Gerald William "Jerry" Trainor (born January 21, 1977)[1] is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as "Crazy" Steve in Drake & Josh and Spencer Shay in the teen sitcom iCarly and its revival series of the same name, winning three Kids' Choice Awards for his performances. He also did voice work in T.U.F.F. Puppy as Dudley Puppy, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Since 2004, Trainor has worked primarily on the Nickelodeon network. Outside of this, he has had recurring and guest roles on young adult-oriented shows on the Disney Channel and Netflix as well as in the more mature shows Crossing Jordan and 2 Broke Girls.
Jerry Trainor | |
|---|---|
 Trainor in April 2022 | |
| Born | Gerald William Trainor January 21, 1977[1] San Diego, California, U.S.[1] |
| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (B.F.A.) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
Early life and education
editTrainor was born and raised in San Diego, California, the son of Bill Trainor, a retired Navy fighter pilot and public defender, and Madelyn Trainor, a retired high school calculus teacher. He has an older sister named Liz. He is of Irish, Croatian, and German descent.[2]
Trainor grew up in the San Diego community of Scripps Ranch and attended the University of San Diego High School.[3] He studied drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[1][4] He studied improvisation at The Groundlings school in Los Angeles. Before becoming an actor, he worked at San Diego SeaWorld.[5]
Acting career
edit
His first television role was in the MTV series Undressed as Eric. Some of his other television credits include Law & Order True Crime, Angel, and Malcolm in the Middle. His first recurring TV role was as Brian "the A.V. guy" on Crossing Jordan. He has had several small roles in films such as the science fiction drama Donnie Darko and the cheerleader comedy Bring It On Again. He appeared on the web series Hungry Girl.[6]
Trainor had a recurring role on Drake & Josh as "Crazy Steve”, a movie theater worker, from 2004 to 2007. He starred in iCarly as Spencer Shay, the older brother and guardian of Miranda Cosgrove's title character from 2007 to 2012 (he and Cosgrove had previously acted together on Drake & Josh, as Cosgrove played the role of the title duo's little sister). For iCarly, he won three Kids' Choice Awards. He completed the 2008 music-themed comedy Wreckless Epic, in which he stars. Trainor starred in the animated series T.U.F.F. Puppy as the voice of Dudley Puppy, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.
Trainor was involved in a World of Warcraft video series titled Project Lore, playing the Draenei shaman Goggins. In February 2009, he left the series and was replaced by Jeff Cannata. He also starred alongside iCarly co-star Jennette McCurdy in the Nickelodeon TV movie Best Player, where he played Quincy Johnson, a video-game enthusiast whose main competition in a video-gaming contest is McCurdy's character.
In 2013, Trainor starred in the short-lived series Wendell & Vinnie as Vinnie, the uncle and guardian of Buddy Handleson's character Wendell. He played Commander Michael Sullivan for both seasons of the Halo in-universe podcast Hunt the Truth. In 2017, Trainor voiced the recurring role of Commander Cone on Bunsen Is a Beast.
Since 2018, Trainor and Mike O'Gorman have starred in a comedy Web series called The Porch, which can be found on YouTube. In 2018, Trainor starred in the film Cover Versions written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Todd Berger. The film premiered at the 2018 Palm Springs Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Sony Pictures. Parts of the film were shot on location during the KAABOO Del Mar music festival (in coastal northern San Diego County). Trainor's performance was heralded as being edgy and thought-provoking.
In March 2021, it was announced that iCarly was being revived. The series premiered on Paramount+ in June of that year, with Trainor reprising his role as Spencer Shay.[7]
Music career
editIn October 2015, Trainor formed the band Nice Enough People with guitarist-vocalist Mike O'Gorman, drummer Andrew Zuber, and guitarist Allison Scagliotti, who also happened to be a co-star of Trainor's in Drake & Josh as the character Mindy Crenshaw.[8] Trainor plays bass for the group.[8] The group released its first EP, Hanover Hideaway, on June 22, 2016.[9]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Donnie Darko | Lanky Kid | Cameo[10] |
| Evolution | Tommy | Cameo[citation needed] | |
| Wayside | Tommy | Direct-to-video film | |
| 2004 | Bring It On Again | Smug Guy | Direct-to-video film |
| 2007 | Waking Dreams | Andrew | Direct-to-video film |
| 2008 | Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh | Crazy Steve | TV film |
| 2009 | Factory 9 | Roland Waters | Direct-to-video film |
| Wreckless Epic: The Journey to SXSW | Kelly Kirkwood | ||
| The Gamers | Himself | TV film | |
| 2011 | Best Player | Quincy "Q" Johnson | TV film |
| iParty with Victorious | Spencer Shay | TV film | |
| 2012 | Holiday Road | Doug | Segment: "October" |
| 2013 | Pororo, The Racing Adventure | Walter Featherbottom | Voice role |
| 2017 | Cover Versions | Travis | |
| 2018 | Alex & Me | "Nigel"/Nick | Direct-to-video film |
| 2022 | Snow Day | Snowplow Man | TV film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Undressed | Eric | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Malcolm in the Middle | Private Edwards | Episode: "Evacuation" |
| 2002 | My Wife and Kids | Star Trek fan | Episode: "The Bowling Show" |
| Angel | Jared | Episode: "Supersymmetry" | |
| ER | Darius | Episode: "One Can Only Hope" | |
| 2004–2005 | Crossing Jordan | Brian - A.V. Guy | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2004–2007 | Drake & Josh | "Crazy" Steve | Recurring role; 10 episodes |
| 2007–2012 | iCarly | Spencer Shay | Main role; also Director: "iApril Fools" and "iLost My Head in Vegas" |
| 2009 | BrainSurge | Himself | Contestant |
| 2010 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Eddie (Cockroach) | Voice role; episode: "Stop Bugging Me" |
| 2010–2015 | T.U.F.F. Puppy | Dudley Puppy | Main voice role |
| 2010–2013 | Victorious | Audience member | Episode: "Jade Dumps Beck" (uncredited)[citation needed] |
| Spencer Shay | Episode: "April Fools Blank" | ||
