What the Hell Happened to Freddie Prinze Jr?

For a brief time in the late 20th century, Freddie Prinze Jr. was a teen heartthrob.  He followed up a hit horror franchise with a sleeper romantic comedy and a science fiction movie that was expected to spawn a series of sequels.  After a string of you-oriented rom-coms, Prinze married one of his co-stars and seemingly rode off into the sunset.

What the hell happened?

Freddie Prinze Sr. - Chico and the Man 1974-1978
Freddie Prinze Sr. – Chico and the Man 1974-1978

Freddie Prinze Jr. was the only son of stand-up comedian and TV star, Freddy Prinze Sr.  Prinze Sr. was best-known for starring in the hit sitcom Chico and the Man.  The comedian struggled with depression and substance abuse throughout his career.  In 1975, he married Freddie Prinze Jr.’s mother and his son was born the following year.  In 1976, a few months after Prinze Jr. was born, Prinze Sr. was arrested for driving under the influence.  Following the arrest, his wife filed for divorce.

Freddie Prinze Sr.
Freddie Prinze Sr.

After a phone call from his ex-wife, Prinze Sr. was visited by his business manager.  While his manager was visiting, Prinze Sr. shot himself in the head.  He was rushed to the hospital but the wound proved fatal.

Prinze Jr. has not spoken publicly about his father’s death for most of his time in the public spotlight.  He discussed it at length for the first time in Kevin Pollak’s documentary, Misery Loves Comedy.  According to Pollak:

I’d known Freddie from his first star-making turn in She’s All That, but I knew this sweet wonderful kid. There was a part of me that knew I had to ask him if he was ready to talk about his dad on camera for the first time, but there was also a big part of me that wanted to protect him while he was doing it.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Family Matters - 1995
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Family Matters – 1995

Prinze made his acting debut playing a high school student in an episode of the ABC sit-com, Family Matters.  Prinze’s character attends a gun drive but refuses to hand over his gun without some kind of compensation.

Freddie Prinze Jr - ABC Afterschool Specials: Too Soon for Jeff - 1996
Freddie Prinze Jr – ABC Afterschool Specials: Too Soon for Jeff – 1996

Next, Prinze starred opposite Jessica Alba in the ABC Afterschool Special, Too Soon for Jeff.  Prinze played a teen father who isn’t prepared for the responsibilities that come with raising a child.

Freddie Prinze Jr - To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday - 1996
Freddie Prinze Jr – To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday – 1996

Later that year, Prinze made his movie debut in the drama, To Gillian on Her 27th Birthday.

Peter Gallagher starred as a husband stricken by the death of his wife played by Michelle Pfeiffer.  He decides to move to the beach to be closer to his late wife who died at sea but doesn’t realize he has been neglecting his teenage daughter played by Claire Daines.

The movie was panned by critics and bombed at the box office.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Sparkler - 1997
Freddie Prinze Jr – Sparkler – 1997

In 1997, Prinze appeared in the indie movie, Sparkler.

Park Overall starred as a trailer park girl with a run of bad luck.  A phone psychic tells her to watch out for three kings who will change her life.  Shortly afterwards she runs into three guys at a bar.  The guys, who are played by Jamie Kennedy, Steven Petrarca and Prinze, tell her that they are headed for Vegas to try to win money to pay their rent.  The girl, who the guys nickname “Sparkler,” decides to come to Vegas with them.  Little does she know that she has just won a $1 million dollar sweepstakes which she only has 72 hours to claim.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Hostage High - 1997
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Hostage High – 1997

Later that year, Prinze appeared in the TV movie Detention: The Siege at Johnson High also known as Hostage High and Target for Rage.

Rick Schroder starred as a former student who takes revenge on the teacher he blames for his failure to graduate high school.  After shooting his former teacher, he takes several students hostage including Prinze.

The movie was based on the 1992 Lindhurst High School shooting and siege that resulted in the death of four people.

Freddie Prinze Jr - The House of Yes - 1997
Freddie Prinze Jr – The House of Yes – 1997

Next, Prinze appeared in the indie comedy, The House of Yes.

Parker Posey starred as an unstable girl with a Jackie-O obsession.  She lives with her mother played by Geneviève Bujold and her younger brother played by Prinze.  She also has a twin brother who returns home for a visit with his fiancee played by Tori Spelling.

The movie was well-received at the Sundance film festival.  Overall, reviews were mixed to positive.  The House of Yes is the best-reviewed movie of Prinze’s career.  Despite decent reviews, The House of Yes never received a wide release in theaters.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - I Know What You Did Last Summer - 1997
Freddie Prinze Jr. – I Know What You Did Last Summer – 1997

Finally, Prinze starred opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in the teen horror movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer.  

Prinze, Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe played high school seniors involved in a hit-and-run.  The scared teens dump the body in the sea rather than deal with the consequences.  But the following year, someone starts messing with them.  

The movie was based on Lois Duncan’s young adult novel of the same name.  The author has very publicly denounced the big screen version of her book.  The novel was more of a thriller than a slasher movie.

Kevin Williamson wrote I Know What You Did Last Summer before he wrote the script for Scream.  But no one was interested in making the movie until Scream was a surprise hit at the box office in 1996.  After the success of Scream, Columbia Pictures immediately bought I Know What You Did Last Summer.  Eager to get the movie in theaters as quickly as possible, the movie was shot in just fifty days.

