Justin Long

Actor

• Born: June 2, 1978
• Place of Birth: Fairfield, Connecticut

Contribution: Justin Long is an actor best known for his roles in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004), a series of Apple commercials opposite John Hodgman (2006–9), the television series New Girl (2011–15), and the film And Then I Go (2017).

Background

Justin Long was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1978, the second of three sons born to R. James Long, a philosophy professor at Fairfield University, and Wendy Lesniak, a former Broadway actress. Long attended Fairfield College Preparatory School and later went to Vassar College.

Long’s first experiences on the stage came while in college and working with the comedy troupe Laughingstock. Though he made his breakthrough in film before graduating college, Long decided to postpone full-time work in acting to finish his degree.

Career

Long’s first film appearance was in the 1999 science-fiction comedy Galaxy Quest, which starred Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman. Long had a small but notable role as Brandon, an obsessive fan of the fictional television series of the title. Following his graduation, Long landed a starring role in the horror comedy Jeepers Creepers (2001), playing the character of Darry Jenner, a role he would briefly revisit in the sequel Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003). One of Long’s most recognized roles was that of Henry, the prom date of Britney Spears's character in the critically panned romantic comedy Crossroads (2002). Though it was a small role, Long’s appearance in Crossroads made him a minor teen icon due to the overwhelming popularity of Britney Spears.

From 2000 to 2004, Long was one of the main characters in the comedy television series Ed, about the romantic and professional life of a failed contract lawyer. The series was generally well received and helped Long gain credibility as a comedic actor. This led to his being cast in comedy films such as DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004), starring Vince Vaughn. Between comedy roles, Long also acted in a few children’s and family movies, including Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) alongside Lindsay Lohan. He also appeared beside future action star Ryan Reynolds in the independent film Waiting . . . (2005).

Much of Long’s fame came as a result of his appearances in television commercials advertising Apple computers alongside comedian John Hodgman, in which Long played the role of the Mac opposite Hodgman’s PC. Following this commercial series, Long was often referred to in media by the nickname “Mac Guy.”

Long’s first opportunity to play the lead in a comedy was the 2006 film Accepted, about a young man who establishes his own college after being rejected from numerous colleges and universities. He then costarred in the big-budget action film Live Free or Die Hard (2007), part of the Die Hard series that first catapulted actor Bruce Willis to fame. Also in 2007, Long had success as a voice actor in Alvin and the Chipmunks, a film version based on the popular television series of the same name. Long voiced the character of Alvin, one of the primary stars of the film, and reprised this role in the 2009, 2011, and 2015 sequels.

Long played legendary musician George Harrison of the Beatles in a short scene in the film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), alongside Jack Black, Jason Schwartzman, and Paul Rudd, though the four were uncredited. Long also appeared in a supporting role in the 2008 Kevin Smith film Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The following year, he performed in the romantic comedy He’s Just Not That into You alongside real-life love interest Drew Barrymore. Barrymore and Long also starred together in the 2010 romantic comedy Going the Distance.

Long and his brother Christian, an actor who appeared in Accepted and in the animated film Hop (2011), cowrote the screenplay for the 2013 romantic comedy A Case of You, staring Long as a young writer forced to live up to a fictional online profile after falling in love with a woman (Evan Rachel Wood) he met through a dating website. The film received mixed but generally positive reviews and costarred Sam Rockwell, Brendan Fraser, and Vince Vaughn. Long also appeared in the 2011 television series New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel (he would return for two more episodes in 2012 and 2015), and the animated series Unsupervised, which aired in 2012.

In 2014, Long had starring roles in the romantic comedy Comet, the crime-thriller The Lookalike, and the comedic horror film Tusk. After appearing in Frank & Lola (2016) and Lavender (2016), he joined an ensemble cast that included Jon Heder, David Krumholtz, Melonie Diaz, and Paul W. Downs for the comedy-thriller Ghost Team (2016), in which the group attempts to explore potential paranormal activity. Switching gears, he then played the part of a parent of a teen facing the emotional struggles of adolescence in And Then I Go (2017). Also a talented voice actor, beginning in 2015, he provided the voice for the character Kevin Murphy in Netflix's animated series F Is for Family and, starting in 2016, he voiced the dragon Spyro in Skylanders Academy. In 2019, he starred in the independent film Safe Spaces and the sci-fi film The Wave. He also appeared as Vickers in eight episodes of the TV miniseries Giri/Haji.

Long's voice was featured in several 2021 projects, including three episodes as Roboto in Masters of the Universe: Revelation and completing a string of forty-four appearances in various roles as part of the animated show F is for Family between 2015 and 2021. He appeared in several horror films in 2022, including House of Darkness and Barbarian, as well as the romantic comedy Christmas with the Campbells.

In 2023, Long appeared ten times as Nathan Bratt in the television series Goosebumps, an adaptation of the popular middle grade series. Among his other credits that year were two more horror films, Dear David and It's a Wonderful Knife. He also starred in another made-for-tv Christmas movie, The Christmas Break. In 2024, he appeared as Stank in the teen comedy The 4:30 Movie, a film set in the 1980s about a group of movie-infatuated teens.

Impact

Long has become a respected and well-known comedic actor whose physical qualities have enabled him to double as a romantic lead on many occasions. Though much of Long’s fame was gained through his appearances in the “Mac vs. PC” television commercials, he has been able to find continuous work due to his versatility as an actor.

Personal Life

Justin Long had a widely publicized relationship with actress Drew Barrymore that lasted from 2007 to 2008, and the two allegedly reunited in 2009 before splitting again in 2010. Long has since been linked to a number of other celebrities, but he has said in interviews that he prefers to keep his personal life as private as possible.

Bibliography

Long, Justin. Interview by Scott Tobias. The AV Club. Onion, 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 July 2013.

Long, Justin. “Justin Long Takes Our Romantic-Comedy Quiz and Also Rants about Expensive Weddings.” Interview by Patti Greco. Vulture. New York Media, 22 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 July 2013.

Long, Justin. “Justin Long Video Interview.” Interview by James Dyer. Empire. Bauer Consumer Media, n.d. Web. 17 July 2013.

"Justin Long." IMBd, www.imdb.com/name/nm0519043/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.

Ryan, Mike. “Justin Long, A Case of You Star, on Negative Reviews and What Exactly Happened on Movie 43.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 July 2013.

Yuan, Jada. “112 Minutes with Justin Long.” New York Magazine. New York Media, 15 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 July 2013.