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Jonathan Bennett (actor)

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Jonathan Bennett
Born
Jonathan David Bennett

(1981-06-10) June 10, 1981 (age 43)
Rossford, Ohio, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • television host
Years active2001–present
Known forMean Girls
Spamalot
Spouse
Jaymes Vaughan
​
(m. 2022)​

Jonathan David Bennett (born June 10, 1981)[1] is an American actor and television host. He is known for his roles as Aaron Samuels in the 2004 comedy film Mean Girls,[2] Bud McNulty in 2005's Cheaper by the Dozen 2, the title character in the 2009 direct-to-DVD comedy Van Wilder: Freshman Year, and his recurring role as Casey Gant in the mystery drama Veronica Mars. He was the host of the Food Network series Halloween Wars, and he previously hosted Cake Wars.

Bennett made his Broadway debut in Spamalot on January 23, 2024, playing Sir Robin, Guard 1 and Brother Maynard.[3]

Early life

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Bennett was born in Ohio,[1] to David Bennett, a physician from Toledo, and Ruthanne Bennett (née Mason). He has two half-brothers, Brian and Brent, and one half-sister, Lisa.[4][5]

Bennett attended Eagle Point Elementary School in Rossford, Ohio, and graduated from Rossford High School in 1999.[6] Bennett attended Otterbein University.[7][8][non-primary source needed]

Career

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After moving to New York, he was cast on the ABC soap opera All My Children as JR Chandler from 2001 to 2002. Since then, he has appeared in various television dramas, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Smallville, and Veronica Mars.

Bennett co-starred in the 2004 comedy movie Mean Girls as Aaron Samuels, the love interest of star Lindsay Lohan's character.[9] In 2005, he co-starred in the family comedy movie Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and the romantic comedy movie Lovewrecked. In 2007, Bennett appeared in the direct-to-video prequel TV series The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, in which he played Bo Duke. In 2009, he starred as the title character in Van Wilder: Freshman Year,[9] and appeared as Nick in the Hallmark original movie Elevator Girl.

On September 4, 2014, Bennett was announced as one of the celebrities competing on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancer Allison Holker.[9][10] Bennett and Holker were eliminated on Week 6 of the competition and finished in 9th place.[11]

From 2015 to 2017, Bennett hosted the Food Network cooking competition show Cake Wars.[12]

In 2016, Bennett played gay sports agent Lucas in two episodes of Hit the Floor.[13]

In 2018, with celebrity chef Nikki Martin, he released a pop culture cookbook titled The Burn CookBook.[14]

In 2019, he was featured in the filmed poem rendition Love Goes Never Alone, in support of the LGBT+ community, for the online theatre publication First Night Magazine, performing next to other film, television and theatre celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Debra Messing, Neil Gaiman, and Sharon Osbourne.[15]

On January 13, 2019, it was announced that Bennett would be a houseguest on the second season of the reality competition show Celebrity Big Brother.[16][17]

In 2022, Bennett starred in the first LGBTQ-led Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, The Holiday Sitter.[18]

Bennett and spouse Jaymes appeared together on the July 8, 2022, wedding-themed episode of Trixie Motel entitled Oh Honeymoon. They provide support and advice to the groom-to-be.

Personal life

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Bennett is openly gay. On November 30, 2020, representatives for Bennett confirmed he was engaged to Amazing Race contestant and current Celebrity Page host Jaymes Vaughan, who proposed on the set for The Christmas House with an original song.[19][20] In 2021, Bennett and Vaughan became the first gay couple to appear on the cover of the magazine The Knot.[21] In March 2022, the couple got married at the Unico Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico.[22]

Bennett's mother Ruthanne died November 30, 2012, aged 67.[4] His father, David, died on April 28, 2014, aged 73.[5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 Season of Youth Taylor Palm Beach International Film Festival Award for Best Actor
2004 Mean Girls Aaron Samuels Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Lindsay Lohan)
Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Movie Star - Male
2005 Love Wrecked Ryan Howell
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Bud McNulty
2006 Bachelor Party Vegas Nathan
2009 The Assistants Zack Cooper
Van Wilder: Freshman Year Van Wilder
2012 Memorial Day SSgt Kyle Vogel
Music High Jasper "Jazz" Poland
Divorce Invitation Michael Remake of 1997 Indian Telugu movie Aahwaanam
Slightly Single in L.A. Seven
Christmas Crush Ben
2013 Pawn Aaron Also executive producer
Anything Is Possible George
The Secret Village Greg
Misogynist Harrison Nominated – Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival LAIUFF Award for Best Actor
also co-producer
2014 Authors Anonymous William Bruce Also executive producer
Mining for Ruby Andrew
A Christmas Kiss II Sebastian
2015 Paid in Full Jack
Cats Dancing on Jupiter Ben Cross
A Dogwalker's Christmas Tale Dean Stanton
2016 Submerged Matt
Do Over Anthony Campana
Romantically Speaking Nathan
Deadly Retreat Mike
Do You Take This Man Christopher Also co-producer
2017 Bride to Be Danny
2019 The Haunting of Sharon Tate Jay Sebring
Love on Repeat Kevin
2021 Potato Dreams of America Jesus Christ
2023 Fire Island Rafael
Christmas on Cherry Lane Mike

