All About Steve Zahn: Wife, Net Worth, Family, Brother, Gay, Sister

Known for movies

Short Info

Net Worth	$25 million
Date Of Birth	November 13, 1967
Spouse	Robyn Peterman
Fact	Conferred honorary PhD in Fine Arts from Northern Kentucky University 4 May 2007.
Payments	Earned $2,200,000 from Sahara (2005)

Steve Zahn is an American actor, comedian and voice artist. He was born on November 13, 1967 in Marshall, Minnesota, USA. His parents are Zelda, a homemaker, and Carleton Edward Zahn, a Lutheran minister. He has two brothers, Robert and Paul. Zahn was raised in Mound, Minnesota. He graduated from Mound Westonka High School in 1986 and attended the University of Minnesota for one year before transferring to Gustavus Adolphus College.

is getting it on with Robyn Peterman.
— Steve Zahn (@Steve_Zahn) August 4, 2009

Zahn’s first film role was in the 1989 independent film Memphis Belle. He followed this with roles in the films Reality Bites (1994), That Thing You Do! (1996), and Out of Sight (1998). He also had a supporting role in the 1998 Coen brothers film The Big Lebowski. In 1999, Zahn starred in the critically acclaimed film Happy, Texas.

Zahn’s other film credits include Saving Silverman (2001), Daddy Day Care (2003), National Security (2003), Sahara (2005), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Joy Ride (2001), Rescue Dawn (2006), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010). He has also appeared on television shows such as Friends, Seinfeld, and The X-Files.

Zahn has been married to Renee Zahn since 1995. They have two children together.

General Info

Full Name	Steve Zahn
Net Worth	$25 million
Date Of Birth	November 13, 1967
Height	1.71 m
Profession	Comedian, Voice Actor
Education	Harvard University, Kennedy Elementary School, Gustavus Adolphus College, Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Nationality	American

Family

Spouse	Robyn Peterman
Children	Audrey Clair Zahn, Henry James Zahn
Parents	Carleton E. Zahn, Zelda Zahn

Accomplishments

Awards	Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
Nominations	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Movies	A Perfect Getaway, Rescue Dawn, Daddy Day Care, Sahara, Saving Silverman, Joy Ride, National Security, Strange Wilderness, The Good Dinosaur, Dallas Buyers Club, Reality Bites, That Thing You Do!, Bandidas, Riding in Cars with Boys, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Out of Sight, Diary of a Wimpy Kid:...
TV Shows	Mind Games, Treme, WWII in HD, Comanche Moon, Liberty!, Scrat's Treasure Hunt, Mad Dogs

