Skeet Ulrich

Skeet Ulrich (; born Bryan Ray Trout on January 20, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in popular 1990s films, including Billy Loomis in '' Scream'' (1996), Chris Hooker in '' The Craft'' (1996), and Vincent Lopiano in ''As Good as It Gets'' (1997). From 2017 to 2021, he starred as Forsythe Pendleton "F.P." Jones II on The CW's '' Riverdale''. He reprised his ''Scream'' role in the sequels '' Scream'' (2022) and '' Scream VI'' (2023). His other television roles include Johnston Jacob "Jake" Green Jr. in the television series ''Jericho'', and LAPD Detective Rex Winters, a Marine veteran from the ''Law & Order'' franchise.

Early life

Bryan Ray Trout was born on January 20, 1970, in Lynchburg, Virginia. His mother, Carolyn Elaine Wax (), owns the special events marketing agency Sports Management Group, and his father is a restaurateur. He has an elder brother, Geoff. His first stepfather was D. K. Ulrich, a NASCAR driver and team owner, whom he considers his father. In 1990, his mother remarried, to Edward Lewis Wax. Ulrich's maternal uncle is retired NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd, and his maternal grandfather was Alvin Ray Rudd Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts.

Ulrich's father kidnapped him and his brother when he was six years old, and they spent the next three years moving from Florida to New York and then to Pennsylvania. They were reunited with their mother in North Carolina, where his father disappeared from his life.

The nickname "Skeet" originated from "Skeeter", a nickname he was given by his Little League coach because of his small stature and because he was fast as a mosquito. Along with his slight frame, he had poor health as a child, including numerous bouts with pneumonia; he underwent open-heart surgery to repair a defective ventricle. Ulrich graduated from Northwest Cabarrus High School in North Carolina. After enrolling at the University of North Carolina Wilmington to study marine biology, he switched to New York University, where he studied under playwright David Mamet.

Career

In his earliest screen appearances, Ulrich was an uncredited extra in films ''Weekend at Bernie's'' (1989) and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (1990). After joining the Atlantic Theater Company as an apprentice, Ulrich performed with the group, which got him noticed by director Stacy Cochran. She cast him in a CBS Schoolbreak Special. With her help, he also received his first notable role on screen in 1996 as the loutish boyfriend of Winona Ryder in '' Boys''. That same year, he also appeared in Kevin Spacey's directorial debut ''Albino Alligator'' and '' The Craft'' alongside Robin Tunney and Neve Campbell. He was cast that same year to star alongside Campbell again in Wes Craven's hit slasher film '' Scream'' as Billy Loomis where, during production, he was accidentally stabbed in the area where he had open-heart surgery.

In 1997, he had a small role as an emotionally conflicted gay hustler in ''As Good as It Gets'' (along with fellow '' Scream'' actor Jamie Kennedy). He appeared in films like '' The Newton Boys'' (1998) and '' Chill Factor'' (1999). He starred as Juvenal, a young man with stigmata and healing powers in the Paul Schrader film ''Touch'' (1997), and he appeared in '' Ride with the Devil'' (1999), an American Civil War drama directed by Ang Lee. In 2000, he played computer hacker Kevin Mitnick in the film '' Takedown''.

On television, Ulrich starred in the short-lived ABC series ''Miracles'' and appeared in TNT's multiple Emmy-nominated miniseries '' Into the West'' (2005 in the U.S., 2006 in the UK). Also in 2005, Ulrich acted with Keri Russell in the television film ''The Magic of Ordinary Days

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases