James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. Kennedy played Randy Meeks in the Scream film series (1996–2000), which saw him as a supporting character in the first and third installments and a lead ensemble member in the second installment. He has also had lead roles in Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), Son of the Mask (2005), Kickin' It Old Skool (2007), Finding Bliss (2009), Trick (2019), and Roe v. Wade (2020). He has had supporting roles in films such as Romeo + Juliet (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Bowfinger (1999), Three Kings (1999), Boiler Room (2000), Max Keeble's Big Move (2001), and Good Deeds (2012).
In television, Kennedy hosted the WB sketch comedy series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) and played the roles of Professor Eli James on the CBS series Ghost Whisperer (2008–2010) and Dr. Callahan on the NBC medical comedy-drama series Heartbeat (2016). He has had recurring voice roles on the Fox sitcom The Cleveland Show (2009–2013), the Nickelodeon series Fanboy & Chum Chum (2009–2014), and the Comedy Central sitcom Legends of Chamberlain Heights (2016–2017).
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Early life
Kennedy was born on May 25, 1970, in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kennedy was raised Catholic. He attended and graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 1988. After high school, Kennedy began his career as a Hollywood extra.
Career
When Kennedy first arrived in Los Angeles, he became a professional Hollywood extra.
After a few years of struggling, Kennedy was unable to find an agent and worked as a host at Red Lobster. He auditioned for over 80 commercials and could not book one. He then took a job as a telemarketer and learned that he had a talent for selling things. Kennedy then thought that if he could sell anything, "why not sell myself?", becoming his own agent.
Kennedy created a false persona, screen agent "Marty Power", to attract the attention of real agents and managers over the phone, who would later book his performances. He came to prominence in the late 1990s for playing Randy Meeks in the Scream film series. His lead role as Tim Avery in Son of the Mask earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor. He would later voice his experiences with the film on his YouTube channel years after the film's release. The film would also go on to inspire Kennedy to host the 2007 documentary Heckler after feeling hurt by the film's poor reception in which some reviewers attacked him personally.
Kennedy formed a production company called Wannabe Producers, alongside Josh Etting, through which he has produced the shows The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Blowin' Up, The Starlet, and Living with Fran created by David Garrett. Following Malibu's Most Wanted, in which he both wrote and starred, Kennedy co-wrote the MTV show Blowin' Up (2006) featuring his friend, Stu Stone.
Kennedy lent his voice to the videogame ESPN NFL 2K5 as a celebrity adversary with his own football team, the Upper Darby Cheesesteaks. He is also unlockable as a free agent tight end in season mode. His stint as Activision's emcee at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2007, however, drew much criticism not only for his ignorance of the industry, but also for appearing to perform drunk as he insulted the audience. In a video uploaded to YouTube on June 14, 2021, Kennedy claimed that Activision had scrapped his script at the last minute and he was ad-libbing his jokes while suffering from burnout.
While working on his film Malibu's Most Wanted, Kennedy wrote an autobiography titled, Wannabe: A Hollywood Experiment. The book chronicles his life in Hollywood as he attempts to become a star. It gives background on his life and family and quickly dives into his adventures. It tells of such things as Kennedy's living conditions in the Hollywood slums, his dilapidated car, and his kidney issues.
Personal life
Kennedy dated his Ghost Whisperer co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt from March 2009 to March 2010.
Kennedy supported Spencer Pratt's 2026 Los Angeles mayoral campaign and promoted claims that the election was rigged after Pratt failed to move on past the primary stage and face Karen Bass in the general election. Kennedy referred to the election as a "literal crime scene" and also said "There is no way this is an honest election."
In an August 2026 episode of his podcast, Kennedy spoke about his political views, describing himself as open to evaluating policies across party lines. He said that expressing agreement with Republican or Trump administration positions had led others to label him "MAGA" or a "maggot," and questioned what he called a lack of inclusion on the political left, stating, "How can you say that you're the party of inclusion when you don't include us?" During the episode he also discussed the COVID-19 pandemic response and referenced performing a stand-up show in a parking lot to support a bar affected by lockdown restrictions.
Filmography
Discography
Blowin' Up (2006)