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2001–2002 All My Children JR Chandler Main role
2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Kyle Fuller Episode: "Deception" & "Vulnerable"
2003 Boston Public Ethan Guest Episode: "Chapter Sixty-Three"
2004–2005 Veronica Mars Casey Gant 2 episodes
2005 Smallville Kevin Grady Episode: "Blank"
2007 The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning Bo Duke Television film
Cane Brad Episode: "Time Away"
2010 Elevator Girl Nick Sweeney Television film
2012 Fred: The Show Lash Landridge Episode: "Freddy and the Figglettes, Part 2"
Christmas Crush Ben Oliver Television film
2013 The Wrong Woman Ben Television film
Police Guys Himself Television film
The Glades Drew Green Episode: "Killer Barbecue"
2014 Sweet Surrender Jerry Television film
Dancing with the Stars Contestant Season 19
Copycat MTV[23] Host
A Christmas Kiss II Sebastian Television film
2015 Romantically Speaking Nathan Television film
Christmas Cookie Challenge Host
2015–2017 Cake Wars Host
2016 Hit the Floor Lucas Episodes: "Blocked" and "Good D"
Awkward Ethan Recurring role (Season 5)
Cupcake Wars Host
2016–2020, 2023–present Halloween Wars Host
2017 Love at First Glance Victor Television film
2018 The Last Sharknado: It's About Time Billy the Kid Television film
Christmas Made to Order Steven Television film
2018–2019 Entertainment Tonight Reporter
2019 Celebrity Big Brother Contestant Season 2
Supergirl Quentin Episode: "Stand and Deliver"
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club Himself Episode: "After the Show"
2019–present Times Square Ball Host
2020 Station 19 Michael Episodes: "Ice Ice Baby" and "No One Is Alone"
RuPaul's Drag Race Guest judge Episode: "Snatch Game"
The Christmas House Brandon Nock Television film
2021 The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls Television film
2022 Wedding of a Lifetime Jake Television film
The Holiday Sitter Sam Television film
2023 Fantasy Island Oliver Episode: "Forever and a Day"
2023–present Food Network's Battle of the Decades Host

Music videos

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Year Title Artist Ref.
2018 "Thank U, Next" Ariana Grande [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jonathan Bennett". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015.
  2. ^ Maltin, Leonard (August 5, 2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. Penguin. pp. 893. ISBN 978-0-452-28978-9. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  3. ^ Spamalot Announcement
  4. ^ a b "Ruthanne Bennett Obituary". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. December 2, 2012. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2015 – via Legacy.com. She is survived by her loving son, Jonathan Bennett [with no other children listed]...
  5. ^ a b "David Bennett Obituary". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. April 30, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2015 – via Legacy.com. Survived by his children, Brian Bennett, Lisa Horner, Brent Bennett and Jonathan Bennett.
  6. ^ "Rossford drama club holds rally for grad on TV show". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. September 15, 2014. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  7. ^ Otterbein University Theatre Department [@otterbeintheatr] (October 3, 2017). "October 3rd is known as "Mean Girls Day," but did you know that @JonathanBennett aka Aaron Samuels was a former Otterbein student? Grool!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "Jonathan Bennett, who attended Otterbein (pictured on the far left) and played Aaron Samuels in "Mean Girls," was announced as one of 13 celebrity dancers on Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars". Otterbein University Alumni Facebook page. September 4, 2014.
  9. ^ a b c "Toledo Native Dances in Parents' Memory". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  10. ^ "'Dancing With The Stars' 2014: Season 19 Couples Ready to Tango". Good Morning America/Yahoo News. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  11. ^ Reiher, Andrea (October 20, 2014). "'Dancing With the Stars' Season 19 week 6 scores and elimination results". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  12. ^ "Cake Wars on Food Network Canada".
  13. ^ Hinzmann, Dennis (January 13, 2016). "First Look at Adam Senn and Brent Antonello in Hit the Floor Season 3". Out. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  14. ^ Fecteau, Jessica (October 3, 2018). "Mean Girls' Jonathan Bennett Wants to 'Make Fetch-uccine Alfredo Happen' with the Burn Cookbook". People. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  15. ^ "Love Goes Never Alone". First Night Magazine. July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  16. ^ Porreca, Brian (January 13, 2019). "'Celebrity Big Brother' Cast Includes Anthony Scaramucci, Dina Lohan and Ryan Lochte". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  17. ^ Ross, Dalton (January 13, 2019). "Anthony Scaramucci among 12 new Celebrity Big Brother houseguests". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  18. ^ Sim, Bernardo (December 8, 2022). "Jonathan Bennett Talks Starring in Hallmark's 1st Gay-Led Holiday Film". Out Magazine.
  19. ^ Schnurr, Samantha (November 30, 2020). "Mean Girls' Jonathan Bennett Is Engaged to Boyfriend Jaymes Vaughan". E!. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020.
  20. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (November 30, 2020). "Mean Girls Star Jonathan Bennett Is Engaged to Boyfriend Jaymes Vaughan: 'Can't Wait to Get Married!'". People. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  21. ^ "Jonathan Bennett, Fiance Jaymes Vaughan Become First Gay Couple To Cover 'The Knot'". ontopmag.com.
  22. ^ Brody, Lanae; Knapp, JD (March 21, 2022). "Mean Girls' Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan Wed in Inclusive Ceremony: 'We're So Blessed'". People. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  23. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (October 15, 2013). "'Mean Girls' Alum Set to Host MTV's 'Copycat' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  24. ^ Aiello, McKenna (November 30, 2018). "All the Celebrity Cameos in Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next Music Video". E! News. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
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