Social profile links

IMDB	http://imdb.com/name/nm0001872

Salary

Title	Salary
Sahara (2005)	$2,200,000

Quotes

#	Quote
1	[on his role as the bi-polar Chris Edwards in 'Mind Games'] I spent a decade playing stoners. And then, one day, all of a sudden, I'm a genius.
2	[on making Rescue Dawn (2006)] I am the first person to make fun of the whole, "This film was so hard to make. It was so hot". You know, being a coal miner is tough too. That said, I've never done anything that was as unconventional. Werner (Werner Herzog) is great, because there's no distractions on the set. There's no chairs, there's no trailers. There's no M&Ms, which creates a certain atmosphere. Because you don't have those comfortable places to hang out and chill, you don't have this passive high-school grab-ass happening. And then you have directors going, "Remember, you're starving, you don't have shoes". And you're like, "Right. I was just playing golf in my trailer". You know what I mean? It wasn't that. So you had friction, you had people that were like, "I'm not used to this". Which is good. He loves that.
3	I love Safe Men (1998). Now it's getting all this culty kind of-it just came out on DVD. That was awesome. I read that script, I never laughed so hard in my life. It was then that I decided I had to be in it. I told [writer-director] John Hamburg, "I gotta be in it. You gotta hire me, you gotta hire me. It's the funniest thing I've ever read". It was just fun to do. Sam [Sam Rockwell] and I have been friends ever since. We are always up for the same parts, it's kind of constant. We go back and forth from movies that he's done, I've done, and we've both done. We had so much fun.
4	[on Out of Sight (1998)] Yeah, that's a great movie. It's just one of those movies that I'm baffled why it didn't do as good as it should have. I'm convinced it had to be because people didn't see it, and the reason for that is the marketing. I mean, just look at the poster. There's a gun and J-Lo and there's George [George Clooney]. It just looks like a murder-mystery love-triangle thing, when it was really this cool, very unique movie.
5	[2007 quote] I've had more people come up to me about Saving Silverman (2001) than anything else. That and That Thing You Do! (1996) but "Saving Silverman" is the one I get most often. And I love that. It's just funny that it didn't do that well in theaters. It did all right, but none of us were big stars at the time. Jason Biggs was probably bigger than any of us. That's another one that kind of baffles me. So many people have seen it. I got this big Western coming out. I have another crazy comedy that I really like, Strange Wilderness (2008). It's just fucking dumb, and I can't wait to see how people react, because I just know that I'll have people approach me and say "Strange Wilderness, man. That's my favorite movie". I'll love that.
6	[on making Bandidas (2006)] Well, that one just didn't work. This is a classic example for me of a formula that didn't work. You got all the great ingredients together, but you still gotta stir the pot and cook it. When that came out, it was like "What?" You gotta cook it, and only then, the cake tastes good. What's hard in movies is to have a consistent tone throughout a movie. Whatever that is. And that one, you have Luc Besson, who is this French producer who had these Norwegian directors, who were great, really funny guys, and smart. And there were a variety of cast members coming in and leaving and going in and out. It was shot in Mexico with a French producer and a Mexican crew. It was insane. How can you have a tone? That was one where I knew while shooting. I was like, "I don't know about this. I don't even understand if it's a Western or an epic or a comedy. What are we doing?"
7	I love Shattered Glass (2003). It's one of my favorite movies. I think it's just brilliant. That's another one that I read and I thought, "I got to be in this. I gotta be in it. I don't care who I play, or whatever, if I'm just the throwback". It's just a great story. It's very intriguing. And then when I saw it, it was even better than I knew it was going to be when we were shooting it. Peter Sarsgaard is just amazing. I was really happy with that.
8	Sahara (2005) was a blast. I absolutely loved "Sahara". I've never done anything like that. And it was just so much fun. I mean every day, going to work, it was never a boring day. Everyone was cool, it was a great group, everyone showed up, there was no bullcrap. That's the way it should be done. And I really wish there wasn't all this other stuff, I'd love to make another one.
9	I love general history. That's all I read really. I don't read novels, I read history. I love it. I live in an area that's really rich in Civil War history. I live in Kentucky on a farm. A lot of revolution, a lot of military history I love. I like micro-histories. I like reading about little tiny events, not huge. I read a lot. I live in horse country and I just read a book about Confederate guerrillas who came to the thoroughbred farm, my neighbors, and stole thoroughbreds for their mounts and they were worth thousands and thousands of dollars. That's really interesting to me.
