Justin Pierce

For the member of the Arizona House of Representatives, see Justin Pierce (politician).

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)
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 committed suicide on July 10, 2000.

Early life

Pierce was born in London, England, and raised 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. Pierce stole cigarettes and food, and frequently skipped school in favor of skateboarding before dropping out.[1]

Career

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

Pierce was continually arrested for possession of marijuana and heroin.[28] He relocated to Los Angeles after being cast in Kids.[29] In 1999, he married stylist Gina Rizzo in Las Vegas.[29]

Death

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,[30][31][32] 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.[33] He is buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

Filmography

Film

List of films and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Kids Casper
1997 A Brother's Kiss Young Lex
1998 Wild Horses Rookie Also known as Lunch Time Special
Myth America Toby
Freak Weather Pizza Guy
1999 Too Pure Leo
Out in Fifty Freddy
Pigeonholed Devon
The Big Tease Skateboard Kid
2000 Next Friday Roach
King of the Jungle Lil' Mafia
BlackMale Luther Wright Also known as Blackmail
2002 Looking for Leonard Chevy 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

Television

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

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

  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. ^ a b 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. ^ Tourjee, Highlyann Krasnow & Mel Stones; Text by Diana; krasnow, Highlyman (22 August 2016). "A Look into the Real Lives of Larry Clark's 'Kids'". Vice. Retrieved 5 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Weigel, Moira (22 January 2016). "Are the Kids All Right?". Literary Hub. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  4. ^ Dazed (28 July 2015). "The behind the scenes stories from Kids you haven't heard". Dazed. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b Hynes, Eric (16 July 2015). "'Kids': The History of the 1990s' Most Controversial Film". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 August 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 4 August 2024.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Howe, Desson (25 August 1996). "'Kids' (NR)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  10. ^ Lang, Brent (12 June 2021). "26 Years After 'Kids' Shocked the World, a New Documentary Examines the Lives It Shattered". Variety. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Kids star found dead in Vegas hotel". The Guardian. 13 July 2000. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  12. ^ Damski, Mike (10 March 2024). "20 Great Acting Roles by Professional Skateboarders". MovieWeb. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  13. ^ a b Dutka, Elaine (25 March 1996). "'Leaving Las Vegas' Arrives in Big Way at Spirit Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Where Are They Now: Supreme's Original Skate Team". Highsnobiety. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Supreme Crew '96". www.supremenewyork.com. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Zoo York - Mix Tape (1998) < Skately Library". skately.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Zoo York Team Riders". Zoo York. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  18. ^ Ebert, Roger. "A Brother's Kiss movie review (1997) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Justin Pierce". Daily News. 12 July 2000. p. 8. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  20. ^ Koehler, Robert (8 November 1999). "Pigeonholed". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  21. ^ Variety Staff; Andriani, Laura (17 July 2000). "Justin Pierce". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  22. ^ "'Next Friday': Sounds Are Loud and in Stereo(types)". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  23. ^ Quan, Jay. "RTB Rewind: 'Next Friday' Hits Theatres". rockthebells.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Next Friday". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  25. ^ Frasier, David K. (22 March 2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-2333-0.
  26. ^ Koehler, Robert (9 July 2002). "Looking for Leonard". Variety. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  27. ^ Pappalardo, Anthony (1 March 2017). "Ari Marcopoulos on Death, Zines, and Decades Documenting New York City Skateboarding". Vice. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  28. ^ Detrick, Ben (21 July 2015). "'Kids,' Then and Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  29. ^ a b Güimil, Eva (14 July 2022). "'Kids': The indie movie sensation with a darker side". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Justin Pierce, 25; Starred in 'Kids'". The New York Times. 13 July 2000.
  31. ^ "Justin Pierce". Yahoo!. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  32. ^ "Where Are They Now? The Cast of Kids". Unreality Magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  33. ^ Skateboarding, N. Y. (10 July 2009). "Remembering Justin Pierce, a New York Legend". NYSkateboarding.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.