John Joseph Corbett Jr. (born May 9, 1961)
is an American actor and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer. On television, he is best known for his roles as
Chris Stevens on ''
Northern Exposure
''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'' (1990–1995),
Aidan Shaw on ''
Sex and the City'' (2000–2003), Max Gregson on ''
United States of Tara
''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara (Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative identit ...
'' (2009–2011), and Seth Holt on ''
Parenthood'' (2011–2015). In film, he is known for roles in the ''
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also stars in the film as Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with White Anglo-Saxo ...
'' franchise, ''
Raising Helen
''Raising Helen'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
Michael Begler is an American television writer, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for co-creating Cinemax' ...
'' (2004), ''
The Messengers'' (2007), ''
Sex and the City 2'' (2010), ''
Ramona & Beezus'' (2010), and the ''
To All the Boys'' film trilogy (2018–2021).
In addition to acting, Corbett has pursued a career in country music, releasing the studio albums ''
John Corbett'' (2006) and ''Leaving Nothin' Behind'' (2013) with the former reaching number 45 on the
''Billboard'' Country Albums chart.
Early life
Corbett was raised in
Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. He grew up in an apartment block near the Ohio River with his mother and stepfather, both of whom worked at his uncle Phillip's music club. Corbett was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, and was an
altar boy for seven years at
St. Joseph's Cathedral.
His father was raised in
Bellaire, Ohio, and was a member of the
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
.
Corbett's mother was
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
through her father who was of
Russian-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
descent.
Corbett started playing the guitar at age seven, and at 16, he worked as a security guard at the Capitol Music Hall. He attended Wheeling Central Catholic High School, from which he graduated in 1979.
Following his graduation from high school, Corbett moved to Bellflower, California to live with his father and stepmother, and worked for Kaiser Steel in Fontana
Fontana may refer to:
Places
Italy
*Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone
*Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone
*Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino
*Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi
* ...
for six years. During his time as a hydrotester in the factory, he spent a year training to become an L.A. County Deputy Sheriff, but ultimately failed the exams. Corbett stopped working at the factory after injuring his back; he subsequently enrolled in hairdressing classes at Cerritos College in Norwalk, and also studied acting there. Corbett said, "I went to hair school by day and studied theatre at night." He has been a licensed hair stylist since 1986. He then landed a Samsung
The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
commercial, and after three years, had starred in 50 national commercials.
Career
Acting
Corbett's first role came in 1988, when he was cast as Louis, the hippie boyfriend of Karen Arnold ( Olivia d'Abo) in the first season of ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's comedy-drama series '' The Wonder Years''. For this appearance, he was credited as Jack Corbett. From 1990 to 1995, he starred as Chris Stevens in the CBS comedy-drama series ''Northern Exposure
''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'', for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and the .
Corbett played the leading role of Adam MacArthur, in 1997's short-lived Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
science fiction series '' The Visitor'', for which he was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television
The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Actor on Television (formerly Best Genre TV Actor).
The award is presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, honoring the work of actors in science fic ...
. His character, who was abducted by aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
, finds his way back to Earth 50 years later, endowed with special powers. From 2001 to 2002, he portrayed the love interest of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
), Aidan Shaw, in the HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
comedy series '' Sex and the City'', for which he received his second nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
In 2001 he also had a supporting role in the romantic comedy film ''Serendipity'', starring John Cusack. In 2002, Corbett portrayed the male lead role of Ian Miller in the romantic comedy film ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding
''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also stars in the film as Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with White Anglo-Saxo ...
'', alongside Nia Vardalos
Antonia Eugenia Vardalos (born September 24, 1962) is a Canadian actress, director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known for starring in and writing the romantic comedy film ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' (2002), which garnered her nominati ...
(who also wrote the screenplay), for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
.
In 2003, he starred in the FX dark comedy series '' Lucky'', as professional poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
player Michael "Lucky" Linkletter. The following year, he starred alongside Kate Hudson in Garry Marshall's comedy-drama film ''Raising Helen
''Raising Helen'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
Michael Begler is an American television writer, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for co-creating Cinemax' ...
''. He then portrayed music teacher Mr. Torvald in the 2004 musical drama film '' Raise Your Voice'', co-starring Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...