10	(on how he prepares for a role] I have a very traditional background. I'm theater-trained. I don't know. I do my homework. Literally, I read the script a lot and I learn it, no matter what the part is - how big or small the part is. I put a lot of thought into it and I think about it constantly. Part of that is the kid in me, too. When I show up on a film set, I don't want to worry in my trailer about what I'm doing. I want to play PlayStation because I don't get to play that at home.
11	[on filming Rescue Dawn (2006) in Thailand] We'd be walking barefoot through jungle no one has ever walked through, with thorns and snakes and whatever. Sometimes Christian [Christian Bale] and I would just sit on a rice paddy and laugh, like, "Can you believe this?" It was intense. I'd need a 12-pack in the backyard and a full five hours to tell all the stories.
12	[on if he goes after the parts he really wants.] Yeah, you've got to campaign. I don't care if you've just won an Oscar, you still have to campaign for parts. You just have to be on top of it. Hopefully you're on their list and hopefully you can meet the director. It never ends, that never ends; it's never like you're sitting in the backyard on your lawn chair with your beer just kicked back waiting for the call. I think if you're really in it, and if you're really an actor, you're always trying to get the good movie, to tell the good story. I do a lot of independent films, which is great, but then you go bust your ass and most of the time people don't see it. But I still love doing them because they are usually really good. If you get too caught up in where you sit in this scheme of things, you're on the wrong track. It's got to be about the story. That's what I think my job is. I'm there to service the story. How do I make that scene better? I go do a scene, of course I'm thinking about how I'm coming off, but I think I will come off great if the scene is great, if you laugh at what we are doing. Not if I'm cool or not if I'm really funny the way I do it. It has to work as a scene, and that comes from theater. I know, I just went off on a tangent. So, whatever. It's kind of out of your hands.
13	[on if he feels he is typecast as a comic relief sidekick, and if it bothers him] No, I am. It's a pleasure and a privilege. I really look at it as a career, and not what movies I'm doing this year. I remember not getting offered Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) and going, "Wow, I've graduated from college." So it changes as you grow older just for obvious reasons. And to be typecast and make money and make people happy and people dig what you do, what a great thing, man. I don't want to compete with Jude Law, nor should I. Could I act them? Sure. But do people want me to act them? Probably not, you know. As much as I would want to do it, you know what I mean? I think people fuck up there and they do what they want to do. And that's fine, but remember, it's all about telling a story, it's all about entertaining people in one way or another. And some people are successful at it. I mean, Tom Hanks is great. There are examples of people who have gone both ways. If that opportunity comes, then it comes. Tom Hanks did wacky old Turner & Hooch (1989) comedies forever and then, eventually, when the time was right, he did it. And it wasn't like he was doing it intentionally, it just kind of happened, because he became an older man and it worked. So maybe I'll play the crazy sidekick throughout my whole life and that will be fine. Or maybe I'll do sidekick parts and in five years it will be a different thing. I don't know, maybe. I don't have a plan, I just want to do the next good thing for me."
14	[on landing Sahara (2005)] Matthew [Matthew McConaughey] was an executive on it, and he sent me the script and this crazy letter, which was great. I'd never been kind of approached in that way. I was really impressed with the letter, and I read the script immediately and I really was very excited to be offered something in this genre. I mean, I'd never done it before. I thought the characters were good, and I like Matthew. And also it was months of work and I just don't get offered that. I'm not a leading guy. I usually hook up to a film and then, in a month and a half, I'm gone.
15	I have no problem playing the funny sidekick. I'm a grunt; I'm a sergeant, an officer. I'm on point with everyone else.
16	The definition of Sahara is '"to have no memory", and it's true. When you go out in the desert, no matter what's going on in your world, you see the dunes and nothing else, and you think of nothing else.
17	You still really fight for good parts. It never stops. It's never a breeze. The people at the top of their game work as hard as the people at the bottom.
18	I still really love acting. I find it really challenging. And I really love film; it's a lot of fun. Theater is a big commitment. Most of the time, you sign a five-month contract. You do eight shows a week and have one day off. There's no time to go home.

