This Canadian actor may not have made it big in Hollywood, but he has entertained his countrymen through his terrific acting and outstanding writing skills via two sitcoms. Jared Keeso has proven how talented he is. Those talents and skills brought him recognitions people may not usually expect from a college dropout like him.
When Jared Keeso was born, there were fireworks. Literally. Long rounds of spectacular fireworks that brightened up the nighttime sky.
People across the country were in a festive mood and would go out on the streets to celebrate. Tables filled with food, tso und of clinking wine glasses, smiles everywhere.
Even John Turner (1929-2020), Canada’s prime minister at that time, joined the public in the joyful occasion.
Jared (it’s his real and only given name) Keeso (pronounced KEE-soh) was born on July 1, 1984, in Listowel. Oh, not that market town in Ireland but the one in North Perth municipality in Ontario, Canada.
That makes him Canadian. And a Cancer (astrological sign for people born June 21-July 21).
It was a double celebration for his parents, Richard and Anne Keeso: the safe delivery of their bundle of joy and . . . Canada Day.
Yes, Jared Keeso came to this world during a national holiday in his country.
It would be hard for any of his Canadian friends to miss his birthday, then.
A young Keeso went to Listowel District Secondary School. He was one of those sports-oriented kids, with him going for ice hockey.
He competed in junior hockey (Junior B team) for the Strathroy Rockets of the Western Ontario Hockey League and for the Listowel Cyclones of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Fun fact:Award-winning actor-screenwriter-producer Jared Keeso and Olympic gold medalist and ice hockey player Jeffrey “Jeff” J. Carter, were teammates when they were young, playing junior hockey for Strathroy Rockets.
Jared Keeso in dark suit holding an award and Jeff Carter in black-and-white Los Angeles Kings uniform
Later, he started to pursue a degree at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. However, he didn’t finish his tertiary education.
As a matter of fact, he didn’t even complete a single semester there! According to TV Guide, at 18, he quit college and enrolled in a drama school in Toronto. His parents backed him up.
Canadians could only imagine if his parents didn’t persuade him enough to pursue an acting career, which Jared Keeso liked to embark on in the first place.
They would never get to laugh at and with “Wayne” and “Shoresy,” the famous TV characters he created and still portray up to this day.
A few days after he celebrated his 34th birthday, Jared Keeso married lawyer Magali Brunelle on July 4, 2018, the same year they got engaged.
His wife works as a director of legal commercial at Coveo, an I.T. company in Quebec. She graduated from Université de Montréal with honors.
According to Famous People Today, Brunelle previously worked as a corporate lawyer and as a civil rights lawyer.
At the time of this writing, there are no little Jareds or little Magalis yet in the Keeso household.
The parents of Jared Keeso own J.H. Keeso & Sons Ltd., a sawmill company in Listowel that started operating in 1872.
Richard and Anne Keeso are the fifth-generation owners, with Richard inheriting it from his father, Harold James Boyd Keeso (1925-2018). The “J.H.” stands for “Jack” and “Harold.”
Three months after Keeno’s grandfather’s death, the sawmill caught fire and “burned to the ground” in September 2018, reported Waterloo Chronicle.
The worth of property damage was estimated at $4 million.
Jared Keeso and brother in white polo shirt and tie and sister in a spaghetti strap dress
Jared Keeso has two siblings: his older brother Alan (born January 29, 1983) and Abigail.
Alan Keeso (married to Jacqueline; got two girls) has two master’s degrees from Oxford. He is the CEO of TPH Center of Excellence (est. 2001), a hockeyschool headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Abigail Keeso-Hopkins is a registered nurse, who, together with husband Christopher Hopkins, founded That Clean Life, Inc. (ThatCleanLife.com).
It’s a Toronto-based business that caters to health professionals. They sell software for meal and nutritionplanning.
Like him, the siblings of Jared Keeso have gone far in their respective fields.
One is found on his right bicep (upper arm): a round logo inside a diamond, with the words, “J.H. KEESO.” On his left bicep: a tattoo of his pet dog, a Pitbull mix.
