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Justin Pierce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the member of the Arizona House of Representatives, see Justin Pierce (politician).

Justin Pierce
Undated photo of Pierce
Born(1975-03-21)March 21, 1975
London, England
DiedJuly 10, 2000(2000-07-10) (aged 25)
Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, skateboarder
Years active1995–2000
Spouse
Gina Rizzo
​
(m. 1999)​

Justin Charles Pierce (March 21, 1975 – July 10, 2000) was an American 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

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Pierce was born in London, England, to a Welsh mother and an Australian father and was brought up in the Marble Hill and Kingsbridge sections of New York City. His mother met his father while abroad, and never told him who he was.[1]

Pierce stole cigarettes and food, and frequently skipped school in favor of skateboarding. He soon dropped out of school and moved out, staying in a "warren of rooms" in a basement of a building on 176th Street that was "teeming" with fellow skaters. He was later arrested for possession of marijuana and heroin.[1][2]

Career

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While skateboarding in Washington Square Park, Pierce was discovered by film director Larry Clark, who cast him as Carter, a profane drug-addicted skateboarder, in his coming of age drama film Kids.[1] According to cinematographer Eric Edwards, Pierce "would get really fucked up, drunk, and get arrested" and co-star Leo Fitzpatrick said they "got into like fistfights on set. I’m already an awkward kid, and you keep pushing my buttons I’m only going to take it so much."[3] Kids premiered at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, and experienced commercial success with a theatrical release that same year.[4][5] The film has garnered a significant amount of controversy,[3][6][7][8] but nonetheless served as 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."[9][10] He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in 1996.[11]

After the success of Kids, Pierce became a member of the original Supreme Crew with fellow Zoo York team riders and close friends Harold Hunter and Peter Bici. Footage of Pierce and the Supreme Crew skateboarding appeared on the Supreme New York website in 1996.[12] He was also a member of the original Zoo York skateboard team, and is featured in the Zoo York "Mixtape" video (1998), magazines and adverts for the company.[13][14]

Pierce appeared in the 1997 film A Brother's Kiss as the younger version of Nick Chinlund's character Lex.[15] That same year, he starred in the television film First Time Felon with Omar Epps. He next filmed the 1999 comedy Pigeonholed alongside Rosanna Arquette.[16][17] The following year, he starred alongside Ice Cube and Mike Epps in the film Next Friday as Roach,[18][19] which was negatively received by critics but was a commercial success.[20][21]

Pierce's last on-screen appearance was in the Canadian film Looking for Leonard. Filmed in 1997, the film was released in 2002, after his death, and is dedicated to him.[22]

Personal life

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In 1994, after being cast in Kids, Pierce relocated to Los Angeles.[1] In 1999, Pierce married stylist Gina Rizzo in Las Vegas.[1]

Death

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On July 10, 2000, Pierce was found hanging in his room at the Bellagio Hotel in Paradise, Nevada by hotel security. His death was determined to be a suicide.[23][24][25] Two suicide notes were reported to be found, which have not been released to the public.[9] On July 15, a Catholic memorial service for Pierce was held at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan.[1] He is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Following Pierce's death, Supreme released featured images of his skateboarding (taken by photographer Ari Marcopoulos) in its clothing lines and publications.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Kids Casper Film
1996 Supreme Crew '96 Himself Short skateboarding video
1997 A Brother's Kiss Young Lex Film
First Time Felon Eddie Television film
1998 Wild Horses Rookie Also known as Lunch Time Special
Myth America Toby Film
Freak Weather Pizza Guy
Zoo York Mix Tape Himself Short skateboarding video
1999 Too Pure Leo Film
Out in Fifty Freddy
Pigeonholed Devon
The Big Tease Skateboard Kid
2000 LA County Himself Short skateboarding video
This Is How the World Ends Zombie Television pilot
Next Friday Roach Film
Malcolm in the Middle Justin 2 episodes
King of the Jungle Lil' Mafia Film
BlackMale Luther Wright Also known as Blackmail
2002 Looking for Leonard Chevy Film; posthumous release
2021 Kid 90 Himself Documentary; archive footage
We Were Once Kids Himself
All The Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding Himself

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominated work Result
Independent Spirit Awards 1996 Best Debut Performance Kids Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Davis, Peter (1 October 2000). "Justin Pierce: The Lost Boy". papermag.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  2. ^ "'Kids,' Then and Now". New York Times. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b Hynes, Eric (16 July 2015). "'Kids': The History of the 1990s' Most Controversial Film". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "KIDS". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  6. ^ Bloom, Steve (17 July 2015). "'Kids' Could Not Be Made Today, Says Larry Clark at 20th Anniversary Screening". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  7. ^ Howe, Desson (25 August 1996). "'Kids' (NR)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  8. ^ Detrick, Ben (21 July 2015). "'Kids,' Then and Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Kids star found dead in Vegas hotel". The Guardian. 13 July 2000. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  10. ^ Damski, Mike (10 March 2024). "20 Great Acting Roles by Professional Skateboarders". MovieWeb. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  11. ^ Dutka, Elaine (25 March 1996). "'Leaving Las Vegas' Arrives in Big Way at Spirit Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Supreme Crew '96". www.supremenewyork.com. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Zoo York - Mix Tape (1998) < Skately Library". skately.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Zoo York Team Riders". Zoo York. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  15. ^ Ebert, Roger. "A Brother's Kiss movie review (1997) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  16. ^ Koehler, Robert (8 November 1999). "Pigeonholed". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Justin Pierce". Daily News. 12 July 2000. p. 8. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  18. ^ Staff, Variety; Andriani, Laura (17 July 2000). "Justin Pierce". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  19. ^ "`Next Friday': Sounds Are Loud and in Stereo(types)". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  20. ^ Quan, Jay. "RTB Rewind: 'Next Friday' Hits Theatres". rockthebells.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Next Friday". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  22. ^ Koehler, Robert (9 July 2002). "Looking for Leonard". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Justin Pierce, 25; Starred in 'Kids'". The New York Times. 13 July 2000.
  24. ^ "Justin Pierce". Yahoo!. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  25. ^ "Where Are They Now? The Cast of Kids". Unreality Magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
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