Critics agreed with Duncan.  Roger Ebert took the movie to task for not playing fair, “After the screening was over and the lights went up, I observed a couple of my colleagues in deep and earnest conversation, trying to resolve twists in the plot. They were applying more thought to the movie than the makers did. A critic’s mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

Despite the critical drubbing, I Know What You Did Last Summer was a hit at the box office.  Which can only mean one thing…

Freddie Prinze Jr. - I Still Know What You Did Last Summer - 1998
Freddie Prinze Jr. – I Still Know What You Did Last Summer – 1998

In 1998, Prinze and Hewitt returned for a quickie sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Hewitt’s character, now in college, wins a weekend getaway to a posh island resort.  Hewitt and Prinze are joined on the getaway by another couple played by pop singer Brandy and Mekhi Phifer.  Of course young people started getting killed with a fisherman’s hook.  It is a sequel after all.

I can’t discuss I Still Know What You Did Last Summer without talking about the ridiculousness of the title.  A year has passed since the first movie.  Since the hit and run was “last summer” in the first movie, it is not “the summer before last” in the sequel.

The critics liked the sequel even less than the original.  Ebert wrote “When a movie begins, I imagine an empty room in my mind that is about to be filled. This movie left the room furnished only with dust and a few dead flies.”

Unlike the original, the sequel flopped at the box office.  It opened in second place behind The Waterboy and quickly fell out of theaters.  In 2006, a direct-to-video sequel was released with the even more preposterous title I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Money Kings - 1998
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Money Kings – 1998

Later that year, Prinze starred opposite Peter Falk in the crime drama, Vig also known as Money Kings.

Falk played a bookie with a conscious.  He never lets his customers get too deep in debt,  Prinze played a drug-abusing mobster who gets appointed as a collection agent.  He takes a big bet from an alcoholic played by Timothy Hutton.  When Hutton can’t pay his debt, Prinze takes payment from his wife played by Lauren Holly.

Money Kings ended up on Showtime after it couldn’t find a distributor for a theatrical release.

Freddie Prinze Jr - She's All That - 1999
Freddie Prinze Jr – She’s All That – 1999

In 1999, Prinze starred opposite Rachael Leigh Cook in the teen rom com, She’s All That.

Prinze played a high school jock who gets dumped by the most popular girl in school.  She leaves him for a reality TV star played by Matthew Lillard. To save face, Prinze makes a bet with a classmate played by Paul Walker that he can turn any girl in school into the prom queen.  In order to increase his chances of winning the bet, Walker picks an incredibly hot girl played by Cook who is clearly a dork because she wears overalls and glasses.  Glasses!  In a twist that will surprise no one, once she takes off the glasses and puts on a dress, she’s actually an incredibly hot girl.

R. Lee Fleming, Jr. is officially credited as the sole screenwriter of the Pygmalion update.  But writer-director M Night Shyamalan later revealed that he did an uncredited rewrite on the script.  According to Shyamalan, he threw away the original script and basically ghost-wrote the movie.  According to Miramax’s development head at the time, both writers made contributions to the final film.

The movie was filmed at the same high school where Buffy the Vampire Slayer was shot.  Series star and Prinze’s future wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, even has a non-speaking cameo in the movie.

Overall, She’s All That received mostly negative reviews.  It has the distinction of being the last movie reviewed by the late Gene Siskel.  Siskel was one of the few critics to give the movie a positive review.  His partner, Roger Ebert, gave it a thumbs down.

Audiences agreed with Siskel.  She’s All That opened in first place at the box office.  Along with 10 Things I Hate About You, it helped launch a wave of youth-oriented comedies.  The actors from teen slasher movies and rom coms of the time almost made up a next generation brat pack and Prinze was their Emilio Estevez.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Wing Commander - 1999
Freddie Prinze Jr – Wing Commander – 1999

Later that year, Prinze starred opposite Saffron Burrows and Matthew Lillard in the sci-fi video game movie, Wing Commander.

The movie is set in the 27th century when humans are at war with a feline species called the Kilrathi.  Prinze, Burrows and Lillard played intergalactic top guns who have to save humanity from bad space kitties.

The creator of the Wing Commander game, Chris Roberts, made his directorial debut on the movie.  It is the first, last and only movie he has ever directed.  The movie was intended to launch a Wing Commander franchise, but that didn’t happen.

Wing Commander benefited from having the trailer to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace attached to it.  Star Wars fans reportedly bought tickets to see the trailer and then walked out before the movie began.

Reviews were universally negative.  Ebert described the script as “submoronic”.  Wing Commander also bombed at the box office.  It opened in seventh place behind The Deep End of the Ocean and Baby Geniuses.  It ended up grossing less than half of its $30 million dollar budget.

Audiences were sending Prinze a message.  Rom coms good.  Sci fi bad.  Message received loud and clear.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Down to You - 2000
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Down to You – 2000

In 2000, Prinze starred opposite Julia Stiles in the rom com, Down to You.

Prinze and Stiles played college students who meet, date, break-up and get back together just like the formula says they have to.  Selma Blair,Ashton Kutcher and Rosario Dawson co-starred.  Where the hell was Matthew Lillard?!?

Down to You got bad reviews.   It has the lowest Rotten Tomato rating of any movie on Prinze’s critically panned filmography.  Currently, it’s sitting at 3%  Only two critics on the site recommend the movie.  Matt Easterbrook of Matt’s Movie reviews gave one half of the two positive reviews.  He’s glowing praise consisted of “Down to You ain’t half bad.”

It didn’t fare any better at the box office.  Down to You opened in second place behind Next Friday and failed to recoup its $35 million dollar production budget.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Boys and Girls - 2000
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Boys and Girls – 2000

Later that year, Prinze starred opposite Claire Forlani and Jason Biggs in the rom com, Boys and Girls.

