Greg Kinnear
A charming everyman actor who turned a talk show host's ease into an Oscar-nominated film career, often playing the decent guy in complicated worlds.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American actor·Birthday: June 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Greg Kinnear's path to Hollywood stardom was anything but conventional. He started in front of the camera not on a film set, but as the host of talk shows like 'Talk Soup' on the E! network, where his wry, accessible charm became his trademark. That same unforced likability became his ticket into movies, where he quickly proved he was more than just a television personality. His breakthrough came as the gay artist neighbor in the 1997 comedy-drama 'As Good as It Gets,' a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination and cemented his place as a serious actor. Kinnear has since built a durable career by specializing in portrayals of fundamentally good, often beleaguered men navigating moral or personal crises, from the grieving father in 'The Last Song' to the ambitious politician in 'The Kennedys.' His strength lies in making decency compelling, bringing a grounded authenticity to both comedies and dramas without ever seeming to strain for effect.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Greg was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'As Good as It Gets' (1997).
- Successfully transitioned from a popular talk show host on E!'s 'Talk Soup' to a respected film actor.
- Starred as President John F. Kennedy in the Emmy-winning miniseries 'The Kennedys' (2011).
- Played a pivotal role in the acclaimed horror film 'The Gift' (2015), directed by Joel Edgerton.
Did You Know?
He was born in Logansport, Indiana, but spent much of his childhood abroad in countries like Greece and Lebanon due to his father's work in the foreign service.
Before 'Talk Soup,' he worked as a cable television presenter for the Financial News Network.
He made his film debut with a cameo in the 1994 comedy 'Blankman.'
He is an avid pilot and owns his own aircraft.
“I never had a master plan. I just tried to make choices that felt right and that challenged me.”