Facts

#	Fact
1	Son-in-law of catalog clothier J. Peterman.
2	In May 2011, Zahn traveled from New Orleans (where he lived while shooting Treme (2010)) to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to help with the relief effort in the aftermath of the massive EF4 tornado that struck Tuscaloosa in April 2011. The tornado killed 53 people in the Tuscaloosa area and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Zahn helped clear debris left by buildings and trees with little fanfare or press attention.
3	Is a huge history buff.
4	Loves documentary films.
5	He shot his entire role in Shattered Glass (2003) in three days, during a five-day break from filming Daddy Day Care (2003).
6	He spent nearly six weeks fighting for a role in Courage Under Fire (1996), up against Matt Damon. The day he found out Damon landed the film role over him, he was offered the part in That Thing You Do! (1996).
7	His surname translates to "tooth" in German. His father is of German and Swedish descent and his mother is of German ancestry.
8	Is a Harvard graduate.
9	One night during the filming of Rescue Dawn (2006), he got up to use the toilet. While urinating, he fainted. When he woke up, he was initially mad at himself for drinking so much. Awakening further, he realized that he hadn't had any alcohol for about three months, and that he had probably fainted because he had lost so much weight for the part. To regain his mental focus, he played video-game golf.
10	Lost 40 pounds for his role in Rescue Dawn (2006).
11	Conferred honorary PhD in Fine Arts from Northern Kentucky University 4 May 2007.
12	He founded a theater company called Malaparte with Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Frank Whaley.
13	Mother's name is Zelda Zahn.
14	Gained 20 pounds for Employee of the Month (2004).
15	Has two children, Henry and Audrey, with wife Robyn Peterman.
16	Met future wife, Robyn Peterman, during a 13-month national touring company of "Bye Bye Birdie", in which they appeared together.
17	In July of 2004, Zahn and his family moved from their rural farm in New Jersey to a horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky, his wife's hometown.
18	Was Tom Everett Scott's best man at his wedding.
19	Briefly attended the Guthrie Theater Drama School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but dropped out to pursue his film career.
20	Is an accomplished singer/guitarist. He played lead guitar and sang in That Thing You Do! (1996) and played guitar and sang in Saving Silverman (2001).
21	Graduated from Robbinsdale-Cooper Senior High School, New Hope, Minnesota.
22	Is an avid fly fisherman. Owns a farm in Western New Jersey.
23	His father is a Lutheran minister.
24	Was raised in Minnesota.
25	Son Henry James Zahn (born April 3rd 2000) and Daughter Audrey Clair Zahn (born April 25th 2002).

Pictures

All pictures

Movies

Actor

Title	Year	Status	Character
War for the Planet of the Apes	2017	post-production
Lean on Pete	2017	post-production
Robodog	2016	post-production	Bobby
Captain Fantastic	2016		Dave
Mad Dogs	2015-2016	TV Series	Cobi
The Ridiculous 6	2015		Clem
The Good Dinosaur	2015		Thunderclap (voice)
Modern Family	2014-2015	TV Series	Ronnie
Mind Games	2014	TV Series	Clark Edwards
Treme	2010-2013	TV Series	Davis McAlary
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja	2013	TV Series	Terry McFist
Knights of Badassdom	2013		Eric
Dallas Buyers Club	2013		Tucker
Escape from Planet Earth	2013		Hawk (voice)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days	2012		Frank Heffley
Phineas and Ferb	2008-2012	TV Series	Swampy
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules	2011		Frank Heffley
Diary of a Wimpy Kid	2010		Frank Heffley
Calvin Marshall	2009		Coach Little
A Perfect Getaway	2009		Cliff
Night Train	2009/I		Pete
Monk	2009	TV Series	Jack Monk, Jr.
Management	2008		Mike
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs & a Baby	2008		Sandy Pig (voice)
Strange Wilderness	2008		Peter
Sunshine Cleaning	2008		Mac
The Great Buck Howard	2008		Kenny
Comanche Moon	2008	TV Mini-Series	Gus McCrae
Rescue Dawn	2006		Duane
Bandidas	2006		Quentin
Chicken Little	2005		Runt of the Litter (voice)
Chicken Little	2005	Video Game	Runt of the Litter (voice)
Sahara	2005		Al Giordino
Speak	2004		Mr. Freeman
Employee of the Month	2004		Jack
Shattered Glass	2003		Adam Penenberg
Daddy Day Care	2003		Marvin
National Security	2003		Hank Rafferty
Stuart Little 2	2002		Monty (voice)
Riding in Cars with Boys	2001		Ray Hasek
Chelsea Walls	2001		Ross
Wolf Lake	2001	TV Series	Fletch
Joy Ride	2001		Fuller
Dr. Dolittle 2	2001		Archie (voice)
Saving Silverman	2001		Wayne
Chain of Fools	2000		Kresk
Hamlet	2000		Rosencrantz
Stuart Little	1999		Monty (voice)
Freak Talks About Sex	1999		Freak
Forces of Nature	1999		Alan
Happy, Texas	1999		Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr., aka David
You've Got Mail	1998		George Pappas
Safe Men	1998		Eddie
Out of Sight	1998		Glenn Michaels
The Object of My Affection	1998		Frank Hanson
From the Earth to the Moon	1998	TV Mini-Series	Elliott See
Liberty! The American Revolution	1997	TV Mini-Series	American Sergeant
SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground	1997	TV Movie	Tucker (segment "The 5:24")
SubUrbia	1996		Buff
That Thing You Do!	1996		Lenny Haise
Race the Sun	1996		Hans Kooiman
Friends	1995	TV Series	Duncan
Picture Windows	1995	TV Series	Crook
Crimson Tide	1995		William Barnes
Normandy: The Great Crusade	1994	TV Movie	Bill Preston (voice)
Reality Bites	1994		Sammy Gray
South Beach	1993	TV Series	Lane Bailey
Rain Without Thunder	1992		Jeremy Tanner
First Love, Fatal Love	1991	TV Movie
All My Children	1990	TV Series	Spence