Prinze and Forlani played college students who are just friends.  That’s it.  Friends.  Nothing more.  No way they would make an on-screen couple so just put that out of your head right now.  Then, they hook up.  Oh no they didn’t!  Yes, they totally did.  Ooops.  Now they broke up.  What do you think?  Will they get back together before the closing credits?  D’uh.  At the airport.

Critics hated Boys and Girls a little less than they hated Down to You.  Roger Ebert wrote “It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s that I don’t care.”  Audiences didn’t care either.  The movie opened in 6th place at the box office behind Titan A.E.

Freddie Prinze Jr. was almost cast as Spider-man.
Freddie Prinze Jr. was almost cast as Spider-man.

Around this time, Sam Raimi was meeting with actors to play Peter Parker in the upcoming Spider-man movie.  Prinze was the studio’s top choice.  He later told Howard Stern that he met with Raimi, but the director wasn’t interested.  According to Prinze:

“I didn’t read.  They wouldn’t actually give me time.  I was making a movie while they were doing it.  And ah – everybody kind of let me know that it was kind of my flick… everyone except the director.”

Raimi was really dead set against Prinze as Peter Parker.  At one point, he joked “Freddie Prinze Jr. won’t even be allowed to buy a ticket to see Spider-man.”  Ouch.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Head Over Heels - 2001
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Head Over Heels – 2001

In 2001, Prinze starred opposite Monica Potter in the rom com/mystery, Head Over Heels.

I have to give Head Over Heels a little credit.  The last several rom coms barely attempted to differentiate themselves.  They stuck to the formula.  But Head Over Heels mixes things up a little.  Potter played a girl who moves into a New York apartment with four supermodels.  She falls for a stranger played by Prinze who lives in an apartment she can see from her window.  She starts seeing him despite suspicions he may have killed someone.  It’s Rear Window meets She’s All That!

Claire Daines was originally cast in the female lead.  But she dodged a bullet, um, I mean dropped out at the last moment and was replaced by Potter who was already cast in a smaller role.

Remember when I said that critics hated every single movie Prinze made after The House of Yes?  Well, Head Over Heels was no exception.  Roget Ebert wrote: “It’s as if the production was a fight to the death between bright people with a sense of humor, and cretins who think the audience is as stupid as they are.”

It opened in seventh place at the box office behind Traffic which was in theaters for six weeks.  Head Over Heels failed to recoup its $14 million dollar production budget!  Somebody should really call Matthew Lillard!

Freddie Prinze Jr - Summer Catch - 2001
Freddie Prinze Jr – Summer Catch – 2001

Later that year, Prinze starred opposite Jessica Biel and Matthew Lillard (yay!) in the baseball-themed rom com, Summer Catch.

Prinze played a poor kid with big dreams of playing baseball in the pros.  He helps his dad (played by Fred Ward) with his landscaping business.  Biel played a rich girl who catches his eye.  Can he make good on his dreams and get the girl?  It is a rom com so I’m betting the answer is “yes”.

Only seven of the 35 people cast for the roles of the teammates were actors.  Six if you don’t count Wilmer Valderrama.

Even with the Prinze-Lillard reunion, critics were unimpressed.  It also flopped at the box office where it opened in sixth place behind Rat Race.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Scooby-Doo - 2002
Freddie Prinze Jr – Scooby-Doo – 2002

In 2002, Prinze starred opposite his real-life fiancee, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard and a CGI dog in the live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Scooby Doo.

Prinze played Fred, the ascot-wearing leader of a group of monster hunters.  Gellar played Daphne, the glamorous damsel in distress.   Cardellini played Velma, the smart one who is fond of turtle-neck sweaters.  And Lillard played Shaggy, the cowardly stoner.

Scooby Doo spent a lot of time languishing in development.  At various points, both Jim Carrey and Mike Myers were attached to play Shaggy.  The original script was much more mature in tone.  It was a satire of the cartoon and was loaded with drug references.  According to Gellar, the script was made more family-friendly after all of the actors had signed on.

The director, Raja Gosnell, wanted to cast a real life couple as Fred and Daphne.  Gellar was interested, but Prinze was worried the movie wouldn’t live up to the cartoon.  Gellar eventually talked him into making the movie.

Critics didn’t care for the movie.   But audiences couldn’t resist the lure of a computer-animated talking dog.  The movie opened in first place at the box office ahead of The Bourne Identity.   So, yeah, expect a sequel.

Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar - wedding photo - 2002
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar – wedding photo – 2002

Later that year, Prinze and Sarah Michelle Gellar tied the knot.  They met while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997 and started dating in the year 2000.  By 2001, they were engaged and finally married in 2002.  Currently the couple has two children together.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Friends - 2002
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Friends – 2002

Prinze also appeared on an episode of Friends in 2002.  He played an emotional male nanny who watches Ross and Rachel’s baby in The One With the Male Nanny.

Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time - 2003
Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time – 2003

In 2003, Prinze started doing voice-over work for animation.  He voiced Jim and Tim for the Disney Channel movie Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time.  He’ll be doing more of this in the future.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed - 2004
Freddie Prinze Jr – Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed – 2004

In 2004, Prinze, Lillard, Gellar and Cardellini reunited for the inevitable sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed .

The sequel involves a masked villain who brings all of the previous monsters the Scooby gang apprehended to life.  Or something.  Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Tim Blake Nelson and Alicia Silverstone all cashed paychecks, er, I mean made appearances.

During the filming of the sequel, Warner Brothers had already given Scooby Doo 3 a green light.  But Scooby Doo 2 was a box office disappointment.  It opened in first place at the box office, but it grossed a little more than half of what the first movie made.  The planned third movie was cancelled.

Critics liked the sequel even less than they liked the original Scooby Doo.  It also won a Razzie for Worst Sequel or Remake.

