Zak Knutson
Zak Knutson (born January 4, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan) is a director, producer, writer, and actor.
Zak Charles Knutson | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1974 (age 47) |
| Occupation | American actor and film producer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse(s) | Molly Glover (2010-present) |
Career
1990s
Starting in 1993, Knutson acted in multiple television programs including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Coach, Beverly Hills, 90210, and The John Larroquette Show.
2000s
In 2000, Knutson landed an assistant role at View Askew Productions.[1] In 2005, he created the production company Chop Shop Entertainment[1][2] with longtime friend Joey Figueroa.
2010s
The last Chop Shop project was Milius, a documentary on Hollywood rebel John Milius. The film opened at the SXSW Film Festival in 2013. The film also played at the Telluride Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. In 2014, Knutson directed Marvel 75: From Pulp to Pop[3] for Marvel and ABC Television. Knutson directed Shock the World, a documentary about Jesse Ventura's path from professional wrestler to governor of Minnesota. Shock the World premiered April 2015 at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.[4][5]
Knutson directed Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years, which aired on ABC on January 19, 2016.[6]
The film Supercon, starring Clancy Brown, Maggie Grace and John Malkovich, was written by Knutson (along with Dana Snyder and Andy Sipes) and is directed by Knutson.[7]
Personal life
In his youth, Knutson was an avid surfer and a fan of the film Big Wednesday.[8] Knutson worked as a bouncer in the mid 1990s[9] and as a tour guide for Universal Studios Hollywood.[10]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Editor | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The John Larroquette Show | Yes | Episode "There's a Mister Hitler Here to See You" as Hanz | |||
| 1994 | Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Yes | Episode "I Know Why the Caged Bird Screams" as Football Player #2 | |||
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Yes | Episode "Civil Defense" as Pakled Commander | ||||
| Coach | Yes | Episodes "The Popcorn Bowl" and "Out of Control" as Doug Prescott | ||||
| 1995 | Sisters | Yes | Episode "Sleeping with the Devil" as Drunk Frat Guy | |||
| Burke's Law | Yes | Episode "Who Killed Cock-a-Doodle Dooley?" as Detective Dan Cutter | ||||
| Species | Yes | As Club Doorman (uncredited) | ||||
| 2001 | FreakyLinks | Yes | Episode "Subject: Still I Rise" as Production Assistant | |||
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Yes | (voice) (uncredited) as The C.L.I.T. | ||||
| 2004 | Snowball Effect: The Story of 'Clerks' | Line producer | ||||
| Clerks 10th Anniversary Q & A | Yes | Producer | ||||
| Clerks: The Lost Scene | Yes | (voice) as Mr. Dwyer | ||||
| 2005 | Laws of Gambling | Yes | Yes | As Bartender | ||
| The Ape | Yes | Also Line producer | ||||
| 2006 | Clerks II | Yes | As the Sexy Stud | |||
| Train Wreck! | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Back to the Well: the making of Clerks II | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2007 | The Art of Travel: Production Webisodes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Good Time Max | Yes | Yes | (co-producer); As Carl | |||
| 2008 | Sold Out: A Threevening with Kevin Smith | Yes | Yes | Yes | co-produced; co-directed | |
| 2009 | Fanboys | Yes | As Bob the Trucker | |||
| Popcorn Porn - Watching Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2011 | Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Tracing Amy - The Chasing Amy Doc | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Hollywoo | Yes | As Paramount Head of Security | ||||
| 2012 | Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Get the Gringo | Yes | As Hitman 2 | ||||
| Spoilers With Kevin Smith | Yes | Yes | Producer:
Episode #1.10
You Don't Know Dick: 'K. Phillip' Director: Episode #1.10 | |||
| 2013 | Milius | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2014 | Tusk | Yes | As Ernest Hemingway | |||
| Marvel 75: From Pulp to Pop | Yes | |||||
| 2015 | Shock the World | Yes | ||||
| 2016 | Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years | Yes | ||||
| 2018 | Supercon | Yes | Also writing credit | |||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | SXSW Film Festival | Audience Award | Milius | Nominated |
| 2013 | Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival | New Visions Award | Milius | Won |
References
- "Milius". USC Cinema Arts. 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "Meet the 2013 SXSW Filmmakers #6: Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa Teach Film History with 'Milius". 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "TV Review: 'Marvel, 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop!'". 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "'Shock The World' about Jesse Ventura's surprise rise to Governor at Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival". 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "Jesse Ventura's path to governor traced in new documentary". 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "Celebrate one of the world's most iconic in 'Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years' on January 19!". 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- "Zak Knutson Blames Poor Press Release For Similarities Between Supercon And The Big Con Job". 2016-07-07. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- "Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson interview: Milius". 2013-11-01. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "Meet the 2013 SXSW Filmmakers #6: Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa Teach Film History with 'Milius". 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- "Milius interview – Joey Figueroa and Zak Knutson". 2013-11-30. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
