Kendall Francis Schmidt (born November 2, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, and actor. He played Kendall Knight in ''
Big Time Rush
''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
'', and is a current member of the boyband
with the same name, and has had small roles on TV shows such as ''
ER'', ''
Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'', ''
Phil of the Future
''Phil of the Future'' is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006, for two seasons. The series was created by Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile and produced by 2121 Productions ...
'', ''
Ghost Whisperer
''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010.
The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...
'', ''
Gilmore Girls
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...
'', ''
School of Rock
''School of Rock'' (titled onscreen as ''The School of Rock'') is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman. Bl ...
'' and ''
Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
''.
Early life
Schmidt was born in
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
, to Kathy and Kent Schmidt. His brothers, Kenneth Schmidt and
Kevin Schmidt
Kevin Gerard Schmidt (born August 16, 1988) is an American actor, known best for his role as Henry Baker in ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' and ''Cheaper by the Dozen 2'' and as Noah Newman in ''The Young and the Restless''. Schmidt also played Ryan in ...
, are actors.
[Abejo, Jerry. " Currently married to Kendall Stone (2008-)]
Andover Boy's Film Career at 'A.I.' High.
''Wichita Eagle
''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surrounding area.
History
Origins
In 1870, ''The Vidette'' was the fi ...
.'' July 8, 2001. He is of German descent. He began his acting career at age five, appearing in a
Chex
Chex is an American brand of breakfast cereal currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally produced and owned by Ralston Purina of St. Louis, Missouri, using the name Chex starting in 1950. The Chex brand went with corporate spi ...
TV commercial. When he was nine years old, he was one of two young actors who were hired to be
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor and voice actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film '' Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psyc ...
's stand-in and body double (they shared the same agent) in the
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
film ''
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
''A.I. Artificial Intelligence'' (also known as ''A.I.'') is a 2001 American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. The screenplay by Spielberg and screen story by Ian Watson were based on the 1969 short story "Supertoys Last All ...
''.
He celebrated his birthday on the set, and Spielberg and the cast surprised him with a birthday cake decorated with ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' figures.
When he was 10 years old, his family finally made the move from
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Career
2001–2014: Career beginning and Big Time Rush
![Kendall Schmidt BTR Paparazzo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Kendall_Schmidt_BTR_Paparazzo.jpg)
In 2001, Schmidt soon landed recurring roles on ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'', ''
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death.
Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
'', ''
Raising Dad
''Raising Dad'' is an American television sitcom that aired on The WB from October 5, 2001, to May 10, 2002. The series stars Bob Saget, Kat Dennings, Brie Larson, Riley Smith, Beau Wirick and Jerry Adler, and was produced by Albion Productions ...
'', ''
Gilmore Girls
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...
'' and ''
CSI: Miami
''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
''. He guest-starred on a variety of TV shows, including ''
ER'', ''
MADtv
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
'', ''
Easy A
''Easy A'' (stylized as ''easy A'') is a 2010 American teen romantic
comedy film directed by Will Gluck, written by Bert V. Royal, starring Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Dan Byrd, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgle ...
,'' ''
Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
'' and ''
Phil of the Future
''Phil of the Future'' is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006, for two seasons. The series was created by Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile and produced by 2121 Productions ...
''. Kendall also guest starred on ''
Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'' and ''
Ghost Whisperer
''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010.
The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...
''. On the big screen, he has appeared in ''
Minority Report
Minority Report may refer to:
* Minority report (Poor Law), published by the UK Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905–09
* "Minority Report", a 1949 science fiction short story by Theodore Sturgeon
* "The Minority Report ...
'' and ''
According to Spencer
''According to Spencer'' is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Shane Edelman and starring Jesse Bradford, Mia Kirshner, David Krumholtz, Adam Goldberg, and Brad Rowe.
Plot
The film is centered on Spencer ( Bradford), who moves to Los Ang ...
''.