In 2009, Warner Brothers made a live-action prequel, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, which aired on Cartoon Network.  A sequel, Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, followed in 2010.  Since then, there have been rumors of rebooting the movie franchise in theaters.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Boston Legal - 2004-2006
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Boston Legal – 2004-2006

In 2004, Prinze had a guest spot on an episode of Boston Legal.  He played William Shatner’s estranged son.  Prinze would reprise the role in 2005 and 2006.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Freddie - 2005-2006
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Freddie – 2005-2006

In 2005, Prinze starred in his own self-titled sitcom, Freddie.

Prinze played a successful chef in Chicago.  Brian Austin Green co-starred as his best friend.  Prinze’s bachelor life is upset when he shares his home with his niece, his sister-in-law, and his grandmother.  Mädchen Amick was also a regular on the series.

After one season consisting of 21 episodes, Freddie was canceled by ABC.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Shooting Gallery - 2005
Freddie Prinze Jr – Shooting Gallery – 2005

Later that year, Prinze co-starred opposite Ving Rhames in the direct-to-video drama, Shooting Gallery.

Prinze played a talented pool player who gets in over his head when he is hustled by Rhames.

The Reef - Shark Bait - 2006
The Reef/Shark Bait – 2006

In 2006, Prinze voiced an animated fish in a direct-to-video rip-off of Finding Nemo alternately known as The Reef or Shark Bait.

In 2012, a direct-to-video sequel was made without Prinze.  Drake Bell replaced him.  Rob Schneider and Andy Dick had no problem returning for the sequel.

Happily N'ever After - 2006
Happily N’ever After – 2006

Prinze and Gellar both leant their voices to the animated fairy tale spoof, Happily N’ever After.

Gellar played Ella, a.k.a Cinderella, who leads a resistance against evil doers who plan to take over Fairy Tale Land.  Prinze played her friend and love interest.  Sigourney Weaver played her wicked stepmother. Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn, Patrick Warburton and George Carlin also did voice-work.

The movie was blasted by critics as a Shrek rip-off and bombed at the box office.  It did get a direct-to-video sequel in 2009 but Prinze was not involved.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Brooklyn Rules - 2007
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Brooklyn Rules – 2007

In 2007, Prinze starred in the crime drama, Brooklyn Rules.

Prinze played a promising law student trying to get out of his bad neighborhood in 1985.  Scott Caan played his best friend who is more interested in the criminal element.  Mema Suvari played a classmate Prinze becomes involved in.  And Alec Baldwin played a mobster who draws him back into crime.

Reviews were mixed which is actually an improvement for Prinze whose movies are usually universally panned.  Brooklyn Rules received a limited release in only 25 theaters.  It didn’t come close to earning back its production budget.

Freddie Prinze Jr - New York City Serenade - 2007
Freddie Prinze Jr – New York City Serenade – 2007

Later that year, Prinze starred opposite Chris Klein in the comedy, New York Serenade.

Prinze played an aspiring film-maker who’s short film is being screened at a film festival.  Klein played his friend, a drummer with a drinking problem.  When Prinze’s fiancee calls off their engagement, his life begins spiraling out of control.

The movie was written and directed by actor Frank Whaley.   Kyle Smith of the New York Post called the film “one of those pointless indies that you’ll have forgotten before the credits roll.”  Other critics agreed.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Jack and Jill vs. the World - 2008
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Jack and Jill vs. the World – 2008

In 2008, Prinze starred opposite Taryn Manning in the romantic comedy-drama, Jack and Jill vs. the World.

Prinze played an ad exec named Jack who meets an actress named Jill played by Manning.  She’s new to NYC and lives in a rotten apartment.  So Prinze invites her to stay in his guest room.  Together, they make up a manifesto of rules to live by.  The first rule is to be honest, but trouble erupts when Prinze discovers that Manning is hiding something.

Delgo - 2008
Delgo – 2008

Later that year, Prinze voiced the lead character in the infamous animated feature, Delgo.

Prinze played Delgo, a teenager in a fantasy land where everyone kind of looks like a turtle.   His I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star, Jennifer Love Hewitt, voiced the princess.  Anne Bancroft played an Empress.  Chris Kattan, Louis Gosset Jr., Val Kilmer, Malcolm McDowell, Eric Idle, Kelly Ripa and Burt Reynolds were among the other celebrity voices.

Delgo is known for having done record-setting box office.  The record Delgo set was for the worst box office on an opening weekend with a release on over 2000 screens.  The film averaged less than two people per showing!

Freddie Prinze Jr. - WWE
Freddie Prinze Jr. – WWE

Prinze was a fan of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).  In 2008, he attended Wrestlemania XXIV and he popped up on an online wrestling show called The Dirt Sheet.  Eventually, he was hired by the WWE as a member of the creative staff.

Prinze temporarily left the WWE in 2009 to pursue a TV show.  He was cast in the American adaptation of the British superhero parody, No Heroics.  But the US remake didn’t get beyond the pilot episode.

Freddie Prinze Jr - WWE
Freddie Prinze Jr – WWE

Prinze returned to the WWE in 2009 as a special guest host on WWE Raw.  He had a feud with then-champion Randy Orton.

Freddie Prinze Jr - WWE Raw
Freddie Prinze Jr – WWE Raw

From 2010-2012, Prinze worked as a producer and director on WWE programs.  In a 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw, Prinze played WWE founder Vince McMahon’s doctor during a dream sequence.

