Dax Shepard

Early life, family and education

Shepard was born at Beyer Hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a city in southeastern Michigan. He is the son of Laura Louise LaBo, who worked at General Motors (GM), and David Robert "Dave" Shepard Sr., who was a car salesman. He is of part French-Canadian descent.

Shepard's mother had developed a substantial business by the time he was in high school. then worked in fleet management at the GM proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, then hosted hospitality days for all the GM family members, eventually moving into public relations at an ad agency.

According to Shepard, his mother named him for the rich playboy Dax (Diogenes Alejandro Xenos), in Harold Robbins' novel The Adventurers. He has an older brother, David Shepard Jr., who lives in Oregon, and 2017's CHiPs. Through marriage, he is distantly related to George Washington on his mother's side.

Shepard has said that he was raised in Milford, He graduated from Walled Lake Central High School in 1993 before enrolling in The Groundlings school.

After attending Santa Monica College and West Los Angeles College, Shepard transferred to UCLA, where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in anthropology. He had a deal with his mother that if he went to college she would pay his rent.

Career

After a year in Santa Barbara, California, he moved to Los Angeles in 1996. He found out about The Groundlings improv troupe from Santa Barbara friend, Kareem Elseify, who had spent time there. Shepard ended up auditioning (the first time he acted) and wound up taking improvisation and sketch comedy classes there, while attending UCLA. After about five years of classes, he got into the Sunday Company of The Groundlings—in a group that included Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Fortune Feimster, Tate Taylor, and Nat Faxon.

From 2003 onwards, Shepard appeared in the improv Candid Camera-type show Punk'd, with Ashton Kutcher. When the show had its 2012 revival, he continued to appear. Shepard said he auditioned for Punk'd and, while doing the pilot, became friendly with Kutcher, who arranged for him to get an agent. He had auditioned unsuccessfully for ten years before landing the role in Punk'd, his first.

In 2004, Shepard starred in the comedy Without a Paddle, alongside Seth Green and Matthew Lillard. Despite negative reviews, the film was a commercial success that, as of 2009, grossed more than US$65 million worldwide. In 2005, he starred as The Astronaut in Zathura: A Space Adventure, a science fiction adventure fantasy film. In 2006, he appeared with Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson in the comedy Employee of the Month and in Mike Judge's film Idiocracy as the character Frito.

During the same time, Shepard began appearing in more films and landed his first main character role in Let's Go to Prison (2006), alongside Will Arnett and Chi McBride. He had a main role in the 2008 comedy Baby Mama, starring opposite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Shepard wrote the script for the Paramount venture Get 'Em Wet, where he again appeared with Arnett. In 2010, he wrote, directed, and starred in the low-budget satirical mockumentary feature Brother's Justice; the film won an Audience Award at the 2010 Austin Film Festival. He had a supporting role in the 2010 romantic comedy film When in Rome, which starred his future wife Kristen Bell.

From 2010 to 2015, Shepard was part of the main cast of the NBC drama Parenthood, playing Crosby Braverman.

Shepard wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in the 2012 low-budget film Hit and Run alongside Bell and his close friend Bradley Cooper. He said the movie, which includes numerous car chases and fast driving scenes, allowed him to live out his Smokey and the Bandit fantasy.

Shepard had a supporting role in the 2014 film The Judge.

In September 2014, Shepard starred with his wife, Kristen Bell, in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It was so popular (with over 20 million YouTube views) that they did another commercial for the holiday season.

Shepard wrote and directed CHiPs, based on the 1977 to 1983 American crime drama CHiPs, where he starred as Officer Jon Baker alongside Michael Peña as Frank "Ponch" Poncherello. on March 24, 2017, to negative reviews.