. Three years later, he had a starring role in the Pang brothers horror film '' The Messengers'' (2007). Additionally, Corbett starred in the 2007 Lifetime
Lifetime may refer to:
* Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey
* ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band
* ...
television film '' Montana Sky'', and co-starred as a corrupt LAPD vice squad member in the 2008 David Ayer-directed crime thriller ''Street Kings
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
''. The following year, he reunited with his ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' co-star Nia Vardalos for the romantic comedy ''I Hate Valentine's Day
''I Hate Valentine's Day'' is a 2009 romantic comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos and John Corbett, previously seen together in Vardalos' hit 2002 film ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'' The film was released on Jul ...
'' (2009), which Vardalos also wrote and directed. In 2009, he also co-starred in the Brian Herzlinger
Brian Scott Herzlinger (born February 19, 1976, Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director who directed and starred in ''My Date with Drew'', a documentary released in 2005. Herzlinger graduated from Ithaca College (NY) with a film degree ...
-directed comedy film ''Baby on Board
"Baby on board" is the message of a small (usually ) sign intended to be placed in the back window of an automobile to caution other drivers that an infant is travelling in the automobile.
The intention of the sign is often confused with a warni ...
''.
From 2009 to 2011, Corbett co-starred in the Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
comedy-drama series ''United States of Tara
''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara (Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative identit ...
'' as Max Gregson, the husband of Toni Collette
Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, includ ...
's title character. In 2010, Corbett reprised his role as Aidan Shaw in the ''Sex and the City'' feature film sequel '' Sex and the City 2''. That same year, he starred as Tom Marks in the Hallmark seasonal television film ''November Christmas
''November Christmas'' is a 2010 American made-for-television Christmas drama film based on a short story written by Greg Coppa. The film depicts a young couple struggling with the illness of their daughter, and the effect their family had on the ...
'', alongside Sam Elliott and Sarah Paulson, and portrayed Robert Quimby in Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, also known as Liz Allen, is an American film and television director. She has directed and executive produced six TV pilots, all of which have been picked up to series. In 2020 she directed and executive produced the ...
's family comedy film '' Ramona and Beezus'', based on the ''Ramona'' novel series. Corbett was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
in June 2011.
From 2011 to 2015, he had a recurring role as Seth Holt on the NBC drama series '' Parenthood''. In March 2013, Corbett appeared in two episodes of the CBS procedural drama series '' NCIS: Los Angeles'' as Special Agent Roy Haines; it was considered to be a planted pilot episode for a spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
series focusing on his character, but this was ultimately not produced. In 2012, he portrayed teacher Mike Kersjes in the Hallmark television film based on the memoir of the same name, '' A Smile as Big as the Moon''. Corbett provided the voiceover for Applebee's
Applebee's Restaurants LLC. is an American company that develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurant chain. The Applebee's concept focuses on casual dining, with mainstream American dishes such as salads ...
television commercials and, since 2012, has been the voice for Walgreens
Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, an ...
' television and radio advertisements. In 2014, Corbett appeared alongside Sarah Bolger
Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a piou ...
in Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst (; born November 4, 1961) is an American reality show host and executive producer. He is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of the U.S. version of the reality television show '' Survivor'' since 2000. He was also the host of ' ...
's drama film '' Kiss Me''. The following year, he starred as Garrett Peterson, opposite Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, in the Rob Cohen-directed erotic thriller '' The Boy Next Door''.
From 2015 to 2016, he portrayed Josiah "Flash" Bacon in the FX comedy series '' Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll''. In 2016, fourteen years after ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' was released, Corbett returned for the sequel ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
''My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2'' is a 2016 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine (in his final film role), Andrea Martin, Ian Gomez ...
''. In 2017, he portrayed the main role of Michael Spurlock, a pastor who welcomes Karen
Karen may refer to:
* Karen (name), a given name and surname
* Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors
People
* Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand
** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. s to his church, in the Steve Gomer-directed drama film '' All Saints''. Corbett then had a guest starring role as himself in the eighth and final season of IFC's comedy series ''Portlandia
''Portlandia'' is an American sketch comedy television series starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, set in and around Portland, Oregon, and spoofing the city's reputation as a haven for eccentric hipsters. The show was produced by Broa ...