I am betting that some of you wondered why I chose to feature Freddie Prinze Jr. in this series over actors with more substantial filmographies.  The answer is simple.  None of them shifted into wrestling late in their career.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - 24 - 2010
Freddie Prinze Jr. – 24 – 2010

In 2010, Prinze joined the cast of 24.  Prinze played the Director of Field Operations at CTU New York.  His ex-fiancee was played by Katee Sackhoff.  Prinze didn’t like his new job on a hit show:

I did 24, it was terrible. I hated every moment of it.  I just wanted to quit the business after that. So, I just sort of stopped.

His chief complaint was aimed directly at series star Kiefer Sutherland:

Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world.  That’s not me talking trash, I’d say it to his face. I think everyone that’s worked with him has said that.

Apparently there was some issue trying to hide the fact that Prinze was taller than Sutherland:

I went and worked for Vince McMahon at the WWE, for Christ’s sake.  But, at least he was cool and tall. I didn’t have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which they made me do.  Just put the guy on an apple box or don’t hire me next time. You know I’m 6 feet and he’s 5ft 4ins.

Fox issues statements denying Prinze’s claims and supporting Sutherland.  Sutherland’s spokesperson claimed that the actor was unaware of any bad blood between them:

Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Psych - 2010
Freddie Prinze Jr – Psych – 2010

Prinze also appeared in an episode of the TV show, Psych.  In the episode titled Not Even Close… Encounters, the two leads help out in a case of supposed alien abduction.  Prinze played a childhood friend they enlist because he believes in aliens.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Mass Effect 3 - 2012
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Mass Effect 3 – 2012

In 2012, Prinze took his voice acting career into video games.  He played Lt. James Vega in Mass Effect 3.  He also played the character in a direct-to-video animated feature, Mass Effect: Paragon Lost.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Bones - 2013-2014
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Bones – 2013-2014

In 2013, Prinze had a guest spot on the procedural crime drama, Bones.

He reprised his role the following year.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Witches of East End- 2013
Freddie Prinze Jr – Witches of East End- 2013

Prinze also made a guest appearance on two episodes of the Lifetime series, Witches of East End which starred Julia Ormand and Prinze’s former Freddie co-star, Mädchen Amick.

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Dragon Age: Inquisition - 2014
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Dragon Age: Inquisition – 2014

Prinze has continued doing voice work in video games.  In 2014, he voiced The Iron Bull in Gragon Age: Inquisition.

Freddie Prinze Jr - Star Wars Rebels - 2014 -present
Freddie Prinze Jr – Star Wars Rebels – 2014 -present

In 2014, Prinze began voicing Kanan Jarrus on the Star Wars animated series, Rebels on DisneyXD.

The series replaced the popular Clone Wars series and takes place between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars.

Freddie Prinze Jr - 2014
Freddie Prinze Jr – 2014

In late 2014, Prinze underwent spinal surgery to deal with some “disc issues”.  He tweeted pictures of himself as he recovered:

Samurai, Jedi, Gamers if all agesI gots nuthin but love for you. Spine surgery this morning but now ur homie is … Robo-Bro! Bionic pic inc

— Freddie Prinze Jr (@RealFPJr)

#KeepItPlayful Learnin to walk again is like learning jiu-jitsu – 1 technique at a time

— Freddie Prinze Jr (@RealFPJr)

The second one created a bit of a media frenzy with fans thinking Prinze couldn’t walk anymore.  So he sent another tweet to reassure fans he was okay:

Guys Im totally fine. Recovering great. No need to get ur info from entertainment ‘news’ sources who have no clue. Trust your homie.

— Freddie Prinze Jr (@RealFPJr)

Prinze’s wife, Gellar, later poked fun at her husband for claiming he was learning to walk again:

I’m not joking. Our mail woman — god bless her heart — was like, ‘I prayed for you Freddie, and it worked, you’re walking.’ He’s fine. He did have very serious surgery, there’s no question, but his ‘learning how to walk again’ has been greatly exaggerated.

So, what the hell happened?

How did Prinze go from a front-runner for Spider-man to voicing cartoons and video games?  Well, being shot down by Sam Raimi definitely didn’t help!

But Raimi wasn’t alone.  A lot of fans bristled at the idea of Prinze playing Spider-man.  At the time, he was associated with a teen horror movie franchise and teen rom coms.  The Scream-inspired wave of slasher comedies was already fading in popularity and unless you were the target demographic for She’s All That, you were probably fed up with the flood of teen rom coms.

I guarantee someone (or multiple someones) in the comments section will call into question Prinze’s talents as an actor.  I’m not going to be that someone.   I will say that while he seems like a nice enough guy, he doesn’t exactly have the most commanding screen presence.  He’s the kind of actor who is probably better suited to TV than movies.  And apparently he wasn’t overly fond of his biggest TV job to date on 24.

Prinze married Gellar around the time their movie careers were both fading away.  Neither one of them necessarily needed to work.  They are both famous enough to earn money doing things other than being movie stars.  So Gellar works on TV on shows like Ringer and The Crazy Ones and Prinze is free to pursue his interests in wrestling, cartoons and video games.  I’m not gonna lie.  That sounds like an awesome life.  I don’t think I’d be chasing down movie roles either.

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RB
RB
8 years ago

This series never fails to educate. I have to confess being largely ignorant of this person’s career. Back in the day I was a fan of his late dad, Freddie Prinze, along with every other girl in the US living in a household with a working TV. We watched “Chico” for one and only one reason. His untimely death sent shock waves through our school. Over the years I noticed, now and then, that Freddie Jr. had an acting career. But I’ve just not seen the vast majority of his screen appearances. well, as you said, he appears to have… Read more »

Ross Nolan
Ross Nolan
8 years ago

I was a huge fan of ‘She’s All That’. It arrived in cinemas when I was 17, at a time when the teen romance movie had personal resonance for me and I had (to be honest still have) a huge crush on Rachael Leigh Cook. And I don’t care how cheesy it is, the descending the staircase scene is iconic.