Soundtrack

Title	Year	Status
Treme	2010	TV Series performer - 5 episodes
Phineas and Ferb	2008-2009	TV Series performer - 2 episodes
Management	2008	performer: "Feel Like Makin' Love"
Chicken Little	2005	performer: "Wannabe"
You've Got Mail	1998	performer: "The Instrument Song" - uncredited
Reality Bites	1994	performer: "Conjunction Junction"

Thanks

Title	Year	Status	Character
Kuhani	2013	Short special thanks
Inside 'Out of Sight'	1998	Video documentary short special thanks

Self

Title	Year	Status	Character
Extra	2014	TV Series	Himself
Good Day L.A.	2014	TV Series	Himself
Sixth Man: Bluesanity	2013	Documentary	Himself
Gomorron	2009	TV Series	Himself - Om Filmen 'A Perfect Getaway'
WWII in HD	2009	TV Mini-Series documentary	Nolen Marbrey
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien	2009	TV Series	Himself
Tavis Smiley	2005-2009	TV Series	Himself
Entertainment Tonight	2009	TV Series	Himself
Up Close with Carrie Keagan	2007-2008	TV Series	Himself
13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards	2008	TV Special	Himself
Deep Inside	2008	TV Series	Himself
Making of a True Story: Rescue Dawn	2007	Video documentary short	Himself
Shootout	2007	TV Series	Himself
Late Night with Conan O'Brien	1998-2007	TV Series	Himself
Hatching 'Chicken Little'	2006	Video documentary short
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show	2005	TV Series	Himself
Across the Sands of Sahara	2005	Video documentary short	Himself
Making 'Sahara'	2005	Video short	Himself
Visualizing 'Sahara'	2005	Video documentary short	Himself
Live with Kelly and Michael	2005	TV Series	Himself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno	1999-2005	TV Series	Himself / Himself - Guest
The Making of 'Joy Ride'	2002	Video short	Himself
The Rosie O'Donnell Show	1996-2001	TV Series	Himself
Late Show with David Letterman	1998-2001	TV Series	Himself
HBO First Look	1996-2001	TV Series documentary	Himself
Comedy Central Canned Ham	2001	TV Series	Himself
The Daily Show	1999	TV Series	Himself
Inside 'Out of Sight'	1998	Video documentary short	Himself

Archive Footage

Title	Year	Status	Character
Entertainment Tonight	2009	TV Series	Himself
Buscando a Penélope	2009	TV Movie documentary	Quentin
60/90	2008	TV Series	Sammy Gray

Awards

Won Awards

Year	Award	Ceremony	Nomination	Movie
2000	Independent Spirit Award	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Supporting Male	Happy, Texas (1999)
1999	Special Jury Prize	Sundance Film Festival	Dramatic	Happy, Texas (1999)

Nominated Awards

Year	Award	Ceremony	Nomination	Movie
2014	Actor	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
2008	Chlotrudis Award	Chlotrudis Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Rescue Dawn (2006)
2008	Independent Spirit Award	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Supporting Male	Rescue Dawn (2006)
2007	VVFP Award	Village Voice Film Poll	Best Supporting Actor	Rescue Dawn (2006)
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Award	Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy/Romance	Forces of Nature (1999)
2000	Golden Satellite Award	Satellite Awards	Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical	Happy, Texas (1999)
1997	OFTA Film Award	Online Film & Television Association	Best Original Song	That Thing You Do! (1996)