On February 14, 2018, Shepard launched the podcast Armchair Expert with cohost Monica Padman. The show explores the stories of their guests. Featured guests on the show have included Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Kristen Bell, Ashton Kutcher, Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and hundreds of others. On June 7, 2018, the show released their first episode of "Experts on Expert", in which Shepard and Padman interview experts in their fields. Featured experts on the show have included psychologist Wendy Mogel, comedian and author David Sedaris, and speechwriter Jon Favreau. The show was the most popular new podcast on iTunes in 2018. On December 3, 2019, it was revealed that Shepard will be a host of the revived Top Gear America, which premiered on Motor Trend in January 2021. In 2024, the company secured a first-look deal with Wondery, a unit of Amazon, after the success of the podcast show Armchair Expert. In 2024, Armchair Expert was the 8th biggest podcast in the USA on Spotify's platform.

Personal life

Relationships

Shepard met actress Kristen Bell, also a native of Detroit's northern suburbs, at the birthday party of a mutual friend; they began dating in late 2007. The couple announced their engagement in January 2010; they decided to delay marriage until the state of California passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. After section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on June 26, 2013, Bell asked Shepard through Twitter to marry her, which he accepted. They were married at the Beverly Hills County Clerk's Office on October 17, 2013. They have two daughters, born in March 2013 and December 2014.

Substance use problem

Shepard has said that, except for a year in high school when he used drugs, he did not have a substance abuse problem until he was 18 years old. Shepard achieved sobriety in September 2004.

Interests and charity work

Shepard races motorcycles at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, including his Ducati Hypermotard 1100S and Suzuki GSX-R1000. He donates much of his time to the Hollenbeck Youth Center, an after-school program that provides opportunity to at-risk inner-city youth. He has served as their official Master of Ceremonies, along with his friend Tom Arnold, for the Inner-City Games and Hollenbeck Youth Center's Miracle on 1st Street Toy Giveaway Program in East Los Angeles.

He is an avid car enthusiast. He owns the 1967 Lincoln Continental that was featured in the movie Hit and Run, and races off-road.

Shepard and his wife were advocates of California Senate Bill 606, called "no-kids paparazzi". Bell said: "We're not saying that we can't be newsworthy. We're saying that our child is not newsworthy." California Senate Bill 606 passed in 2013, with testimony by actresses Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner.