(Also we got ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ out of the deal so that is a plus.)

Also ‘Head Over Heels’ is harmless fun.

Ross Nolan
Ross Nolan
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Heh, well I know I’m in a minority admitting to like ‘She’s All That’ but in fairness to the film, its genre (teen romcom) was fairly moribund in the late 90s. I can only really think of ‘Clueless’ as an immediate predecessor. I won’t even begin to pretend to ‘She’s All That’ was better than ‘Clueless’ but in a period when teen movies were almost completely, suffocatingly dominated by horror (like ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ to pick a completely random example) I think it was fresher than it gets credit for. I do accept it probably means… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Ross Nolan

“Clueless” likely popularized or created the sub-genre during the late ’90s-early 2000s of taking classic literature and modernizing it for a young audience. “Clueless” was based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”. “She’s All That” was based on “Pygmalion”, which was previously adapted into “My Fair Lady”.

And then there’s “10 Things I Hate About You”, which was based on “Taming of the Shrew”, “Whatever It Takes”, which was based on “Cyrano de Bergerac”, “Get Over It”, which based on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” . Anyway, you get my point.

Matt Rouge
Matt Rouge
8 years ago

Yes, good point. I think these movies had the right idea: they worked with the source material with a light touch. If you could see the parallels, great, but if you didn’t, they still worked (in general; I haven’t seen all these movies!).

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Matt Rouge

“Cruel Intentions” (which was previously filmed as “Dangerous Liaisons”) starring FBJ’s wife, Sarah Michelle Geller also falls into the late ’90s trend of taking classic literature and adapting it for a teen audience.

http://offscreen.com/view/cruel_intentions

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Ross Nolan

I would put also “Can’t Hardly Wait” (featuring FBJ’s “I Know What You Did…” cohort, Jennifer Love Hewitt) among the ’90s, light, teen romcom boom. It wasn’t exactly based on classic literature like similar movies of the time (“Can’t Hardly Wait” plays more like a ’90s variant of “American Graffiti”), but you can argue that it along w/ “Clueless”, “She’s All That”, and “Ten Things I Hate About You” could go on the Mt. Rushmore of ’90s (at least for the latter part of the decade) teen movies.

Matt Rouge
Matt Rouge
8 years ago

You might need another face on that mountain! The movie “Drive Me Crazy” is actually one of my favorite movies of all time. Yes, I think it’s really that good.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

I don’t think that it’s that hard to feel that FPJ became “box office poison” after a while. What I mean is that if he’s starring in a movie, then the chances are that it’s going to suck (at least w/ professional critics). Even he’s more noteworthy or popular films in “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “She’s All That” have been ripe for parody (i.e. the first “Scary Movie” and “Not Another Teen Movie”). FPJ seems to be one of those actors who was kind of at the right place at the right time. He was also… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Freddie Prinze, Jr. also in a sense, could be regarded as sort of a latter day variant on Jim Belushi. What I mean is that during the latter part of the ’80s-early ’90s, it seemed like the powers that be were doing whatever it took to make Jim Belushi a genuine movie star. This is despite the notion that Jim didn’t have his late brother John’s talent or charisma. But none the less, empathy in that Jim was going to carry the mantle that his big brother John going to do up until March 5, 1982. With Freddie, it was… Read more »

Jestak
Editor
8 years ago
Reply to  Ross Nolan

I was a little older than you when She’s All That came out but I also liked it, and like you I still have an RLC crush. It’s a fairly formulaic rom-com (high school subgenre), but it’s likable and has a few mildly subversive moments.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Top 10 Worst Anti-Drug Commercials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-JWIWVmVms

They say that if it comes from the ground, it’s probably sound. But these PSAs? Not so much… Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Anti-Drug Commercials.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

What Happened To Rachael Leigh Cook – News & Updates

http://gazettereview.com/2016/03/happened-rachael-leigh-cook-news-updates/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Jestak

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997): http://www.cinefilestv.blogspot.com/2015/07/i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-1997.html Directed By: Jim Gillespie Written By: Kevin Williamson Based on the book by: Lois Duncan Cinematography By: Denis Crossan Editor: Steve Mirkovich Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr., Johnny Galecki, Anne Heche, Muse Watson, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras Adaptation of Lois Duncan’s thriller about four teenagers trying to cover up a hit-and-run. Love Hewitt plays Julie, a high school senior who goes trip with her friends and accidently hits a fisherman. They think he is dead and dump him into the waters. But later they get a… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Franchise Evolution: I Know What You Did Last Summer http://www.agonybooth.com/franchise-evolution-i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-54546 The success of Scream, like that of Halloween before it, led to imitators. Scream basically resurrected the slasher film after it had been dormant for over half a decade. That resurrection, as it turned out, also included the stupidity that (consciously or not) was a hallmark of the sub-genre. Perhaps the most successful of the slashers that Scream inspired (which really isn’t saying much, as the wave of slashers in Scream‘s wake didn’t last as long as those inspired by Halloween) was I Know What You Did Last Summer. Like… Read more »

Leo
Leo
8 years ago

Prinze makes the list of WatchMojo’s Top 10 Actors Who Walked Away from Fame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gBncJMmKWA

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Leo

Why Hollywood won’t cast these actors anymore http://www.nickiswift.com/17027/hollywood-wont-cast-5-actors-anymore/ Freddie Prinze Jr. Freddie Prinze Jr. was the Hollywood “it guy” for nearly a decade, starting with I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and extending through his sitcom Freddie (2005-2006). But notice the time-span on the latter project. Not exactly a candidate for syndication. After the failure of Freddie came a few go-nowhere roles, followed by the infamous disaster Delgo (2008), which would go down in history as one of the lowest-grossing box office openings of all time.   Pivoting back to TV, Prinze Jr. seemed to pick a winner again with a solid… Read more »

