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Steven Brent Oedekerk (born November 27, 1961) is an American filmmaker, actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac (particularly the Ace Ventura franchise), his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake. His film was nominated for an Academy Award.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> "Comedian got start tormenting his mom", Chicago Sun-Times, September 2, 1997 . he was raised by his mother Rena Borlandeli and father Martin Oedekerk in Huntington Beach, California. He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California and Golden West College in Huntington Beach.Annabelle Robertson, "From "Goof Off" to "Barnyard": One Director's Animated Rise" , Crosswalk.com, July 27, 2006. He is of Dutch Frisian, Irish, Hungarian, and Italian (Lombardy) descent. His mother is an immigrant from Magnago, Italy. His paternal grandfather was an Afrikaner born in South Africa to Dutch parents.
Prior to his successful contributions to several unknown episodes in the Color TV series, he wrote and starred in his first independent/directorial film, Smart Alex (1987). It wasn't until 1991 that Oedekerk was attached not only as a writer, but also as the protagonist, as Thane Furrows in the film High Strung. Jim Carrey also starred opposite him in the role of Death, although he went uncredited. They eventually developed a strong friendship, which still exists today. Shortly afterward, Oedekerk again worked alongside Carrey as the project consultant for Tom Shadyac's first film (1994). The film became a break-out success and he was given the opportunity to both direct and write its sequel, (1995). This time Oedekerk directed and wrote the movie after Shadyac left before filming. The sequel proved to be more successful, surpassing the box office gross of the original. Despite this, both Oedekerk and Carrey wanted to pursue other projects, but still remained friends.
Following the Ace Ventura franchise, Oedekerk co-wrote The Nutty Professor (1996), which was also directed by Shadyac for Universal Pictures; it became one of the highest-grossing films of that year. He soon wrote, directed and also had a cameo appearance in Nothing to Lose (1997), starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. Oedekerk took a hiatus from directing major film productions for the rest of the 1990s, but continued to write screenplays, including Patch Adams (1998), (2000), (2001), Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002) (which he directed, wrote and starred inCindy Pearlman,
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> "Steve Oedekerk", Chicago Sun-Times, January 17, 2002), Bruce Almighty (2003) and Barnyard (2006) (which he directed, wrote, produced, and voiced various characters). In 2003, he signed a first look deal with Universal.
In 2007, Oedekerk produced the screenplay and story for the Bruce Almighty sequel, Evan Almighty; again, Shadyac directed both films. He has also been commissioned to write the screenplay for the Ripley's Believe It or Not! film adaptation; Jim Carrey has since been cast in the title role. No news involving the project has been reported since.
In February 2009, Universal Pictures announced that Steve Oedekerk would be penning a film adaptation of the Stretch Armstrong superhero doll. As of 2016, the film is left in development hell with an animated series currently in the works.
In 2015, it was announced that a sequel to Kung Pow is currently in the works with him returning to write and direct.
In 1997, Oedekerk created and starred in a variety special, featuring computer animation, entitled The O Show (also known as steve.oedekerk.com).Keith Marder,
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> "Oedekerk's quirks: The name may not ring a bell, but chances are you're aware of his work.", Los Angeles Daily News, September 3, 1997. He is also executive producer of the animated series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius on Nickelodeon.
Oedekerk also gained popularity with his series of "Thumbmation" shorts: Thumb Wars, Bat Thumb, The Godthumb, Frankenthumb, The Blair Thumb and Thumbtanic.
Following the failure of Planet Sheen and its subsequent cancellation in 2013, the studio was shut down in late March 2019.
| 1987 | Smart Alex | Incomplete, never released | |||
| 1991 | High Strung | ||||
| 1995 | |||||
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | ||||
| 1997 | Nothing to Lose | ||||
| 1998 | Patch Adams | ||||
| 2000 | |||||
| 2001 | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Animated Feature | ||||
| 2002 | Kung Pow! Enter the Fist | also songwriter: (Les Aliens) | |||
| Juwanna Mann | |||||
| Santa vs. the Snowman 3D | Short film | ||||
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | ||||
| 2006 | Barnyard | ||||
| 2007 | Evan Almighty | ||||
| 2011 | Cowboys & Aliens | ||||
Other credits
| 1994 | Executive consultant | |
| 2015 | Harbinger Down | Producers would like to thank |
| 2024 | Ricky Stanicky | Additional literary material |
Acting roles
| 1987 | Smart Alex | Alex | Incomplete, never released |
| 1988 | Casual Sex? | Joey | |
| 1991 | High Strung | Thane Furrows | |
| 1997 | Nothing to Lose | Security Guard Baxter | Cameo appearance |
| 2002 | Kung Pow! Enter the Fist | The Chosen One | |
| Santa vs. the Snowman 3D | Sno' Hellton | Voice only | |
| 2006 | Barnyard | Snotty Boy / Pizza Twin #2 / Mr. Beady / Snotty Boy's Father |
| 1990–1994 | In Living Color | Started in 1992 | ||||
| 1997 | The O Show | TV movie | ||||
| 1999–present | Thumbs! | |||||
| 2002–2006 | Writer, Time is Money | |||||
| 2007–2011 | Back at the Barnyard | |||||
| 2010–2013 | Planet Sheen | |||||
Acting roles
| 1983 | Star Search | Contestant | |
| 1987–1988 | Comedy Club (1987–1988) | Himself | |
| 1989 | Full House | Himself | Episode: "Star Search" |
| 1997 | The O Show | Himself | TV movie |
| 1999–present | Thumbs! | Multiple | Voice only |
| 2007–2011 | Back at the Barnyard | Snotty Boy, Mr. Beady, Additional voices | Voice only |
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