There are other tattoos on his arms and they appear to be words.
Jared Keeso started in the entertainment industry playing bit parts in TV shows and films.
It was in 2004 when he first landed roles: one each for a TV series and one for a TV movie.
First set of acting assignments (all as an extra):
1. As “Nate” in the fantasy TV series Smallville
Season 3 - Episode 3: Façade(aired: October 6, 2004)
Season 3 - Episode 4: Devoted(aired: October 13, 2004)
2. As “Hockey Player Number 2” in the teen drama series Life as We Know It
Season 1 - Episode 5: Secrets & Lies
Aired: November 4, 2004
3. As “Bartender” in the TV movie fantasy-romance Eve’s Christmas (see picture below)
He can be seen from 20:51 through 22:30 of the film.
Release date: December 6, 2004
Family Central uploaded the film on YouTube on December 4, 2020.
Jared Keeso showing a doubtful look, an irritated look and a calm look
When “Eve’s Christmas” was shown, Jared Keeso was 20 years old.
Keeso’s role finds him talking to the character of American actress Elisa Donovan, who’s then talking to an invisible guardian angel. His line:
“„
Miss, I don’t know who you’re talking to but, ah, just go easy on the scotch.
The table below shows some of TV shows where Jared Keeso guested only once as well as some of the movies where he played minor roles:
Films/TV Movies
TV Series
“Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone (2006)”
“Supernatural (2006)”
“White Noise 2: The Light (2007)”
“ReGenesis (2008)”
“Charlie (2009)”
“Psych (2010)”
“Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball (2010)”
“Hellcats (2011)”
“Preggoland (2014)”
“Falling Skies (2013)”
Jared Keeso played a bit part as well in these popular Hollywood films (*blockbusters):
I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)- starring Hayden Panettiere
Elysium* (2013)- a Matt Damon-Jodie Foster film
Godzilla* (2014)- Aaron Taylor-Johnson in lead role
The TV shows where he received lead roles:
Monster Warriors (2006-2007)- 53 episodes
19-2 (2014-2017)
For his superb portrayal of a constable named Ben Chartier in the crime-drama 19-2, Jared Keeso won “Best Lead Performance” at the Leo Awards (2016) and at the Canadian Screen Awards (2015).
Adrian Holmes and Jared Keeso in light blue police uniform with black vest
In April 2018, Jared Keeso created the YouTube channel “Letterkenny Problems” (over 563,000 subscribers).
It’s a web series where Keeso and fellow Canadian actor Nathan Dales would utter one-line funny exchanges at each other. Letterkenney is just a fictional rural place.
In 2016 it became a hit TV sitcom, which Keeso wrote and produced. It still runs up to this day.
He also portrayed two roles: that of the lead character Wayne and that of the “mysterious” Shoresy (face hidden from camera).
In 2017, Letterkenney won twice (“Best Comedy Series” and “Best Writing”) at the Canadian Screen Awards. That same year, it also bagged “Best Writing” trophy at the Writers Guild of Canada and “Best Music” at Leo Awards.
In May 2022, its spinoff Shoreseymade its debut telecast on Crave in Canada and on Hulu in the U.S.
Jared Keeso in plaid shirt and jeans and Nathan Dales in jumpsuit holding a German Shepherd on lease
There are no official statements from a movie outfit declaring Jared Keeso will play the role of Wolverine in any upcoming project.
Andrew Hunt, a Los Angeles-based art director and illustrator, just stated via Instagram (@weapon.of.mass.creation) that he would vote for him as a possible candidate.
Jared Keeso was last seen on the big screen via The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2018). It’s a drama film with a star-studded cast, including Natalie Portman, Kit Harington, and Thandiwe Newton.
The life of this former ice hockey player and extra has been awesome.
Such description can even be an understatement, considering the awards and the number of loyal viewers.
Perhaps one reason why Jared Keeso isn’t active on social media: despite the public adulation, he wants to celebrate his private life in private.