Casper Van Dien
| Casper Van Dien | |
|---|---|
 Van Dien in May 2012 | |
| Born |
Casper Robert Van Dien, Jr. December 18, 1968 Milton, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Carrie Mitchum (m. 1993; div. 1997) Catherine Oxenberg (m. 1999; div. 2015) |
| Children | 4 |
Casper Robert Van Dien, Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor.
Early life
Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane (née Morrow), a nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot.[1] There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a Marine during World War II. Van Dien is descended from an old Dutch family long settled in the New York area; his other heritage includes Swedish, French, English, and Native American.[2]
The street on which Van Dien grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Van Dien Avenue, was named after his great-great-grandfather.[3] When Van Dien was older, his family moved to Florida, where he enrolled at the St. Petersburg campus of the Admiral Farragut Academy,[4] graduating 3rd in command. While in the Florida prep school, Van Dien was often referred to as "Ken doll" due to his good looks, and got into many fights for that reason.[4] Even some writers later described him as a "perfect life-sized Ken doll."[5] After high school, Van Dien attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and trained under boxing coach Eric Johnson.
Career
Moving to Los Angeles, Van Dien landed a number of small parts in various television series and movies. Two early breaks were recurring roles as Ty Moody on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live and the prime time drama Beverly Hills, 90210. Keen to expand his acting talents, Van Dien took a bit part in the video game, Wing Commander IV.
Van Dien starred in the 1997 James Dean biopic James Dean: Race with Destiny. Soon after, he got the breakthrough role of Johnny Rico in Paul Verhoeven's 1997 science fiction action film Starship Troopers. This directly led to his being cast as Tarzan in Tarzan and the Lost City (1998).[6] Van Dien next played Brom von Brunt in Tim Burton's 1999 film Sleepy Hollow, a reworking of the classic Washington Irving tale.
In 2000 Van Dien appeared in Cutaway as well as Aaron Spelling's short-lived NBC prime time soap Titans with Yasmine Bleeth, John Barrowman, Perry King and Victoria Principal. He filmed several scenes as Patrick Bateman in 2002's The Rules of Attraction, the character that Christian Bale had played in 2000's American Psycho. However, the scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.
In 2008 Van Dien returned to the role of Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, a direct-to-video sequel to Starship Troopers.
Van Dien replaced Matt Mullins as Johnny Cage for the second season of the YouTube webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy.[7]
Personal life
Van Dien was married to Carrie Mitchum (granddaughter of Robert Mitchum) from 1993 to 1997. They have two children, Casper "Cappy" Robert Van Dien III and Caroline Dorothy Grace "Gracie" Van Dien, of whom Van Dien holds full custody. Van Dien had co-starred with Robert Mitchum in James Dean: Race with Destiny.
Van Dien met actress Catherine Oxenberg, who is 7 years his senior, during the filming of the 1999 TV movie The Collectors, and they soon worked together again in the 1999 thriller The Omega Code. On May 8, 1999 they married in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2005 the couple appeared in their own reality series, I Married a Princess, which aired on the Lifetime Television channel[8] in the United States, LIVINGtv in the United Kingdom and Lifestyle You in Australia; Oxenberg's mother is Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. During the 2006-2007 TV season, Van Dien and Oxenberg co-starred in the American drama series Watch Over Me on MyNetworkTV.
