Jason Lee is best known to many as Earl Hickey, the lead character in the four-season NBC comedy "My Name is Earl," which earned the actor numerous award nominations. Lee had already established himself as a strong force in the professional skateboarding world before acting. According to the website for Stereo Sound Agency, which he co-founded in 1992, Lee rose to prominence in the late 1980s and developed a roster of skateboarding tricks that got him noticed by those in the know, which led to him starring in the promotional film "Video Days." Lee spent time in Texas and focused on his work as a photographer ("It's all green and windy roads, and there's horses and cows everywhere you look," he told Vanity Fair), but there were several decades where he was an in-demand Hollywood hotshot.
Lee's first substantial role was in Kevin Smith's 1995 film "Mallrats," and he has gone on to appear in many of Smith's other works, including "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." Proving his versatility, Lee has also appeared as Chipmunk-loving Dave in the four live-action "Alvin and the Chipmunks" films, and in Oscar-caliber works such as "Almost Famous" and "Vanilla Sky." In addition to "Earl," he led TNT's dramedy "Memphis Beat" for two seasons. Finally, Lee's distinctive voice has lent itself well to voiceover work, and he has played characters in both big and small-screen animated fare.
The star told Vanity Fair in 2019 that he was interested in returning to acting, and while he's still flourishing in photography, Lee was living in Los Angeles again as of 2021.
