Jeff Wadlow Biography

Jeffrey Clark "Jeff" Wadlow (born March 3, 1976) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the writer and director of the 2013 superhero comedy film Kick-Ass 2.

Life and career

Wadlow was born in Arlington, Virginia, the son of Emily Couric, a late state senator, and Raymor Wadlow. His mother's sister is television personality Katie Couric. Wadlow attended Dartmouth College with actress/comedian Mindy Kaling. Wadlow graduated with a BA in History and Film modified by Drama and a citation for outstanding work in Animation. The following year, he attended the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television after being Awarded a USC Associates Endowment Scholarship for academic achievement, Wadlow went on to graduate in 2001. While there, he made The Tower of Babble (2002), which he conceived, co-wrote, acted in and directed. He received more than two dozen awards for the short, including a Chlotrudis Award, Best Short Film at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival and at the St. Louis International Film Festival, the George Méliès Cinematography Award at the Taos Talking Picture Festival, and a Student Award at USA Film Festival.

He went on to receive the Short Film Prize at the Wine Country Film Festival for Manual Labor (2002) and the Best Animated Short at the New Haven Film Fest for Catching Kringle (2004). Having won the short film division at the 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Competition for Living the Lie (2002), he aspired to enter the competition with a feature film.

In 2005, Wadlow and Beau Bauman came up with the idea for Wadlow's theatrical directorial debut Cry_Wolf with the money Wadlow won in the 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Competition for his short film, Living the Lie. Along with co-writer Beau Bauman, created a five minute presentation piece starring Topher Grace and Estella Warren that won a top prize at the Toronto Film Festival.

As an actor, he has played a small role in Pearl Harbor and a professor on an episode of the sci-fi TV series Roswell, which aired May 7, 2001. Wadlow also founded The Adrenaline Film Project, a program to help aspiring filmmakers of all ages conceive and complete a short film in just 72 hours.

He directed the film Never Back Down, which was released on March 14, 2008, and starred Djimon Hounsou and Sean Faris. Wadlow also wrote and directed Kick-Ass 2, the sequel to the 2010 black comedy superhero film Kick-Ass.

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Functioned as						Notes
		Director	Writer	Producer	Actor	Other	Role
1996	The Pallbearer							Office production assistant (as Jeffrey Clark Wadlow)
1999	The Big Kahuna							Set production assistant (as Jeffrey C. Wadlow)
2001	Pearl Harbor						Next Guy in Line #1
2002	The Tower of Babble						Derek	Story only; Chlotrudis Award for Best Short Film George Méliès Cinematography Award NYIIFV Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film SLIFF Award for Best Dramatic Short Student Award Nominated - Deauville Film Festival - Best Short Film
	Manual Labor							Also editor; Wine Country Film Festival - Best Short Film (Domestic)
2004	Catching Kringle							Story only; Jury Award for Best Short Film - Animated
2005	Cry_Wolf							Feature film debut
2007	Prey
	I'm Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks)						Billy
2008	Never Back Down
2013	Kick-Ass 2
2014	Non-Stop							Executive producer
2016	X-Force

Television

Year	Show	Functioned as				Notes
		Writer	Producer	Actor	Role
2001	Roswell				Professor	Episode: "Baby, It's You"
2010	The Odds					Executive producer
2011	Hail Mary					Executive producer
2013	Bates Motel					Consulting producer, six episodes Writer, episodes "Ocean View" and "What's Wrong with Norman"