Simon Rex Cutright (born July 20, 1974), known professionally as Simon Rex and his stage name Dirt Nasty, is an American actor and rapper. Rising to fame as an MTV VJ, Rex later became an actor known for What I Like About You, starring in three films of the Scary Movie franchise, and National Lampoon's Pledge This!. He later developed a rap persona, Dirt Nasty, and had several solo albums and co-founded the hip-hop group Three Loco. In 2021, he received critical acclaim for his lead role in Sean Baker's drama film Red Rocket, winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

Early life

Rex was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Alameda, the son of Zoe, an environmental consultant, and Paul, a relationship coach. He is Jewish. Rex was an only child who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rex's father was a breath-work coach (in the tradition of alternative psychologist Stanislav Grof) who walked out on him when he was little. At age 18, he was attending community college and working at a potato-sack factory when he began dating and living with a model in Oakland.

Career

Early work in porn and on MTV (1993–1998)

In 1993, aged 19, Rex responded to an advertisement in a Los Angeles magazine and agreed to be photographed nude for photographer Brad Posey and his Club 1821 studio. The following year, under the alias "Sebastian", he appeared in solo masturbation scenes for three gay Club 1821 pornographic films: Young, Hard & Solo #2, Young, Hard & Solo #3, and Hot Sessions III. Archive footage of Rex was also used in the 2000 films Hot Sessions 11 and Hot Sessions 12. One day, while Rex was driving his girlfriend to a casting audition and also watching her child as she prepared to audition, a casting director spotted him sitting in the waiting room and the next day he was on a flight to Milan to work as a model. In 1994, Rex went on a modeling tour for Tommy Hilfiger, before going on to appear in mainstream modeling gigs for Calvin Klein Inc, Versace, and Levi's. In 1995, MTV hired Rex to work as a VJ and kept him on the air for over two years before he and two other VJs were let go.

Television and film (1999–2017)

In 1999, he was cast in the comedy-drama television series Jack & Jill, which aired on The WB channel for two seasons. He appeared as Eli in the TV show Felicity and television guest appearances followed including Baywatch, Everwood, and Summerland. Starting in 2002, Rex starred with Amanda Bynes in the sitcom What I Like About You. In 2006, he appeared on the Lifetime primetime telenovela Monarch Cove, which ran for fourteen episodes. From television into film, Rex has held the lead role in feature films including Scary Movie 3, 4, & 5, Hotel California, The Karate Dog, King of the Avenue, and Superhero Movie. Rex more recently starred alongside comedian Nick Swardson in the Comedy Central show, Typical Rick, which ran for two seasons from 2016 to 2017.

Music (2005–2020)

Rex entered the music industry in 2005 as a rap artist after becoming friends with and discovering Mickey Avalon. Rex adopted his alter ego Dirt Nasty and formed the rap group Dyslexic Speedreaders with Avalon & Andre Legacy. Rex both produced and was featured on the group's hit song "My Dick". Again the group paired with Lil Jon to create the song "What Do You Say" which was featured in 2009's blockbuster comedy film, The Hangover. Rex was an investor in the New York City nightclub The Plumm with partners Noel Ashman, Samantha Ronson, Chris Noth, and others. It opened in 2006 and closed in 2009. In 2007, Dirt Nasty released his self-titled debut album which included the songs 1980, Cracker Ass Fantastic & Dropping Names. His second album, 2011's Nasty as I Wanna Be, featured Ke$ha, LMFAO, Too Short, and Warren G. Rex's other musical projects under his Dirt Nasty alias include his third album Palatial, and the supergroup Three Loco which features Andy Milonakis and Riff Raff. As Three Loco, the group teamed up with producer Diplo and released the group's eight-song EP on Diplo's Mad Decent label. Dirt Nasty appeared in Season 1, episode 5 of Paris Hilton's My New BFF where the girls had to play "Seven Minutes in Heaven" with him.

Film resurgence (2021–present)

In 2020, Rex, stuck in a floundering music endeavor with film opportunities having dried up, received a call from director Sean Baker asking him to send in a video audition for the film Red Rocket, after which he was quickly offered the lead role. Rex stated: "Sean Baker gave me a shot when nobody else would ... I didn’t really work for over a decade. And I think Sean wanted to prove to people that he could show someone like me could do it." The film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and the film - and particularly Rex's performance - received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The film was considered a serious acting career breakthrough for Rex and his comeback in the industry. In October 2021, as a result of the attention Red Rocket had garnered, Rex signed with the management firm Range Media Partners. He next appeared in Mack & Rita, starring Diane Keaton, followed by Down Low with Zachary Quinto. Soon after that, he was cast in a number of other films that premiered in film festivals, such as Americana and The Sweet East. Other film appearances include Greedy People, Blink Twice, and Everything's Going to Be Great. He was cast in a supporting role in The Leader, a biopic about the Heaven's Gate cult led by Marshall Applewhite. Rex appeared in the April 2, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Jerrod Carmichael with musical guest Gunna, in the music video "Short-Ass Movies", where in addition to appearing as himself, his face is used for Ernest P. Worrell.

Other activities

In late 2023, Rex co-founded a re-launched men's skincare brand out of Colorado known as MOX. As the face of the brand, he regularly promotes MOX products on his social media and during interviews.

Personal life

In his late 40s, Rex reconnected with his father. They shared a "psychedelic experience" during which Rex learned his grandfather was a "spiritual leader" who was "not always the most faithful member of his flock." Rex bought a house in Laurel Canyon after the success of Scary Movie 3. He was living in a guesthouse in the Venice neighbourhood of Los Angeles when he was offered US$70,000 by British tabloids to falsely claim he had dated Meghan Markle, his co-star in Cuts. Tabloids speculated that he had dated Paris Hilton, but he insisted they were just "friends that held hands." Rex lives off the grid in Joshua Tree, California, in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Guest appearances

Productions

Awards and nominations