal life

Troyer was born in Sturgis, Michigan, the son of Susan, a factory worker, and Reuben Troyer, a repair technician. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/1/Verne-Troyer.html Verne Troyer Biography (1969-)] from FilmReference.com] He has two siblings, Davon and Deborah. He grew up in Centreville, Michigan and graduated from high school in 1986. He attended Kellogg Community College in Coldwater, Michigan. On the door to one of his classrooms and the toilet facilities, the school installed a "special" door handle that is still there today. The actor filed for an annulment on February 23, 2008 in order to foreclose any claim on the part of Genevieve Gallen that she married him.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2004-06-08#celeb9|title=Mini-Me Actor Challenges Model's Marriage Claims|publisher=IMDB|publishdate=2004-06-08|accessdate=21 January|accessyear=2007]

tolen tape

On June 25 2008, a private home videotape of Troyer and his former live-in girlfriend Ranae Shrider having sex was leaked to the public by TMZ, [cite web|url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=27632|title= Troyer in Sex Tape Scandal|accessdate= 2008-07-04|publisher= San Francisco Chronicle] which had been made during the Easter weekend of 2008 at Raffles L’Ermitage hotel. [cite web|url= http://avn.com/internet/articles/31086.html|title= AVN Exclusive: Verne Troyer's Ex Discusses Sex Tape, Relationship, More|accessdate= 2008-07-04|author= Sherri L. Shaulis|date= 2008-07-03|publisher= AVN] Kevin Blatt, the man responsible for brokering the deal for the Paris Hilton sex tape in 2003, attempted to sell the video.

Troyer sued TMZ, Blatt, and online rental company SugarDVD for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement. The lawsuit charged that Blatt illegally acquired the stolen tape and that TMZ ignored repeated cease-and-desist letters demanding its return. [ [http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b144456_mini-mes_xtra-large_sex-tape_suit.html Mini-Me's Xtra-Large Sex-Tape Suit] ]

On June 27, 2008, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting distribution or broadcast of the tape, and indicated in his ruling that he would be inclined to make a stronger preliminary injunction against TMZ, Blatt, and SugarDVD. [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hTvv-1TlVbs5maqnqo5fnLg8ov2QD91IORV82 Judge halts release of Verne Troyer sex tape] , Associated Press, June 27, 2008] Blatt responded by claiming that he was approached to broker the tape, but declined after learning Troyer had not consented to its release. Blatt also claimed "I never had [the tape] in my possession." [cite web|url= http://avn.com/internet/articles/30995.html|title= Kevin Blatt: 'I Don't Have the Mini-Me Sex Tape'|accessdate= 2008-06-28|author= Sherri L. Shaulis|date= 2008-06-27|publisher= AVN] Shrider stated that the tape was created using her video camera and that she was the tape's owner.cite web|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/02/AR2008070201436.html|title= TMZ allowed to repost portion of actor's sex tape|accessdate= 2008-07-02|date= 2008-07-02|publisher= {Washington Post] As a result, the injunction against both TMZ and SugarDVD was lifted although Blatt was still enjoined from distributing or taking orders for the tape.

On August 5, 2008, Troyer filed a second lawsuit seeking $20 Million in damages and an injunction prohibiting the marketing or distribution of the tape against Shrider, her manager Holly Bannon and Okorie Okorocha, an attorney Troyer alleged tried to broker a deal to distribute the tape. [http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/08/01/ap5282008.html] [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-me-troyer7-2008aug07,0,4963733.story] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080102690.html]

Filmography

*Pinocchio's Revenge (1996) as Pinocchio's miniature double
*Men in Black (1997) as alien son
*Wishmaster (1997) as creature stage #1
*My Giant (1998) as wrestler
*Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) as Wee Waiter
* (1998) as Sundae
*Mighty Joe Young (1998) as baby Joe
*Here Lies Lonely (1999) as Virgil
*Instinct (1999) as Gorilla Performer
* (1999) as Mini-Me
*Mission: Imp (2000) as Ethan Runt
*Bit Players (2000) as Marty Rosenthal
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) as Band Member
*Bubble Boy (2001) as Dr. Phreak
*Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as Griphook the Goblin
*Run for the Money (2002) as Attila
*Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) as Mini Me
*Pauly Shore is Dead (2003) as himself
*Postal (2007) as himself
*The Love Guru (2008) as Coach Punch Cherkov
*College (2008) as Himself
*The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) as Percy

Television work

*"Masked Rider" (1995-1996) (stunts for Paul Pistore)
*"Shasta McNasty" (1999-2000)
*"Jack of All Trades" (2000) - Napoleon Bonaparte
*"Boston Public" (2003) - Taylor Prentice (2 episodes)
*"Karroll's Christmas" (2004)
*"The Girls Next Door" (2005) -Himself/Episode : Fight Night.
*"The Surreal Life" (cast member in 2005)
*"Bo! in the USA" (2006)
*" (2007)
*"Welcome to Sweden" (2007)

ee also

*Dwarfism
*Nelson de la Rosa

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0873942|name=Verne Troyer
* [http://www.thelocal.se/6982/ The Local - Verne Troyer in Sweden]
* [http://www.movieset.com/node/4790/play Verne Troyer interview] On [http://www.movieset.com/ Movieset.com]