Spencer Breslin (born May 18, 1992) is an American actor. Breslin has appeared in feature films such as Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, The Cat in the Hat, Raising Helen, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, The Shaggy Dog, Harold. His television credits include Teamo Supremo, Stephen King's Storm of the Century, and Law & Order. As of 2016, Breslin has been writing songs for and playing in his band, Broken Machine, and co-hosting the Spencer & Lara's Vomitorium podcast.

Personal life

Breslin was born in New York City, New York, to Michael Breslin, a telecommunications consultant of Irish and Austrian-Jewish heritage, and Kim Breslin (née Walsh), a talent manager of predominantly Irish and English heritage. He has two siblings: an older brother Ryan (b. 1985), and a younger sister Abigail (b. 1996), who are actors. They were raised on the Lower East Side and were homeschooled by their mother. He acted in his first commercial at the age of 3 and went on to act in over 50 commercials during his career. Breslin married Australian activist Grace Tame in 2017; they divorced in 2021 after 4 years of marriage.

Acting career

Early years

Breslin was discovered by a talent scout at a New York City playground at the age of three, and proceeded to star in more than 50 commercials for McDonald's, Life cereal, and other products. He made his first TV debut at age 4, and was a series regular for the three-episode-long 1997 first season of ABC's sitcom Soul Man, in which he played the youngest child of Dan Aykroyd. He later guest starred in several shows including Law & Order, before appearing in the 1999 three-part horror miniseries Stephen King's Storm of the Century.

2000–2004

At 8 years old, Breslin entered into film by starring in the 2000 fantasy comedy-drama film Disney's The Kid as 8-year-old Rusty alongside Bruce Willis (who plays his adult version, Russ). For his role in Disney's The Kid, Breslin won the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Young Actor Age Ten or Under at the 22nd Young Artist Awards presented by the Young Artist Association.undefined He was also nominated for the 2001 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor awarded by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, and the 2000 Young Star Award for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Film, presented by The Hollywood Reporter.undefined Writing for The New York Times, film critic A. O. Scott stated: "Mr. Willis stands by while a child swipes a movie out of his open palm ... Spencer Breslin, Russ's tubby, cute-but-annoying almost-8-year-old self."undefined Entertainment Weekly observed: "children will have fun by all means especially because young Breslin is such a natural, funny, unmannered boy."undefined The film grossed $110 million.undefined He played a little boy in the 2000 comedy film Meet the Parents. Later that year he was Joey in the Disney Channel Original Movie The Ultimate Christmas Present, a comedy, and was nominated in the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy or Drama) Young Actor Age 10 or Under He played Curtis the Elf in the 2002 Christmas comedy film-drama-fantasy film The Santa Clause 2, marking the first of four films in which he co-starred alongside Tim Allen. The film made $173 million in gross sales, and was the fifth-highest-grossing holiday film ever and the 28th-highest-grossing film worldwide of the year, making $29 million in its opening weekend.undefined In 2002 he also appeared in television films such as the 2002 Mom's on Strike, as a pesky younger brother in the 2003 You Wish!, and Ozzie.undefined He has also been involved in animation films, notably by lending his voice as Cubby the lost boy in the animated fantasy comedy-drama film Return to Neverland in 2002, for which he was nominated for a 2003 Young Artist Award as Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role at the 24th Young Artist Awards, and as Captain Crandall/Cap in the Disney animated television series Teamo Supremo in 2002–03.undefined The film had a worldwide box office of $109 million. Breslin then returned to the big screen starring alongside Dakota Fanning and Mike Myers as a cute, messy, troublemaker squabbling brother of Fanning's in the 2003 fantasy comedy film The Cat in the Hat, which was critically panned and grossed $134 million worldwide.undefined Breslin played on-screen siblings with his real-life younger sister Abigail Breslin in the 2004 comedy drama Raising Helen, starring Kate Hudson as their aunt and guardian.undefined The two siblings worked together again in the 2004 romantic comedy The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, in which Spencer at the age of 12 played a prince and Abigail made a cameo as a girl at an orphanage.undefined The film had a worldwide box office of $122 million. In 2004, Spencer Breslin was a regular on the short-lived CBS sitcom Center of the Universe starring John Goodman.undefined He appeared in the Wonderfalls episode "Lovesick Ass."undefined Also in 2004, Breslin was asked to read alongside Alyson Stoner, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, and Hailey Anne Nelson when Dr. Seuss won his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.undefined

