Jeremy Suarez (born July 6, 1990) is an American actor, best known for his role as Jordan Thomkins on ''

The Bernie Mac Show ''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured Bernie ...

'' (2001–2006), and as the voice of Koda in ''

Brother Bear ''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 44th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Wa ...

'' (2003) and ''

Brother Bear 2 ''Brother Bear 2'' is a 2006 American animated direct-to-video musical fantasy comedy-drama film and the sequel to the animated feature ''Brother Bear'', which was released on August 29, 2006. Melissa Etheridge contributed three songs to the film ...

'' (2006). Beginning his career as a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

at the age of five, he first appeared as Tyson Tidwell in ''

Jerry Maguire ''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe; it stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, and Regina King. Produced in part by James L. Brooks, it was inspi ...

'' (1996), and most recently appeared as Nathaniel in ''The Fix'' (2017). Throughout his career, Suarez has been nominated for two

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

, two

Young Artist Awards The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

and an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally desi ...

Biography

Suarez is of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n descent, and is the oldest of three siblings. In 1996, he made his debut in ''

'' as Rod Tidwell's son Tyson. He appeared in the short-lived sitcom '' Built to Last'' (1997) as Ryce Watkins, the youngest son in a family of seven. Suarez made guest appearances on sitcoms '' Sister, Sister'' (1996) and ''

The Wayans Bros. ''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans. The series also starred John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Hors ...

'' (1998), and had a recurring role as Raymond Wilkes on medical drama ''

Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinois. ...

'' (1996−98). When Suarez was 11 years old, he joined the cast of the sitcom ''

'' (2001−06) as Jordan Thomkins, the nephew of the titular character

Bernie Mac Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fell ...

. For portraying Jordan, Suarez received two

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

nominations. Suarez appeared on ''

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...

'' in 2008 with his fellow cast to discuss Mac's death. He voiced Koda, a bear cub whose mother was killed by the protagonist, in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

'' (2003). A book author believed Suarez's performance was the best in the film. Suarez received an

nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production as Koda, but lost to

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

. He reprised the role of Koda in sequel ''

'' (2006). In 2004, Suarez appeared in two feature films. He provided the voice of Russell in an animated sequence of ''

Fat Albert ''Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids'' is an American animated television series created, produced, and hosted (in live action bookends) by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert and himself. Film ...

'' and portrayed Li'l Gawain in '' The Ladykillers''. Following the end of ''The Bernie Mac Show'', Suarez struggled to find acting work and found employment in more conventional jobs outside of the film industry, including as a boilermaker. Most of Suarez's work post-''Bernie Mac'' have been in voice-overs, guest starring on ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

'' and voicing a puppet in

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

commercials during the 2009 NBA Playoffs. He provided Kai's voice in the animated feature film, '' Zambezia'' (2012). In '' Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie'' (2014), Suarez played Cooper Folly, the nerd's sidekick.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez, Jeremy 1990 births Living people African-American male actors American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Cuban descent Hispanic and Latino American male actors People from Burbank, California Male actors from Greater Los Angeles 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors