Simon Rex

The following year, under the alias "Sebastian", he appeared in solo masturbation scenes for three Club 1821 pornographic films: Young, Hard & Solo #2, Young, Hard & Solo #3, and Hot Sessions III.

Simon Rex Cutright (born July 20, 1974) is an American actor.

Rising to fame as an MTV VJ, Rex later became an actor known for What I Like About You, starring in three films of the Scary Movie franchise, and National Lampoon's Pledge This!.

He later developed a rap persona, Dirt Nasty, and had several solo albums and co-founded the hip-hop group Three Loco.

In 2021, he received critical acclaim for his lead role in Sean Baker's drama film Red Rocket, winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

Rex was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Alameda, the son of Zoe, an environmental consultant, and Paul, a relationship coach.

He is Jewish.

Rex was an only child who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rex's father was a breath-work coach (in the tradition of alternative psychologist Stanislav Grof) who walked out on him when he was little.

At age 18, he was attending community college and working at a potato-sack factory when he began dating and living with a model in Oakland.

In 1993, aged 19, Rex responded to an advertisement in a Los Angeles magazine and agreed to be photographed nude for photographer Brad Posey and his Club 1821 studio.

In 1994, Rex went on a modeling tour for Tommy Hilfiger, before going on to appear in mainstream modeling gigs for Calvin Klein Inc, Versace, and Levi's.

In 1995, MTV hired Rex to work as a VJ and kept him on the air for over two years.

In 1999, he was cast in the comedy-drama television series Jack & Jill, which aired on The WB channel for two seasons.

He appeared as Eli in the TV show Felicity and television guest appearances followed including Baywatch, Everwood, and Summerland.

Archive footage was used in the 2000 films Hot Sessions 11 and Hot Sessions 12.

He says he took the job to pay for rent and food for his girlfriend's two-year-old son.

One day, while driving her to castings and watching the child a casting director spotted Rex in the waiting room and the next day he was on a flight to Milan.

Starting in 2002, Rex starred with Amanda Bynes in the sitcom What I Like About You.

Rex entered the music industry in 2005 as a rap artist after becoming friends with and discovering Mickey Avalon.

Rex adopted his alter ego Dirt Nasty and formed the rap group Dyslexic Speedreaders with Avalon & Andre Legacy.

In 2006, he appeared on the Lifetime primetime telenovela Monarch Cove, which ran for fourteen episodes.

From television into film, Rex has held the lead role in feature films including Scary Movie 3, 4, & 5, Hotel California, The Karate Dog, King of the Avenue, and Superhero Movie.

It opened in 2006 and closed in 2009.

In 2007, Dirt Nasty released his self-titled debut album which included the songs 1980, Cracker Ass Fantastic & Dropping Names.

Rex both produced and was featured on the group's hit song "My Dick". Again the group paired with Lil Jon to create the song "What Do You Say" which was featured in 2009's blockbuster comedy film, The Hangover.

Rex was an investor in the New York City nightclub The Plumm with partners Noel Ashman, Samantha Ronson, Chris Noth, and others.

His second album, 2011's Nasty as I Wanna Be, featured Ke$ha, LMFAO, Too Short, and Warren G.

Rex's other musical projects under his Dirt Nasty alias include his third album Palatial, and the supergroup Three Loco which features Andy Milonakis and Riff Raff.

As Three Loco, the group teamed up with producer Diplo and released the group's eight-song EP on Diplo's Mad Decent label.

In Red Rocket (2021), Rex plays the lead in the comedy-drama as a washed-up ex-porn star who returns to his Texas hometown.

Rex more recently starred alongside comedian Nick Swardson in the Comedy Central show, Typical Rick, which ran for two seasons from 2016 to 2017.

On October 23, 2020, The Florida Project director Sean Baker called Rex, whom he had never met (and was inspired to cast after seeing his performance in Bodied), and convinced him to send an audition tape via iPhone with only five minutes to prepare.

Rex then drove to Galveston, Texas without telling his agent to avoid having to quarantine after a flight with filming set to begin three days later.

The film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and Rex has received rave reviews and several awards.

In October 2021, as a result of the success of Red Rocket, Rex signed with the management firm Range Media Partners.

He was next seen in Mack & Rita opposite Diane Keaton followed by Down Low with Zachary Quinto.

Soon after that, he was cast in a number of well-received films that premiered in film festivals, such as Americana and The Sweet East, prompting his career revival to be dubbed "the Rexaissance".

He will next star in a supporting role in The Leader, a biopic about the Heaven's Gate cult led by Marshall Applewhite, as well as Greedy People, Pussy Island, and Everything's Going to Be Great.

He appeared in the April 2, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Jerrod Carmichael with musical guest Gunna, in the music video "Short-Ass Movies", where in addition to appearing as himself, his face is used for Ernest P. Worrell.