Biography
An actor whose wide, affable grin and heavy eyebrows lend him an uncanny resemblance to
Tim Allen, Justin Long unwittingly became a footnote to the illustrious history of
Britney Spears' ascent to world domination when he appeared with the post-pubescent entertainer in her 2002 film debut,
Crossroads. Cast as Britney's prom date, Long shared a kiss with the singer that earned him breathless adulation on Britney websites everywhere.
Three years before he locked lips with the peppy pop star, Long made his screen debut as a sci-fi geek in
Galaxy Quest, a quirky genre parody that starred
Sigourney Weaver,
Alan Rickman, and Long's would-be doppelganger, Allen. He then landed a role on the TV sitcom
Ed (2000), which he followed in 2001 with a part as a lonely bunkmate in
Happy Campers. That same year, he starred in
Jeepers Creepers, a sleeper comedy-horror outing that cast him as one of two siblings terrorized by an inhuman monster. Long subsequently appeared in
Crossroads, sealing his newfound popularity among teenage girls with a kiss.
In 2003, Long popped up briefly in the sequel
Jeepers Creepers 2 while continuing to appear on
Ed. However, the following year saw the conclusion of
Ed and Long embarked on his film career full-time. First up was the sports comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Stealing scenes while co-starring with the likes of
Vince Vaughn and
Ben Stiller, Long proved to critics and audiences alike that his comedic skills could translate from the small-screen to the big one with ease. In the wake of
Dodgeball's box-office success, audience's could next find the actor starring in the independent films
Raising Genius and Waiting... and adding his voice to the
Bill Plympton film
Hair High. He appeared opposite Linday Lohan in Herbie: Fully Loaded, executing a perfect pratfall worthy of silent film comics in once scene. In 2006 he was one of the two leads in a series of witty television advertisements for Apple computers directed by
Junebug's Phil Morrison. With
Accepted, about a high-school graduate who starts his own college after being rejected by the institutions to which he applied, Long was finally allowed to take the lead in a big-screen comedy. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide