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Justin Pierce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Justin Pierce
Undated photo of Pierce
Born
Justin Charles Pierce

(1975-03-21)March 21, 1975
London, England
DiedJuly 10, 2000(2000-07-10) (aged 25)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • skateboarder
Years active1995–2000
Spouse
Gina Rizzo
​
(m. 1999)​

Justin Charles Pierce (March 21, 1975 – July 10, 2000) was an actor and skateboarder. Born in London and raised in New York City, Pierce had a troubled childhood and pursued skateboarding. His breakthrough came with the controversial coming of age drama film Kids (1995), which won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. He then starred in the independent film A Brother's Kiss (1997) and the stoner comedy film Next Friday (2000). His final film, Looking for Leonard, (2002) was released posthumously.

As a skateboarder, Pierce was a member of the original Zoo York and Supreme teams. He married stylist Gina Rizzo in 1999. He died by suicide on July 10, 2000.

Early life

[edit]

Pierce was born in London, England, and raised in the Marble Hill and Kingsbridge sections of New York City. During his youth, Pierce stole cigarettes and food, and frequently skipped school in favour of skateboarding before dropping out. He never earned a diploma or GED.[1]

Career

[edit]

While skateboarding in Washington Square Park, Pierce was discovered by film director Larry Clark, who cast him as Casper, a profane drug-addicted skateboarder, in his coming of age drama film Kids.[2][3] On multiple accounts, Pierce "would get really fucked up, drunk, and get arrested" and "get into fistfights" with co-star Leo Fitzpatrick during filming.[4][5] Kids premiered at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, and experienced commercial success with a theatrical release that same year.[6][7] The film garnered a significant amount of controversy,[5][8][9] but was a surprise blockbuster[10] and Pierce's breakthrough role. Mike Domski of MovieWeb called his talent "indisputable" and The Guardian believed he was the "best placed for a successful follow-on career."[11][12] He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in 1996.[13]

In 1995, Pierce became a member of the original Supreme Crew with fellow Zoo York team riders and close friends Harold Hunter and Peter Bici.[14] Footage of Pierce and the Supreme Crew skateboarding appeared on the Supreme New York website in 1996.[15] He also joined the original Zoo York skateboard team, and is featured in the Zoo York "Mixtape" video (1998), as well as various magazines and adverts for the company.[16][17]

Pierce appeared in the 1997 film A Brother's Kiss as the younger version of Nick Chinlund's character Lex.[18] The independent production was directed by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, who said Pierce "was always prepared and a natural actor… He had an old soul, but underneath his tough street exterior was a really sweet kid."[1] Also in 1997, he starred in the television film First Time Felon with Omar Epps. He next filmed the comedy Pigeonholed alongside Rosanna Arquette and Marianne Hagan, which was released in 1999.[19][20] He starred alongside Ice Cube and Mike Epps in the 2000 film Next Friday,[21][22] as Roach. Though the film was negatively received by critics, it was a commercial success.[23][24]

Pierce's last on-screen credits were appearing in 2 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle and the Canadian crime drama Looking for Leonard, which released posthumously in 2002 and is dedicated to Pierce.[25][26] Following his death, Supreme featured unused photographs of Pierce by Ari Marcopoulos in its clothing lines and publications.[27]

Personal life and death

[edit]

He relocated to Los Angeles after being cast in Kids.[28] In 1999, he married stylist Gina Rizzo in Las Vegas.[28]

On July 10, 2000, Pierce was found hanging in his room at the Bellagio Hotel in Paradise, Nevada, by hotel security. His death was ruled a suicide,[29][30][31] and suicide notes were reportedly found but not released to the public.[11] A Catholic memorial service for Pierce was held at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan that same month.[32] He is buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York. His mother died in 2006.[33]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
List of films and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Kids Casper
1997 A Brother's Kiss Young Lex
1998 Wild Horses[citation needed] Rookie Also known as Lunch Time Special
Myth America[citation needed] Toby
Freak Weather Pizza Guy
1999 Too Pure[citation needed] Leo
Out in Fifty[citation needed] Freddy
Pigeonholed[citation needed] Devon
The Big Tease Skateboard Kid
2000 Next Friday Roach
King of the Jungle Lil' Mafia Posthumous release
BlackMale[citation needed] Luther Wright Also known as Blackmail
2002 Looking for Leonard Chevy Posthumous release
2021 Kid 90 Himself Documentary; archive footage
We Were Once Kids[citation needed] Himself
All The Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding[citation needed] Himself