Van Dien and Oxenberg have two daughters, Maya (born September 20, 2001) and Celeste Alma (born October 3, 2003) Oxenberg and Van Dien are celebrity ambassadors for the non-profit organization Childhelp.[9]
Van Dien filed for divorce from Oxenberg in 2015.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Bystander | Video |
| 1997 | Starship Troopers | Johnny Rico | |
| 1998 | Tarzan and the Lost City | Tarzan | |
| 1998 | Casper Meets Wendy | Crewcut Hunk | Video |
| 1999 | Omega Code, TheThe Omega Code | Gillen Lane | |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | Brom Van Brunt | |
| 2000 | Sanctimony | Tom Gerrick | |
| 2000[11] | Road Rage | Jim Travis | |
| 2002 | The Vector File | Gerry Anderson | |
| 2004 | Dracula 3000 | Captain Abraham Van Helsing | |
| 2006 | The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Danny Freemont | |
| 2008 | Starship Troopers 3: Marauder | Colonel Johnny Rico | |
| 2009 | Through the Air to Calais or the Wonderful Cruise of Blanchard's Balloon | Dr. John Jeffries | Short film |
| 2011 | Shiver | Det. Sebastian Delgado | |
| 2011 | Born to Ride | Mike Callahan | |
| 2012 | Malibu Days | Short film | |
| 2012 | Pact, TheThe Pact | Bill Creek | |
| 2012 | Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Sequels | James K. Polk | Short film |
| 2012 | noobz | Casper Van Dien | Completed |
| 2012 | Christmas Twister | Ethan | |
| 2013 | 500 MPH Storm | Nathan Sims | |
| 2013 | Assumed Killer | Sam Morrow | |
| 2013 | 11 Seconds | Benjamin Stills | |
| 2013 | Mucho Dinero | Kurt | Post-production |
| 2013 | Higher Mission | John Perryman | Post-production |
| 2014 | Sleeping Beauty | Director | Direct-to-video by The Asylum |
| 2015 | Avengers Grimm | Rumpelstiltskin | |
| 2015 | June | Dave Anderson | |
| 2016 | Showdown In Manila |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Menu for Murder | Life Guard | TV movie |
| 1991 | Saved by the Bell | Student (uncredited) | Episode: "Pipe Dreams" |
| 1991 | Dangerous Women | Brad Morris | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Freshman Dorm | Zack Taylor | 5 episodes |
| 1992 | Life Goes On | Episode: "Udder Madness" | |
| 1993–1994 | One Life to Live | Tyler "Ty" Moody | TV series |
| 1994 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Jesse | Episode: "Cattle Drive: Part 1" Episode: "Cattle Drive: Part 2" |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Griffin Stone | 7 episodes |
| 1995 | P.C.H. | Randy | TV movie |
| 1995 | Silk Stalkings | Roger Barrows | Episode: "I Know What Scares You" |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | Eric Waters | Episode: "Blonde and Blonder" |
| 1996 | Backroads to Vegas | Adam | TV movie |
| 1996 | Lethal Orbit | Tom Corbett | TV movie |
| 1996 | Night Eyes Four: Fatal Passion | Roy | TV movie |
| 1996 | Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom | Confed Redshirt #3 (voice) | Video game |
| 1996 | Beastmaster: The Eye of Braxus | King Tal | TV movie |
| 1996 | Colony, TheThe Colony | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Outer Limits, TheThe Outer Limits | Jake Miller | Episode: "Heart's Desire" |
| 1997 | NightScream | Teddy Johnson / Ray Ordwell Jr | TV movie |
| 1997 | James Dean: Race with Destiny | James Dean | TV movie |
| 1998 | Modern Vampires | Dallas | TV movie |
| 1998 | On the Border | Jake Barnes | TV movie |
| 1999 | Shark Attack | Steven McKray | TV movie |
| 1999 | Collectors, TheThe Collectors | A.K. | TV movie |
| 1999 | Thrill Seekers | Tom Merrick | TV movie |
| 2000 | Partners | Axel | TV movie |
| 2000 | Python | Bart Parker | TV movie |
| 2000 | Road Rage | Jim Travis | TV movie |
| 2000 | Cutaway | Delmira | TV movie |
| 2001 | Chasing Destiny | Bobby Moritz | TV movie |
| 2000–2001 | Titans | Chandler Williams | 14 episodes |
