A prominent member of the ‘Frat Pack’ film comedians, Vince Vaughn achieved fame with the 1996 sleeper hit “Swingers”, and has since become one of Hollywood’s most popular comic stars. The burly actor is known for his rapid-fire delivery, sharp wit, and his unfailing ability to charm audiences with his sometimes obnoxious characters.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 28, 1970, Vaughn grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois. The 6’5 teenager was an academically average but popular student at Lake Forest High School, and served as student class president. Though he was involved in theatre, he dreamed of a career as an athlete until a car accident ended his chances. Immediately after high school he received a spot on a Chevrolet commercial, and moved to Hollywood in hopes of finding success as an actor. He scored bit parts in episodes of “21 Jump Street” and “China Beach” in 1989, but mostly struggled until earning a small role in the 1993 football hit “Rudy”. The film helped his career only marginally, but it was there that he met fellow out-of-work actor Jon Favreau, who was then working on the script for “Swingers”. The film eventually got made in 1996, with Favreau and Vaughn co-starring.
“Swingers” slowly became a cult hit on video, and the careers of all involved received significant boosts. After seeing “Swingers” Steven Spielberg cast him in his dino sequel “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” alongside Julianne Moore and Jeff Goldblum, and Vaughn followed with a string of financially unsuccessful dramas like “A Cool, Dry Place”, “Return to Paradise”, and Gus Van Sant’s poorly received shot-for-shot 1998 remake of “Psycho”. Unsuccessful films like “The Cell”, the “Swingers” spin-off “Made”, and “Domestic Disturbance” came next for the actor, but he finally hit his stride with the 2003 ‘Frat Pack’ comedy “Old School”. Fellow goofsters Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and others were achieving huge mainstream success at the time, and Vaughn quickly became a member of the club with hilarious turns in “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story”, “Starsky & Hutch”, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”, and most of all 2005’s surprise blockbuster “The Wedding Crashers”. The latter film has earned Vaughn a temporary spot in the A-list parking lot, and the talented comedian isn’t likely to give it up any time soon. His latest film “The Break-Up”, which co-stars his superstar girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, opened to nearly $40 million dollars in the first weekend of June, surpassing industry expectations and proving that Vaughn is a major box office draw.