Steve Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota on November 13, 1967. Though he worked in improvisional theater durring high school, he didn't give serious concideration to an acting career until crashing the audition of a local Biloxi Blues production and landing the lead role in the process.

In the early 1990s, Steve landed a role in a touring production of Bye Bye Birdie. It was there that he met Robyn Peterman, a dancer/actress who was also part of the cast. The two eventually married (1994) and now have two children.

After Bye Bye Birdie ended it's run, Steve was cast in a production of Sophistry co-starring Ethan Hawke, who was about to start work on the film Reality Bites. Director Ben Stiller showed up for a performance and offered Steve the role of Sammy Gray in the film.

From there his career has focused mostly on film, with the occassional foray into television guest appearances. Some of his early film credits include Crimson Tide, Race the Sun and the Tom Hanks-directed That Thing You Do!

One of Steve's first leading roles was in the 1999 film Happy, Texas, in which he and Jeremy Northam played con-artists passing themselves off as gay beauty pagent experts. Steve won much critical praise for his comedic performance, including the Sundance Special Jury Prize and an Independent Spirit Award. His next acclaimed role came in the 2001 film Riding in Cars with Boys, where he played Ray Hasek, a drug-addicted dead beat husband/father. While reviews for the film itself were mixed, many critics felt that Steve's performance was Academy Award-worthy (though no nomination was to be had).

Though he continues to act in comedic sidekick-ish roles on a regular basis, Steve has also been trying his hand at action-adventure (Sahara, 2005) and fact-based drama (Shattered Glass, 2003). His upcoming films include co-starring roles in the Werner Herzog-directed Rescue Dawn and comedy-western flick Bandidas, which finds him tied to a bed by Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek.

Filmography

• Night Train (2009)
• Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
• "Comanche Moon" (2007)
• Strange Wilderness (2007)
• Rescue Dawn (2007)
• Bandidas (2006)
• Chicken Little (2005)
• Sahara (2005)
• Speak (2004)
• Employee of the Month (2004)
• Shattered Glass (2003)
• Daddy Day Care (2003)
• National Security (2003)
• Stuart Little 2 (2002)
• Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
• Chelsea Walls (2001)
• Joy Ride (2001)
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
• Saving Silverman (2001)
• Chain of Fools (2000)
• Hamlet (2000)
• Stuart Little (1999)
• Freak Talks About Sex (1999)
• Forces of Nature (1999)
• Happy, Texas (1999)
• You've Got Mail (1998)
• Safe Men (1998)
• Out of Sight (1998)
• The Object of My Affection (1998)
• "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998)
• SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground (1997)
• SubUrbia (1996)
• That Thing You Do! (1996)
• Race the Sun (1996)
• "Friends" (1 episode, 1995)
• Crimson Tide (1995)
• "Picture Windows" (1994)
• Reality Bites (1994)
• "South Beach" (1 episode, 1993)
• Rain Without Thunder (1992)
• "All My Children" (1 episode, 1990)

Awards

• Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Male "Happy, Texas" 2000
• Sundance Film Festival Special Award for Comedic Performance "Happy, Texas" 1999