| 2011 | That Movie Show | N/A | 1 episode |
| 2012–2013 | Doc McStuffins | Will | Recurring voice role; 4 episodes |
| 2012 | Simian Undercover Detective Squad | Kelly the Elastic Man / Heptagan Scientist | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Wendell & Vinnie | Vinnie | Main role |
| 2014 | Sam & Cat | "Crazy" Steve / Himself | 2 episodes |
| Living the Dream | Cal Logan | Television film | |
| 2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Lenin | Episode: "And the Partnership Hits The Fan"[11] |
| Still the King | P.M.S. Leader | 3 episodes | |
| Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Roy | Voice role; episode: "Goblin Dogs" | |
| 2017 | Bunsen Is a Beast | Commander Cone | Voice role; 3 episodes |
| Law & Order True Crime | Will Canton | Episode: "The Menendez Murders: Episode 3" | |
| 2018 | The Adventures of Kid Danger | The Wahoo Punch Bro | Voice role; episode: "The Wahoo Punch Bro" |
| Henry Danger | Joey | Episode: "Thumb War" | |
| 2019 | No Good Nick | Todd | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2020 | Apocalypse Goals | News Janitor | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| Bunk'd | Dave | Episode: "My Fairy Lady" | |
| 2021–2022 | Tooned In | Himself | Co-host (season 2)[12] |
| 2021–2023 | iCarly | Spencer Shay | Main role; also Producer |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | iCarly | Spencer Shay | Voice role |
| 2010 | iCarly: iDream in Toons | ||
| iCarly 2: iJoin the Click! | |||
| 2014 | Cars: Fast as Lightning | Todd Marcus |
Discography
edit- Hanover Hideaway (2016)[13]
Soundtrack appearances
edit| Year | Title | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Snow Day | "These Kids" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Comedy | iCarly | Nominated | [14][15] |
| 2010 | Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Big Kid Award | Won | [16][17] | |
| LOL Award (shared with ensemble) | Won | [16] | |||
| 2011 | UK Kids' Choice Awards | Nick UK's Funniest Person | Won | [18] | |
| Meus Prêmios Nick Brazil | Funniest Character | Nominated | [19][20] | ||
| 2012 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Sidekick | Nominated | [21] | |
| 2013 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program | T.U.F.F. Puppy | Nominated | [22] |
| 2022 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male TV Star (Family) | iCarly | Nominated | [23] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Jerry Train or Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards". TV Guide.
- ^ Trainor, Jerry [@jerrytrainor] (April 17, 2013). "@SeddieMania I'm Irish, of course I want some of your baked potato! Duh! Get it in my stomach now!" (Tweet). Retrieved March 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "San Diego native stars in new Nickelodeon series". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2013-02-16. Archived from the original on 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ "Jerry Trainor". sfsketchfest2015.sched.com. 2015. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ "San Diego native stars in new Nickelodeon series - the San Diego Union-Tribune". Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ^ HungryGirlTV (December 15, 2008). "Fun With... The Hungry Girl Book". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved November 7, 2011 – via YouTube.
- ^ "iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress to Reunite at the Kids' Choice Awards". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-07. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
- ^ a b Grant, Stacey (April 12, 2016). "Crazy Steve And Mindy From Drake & Josh Started A Band With A Very Appropriate Name". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ Nice Enough People [@NiceEnoughPpl] (June 21, 2016). "It's here! Our debut EP "Hanover Hideaway" now on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify & Amazon etc. Here's the iTunes link" (Tweet). Retrieved August 23, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ^ Sethi, Arjun (1 June 2020). "'iCarly': What has happened with Jerry Trainor (Spencer) and how it looks today? - News series". Code List. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Goofing around on the set of Two Broke Girls". facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ "Exclusive: 'iCarly's Jerry Trainor Co-Hosts S2 of Nick Trivia". beta.animationmagazine.net.
- ^ "Hanover Hideaway by Nice Enough People". niceenoughpeople.bandcamp.com.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2009 nominees". Los Angeles Times. June 15, 2009. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ "Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards!". PopSugar. August 9, 2009. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ a b "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2010 Winners List & Orange Carpet Video!". Take40. October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "2010 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards Nominations List!". Take40. August 18, 2010. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2011 Winners!". Fun Kids. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon anuncia finalistas do Meus Prêmios Nick 2011" [Nickelodeon announces 2011 Nick Awards finalists]. ANMTV (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "Nickelodeon divulga os vencedores do Meus Prêmios Nick 2011" [Nickelodeon announces the winners of My Nick Awards 2011]. ANMTV (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "Lista completa de ganadores Kids Choice Awards 2012" [Complete list of winners Kids Choice Awards 2012]. Solo Famosos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ "Microsoft Word - day_1213_nominations_v02.doc" (PDF). The Emmys. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 12, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
- ^ "Miranda Cosgrove and Rob Gronkowski to Co-Host "Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2022," Live on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 P.M. (ET/PT)" (Press release). Nickelodeon. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
External links
edit
- Jerry Trainor at IMDb
- Jerry Trainor on Twitter
- Jerry Trainor at Nick.com
- Jerry Trainor on Instagram
- Jerry Trainor at AllMovie