| 2001 | Going Back | Capt. Ramsey | TV movie |
| 2001 | Tracker, TheThe Tracker | Connor Spears | TV movie |
| 2001 | Danger Beneath the Sea | Commander Miles Sheffield | TV movie |
| 2002 | Vector File, TheThe Vector File | Gerry | TV movie |
| 2003 | Big Spender | Eddie Burton | TV movie |
| 2003 | Windfall | Ace Logan | TV movie |
| 2004 | Skeleton Man | Staff Sgt. Oberron | TV movie |
| 2004 | What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? | Romantic Moritz (uncredited) | Documentary |
| 2004 | Rock Me, Baby | Michael | Episode: "Love at First Flight" |
| 2005 | Hollywood Flies | Zach | TV movie |
| 2005 | Starship Troopers | General John Rico (voice) | Video game |
| 2005 | Maiden Voyage | Kyle Considine | TV movie |
| 2005 | Personal Effects | Chris Locke | TV movie |
| 2005 | Fallen Ones, TheThe Fallen Ones | Matt Fletcher | TV movie |
| 2005 | Officer Down | Officer Philip Hallows | TV movie |
| 2005 | Premonition | Jack Barnes | TV movie |
| 2006 | Meltdown | Tom | TV movie |
| 2006 | Curse of King Tut's Tomb, TheThe Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Danny Freemont | TV movie |
| 2006 | Slayer | Hawk | TV movie |
| 2006–2007 | Watch Over Me | Andre Forester | 64 episodes |
| 2008 | Aces 'N' Eights | Luke Rivers | TV movie |
| 2008 | Mask of the Ninja | Jack Barrett | TV movie |
| 2008 | Monk | Lt. Steven Albright | Episode: "Mr. Monk Is Underwater" |
| 2009 | Monk | Lt. Steven Albright | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the End: Part 1 & 2" |
| 2009 | One Hot Summer | Luther Simmonds | TV movie |
| 2010 | Turbulent Skies | Tom | TV movie |
| 2010 | Laugh Track Mash-ups | James | Episode: "Coopin' with Mr. Levy" |
| 2010 | Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, TheThe Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation | Randy McGovern | TV movie |
| 2012 | Lake Effects | Ash Henson | TV movie |
| 2012 | Fugitive at 17 | Spencer Oliphant | TV movie |
| 2012 | Femme Fatales | Episode: "One Man's Death" | |
| 2012 | Baby's First Christmas | Kyle | TV movie |
| 2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Johnny Cage | |
| 2014 | Fire Twister | Scott | TV movie |
| 2015 | Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf | Ray | TV movie |
| 2015 | Patient Killer | Jason (also as director) | TV movie |
Digital Media
| 2016 | Crunch Time | Himself | Episode: "The Brain Frame" |
| 2016 | Rooster Teeth Short | Himself | Episode: "Casper Van Dien" |
| 2016 | Screen Junkies Presents: The Roast of Captain America | Captain America |
References
- ↑ "Sarasota studio brings actor Casper Van Dien home". Retrieved November 13, 2010. Sarasota Herald Trubune, November 13, 2010
- ↑ Casper Van Dien: Cast in conflict
- ↑ Staff. "Tarzan of Tarzana", Daily News of Los Angeles, April 22, 1998. Accessed September 22, 2011. "When I was growing up in Ridgewood, NJ, we lived on Van Dien Avenue, which was named after my great-great-great grandfather."
- 1 2 People Magazine interview
- ↑ Casper Van Dien bio at Tribute.ca
- ↑ Tarzan and the Lost City official site Michael Lake, producer
- ↑ "Web Series 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2′ Hitting February 17th". Latino Review. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ↑ Ramin Setoodeh (July 11, 2012). "What Happened to Big-Screen Hunk Casper Van Dien?". The Daily Beast.
- ↑ Celebrity Ambassadors - ChildHelp.org Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ↑ Casper Van Dien – I'm Divorcing Catherine Oxenberg, TMZ, 25 September 2015, retrieved 3 January 2016
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250390/releaseinfo#release_dates
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Casper Van Dien. |
- Official website
- Casper Van Dien on Twitter
- Casper Van Dien at the Internet Movie Database
- Casper Van Dien at Movies.com