Television

[edit]
List of television appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1997 First Time Felon Eddie Television film
2000 This Is How the World Ends Zombie Pilot
Malcolm in the Middle Justin 2 episodes

Awards and nominations

[edit]
List of awards and nominations received by Justin Pierce
Award Year[a] Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Independent Spirit Awards 1996 Best Debut Performance Kids Won [13]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Davis, Peter (October 1, 2000). "Justin Pierce: The Lost Boy". papermag.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  2. ↑ Tourjee, Highlyann Krasnow & Mel Stones; Text by Diana; krasnow, Highlyman (August 22, 2016). "A Look into the Real Lives of Larry Clark's 'Kids'". Vice. Retrieved August 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Weigel, Moira (January 22, 2016). "Are the Kids All Right?". Literary Hub. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  4. ↑ Dazed (July 28, 2015). "The behind the scenes stories from Kids you haven't heard". Dazed. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Hynes, Eric (July 16, 2015). "'Kids': The History of the 1990s' Most Controversial Film". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ Biskind, Peter (2004). Down and dirty pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the rise of independent film. Internet Archive. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-86259-0.
  7. ↑ "KIDS". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ Bloom, Steve (July 17, 2015). "'Kids' Could Not Be Made Today, Says Larry Clark at 20th Anniversary Screening". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ Howe, Desson (August 25, 1996). "'Kids' (NR)". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ Lang, Brent (June 12, 2021). "26 Years After 'Kids' Shocked the World, a New Documentary Examines the Lives It Shattered". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Kids star found dead in Vegas hotel". The Guardian. July 13, 2000. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  12. ↑ Damski, Mike (March 10, 2024). "20 Great Acting Roles by Professional Skateboarders". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Dutka, Elaine (March 25, 1996). "'Leaving Las Vegas' Arrives in Big Way at Spirit Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Where Are They Now: Supreme's Original Skate Team". Highsnobiety. November 24, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Supreme Crew '96". www.supremenewyork.com. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Zoo York - Mix Tape (1998) < Skately Library". skately.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Zoo York Team Riders". Zoo York. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  18. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "A Brother's Kiss movie review (1997) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Justin Pierce". Daily News. July 12, 2000. p. 8. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  20. ↑ Koehler, Robert (November 8, 1999). "Pigeonholed". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  21. ↑ Variety Staff; Andriani, Laura (July 17, 2000). "Justin Pierce". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  22. ↑ "'Next Friday': Sounds Are Loud and in Stereo(types)". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  23. ↑ Quan, Jay. "RTB Rewind: 'Next Friday' Hits Theatres". rockthebells.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Next Friday". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  25. ↑ Frasier, David K. (March 22, 2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-2333-0.
  26. ↑ Koehler, Robert (July 9, 2002). "Looking for Leonard". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  27. ↑ Pappalardo, Anthony (March 1, 2017). "Ari Marcopoulos on Death, Zines, and Decades Documenting New York City Skateboarding". Vice. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  28. 1 2 Güimil, Eva (July 14, 2022). "'Kids': The indie movie sensation with a darker side". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Justin Pierce, 25; Starred in 'Kids'". The New York Times. July 13, 2000.
  30. ↑ "Justin Pierce". Yahoo!. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  31. ↑ "Where Are They Now? The Cast of Kids". Unreality Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  32. ↑ Skateboarding, N. Y. (July 10, 2009). "Remembering Justin Pierce, a New York Legend". NYSkateboarding.com. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  33. ↑ https://www.grayparkerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Meryl-Pierce?obId=23617248
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