Matt Rouge
Matt Rouge
8 years ago

Great article, as always! I saw “She’s All That” again last year. That’s a pretty good movie! The dad’s answers to Jeopardy questions are laugh-out-loud hilarious. RLC is very good. FPJ is good too. Oh, Matthew Lillard is hilarious. There are just a bunch of things that add up to a fun flick. OK, now it’s time for the Rachel Leigh Cook WTTH. She seemed set to be a star with “Josie and the Pussycats” (underrated), and then… zilcho. She is super cute and a very good actress. I guess her window of opportunity for playing young and hot chicks… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

I guess people like FPJ were part of the “Kevin Williamson/WB Network Pack” (if you want to make a Brat Pack analogy).

Jestak
Editor
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

There was a sizable cohort of actors associated with one or more of 1) mid/late 90s TV shows with a teen orientation, many of them on the WB network, 2) the spate of horror films inspired by the success of Scream, and 3) teen rom-coms like Clueless/She’s All That/10 Things I Hate About You. I can think of a very few who have, arguable, had really successful film careers. Heath Ledger definitely had the start of a really big career going before his death, and Mila Kunis is at least a medium-level star. And Michelle Williams is definitely a very-respected… Read more »

Jestak
Editor
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I’ve never really associated James Franco with the crowd I was talking about, although checking his filmography I see he did do one teen rom-com (the forgettable “Whatever It Takes”). There were certainly actors who are close contemporaries of Prinze/Cook/Sarah Michelle Gellar/Jennifer Love Hewitt/etc. who have been very successful–but they didn’t follow the teen TV show/high school rom-com/hip horror film path. In the late 1990s Reese Witherspoon, for example, was mostly doing edgy films like Freeway, Election, etc. Jessica Chastain (who is actually younger than Witherspoon) hadn’t even started working in the industry–she was doing stage work and going to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Jestak

James Franco was also in “Never Been Kissed” (I think it was his first major film role) w/ Drew Barrymore and past WTHHT subject Leelee Sobieski, which also falls into the post-“Clueless”, ’90s teen rom-com boom.

xas
xas
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Also, if you include these names in consideration from the previous you may include Ryan Gosling (A former Mickey Mouse Musketeer, lead star of “Young Hercules” and former guest star of “Are You Affraid in the Dark”), Joseph Gordon-Levitt and perhaps Anne Hathaway (“Get Real”)

But agree, few names can survive from that generation. This reminds me a 1999 Vanity Fair cover. Only Penelope Cruz fits with the succesful career as an international star, albeit Paul Walker and Wes Bentley have a mention

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Jestak

’90s Brat Pack:
http://www.freddieprinzejr.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=616#

In my opinion, I think that the ”cast” of this generation could be:

Freddie Prinze Jr.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Ryan Phillippe
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Resse Witherspoon
Breckin Meyer
Alicia Silverstone
Neve Campbell
Melissa Joan Hart
Jerry O’Connell

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Matt Rouge

12 Ridiculously Sexist Movie Scenes That Prove Hollywood Hates Women: http://whatculture.com/film/12-ridiculously-sexist-movie-scenes-that-prove-hollywood-hates-women.php/6 Laney’s Makeover – She’s All That The Scene: Zach (Freddie Prinze. Jr) employs the help of his sister Mac (Anna Paquin) to give local weirdo Laney (Rachel Leigh Cook) a makeover, ditching her glasses, ponytail and paint-covered overalls for a shorter, sleeker haircut, contact lenses and an undeniably gorgeous, form-fitting dress. Why It’s Sexist: She’s All That may be a modern take on both Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sexist in its own right. Zach is only really interested in Laney to win… Read more »

Mr GQ Jesse
Mr GQ Jesse
8 years ago

I always have a soft spot for the movie “She’s All That”, as I was big on the rom com genere as a teen. I remember seeing it in theaters 2-3 times. I remember the girls in middle school lusting over FPJ around this time. Granted he wasn’t that great of an actor, but I’ll always consider myself a fan of he just happened to star in movies that I liked. I thought he played Freddie very well in Scooby Doo tho. Underrated performance

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What is Freddie Prinze Jr. Doing Now? What Happened to Freddie Prinze Jr.? http://gazettereview.com/2015/06/freddie-prinze-jr-now-update/ For a period of about ten years, Freddie Prinze, Jr. was the guy all the teen girls wanted to see and the guy all the teen boys wanted to be. The crowned prince of teen flicks first rose to prominence with I Know What You Did Last Summer and then starred in a seemingly never-ending series of romantic comedies, teen dramas, and live-action remakes. The young star’s movie success did come to an end though, and by 2008, he had stopped making movies altogether. What happened… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FREDDIE PRINZE JR.? http://www.pressroomvip.com/whatever-happened-to-freddie-prinze-jr/ Freddie Prinze Jr. was the ultimate celebrity jock boyfriend of the late 90s. He saved the day in the high school horror flick classic I Know What You Did Last Summer, fulfilled every marginalized teen’s fantasies in She’s All That, and melted teenage hearts with scorching temperatures in Summer Catch. Freddie Prinze Jr. proved to us that not all jocks were unattainable jerks, and that some of them even had a heart of gold. He became the exception to the rules of high school hierarchy, and we loved him for that. But whatever… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: Actors whose careers you would have thought would have been bigger http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=46518700&postcount=158 Quote: Originally Posted by spruce I know he and Sarah Michelle made an admirable conscious decision to put parenthood first, but I always thought Freddie Prinze Jr. could have been a superstar had he wanted. I think both their careers sort of took a backseat, honestly. This is funny. Just a few hours ago Scooby Doo came on the TV and my wife and I were discussing the careers of both of them. And I basically said that they pretty much had a family and that was… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Blind Items Revealed #8

http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2016/04/blind-items-revealed-8-110.html