''. He portrayed Dr. Dan Covey, the father of Lana Condor
Lana Therese Condor (born Trần Đồng Lan; May 11, 1997) is an American actress, producer, and singer. She made her acting debut starring as Jubilee in the superhero film '' X-Men: Apocalypse'' (2016), and gained international recognition for ...
's lead character, in the film adaptation of Jenny Han
Jenny Han is an American author of young adult fiction and children's fiction. She is best known for writing the '' To All the Boys'' series and ''The Summer I Turned Pretty'' trilogy, which were adapted into a film series and TV series, respec ...
's novel ''To All the Boys I've Loved Before
''To All the Boys I've Loved Before'' is a 2014 young adult fiction, young adult romance novel by American author Jenny Han, first published by Simon & Schuster and released on April 15, 2014. Han was inspired to write the book based on her own ...
'' (2018), directed by Susan Johnson. Corbett starred in '' God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness'' (2018), as lawyer Pearce Hill.
In 2019, Corbett starred in John R. Leonetti
John Robert Leonetti, (born July 4, 1956) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is known for his collaborative work with director James Wan, with whom he has acted as cinematographer on five films. He is the younger brother of cin ...
's film adaptation of Tim Lebbon's horror novel '' The Silence'', with Miranda Otto
Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a variety of ...
and Stanley Tucci. He also co-starred with Nia Long
Nia Talita Long (born October 30, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sit ...
in the horror sequel '' 47 Meters Down: Uncaged''. In 2023 he reprised his role as Aidan Shaw in the ''Sex and the City'' reboot ''And Just Like That.''
Music
In 1993, Corbett starred in the Jeff Richter
Jeff Richter is an American music video director and editor. He has worked for Intuitive Entertainment, MTV Networks, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and is the owner of Earthquake Productions, a production company where he directs and edits his own mu ...
-directed music video for the Scorpions single "Woman", opposite Karina Lombard
Karina Lombard is a Tahitian-born American actress. She appeared as Isabel Two in ''Legends of the Fall'', as chief Nonhelema in ''Timeless'', and as Marina Ferrer in the first season of ''The L Word''.
She has also appeared in the films '' Wid ...
. In September 2004, it was reported that Corbett had signed a recording contract with Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
-based country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
label Broken Bow Records. He released his self-titled debut album, co-produced by D. Scott Miller and Tara Novick, on April 4, 2006, and went on tour with ZZ Top, Lisa Marie Presley, and Charlie Daniels to promote the record. The album's only single, "Good to Go", debuted at No. 48 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart, which was the highest debut by a new artist from an independent label, and later peaked at No. 43. The music video for "Good to Go" was directed by Kevin Kerslake
Kevin Kerslake is an American filmmaker and photographer. He has directed documentaries on Joan Jett ('' Bad Reputation''), DJ AM (''As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM''), The Ramones (''We're Outta Here!''), Nirvana (''Live! Tonight! Sold Out! ...
. The album itself reached No. 45 on the Country Albums chart, and peaked at No. 21 on the Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
chart. In 2008, Corbett was featured in Trisha Yearwood's music video for her single "This Is Me You're Talking To
"This Is Me You're Talking To" is a song written by Tommy Lee James and Karyn Rochelle, and recorded by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released in January 2008 as the second single from her tenth studio album '' Heaven, Hear ...
".
Seven years after his debut, Corbett released a second country album, ''Leaving Nothin' Behind'', produced by Jon Randall, on January 29, 2013.
Personal life
Corbett was raised Catholic and "dabbled" in born-again Christianity
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
in the 1980s "before returning to his Catholic roots." He has been in a relationship with actress Bo Derek since 2002, after meeting on a blind date. They married in December 2020. The couple live on a ranch in Santa Ynez, California.
Filmography
Film
Television
Discography
Albums
Singles
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbett, John
1961 births
Jewish American male actors
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American country singer-songwriters
American hairdressers
American male film actors
American male singer-songwriters
American male television actors
American people of English descent
American people of Lithuanian descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Cerritos College alumni
Living people
Male actors from West Virginia
Musicians from Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling Central Catholic High School alumni
21st-century American Jews
Singer-songwriters from West Virginia