Jared Keeso
Introduction '''Jared Keeso''' ( ; born July 1, 1984) is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series ''Letterkenny'' (2016–2023), which won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series in 2017.He is also known for his roles as Ben Chartier in the 2014 series ''19-2'' (2014–2017), for which he won a Canadian Screen Award, as Don Cherry in the television films ''Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story'' (2010) and ''The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II'' (2012), for which he won a Leo Award and Gemini Award.
Early life Keeso was born in Listowel, Ontario, on July 1, 1984, the son of Anne and Richard Keeso. His family owned and operated the Keeso Sawmill Company, which was founded in 1872, and Keeso spent several years working in the sawmill before embarking on his acting career. The sawmill was destroyed by a fire on September 9, 2018.As a youth, like most boys his age in town, Keeso played junior hockey; he played for the Strathroy Rockets of the WOHL with future two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter, and also the Listowel Cyclones of the GOJHL.
Career Keeso starred as hockey coach, player, and commentator Don Cherry in two CBC television movies about Cherry's life. The first, ''Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story'', aired in early 2010, and was followed by ''The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II'' in 2012.For his performances, he won a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama and a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series.In 2013, Keeso and Mike Borden created Play Fun Games Pictures on YouTube. The channel became an immediate success thanks to a series of shorts sketches depicting the quintessential Canadian farmer and the associated struggles. The series, ''Letterkenny Problems'', has attracted over 100 million views (), and became the basis for the hit 2016 sitcom ''Letterkenny''. The sketches and TV series are both shot in Sudbury, Ontario.In 2014, Keeso starred in a Heritage Minute about the Winnipeg Falcons, a team of Icelandic-Canadian hockey players who served in the First World War, and later won the country's first Olympic gold medal in hockey.Following the cult success of ''Letterkenny'', in 2022 Keeso created a spin-off series focusing on the titular character of Shoresy which is also set and shot in Sudbury.Keeso has had a variety of other roles in both television series and movies, including as Ben Chartier in the 2014 English-language adaptation of ''19-2'', for which he won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. He also has less prominent roles in a few other films, such as Nicholas in ''Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball''; Adam in the high-school themed Lifetime original movie ''Seven Deadly Sins''; and Simon in the drug-themed ''Charlie''.
Filmography === Film === Year Title RoleNotes 2004  ''Eve's Christmas''  Bartender  TV 2006  ''Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone''  Sean Ellis  TV ''Shock to the System''  Paul Hale  TV ''Seventeen & Missing''  Curt  TV 2007  ''The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker''  Keith  TV ''White Noise: The Light''  Jerry  2009  ''Charlie''  Simon  ''I Love You, Beth Cooper''  Dustin Klepacki  ''Caprica''  Rod Jenkins  Battlestar Galactica spin-off; untitled pilot aired as TV-movie 2010  ''A Trace of Danger''  Adrian  made-for-TV   ''Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball''  Agent Nicholas  ''Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story''  Don Cherry  TV miniseries movie ''Seven Deadly Sins''  Adam Morgan  Lifetime TV miniseries movie ''A Beginner's Guide to Endings''  "Juicebox"  2012  ''The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II''  Don Cherry  TV miniseries movie 2013  ''Nearlyweds''  Mr. Hunky  Hallmark Movie ''The Marine 3: Homefront''  Harkin  Direct to video ''Elysium''  Rico  2014  ''Godzilla''  Jump Master  ''Preggoland''  Dr. Ted  2018  ''The Death & Life of John F. Donovan''  James Donovan === Television === Year Title RoleNotes 2004 ''Life As We Know It'' Hockey Player #2 Episode: "Secrets & Lies" ''Smallville'' Nate Episodes: "Facade" and "Devoted" 2005 ''The 4400''  Roy Keith Marsden Episode: "Hidden" 2006 ''Supernatural'' Matt Harrison Episode: "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" 2006–2007 ''Monster Warriors'' Luke 53 episodes 2008 ''ReGenesis'' Tom Wiley Episode: "Suspicious Minds" 2008–2009 ''The Guard'' Rob Chambers 8 episodes 2010 ''Psych'' Gabe McKinley Episode: "Chivalry is Not Dead... But Someone is" 2011 ''Hellcats'' Luke Powell Episode: "God Must Have My Fortune Laid Away" 2012 ''The Secret Circle'' Witch Hunter Episode: "Family" 2013 ''Falling Skies'' Lars Episode: "On Thin Ice" 2014–2017 ''19-2'' Ben Chartier Lead role 2016–2023 ''Letterkenny'' Wayne, Shoresy Lead role; also creator, writer, and director 2022–present ''Shoresy'' Shoresy Lead role; also creator and writer
Awards and nominations +Accolades for Jared Keeso Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role''19-2''  Leo Awards Best Lead Performance By a Male in a Dramatic Series  2016 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role  Leo Awards Best Lead Performance By a Male in a Dramatic Series  2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Comedy Series''Letterkenny''  Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series  Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role  Writers Guild of Canada Best Writing in a TV Comedy  Best Script from a Rookie Series  Leo Awards Best Music, Comedy or Variety Program or Series
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