February 19, 2016

This three named mostly television actress who has not had any luck in over a decade with the locked in the house husband is hoping to be the next Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She already leans to the right a lot and has made it known she will go extreme right if the check is big enough.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Why most studios don’t want to work with these a-list stars http://www.kiwireport.com/stars-no-one-wants-work/35/ By Sigal Charlie Stark, Apr 9, 2017 Freddie Prinze Jr. Freddie Prinze Jr. was a 90’s heartthrob who settled down with another 90’s icon, Sarah Michelle Gellar. The truth is, Prinze Jr. never wanted to step outside of the box and play a role that was different from his usual “good guy” persona. After the release of the Scooby Doo films, which were actually fairly successful, his lack of interest in character diversity cemented his fate in the film industry. Complexity is key in show business and for… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Cast Of She’s All That: How Much Are They Worth Now? http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/cast-of-shes-all-that-how-much-are-they-worth/6/ Freddie Prinze, Jr. Estimated Net Worth: $19 million. Before starring as the top-tier popular teen, Zack Siler, Freddie Prinze Jr. had just co-starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. His hacky sack performing part further established him as one of the biggest teen throbs in the 90s. He kept busy with guest parts on shows like Friends and Fraiser before working on Freddie and Boston Legal. He’s continued to stay active and all of his work has… Read more »

Leo
Leo
8 years ago

Nostalgia Critic: Scooby-Doo (2002)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_PvGNbEJ3w

Leo
Leo
8 years ago

The Spoony Experiment: Wing Commander (1999)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljt-hOJd4sQ

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Freddie Prinze Jr. on the guy Vince McMahon is most psycho about http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/537515/freddie-prinze-vince-most-psycho?page=1 Source: Talk Is Jericho According to Prinze, he had to work very hard to gain the respect of WWE talent when he first began working as a writer for the company. “I was very straight forward and humble to the point that just about every guy on the roster thought I was full of s–t. And MVP hated me when I started there because he just thought I was some Hollywood bulls–t guy. I remember the first time I saw [John] Cena, who couldn’t stand me [from]… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Let ’90s Heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. Explain How An Idea Makes It To WWE TV http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/freddie-prinze-jr-wwe-creative/ People who grew up in the 1990s remember Freddie Prinze, Jr., as the star of seminal, generational classics like Wing Commander, Head Over Heels and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. WWE diehards know him as the subject of that, “yes, Freddie Prinze Jr., the actor once had a WWE job, no, seriously” conversation that pops up every few years. If you weren’t aware, yes, Freddie Prinze Jr., the actor once had a WWE job (no, seriously) as a member of the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Could NBC’s Cruel Intentions sequel save Sarah Michelle Gellar’s acting career?

http://nypost.com/2016/02/25/could-cruel-intentions-save-sarah-michelle-gellars-acting-career/

The former Buffy star hasn’t had much luck with her previous acting roles, including The Crazy Ones and Ringer.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Freddie Prinze Jr. http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-freddie-prinze-jr/ Back in the late ’90s and early 2000’s there was no bigger heartthrob then Freddie Prinze Jr. He was tall and handsome and had fans swooning, not to mention he was charming and funny in every single role, so it wasn’t surprising he was in film after film with a lot of success. Lately, he has stayed out of the spotlight as he focuses on being a dad to his two children with Sarah Michelle Gellar, and we have to be honest, we miss him! There is still so much… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Freddie Prinze Jr. to host Dana Carvey’s First Impressions USA reality competition

http://tvline.com/2016/04/01/freddie-prinze-jr-first-impressions-host-usa-network/

Prinze will emcee the aspiring impressionists show. Carvey will serve as “expert-in-residence.”

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/4c75vw/which_celebrities_killed_their_careers_in_a/d1g2se3

I’m not sure if they killed their career but rather just stayed under the radar, but Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar pretty much just stopped being in “good” movies after they got married.

(They got married in 2002, Buffy ended in 03)

However, I will say Freddie Prinze Jr’s voice acting for Iron Bull in Dragon Age Inquisition was kickass. His “Lets play ” that he streamed before the game came out was hilarious.

“Why do you play a female character” F: “Do you wanna stare a dudes ass or a chicks ass ?”(Or along those lines)

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

15 Movies That Ended Actors’ Careers https://screenrant.com/bad-movies-destroyed-actors-fame/ FREDDIE PRINZE JR. – SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED There was a time in Hollywood when even a bad movie couldn’t stop Freddie Prinze Jr. from maintaining his star power. Films like I Know What You Did Last Summer and She’s All That weren’t exactly masterpieces, but they still made Prinze a popular ’90s heartthrob. In 2002, Prinze strayed from his usual teen drama or romantic comedy and starred as Fred in the Scooby Doo franchise. A chance to star in a huge blockbuster has its perks – a big paycheck, for one –… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

8 Forgotten Actors From The Early 2000s

http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/8-forgotten-actors-from-the-early-2000s/

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Freddie Prinze Jr. was in a string of movies in the late ’90s and early 2000s, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, She’s All That, Summer Catch and Scooby-Doo before he suddenly disappeared. Since then, he’s been in a handful of movies and several TV shows, but his career has more or less fizzled, probably by choice. He’s currently lending his voice to Kanan Jarrus on the animated TV series, Star Wars Rebels.

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