In 2009, Schmidt was cast as the lead of the TV show ''
Big Time Rush
''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
''. Kendall portrays a character like himself with the name of Kendall Knight, the calm and relaxed member of Big Time Rush. He also was a member of boy band
Big Time Rush
''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
signed Big Time Rush and the debut album, titled ''
BTR BTR may refer to:
Companies
* BTR Aerospace Group
* BTR plc, formerly BTR Industries, one of the predecessor companies of Invensys plc
* British Thomson-Houston (former name BTR), a British engineering and heavy industrial company
Media, music, ...
'', was released on October 11, 2010 and debuted at number 3 on the
''Billboard'' 200. Later was certified
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
for shipments of 500,000 copies in the U.S. In November 2010, it was announced that a Christmas special of ''
Big Time Rush
''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
'' would debut later that month, and that a Christmas
EP would be released to coincide with the episode. On November 30, 2010, they released the Holiday EP ''
Holiday Bundle'', with two songs: "Beautiful Christmas" and the cover of "
All I Want for Christmas is You", originally performed by
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. On February 15, 2011, "Boyfriend" was released as the band's first official single to mainstream US radio
and peaked at number seventy-two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming their most successful song to date.
Schmidt and the group announced they would be recording their second studio album, just after Nickelodeon renewed the series for a third season. Their second album, ''
Elevate'', was released on November 21, 2011 and debuted at number 12 on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week. Though for a lower peaking than their previous, the album sold more copies than the previous album. The first single, "
Music Sounds Better with U", was released on November 1, 2011. He announced would be starring in their full-length 2012 film, ''
Big Time Movie
''Big Time Movie'' (also known as ''Big Time Rush: The Movie'') is a 2012 musical comedy television film based on the Nickelodeon television series, ''Big Time Rush'' and the songs of The Beatles, which aired March 10, 2012 in the United States ...
''. In 2013
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
renewed the ''Big Time Rush'' series for a 13-episode fourth season, production started on January 7. Their third album, ''
24/Seven'', was released on June 11, 2013 and led many critics to draw comparisons between the band's third album and NSYNC's fourth album ''
Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
''.
The band ended in 2014.
2014–present: Heffron Drive and reunion with ''Big Time Rush''
Schmidt announced that he returned to the duo
Heffron Drive
Heffron Drive was an American duo formed by Kendall Schmidt and Dustin Belt, both originally from Kansas. It was originally formed in 2008 after Kendall and Dustin met each other by chance and realized they lived on the same street, Heffron Drive ...
, which he had before
Big Time Rush
''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
.
Schmidt's first single with
Heffron Drive
Heffron Drive was an American duo formed by Kendall Schmidt and Dustin Belt, both originally from Kansas. It was originally formed in 2008 after Kendall and Dustin met each other by chance and realized they lived on the same street, Heffron Drive ...
, "Parallel" from the album ''
Happy Mistakes
'Happy Mistakes' is the debut and only studio album by American pop rock group Heffron Drive
Heffron Drive was an American duo formed by Kendall Schmidt and Dustin Belt, both originally from Kansas. It was originally formed in 2008 after Kenda ...
'', was released in March 2014 through his very own record label TOLBooth Records. On January 14, 2017, the band released a new song and music video for their single "Living Room". Their next release was on January 19, 2018, when they released a new song and music video titled "Mad At The World". Their latest release is "Black on Black".
On April 20, 2020, Kendall reunited virtually with his former members as they uploaded a video on the band's social media platforms, sharing some wishes to their fans about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personal life
Schmidt got engaged to his girlfriend of seven years, Mica von Turkovich on June 30, 2022.
Filmography
Films
Television
Web
Discography
Promotional singles
Albums appearances
Writing credits
References
External links
Official Site of Big Time Rush*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Kendall
1990 births
Living people
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
Actors from Wichita, Kansas
American bloggers
American child singers
American dance musicians
American male bloggers
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male guitarists
American male pop singers
American male singers
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of German descent
American pop rock singers
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
Big Time Rush (band) members
Columbia Records artists
Guitarists from Kansas
Male actors from Kansas
Musicians from Wichita, Kansas
People from Andover, Kansas
Singers from Kansas
Songwriters from Kansas