Luke Barnett

{{short description|American actor, writer, and producer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox person | name = Luke Barnett | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age text|February 13, 1983}} | birth_place = Clinton, Maryland, U.S. | death_date =  | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = {{flatlist| * Actor * writer * producer}} | known_for = ''Funny or Die'' }}

'''Luke Barnett''' (born February 13, 1983) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known through his work on the website ''Funny or Die'' where he created "The Walking Fred" and other comedy videos.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 High School Film Competition |work=DC Independent Film Forum |date=March 2020 |access-date=2025-08-01 |url=https://dciff-indie.org/2020-films/2020-high-school-film-competition/ |quote=Washington DC native Luke Barnett is a writer, producer and performer best known for his work with Will Ferrell’s website, Funny or Die, where he co-created the Streamy nominated series, “The Walking Fred”, and many topical comedy videos on the site. }}</ref>

==Early life== Barnett was born in 1983 in Clinton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Having pursued acting since 2000,<ref name=wp>Wagner, Eric. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131104174746/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-11/local/35452076_1_los-angeles-film-number-of-film-festivals-luke-barnett "Clinton native finds success with comedic short film"]. ''Washington Post''. April 11, 2012.</ref> and with an interest in promoting social change, he moved to Los Angeles by 2005.<ref name=envision>[http://www.envisionfilmfestival.com/?page_id=98 "Luke Barnett"]. Envision Film Festival: 2010 Festival. ''EnvisionFilmFestival.com''.</ref><ref name=workingactor>[http://www.theworkingactor.net/tag/luke-barnett/ "Luke Barnett has a lot going on these days ..."]. ''WorkingActor.com''. October 16, 2011.</ref> His father is a pastor.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 October 2020 |title=D.C. Native Luke Barnett Talks About His New Film Faith Based |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/415416/d-c-native-luke-barnett-talks-about-his-new-film-faith-based/ |website=Washington City Paper |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009140548/https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/415416/d-c-native-luke-barnett-talks-about-his-new-film-faith-based/ |archive-date= October 9, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Local man debuts in his new movie "Faith Based" |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/local-man-debuts-in-his-new-movie-faith-based-pg-county-to-hollywood-luke-barnett/34403432 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021223745/https://www.wbaltv.com/article/local-man-debuts-in-his-new-movie-faith-based-pg-county-to-hollywood-luke-barnett/34403432 |archivedate=2020-10-21 |date=17 October 2020}}</ref>

==Early career== In his early career, Barnett was best known for his comedic acting and writing on ''Funny or Die'' films.

In the early 2000s, in Los Angeles, Barnett landed a role in a play about homeless youth called ''The Playground''.<ref>[http://www.theplaygroundlive.com/section02.swf ''The Playground'': Credits] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926141306/http://www.theplaygroundlive.com/section02.swf |date=2013-09-26 }}. ''ThePlaygroundLive.com''.</ref> According to Barnett, the production opened doors for him both as an actor and as an advocate for social justice.<ref name=envision /> By 2007, he began to get credited screen roles, including three episodes of ''MANswers''. In 2011 he was in three television series and six films, including ''Sedona'', ''Coffin'', and ''The Amityville Haunting''. In 2012 he appeared in ''Static''. Barnett's films also include a 2013 short called ''The Newest Testament'' (a Biblical parody which he produced, co-wrote, and stars in as Jesus), ''The Scribbler'' (2014), and ''The Treehouse'' (2015).<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1146612 Luke Barnett] at the Internet Movie Database</ref>

