Sean Gunn
Age: 50
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Sean Gunn (born May 22, 1974) is an American actor, best known for his role as Kirk Gleason on the television show Gilmore Girls (2000-2007). He is the younger brother of filmmaker James Gunn.
Early life
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri in a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent, he has four brothers and one sister. He was raised between St. Louis and Manchester, Missouri. His brothers are actor and political writer Matt Gunn, Brian, and former Senior Vice President with Artisan Entertainment, Patrick. His other brother is James is a screenwriter/director, who took acting classes with Sean when they were children. Later in life, he introduced James to his future wife, Jenna Fischer. He also has a sister named Beth. Gunn's father, James F. Gunn, is a partner and corporate attorney with the law firm Thompson Coburn in St. Louis. Gunn's surname is derived from the Irish name MacGilGunn, meaning "sons to the servants of the god of the dead". Therefore, Gunn means "God of the Dead".
Gunn attended the Jesuit St. Louis University High School (class of 1992). Gunn and his brothers are all graduates of Saint Louis University High School in the Kings Oak neighborhood of St. Louis. He then graduated from DePaul University's Theatre School in 1996. After graduation, he started a theater company with friends.
Career
In 1995 Gunn played Sammy Capulet in the B Film Tromeo and Juliet. In 2000, he guest starred in the second episode of Gilmore Girls as "Mick" a DSL cable installer. As the first season continued, Gunn was brought back to play the recurring role of Kirk Gleason, one of Stars Hollow's most eccentric citizens. Since 2002 until the end of the series in 2007, Gunn was a regular cast member of the show. He also had a recurring role on October Road as "Rooster".
Although he is best known for his regular Gilmore Girls role, he also has several television show guest appearance credits, including Angel, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Yes, Dear, True Jackson, VP, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, and Bunheads. Gunn can also be seen in commercials as an "agent" for the text message information service KGB.com. In films, Gunn has also had several roles, the most substantial being "Alien Orphan/Doug" in The Specials, for which he also received a co-producer credit.
In 2003, Gunn starred in the featurette The Man Who Invented the Moon, directed by fellow Goodman School of Drama alum and Gilmore Girls cast member John Cabrera. Gunn and Cabrera have been close artistic colleagues since their school days in Chicago back in the mid-nineties.
Along with his brothers James and Brian, he is a creator and actor in the spoof porn series, PG Porn. He also had a brief role as a computer maintenance man on the Nickelodeon show, True Jackson VP. Gunn starred in a series of television commercials for Knowledge Generation Bureau. He appeared in the 2010 film Super, written and directed by his brother James.
Sean is also the voice actor behind the character of "Swan" in the Warner Brothers video game Lollipop Chainsaw, written by his brother James.
Gunn guest-starred in Glee ("Makeover", Season 4) as committee member Phineas Hayes.
In 2013, he provided stand-in work for the characters of Rocket Raccoon and Thanos for the film Guardians of the Galaxy, which was written and directed by his brother. The characters were later voiced by Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin. He also played the role of Kraglin, Yondu Udonta's second in command.
In 2014 he held a supporting role in Bones on FOX in season 10 episode 5 "The Corpse at the Convention".
With Nick Holmes he has starred in Gilmore Girls, Super, PG Porn, and Guardians of the Galaxy. He has also posed for Holmes's photography portraits.
Personal life
Gunn's nickname is "The Judge." He is 6' (1.83 m) tall.
The character, "Gunn," on the TV series, Angel (1999), was named such after the creator, Joss Whedon, worked with both Sean and his brother, James Gunn.
He is the former roommate of fellow DePaul classmate, Judy Greer. He is the cousin of Mark Gunn, former NFL football player.
He plays fantasy baseball with Rush lead singer, Geddy Lee.
He is the former roommate and DePaul University classmate of fellow Gilmore Girls cast member, John Cabrera.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Tromeo and Juliet | Sammy Capulet/Performer | |
1997 | Stricken | Guffy | |
1999 | The Auteur Theory | Tori York | |
2000 | The Specials | Alien Orphan/Co-Producer | |
2001 | Love, Sex & Murder | The Waiter/Associate Producer | Short |
2001 | Pearl Harbor | Traction Sailor | |
2003 | The Man Who Invented the Moon | Sammy Hughes/Executive Producer | Short |
2004 | Fish Out of Water | Jim | Short |
2005 | Jesus, Mary and Joey | Stevie | |
2008 | Pants on Fire | PK | |
2010 | Super | Toby | |
2012 | The Giant Mechanical Man | George | |
2013 | Who the F Is Buddy Applebaum | Pinto | |
2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Kraglin/On Set Rocket | |
2015 | The Hive | Dr. Baker | |
2016 | The Belko Experiment | Marty Espenscheid | |
2016 | Geezer | Ted | |
2016 | Po | Ben | |
2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Kraglin |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Any Day Now | Clerk | Episode: "A Parent's Job" |
2000 | Brutally Normal | Lenny | 2 episodes |
1999-2000 | Angel | Mars/Lucas | 2 episodes |
2000 | The Michael Richards Show | Dennis | Episode: "Simplification" |
2000-2007 | Gilmore Girls | Kirk Gleason/Swan Man/Mick/Performer | 137 episodes; Series regular |
2001 | Inside Schwartz | Focus Group Guy #2 | Episode: "Bless Me Father, for I Have Fired You" |
2001 | DAG | Ryan | Episode: "Prom" |
2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Attendant | Episode: "You Don't Know Dick" |
2001 | Going to California | Joey 'Fuzz' Fucetti | 4 episodes |
2002 | Yes, Dear | David Scott | Episode: "Making Baby" |
2002-2003 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Phil | 3 episodes |
2004 | Gilmore Girls Backstage Special | Himself | TV Movie |
2007-2008 | October Road | Rooster | 6 episodes |
2008 | Scream Queens | Himself - Guest | Episode: "Episode #1.4" |
2008 | Sparky & Mikaela | Dude | Episode: "Pilot" |
2008 | Humanzee! | Humanzee | Episode: "Pilot" |
2008-2009 | PG Porn | Peppermint Patty/Bill Scrotey/Jason/Creator/Writer | TV Series Short; 8 episodes |
2009 | The Jace Hall Show | Himself | Episode: "James Gunn & Brutal Legend" |
2009 | True Jackson, VP | Episode: "ReTRUEnion" | |
2011 | The Homes | Paul | |
2011 | For a Green Card | Andrew | Episode: "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" |
2011 | The Morning After | TV Series Short; 4 episodes | |
2012 | Antiques Roadshow | Himself - Feedback Booth Participant | Episode: "Junk in the Trunk 2" |
2012 | Glee | Phineas Hayes | Episode: "Makeover" |
2012-2013 | H+ | Jason O'Brien | 9 episodes |
2012-2013 | Bunheads | Sebastian | 2 episodes |
2013 | The Education of Eddie and Mortimer | Creepy Carl | TV Movie |
2014 | The Victoria Uyen Show | Himself | Episode: "Guardians of the Galaxy Premiere" |
2014 | Bones | Dr. Howard Fitch | Episode: "The Corpse at the Convention" |
2016 | Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Kirk Gleason | TV Mini-Series |
2016 | Superstore | Card Shopper | Episode: "Secret Shopper" |