Jared Keeso ( ; born July 1, 1984) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series Letterkenny (2016–2023) and its spinoff Shoresy (2022–present). Letterkenny won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series in 2017, and Keeso was also nominated for Best Performance in a Comedy.
Keeso is also known for his roles as Ben Chartier in the television 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 (née Stratychuk) and Richard Keeso. His family owned and operated the Keeso and Sons 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 many boys his age in town, Keeso played junior hockey; he played for the Strathroy Rockets of the GOHL with future two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter, and also the Listowel Cyclones of the GOHL.
Career Keeso starred as hockey coach, player, and commentator Don Cherry in two CBC television movies about Cherry's life."Don Cherry biopic to shoot in Manitoba" 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 Shoresy, 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 2006 Shock to the System Paul Hale 2007 White Noise: The Light Jerry 2009 I Love You, Beth Cooper Dustin Klepacki 2010 Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball Agent Nicholas Direct to video A Beginner's Guide to Endings Juicebox White 2012 Charlie Simon 2013 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 RoleNotes2004 Life As We Know It Hockey Player #2 Episode: "Secrets & Lies" Smallville Nate Episodes: "Facade" and "Devoted" Eve's Christmas Bartender TV movie 2005 The 4400 Roy Keith Marsden Episode: "Hidden"2006 Supernatural Matt Harrison Episode: "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone Sean Ellis TV movie Shock to the System Paul Hale TV movie Seventeen & Missing Curt TV movie 2006–2007 Monster Warriors Luke 53 episodes 2007 The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker Keith TV movie 2008 ReGenesis Tom Wiley Episode: "Suspicious Minds" 2008–2009 The Guard Rob Chambers 8 episodes 2009 Caprica Rod Jenkins Battlestar Galactica spin-off; untitled pilot aired as TV movie2010 A Trace of Danger Adrian TV movie Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story Don Cherry Miniseries Seven Deadly Sins Adam Morgan 2 episodes 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" The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II Don Cherry TV miniseries2013 Falling Skies Lars Episode: "On Thin Ice" Nearlyweds Mr. Hunky TV movie 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 Result2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role19-2 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 2017Canadian Screen Awards Best Comedy SeriesLetterkenny 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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