For his theatre work, in 2011 Barnett was praised by ''Backstage'' for his "facile array of increasingly outrageous cameo roles" in ''Bayside High School Musical'', a musical parody of the 1990s teen sitcom ''Saved by the Bell''.<ref name=backstage>O'Neal, Dink. [http://www.backstage.com/review/la-theater/bayside-high-school-musical/ "LA Theater Review: ''Bayside High School Musical''"]. ''Backstage''. September 21, 2011.</ref> In the musical, Barnett played 10 different characters, and was credited as "Everyone Else" in the playbill.<ref name=backstage /><ref>[http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/46867/luke-barnett-experience-amityville-haunting "Luke Barnett To Experience the Amityville Haunting"]. ''Dread Central''. August 31, 2011.</ref>

===''Funny or Die''=== Barnett's ''Funny or Die'' films have garnered national and international attention. In his first major project for ''Funny or Die'', Barnett starred in, co-wrote, and co-produced ''Growing Up With Gosling'' (2012), in which Barnett plays the childhood best friend of actor Ryan Gosling, who has tried to cast him as his co-star in all of his movies, including ''The Notebook'', ''Ides of March'', ''Crazy, Stupid, Love'', ''Lars and the Real Girl'', and ''Drive''. Barnett always gets replaced at the last minute by the studio, which nearly always wants a female co-star.<ref name=wp /><ref name=lat>Keegan, Rebecca. [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/04/growing-up-with-ryan-gosling.html "''Growing Up With Gosling'' new addition to the Ryan oeuvre"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. April 5, 2012.</ref> The short screened at several festivals including the LA Comedy Festival,<ref>[http://www.lacomedyfest.com/news-reviews/official-selections-of-the-11th-la-comedy-festival-announced/ "OFFICIAL SELECTIONS OF THE 11TH LA COMEDY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926040903/http://www.lacomedyfest.com/news-reviews/official-selections-of-the-11th-la-comedy-festival-announced/ |date=2013-09-26 }}. ''LAComedyFest.com''. March 28, 2012.</ref> the Los Angeles Film, Television and New Media Festival,<ref name=wp /> the Playhouse West Film Festival,<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130926045604/http://playhousewest.net/playhouse-west-film-festival-2/ "Playhouse West Film Festival: 2012 Official Jury Selections"]}}. ''PlayhouseWest.net''.</ref> and the Laugh Track Comedy Festival.<ref>[http://www.laughtrackcomedyfest.com/index.php/shorts-spotlight-growing-up-with-gosling/ "Shorts spotlight: ''Growing Up With Gosling''"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926024700/http://www.laughtrackcomedyfest.com/index.php/shorts-spotlight-growing-up-with-gosling/ |date=2013-09-26 }}. Laugh Track Comedy Fest. ''LaughTrackComedyFest.com''.</ref><ref>[http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/growing-up-with-gosling-to-screen-in-denvers-laugh-track-comedy-festival-august-4-2012-156479.htm "''Growing up With Gosling'' to Screen in Denver's Laugh Track Comedy Festival August 4, 2012"]. ''SB Wire''. August 1, 2012.</ref> It won the Best Comedy Short award at the 2012 Los Angeles Film, Television and New Media Festival.<ref>[http://lafilmtvnewmediafestival.com/Awards.html "LA FILM, TV & WEBISODE FESTIVAL AWARDS – FALL 2012"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103052852/http://lafilmtvnewmediafestival.com/Awards.html |date=2013-11-03 }}. LA Film, TV, & Webisode Festival. ''LAFilmTVNewMediaFestival.com''.</ref>

