Vince Vaughn Biography
When people think of Vince Vaughn, they usually smile. He is undoubtedly one of the funniest actors to grace the big screen. All you have to do is imagine him cracking jokes in one of the many hysterical movies he's been part of throughout his career, and you'll smile.
But here's the kicker: Vince Vaughn didn't start out aiming to be the funny guy. Surprisingly, his move into entertainment started off with more serious roles at first. And oddly enough, even though he rocked the comedy scene in the mid-2000s, Vaughn isn't popping up on our screens as much these days.
Moreover, the gigs he's taking now are a far cry from the funny stuff. It's like he's taken a detour from the laughs and gone back to the more serious beginning. You read that right. No more weddings with Owen Wilson or not-so-romantic comedies with Jennifer Aniston.
Take a look below as we further discuss the life of the one and only, Vince Vaughn.
The Early Life Of Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn, born on March 28, 1970, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, had big dreams from the get-go. Growing up, he envisioned various career paths, one of which was in sports. He did not end up pursuing it, though, as a car accident in 1987 left him with a back injury, and he lost the tip of his thumb.
As the idea of becoming a pro athlete faded, Vaughn's passion for acting intensified. At the age of 18, he decided to turn his acting dream into a tangible goal, making the move to Los Angeles to jump start his career.
Like many emerging actors, Vaughn faced the challenge of not landing major roles initially. His career in show business began with an appearance in a Chevrolet commercial, which served as a foundation for his film roles in the late 1980s.
Vince Vaughn's Legendary Career
The 90s
In the early days, Vince found himself in lesser-known TV shows, often playing minor roles and never quite being the star. This trend persisted for several years until 1993, when he finally secured a spot on the big screen in the movie Rudy. Even though his role was small, being part of a major film marked a turning point in his career.
Another significant role came in the movie Swingers, where he shared the screen with Jon Favreau, sparking a long lasting friendship and many more movies to come. Interestingly, both Vince and Favreau almost landed roles in the popular TV series Friends.
Vince auditioned for Joey and Favreau for Chandler during the show's first season, but those parts inevitably went to Matt Le Blanc and Matthew Perry. However, while Vince may have missed out on the role of Joey, they offered him the role of Chandler, but he turned it down due to other commitments.
After catching the eye of the acclaimed Steven Spielberg, Vaughn received a major role in the sequel to Jurassic Park, which marked a turning point in his career. Following the success of Spielberg's blockbuster, Vaughn's popularity soared, and he found himself flooded with offers for new projects.
In 1998, Vaughn was part of three simultaneous film releases. The first, A Cool, Dry Place, a drama, failed to make a significant impact. Unfortunately, the drama-thriller Return to Paradise was the same. The trilogy of films concluded with Psycho, a remake of Hitchco*ck's classic from 1960.
Unfortunately, this venture proved to be a total failure, earning a mere $30 million against a $60 million budget and receiving disappointment from audiences and critics alike. The film even secured two Golden Raspberry Awards (a parody award show honoring the worst movies of the year).
The early 2000s
Despite the setbacks in the late '90s, the 2000s showed promise for Vaughn. He starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in The Cell in 2000, a thriller that many consider one of the best in the genre, bringing in $104 million on a $57 million budget. While continuing to explore the dramatic genre, Vaughn's appearance in Made (2001) went somewhat unnoticed in theaters.
Vaughn faced disappointment with his next project, Domestic Disturbance, where he starred alongside John Travolta. The film performed poorly at the box office, earning only $54 million against a hefty budget of $75 million and receiving predominantly negative reviews.
This series of challenges led Vaughn to a realization: his pursuit of dramatic roles wasn't attracting the desired attention, and his projects were often met with box office flops.
In a big move in 2002, Vaughn decided to pivot to comedy, taking a risk by starring in Todd Phillips' Old School alongside Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell. The decision proved to be a game-changer. Old School grossed over $80 million and gave Vaughn some much needed gratification.
Buoyed by this success, Vaughn teamed up with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller in the 2004 film Starsky & Hutch. This comedy also did well and grossed an impressive $170 million at the box office.
Seemingly making up for lost time spent in dramatic roles, Vaughn continued his comedic streak by collaborating with Stiller again in the same year, taking a leading role in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.
In 2005, Vaughn reunited with Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers, a comedy hit that grossed $285 million at the box office. This movie captured the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide thanks to the hilarious improv by the comedy duo.
Vaughn continued his winning streak in 2006 with The Break-Up, and in 2007, he achieved a record-breaking $20 million paycheck for his role in Fred Claus, a Christmas comedy featuring Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz.
Vaughn tried his luck again in 2008 with another Christmas comedy, this time alongside Reese Witherspoon in Four Christmases.
2010s
However, not all ventures were met with unbridled success. Vaughn's comedic ventures, including Couples Retreat in 2009 and The Dilemma in 2011, were met with some negative reviews and criticism.
Despite occasional successful collaborations, he found that none of his recent projects came close to the popularity he achieved in the early 2000s. That's when his star was really shining, both on screen, and at the worldwide box office.
Vince Vaughn's biggest starring role's | Revenue | Year |
|---|---|---|
Wedding Crashers | $283 million | 2005 |
The Break-Up | $206 million | 2006 |
Couples Retreat | $172 million | 2009 |
Four Christmases | $168 million | 2008 |
Dodgeball | $168 million | 2004 |
Source: The Numbers
In 2015, Vaughn joined the True Detective cast and then went on to make some unfortunate comedy returns with Unfinished Business and Freaky; both films faced poor reception.
Vaughn has been experimenting with darker parts in recent years, such as Dragged Across Concrete and Brawl in Cell Block 99.
Vince Vaughn's Personal Life
Marriage and Children:
Vince Vaughn is married to Kyla Weber, a Canadian real estate agent, whom he wed in a private ceremony on January 2, 2010, in Lake Forest, Illinois. The couple has two children together, a daughter named Locklyn Kyla Vaughn, born in 2010, and a son named Vernon Lindsay Vaughn, born in 2013.
Vince Vaughn's Net Worth
Vince Vaughn's net worth is staggering at $75 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Vince was one of the highest-paid actors in the world at the height of his career, taking home $15–20 million a film. For instance, he received $20 million for the film Fred Claus in 2007 and $17 million for the film The Dilemma in 2011.