2005–2009

Abigail appeared with Spencer once again, in 2006's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, in which Spencer reprised his role of Curtis the Elf.undefined At the 28th Young Artist Awards, for his performance in the film Spencer was nominated for the 2007 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Young Ensemble Cast.undefined In 2006 Breslin also appeared in two other feature films; the superhero action-adventure comedy Zoom, and the comedy The Shaggy Dog (as the son of Tim Allen, who turns into a dog).undefined Variety Chief Film Critic Justin Chang noted: "its occasional lump-in-the-throat moments are almost effortlessly achieved, thanks to strong work from [Kristin] Davis and Breslin in particular."undefined The film made a worldwide gross of $111 million.undefined At the age of 16, Breslin went on to star as the titular character in 2007's offbeat teen comedy Harold, alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., about a teen who starts prematurely balding at an early age.undefined S. James Snyder, in his review for the New York Sun, wrote: "As played by Mr. Breslin, Harold is an inspired creation, at times a fidgety Woody Allen, at others a brooding George Costanza."undefined Breslin appeared as Josh in M. Night Shyamalan's science fiction doomsday thriller 'The Happening' in 2008 with Mark Wahlberg.undefined

2010–present

He lent his voice as Anthony to the 2010 animated 3-D educational sci-fi adventure film Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. In 2010, MTV listed Breslin as one of "The 17 Coolest 17 Year-Olds from Around the World". Breslin appeared as Max in the 2011 film Born to Race. He then played Jason in the 2012 romantic comedy drama Stuck in Love. Spencer appeared alongside Abigail as Cousin Derek in the 2012 crime drama Perfect Sisters. Breslin also began to work in other aspects of film making, serving as an executive producer on the animated Really Bad Movie! in 2013, as well as writing and directing his own short films. Breslin starred as Isaac in the 2016 horror film Some Kind of Hate, which starred Grace Phipps and Sierra McCormick and played at the Stanley Film Festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival, and Fright Fest. As of July 2016, Breslin was co-hosting the Spencer & Lara's Vomitorium weekly podcast, dedicated to "complaining about the unbearable, insufferable, and aggravating."

Music

Breslin finished recording his folk-indie debut album Labor Day in October 2009; the album was released in August 2012. It was recorded by Ladybug Transistor's Gary Olson, and produced by James William Hindle. Breslin has founded his own record label, Acadian Recording Company. As of July 2016, he was writing songs for and playing in his rock 'n roll, indie folk music, punk-type band Broken Machine. Breslin writes all the music that he plays.

Discography

Labor Day

Labor Day is Breslin's debut album, released under his own label, Acadian Recording Co., on the 14th August 2012. Written and composed by sixteen-year-old Breslin, Labor Day was recorded by Gary Olson - known for his engineering work for acts such as Cold Cave, Jens Lekman, and The Essex Green – over three, week-long sessions in Brooklyn from 2008 to 2009. The album was produced by James William Hindle, whose own music has been featured in The O.C., One Tree Hill, and other shows. Musicians featured include, among others, Kevin Barker (Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, and Antony and the Johnsons), Isobel Knowles (Architecture in Helsinki), Kyle Forester (Crystal Stilts), and Eric Farber (Ladybug Transistor). The record also features a spoken word cameo by actor Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, The Squid and the Whale).

Track listing

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Breslin won the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Young Actor Age Ten or Under. He was also nominated for the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy or Drama); Young Actor Age 10 or Under, the 2000 YoungStar Award for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Film, the 2001 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor, the 2003 Young Artist Award as Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role, and the 2007 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Young Ensemble Cast.

List of awards