Shepard practices Transcendental Meditation.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Stated on ''[[Finding Your Roots]]'', February 18, 2025
2. Mike Rose, cleveland com. (2024-01-02). "Famous birthdays list for January 2, 2024 includes celebrities Kate Bosworth, Gabrielle Carteris".
3. (September 15, 2014). "Episode 533 – Dax Shepard".
4. "Dax Shepard". [[TV Guide.
5. (January 30, 1994). "Car Firm Shows Off For Celebrities, Press". [[Chicago Tribune]].
6. (July 11, 2012). "Dax Shepard goes full throttle: Actor's hot-rod Lincoln, desert racer are stars in new movie". [[Autoweek]].
7. (December 30, 2012). "David R Shepard". United States Social Security Death Index.
8. (March 20, 2013). "My Father's Horniness".
9. Miller, Farah L.. (March 22, 2013). "Dax Shepard Writes Emotional Post About His Late Father And Kristen Bell (Photo)". [[Huffington Post]].
10. (September 6, 2012). "Dax Shepard: Motor City hit and run man". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
11. Mandell, Andrea. "Dax Shepard: I was molested as a child".
12. (December 9, 2014). "Dax Shepard Talks Directing 'About a Boy's' Take on 'A Christmas Carol'". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
13. (September 16, 2010). "Thursday, September 16, 2010".
14. Aukerman, Scott. (June 26, 2009). "Comedy Death Ray Radio with Scott Aukerman – Episode 9 – Chip Pope, Dax Shepard, Neil Hamburger, Paul F. Tompkins". [[Comedy Bang! Bang!]].
15. Ellwood, Gregory. (August 21, 2012). "Dax Shepard gives his friends a career showcase in 'Hit and Run'". [[HitFix]].
16. (28 April 2022). "Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard on parenting, privilege and not being perfect". Luxury London.
17. (February 5, 2019). "Dax Shepard Reveals How His Childhood Dyslexia Inspired His Acting Career". Entertainment Tonight.
18. (July 9, 2012). "Dax Shepard pays tribute to FOX 2 anchor in new movie". [[WJBK]].
19. "Performers – Dax Shepard". [[The Groundlings]].
20. D., Spence. (August 19, 2004). "Dax Shepard and Matthew Lillard". [[IGN]].
21. "Without A Paddle (2004)". [[Box Office Mojo]].
22. (July 6, 2009). "First impressions – "Parenthood"". [[Variety (magazine).
23. (February 25, 2010). "Review: 'Parenthood'". [[Variety (magazine).
24. (May 11, 2014). "NBC Renews 'Parenthood' for Sixth and Final Season". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
25. (August 20, 2012). "Review: 'Hit & Run'". [[Variety (magazine).
26. (August 19, 2012). "Hit and Run: Film Review". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
27. (September 5, 2014). "Dax Shepard Will Flash His Anus While Acting If That's What It Takes".
28. (September 16, 2014). "Galaxy Tab S – What You Really Need". Samsung Mobile USA YouTube.
29. (February 2022). "Kristen & Dax: Home for the Holidays". Samsung Mobile USA YouTube.
30. (September 2, 2014). "Dax Shepard Making 'CHiPS' Movie for Warner Bros.". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
31. (September 3, 2014). "Dax Shepard, Michael Peña to Star in CHiPS Movie". [[IGN]].
32. (September 3, 2014). "Dax Shepard will turn '70s cop show CHiPs into a movie". [[The A.V. Club]].
33. Sanchez, Omar. (December 6, 2018). "Here Are the Top Podcasts of 2018 on Apple Podcasts".
34. (December 3, 2019). "REVEALED! Meet the Hosts of Top Gear America".
35. Goldsmith, Jill. (2024-07-11). "'Armchair Expert' Podcast Host Dax Shepard Signs Big Distribution, First-Look Deal With Amazon's Wondery".
36. Adrian.Covert@groupsjr.com. (2024-12-04). "Revealed: The Top Artists, Songs, Albums, Podcasts, and Audiobooks of 2024".
37. (January 31, 2010). "Exclusive: Kristen Bell Is Engaged To Dax Shepard!". [[US Magazine]].
38. (August 14, 2012). "'Hit & Run' Couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard Won't Marry Until Same-Sex Marriage is Legal in California".
39. Bell, Kristen. (June 26, 2013). ".@daxshepard1 will you marry me? Xo #marriageequality #loveislove"".
40. Shepard, Dax. (June 26, 2013). "@IMKristenBell Fuck Yes!!!!!!!!!!!".
41. Ravitz, Justin. (October 17, 2013). "Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard Get Married in "No Frills" Wedding at County Clerk's Office". [[Us Weekly]].
42. (March 28, 2013). "Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell Welcome Daughter Lincoln". [[People (magazine).
43. (December 19, 2014). "Dax Shepardand Kristen Bell Welcome Daughter Delta". [[People (magazine).
44. (September 25, 2020). "Day 7".
45. (August 12, 2009). "Dax Shepard".
46. (December 16, 2008). "Hollenbeck Gym Hosts Toy Giveaway".
47. (December 15, 2007). "Picture – Tom Arnold and Dax Shepard – Photo 586706". [[Contactmusic.com]].
48. (January 8, 2013). "1967 Lincoln Continental – Lincoln Stuntinental". [[Popular Hot Rodding]].
49. (January 30, 2014). "Why Our Children Should Be Off Limits to the Paparazzi". [[Huffington Post]].
50. (January 31, 2014). "Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard urge boycott on celebrity kid photos". [[Los Angeles Times]].
51. (September 24, 2013). "Senate Bill No. 606, Chapter 348".
52. (October 1, 2013). "31 things you didn't know about Kristen Bell". [[Women's Health (magazine).
53. "Act Natural".
54. "Nip, Tuck and Roll".
55. "Guests Announced for ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' Oct. 4-6".
56. Longeretta, Emily. (November 16, 2020). "People's Choice Awards 2020: Complete List of Winners and Nominees".
57. "Golden Globe Awards 2026 Nominations". Golden Globes.