Blake Jenner | |
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 Jenner in 2013 | |
| Born | Blake Alexander Jenner (1992-08-27)August 27, 1992 (age 33) |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
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Blake Alexander Jenner (born August 27, 1992)[1] is an American actor. Jenner won the second season ofOxygen'sThe Glee Project and, as a result, portrayedRyder Lynn on theFox musical comedy-drama seriesGlee. He has since had starring and supporting roles inEverybody Wants Some!! (2016),The Edge of Seventeen (2016),American Animals (2018), andWhat/If (2019).
Jenner was born inMiami, Florida, on August 27, 1992, the son of Mitzy and Richard Vernon Jenner. His mother is of Cuban descent, from a family fromSantiago de Cuba.[2][3] He is the youngest of four sons, having three elder brothers, Mike, Derrick and Richard.[4]
He grew up interested in music and film and began playingdrums at age nine.[5] He attendedFelix Varela High School, where he joined the school's drama society Troupe 6162 and played varsityfootball andwrestled.
Saying he was "in love with improv and comedy,"[6] he beganimprovisation lessons[7] and participated in stage productions at the Roxy Performing Arts Center. In 2008, he became a member of "Impromedy", asketch comedy improv group based in Miami.[8]
Eager to pursue a career in acting, Jenner left Miami and moved toLos Angeles after graduating from high school a year early, with just $2,500.[3][9] While residing in California, he took on many jobs including a waiter, clothing store associate, and parrot salesman while auditioning for acting roles.[3][10] He continually attended improv classes atThe Groundlings, and eventually did a guest show with that company two years later.[11][12] By 2011, he was cast in the short filmsWurlitzer andThe Truth In Being Right and the horror filmCousin Sarah. He also made a guest appearance onABC Family's sitcomMelissa & Joey as Miller Collins.[13]
In 2012, he was selected through industry channels to audition as one of 15 contestants on the second season ofThe Glee Project, a televisionreality show for which the prize was a guaranteed seven-episode arc on the following season ofGlee. He was one of three finalists and ultimately won.[14] After appearing as Ryder Lynn on the fourth season ofGlee, he was later nominated and won theTeen Choice Award for Choice TV Breakout Star.[15] Jenner, along with co-starsJacob Artist,Becca Tobin,Alex Newell, andMelissa Benoist, was promoted to series regular status for thefifth season.[16]
In the summer of 2013, Jenner wrote the screenplay forBilly Boy. He and Benoist went onKickstarter to ask fans to help fund the project's production; as of December 11, 2013, the project has reached its $100,000 goal. Jenner was subsequently cast in the horror filmWithin.[17] In late 2015, Jenner was cast in a recurring role as Adam Foster onSupergirl, playing opposite his then-wife Melissa Benoist, who stars as the series' title character. His first appearance aired on January 25, 2016.[18]
In 2016, Jenner starred as Jake Bradford inRichard Linklater's comedy filmEverybody Wants Some!!, which was released on March 30, and playedHailee Steinfeld's character's brother in the coming-of-age dramaThe Edge of Seventeen.[19] He was in the cast ofShawn Christensen's drama filmThe Vanishing of Sidney Hall,[20] which premiered at the2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released in 2018. He was in the cast of Bart Layton's crime drama filmAmerican Animals.[21] It premiered at the2018 Sundance Film Festival and was released in June 2018, byThe Orchard andMoviePass Ventures. Jenner played Christian de Neuvillette in theGoodspeed Musical production'sCyrano at theNorma Terris Theatre in August and September 2018.[22][23]
Jenner played Sean inWhat/If,Netflix's 2019 anthology neo-noir thriller series.[24] In August 2019, it was announced that Jenner would star inRichard Linklater'sfilm adaptation ofMerrily We Roll Along, which would be shot over the course of twenty years. Jenner had been set to star alongsideBeanie Feldstein andBen Platt.[25] On January 10, 2023, it was announced that Jenner would be replaced inMerrily We Roll Along byPaul Mescal.[26]
Jenner became engaged to his formerGlee co-starMelissa Benoist in 2013[27] and the pair reportedly married in 2015.[28] The same year, Benoist commented that they had been married "longer than anybody knows," with some sources claiming that the couple actually wed in 2013.[29][30] Benoist filed for divorce in late December 2016, citing irreconcilable differences,[31] and the divorce was finalized in December 2017.[32]
In 2019, Benoist shared an Instagram video chronicling her experience as a survivor ofdomestic violence. Benoist suffered an injury in 2015 that tore her iris and left her pupil permanently enlarged. In her video she revealed that the injury to her iris was due to a phone being thrown at her during a domestic dispute in a relationship marked by repeated abuse. Jenner and Benoist were married at the time.[33][34] Benoist also stated she had experienced extreme control, manipulation, and cycles of severe violence including being slapped, punched, shoved into a wall, dragged by her hair, and choked during the relationship.[35] In October 2020, Jenner responded via an Instagram post in which he admitted to causing the eye injury and confirmed the infliction of abuse throughout the relationship. He also alleged that the abuse during their relationship had been mutual and that she had physically assaulted him during the relationship, resulting in injury.[36][37] Benoist had previously stated in her original Instagram video that she began fighting back in defense against Jenner's attacks during their relationship.[38][39]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Fresh 2 Death | Connor | Short film |
| 2011 | Wurlitzer | Alexander Moore | Short film; also producer |
| Cousin Sarah | Brett Marks | ||
| 2012 | The Truth In Being Right | Jeffrey | Short film |
| 2014 | Love at First Site | Sydney Reynolds | Short film |
| 2016 | Everybody Wants Some!! | Jake Bradford | |
| The Edge of Seventeen | Darian Franklin | ||
| Within | Tommy | ||
| 2017 | The Vanishing of Sidney Hall | Brett Newport | |
| Billy Boy | Billy Forsetti | Also writer and producer | |
| 2018 | American Animals | Chas Allen | |
| 2022 | Paradise City | Ryan Swan[40] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Melissa & Joey | Miller Collins | Episode: "A House Divided" |
| 2012 | The Glee Project | Himself | Reality television, main cast (season 2) |
| 2012–15 | Glee | Ryder Lynn | Recurring role (season 4); main cast (season 5); guest star (season 6) |
| 2013 | Master Chef | Himself | Episode: "Top 14 Compete" |
| 2016 | Supergirl | Adam Foster | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | What/If | Sean | Main cast |
| 2023 | The Proposal Spot | Pete Sandres | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | NBA 2K19 – My Career Mode | Howie Carter | Voice and motion pictures[41][42] |
| 2019 | NBA 2K20 - My Career Mode | Assistant GM | Voice and motion pictures[41][42] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Cyrano | Christian de Neuvillette | Goodspeed Musical production | [43] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Cyrano | Christian de Neuvillette | The New Group production | [44] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Breakout Star | Glee | Won |
| 2017 | San Diego Film Festival | Rising Star | Won |
The 19-year-old...
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