Barnett next starred in, co-wrote, and co-produced ''Kickstarter to help Luke & Tanner do COOL STUFF!'', which premiered in April 2013. The film spoofs several Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns by already successful, wealthy celebrities to finance new projects such as the ''Veronica Mars'' film and the ''Garden State'' sequel. Barnett and Tanner Thomason appeal to celebrities to donate money to regular folks like them, so they can watch the celebrities' films and do other cool stuff – in exchange for rewards like "verbal confirmation, to a stranger, of how rad the ''Veronica Mars'' movie was".<ref>[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1398823362/1304285563?token=f6139d13 Kickstarter Campaign to help Luke & Tanner do COOL STUFF!]. ''Kickstarter.com''.</ref><ref name=mash>Li, Anita. [http://mashable.com/2013/05/01/kickstarter-campaign-celebs-pay-regular-guys/ "Kickstarter Campaign Asks Celebs to Pay Regular Guys to See Their Films"]. ''Mashable''. April 30, 2013.</ref> In reviewing the spoof, ''Mashable'' noted that "... Hollywood stars have recently come under fire for using Kickstarter because, as the argument goes, they may deflect attention from lesser-known filmmakers who rely solely on crowdfunding to support their projects."<ref name=mash /> Barnett was interviewed by ''Mashable'' regarding the Kickstarter spoof, and he and Thomason were interviewed about it on Southern California Public Radio.<ref>[http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2013/05/02/31600/is-it-wrong-for-wealthy-celebrities-to-use-kicksta/ ''Take Two'': "Is it wrong for wealthy celebrities to use Kickstarter to fund projects?"]. ''KPCC''. May 2, 2013.</ref> The film was also featured on news sites including ''News Hour 24''<ref>[http://www.newshour24.com/world/74vtorgvt/Kickstarter-Campaign-Asks-Celebs-Pay-Regular-Guys-See-Their-Films.htm "Kickstarter Campaign Asks Celebs to Pay Regular Guys to See Their Films"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130915093411/http://www.newshour24.com/world/74vtorgvt/Kickstarter-Campaign-Asks-Celebs-Pay-Regular-Guys-See-Their-Films.htm |date=2013-09-15 }}. ''News Hour 24''. May 1, 2013.</ref> and ''France 24''<ref>[http://www.france24.com/fr/20130503-usa-un-garcon-tue-accidentellement-sa-soeur-avec-son-fusil?page=236 "Deux internautes se moquent des campagnes de crowdfunding"]. ''France 24''. May 5, 2013.</ref> and other political and international sites.<ref>[http://socialfirst.co.uk/kickstarter-campaign-asks-celebs-to-pay-regular-guys-to-see-their-films/ "Kickstarter Campaign Asks Celebs to Pay Regular Guys to See Their Films"]. ''Social First''. May 1, 2013.</ref><ref>LaPotin, Katie. [http://redalertpolitics.com/2013/05/02/new-funny-or-die-video-spoofs-veronica-mars-garden-state-kickstarter-campaigns/ "New ''Funny or Die'' video spoofs ''Veronica Mars'', ''Garden State'' Kickstarter campaigns"]. ''Red Alert Politics''. May 2, 2013.</ref>

In September 2013 Barnett co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in ''A Message to Aaron Sorkin'', which spoofs the opening scene of Sorkin's show ''The Newsroom''.<ref>Gilman, Greg. [http://www.thewrap.com/aaron-sorkins-the-newsroom-gets-eviscerated-by-funny-or-die-sketch-video/ "Aaron Sorkin’s ''The Newsroom'' Gets Eviscerated in Funny or Die Sketch"]. ''The Wrap''. September 11, 2013.</ref> Barnett plays the lead character, Will McAvoy, played in the series by Jeff Daniels. Of the ''Newsroom'' spoof, ''Huffington Post'' said it "nails everything that's wrong with Aaron Sorkin's show".<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/10/funny-or-die-newsroom-spoof_n_3901573.html "Funny Or Die's ''Newsroom'' Spoof Nails Everything That's Wrong With Aaron Sorkin's Show"]. ''Huffington Post''. September 10, 2013.</ref> ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that "Mirroring the opening scene of the series nearly shot-for-shot, ... ''Funny or Die'' seamlessly parodies the show by asking bizarro Will McAvoy, 'Can you say why ''The Newsroom'' is the greatest show on television?'"<ref>Li, Shirley. [http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/09/10/funny-or-die-aaron-sorkin-the-newsroom/ "Funny or Die to Aaron Sorkin: Here's how to fix ''The Newsroom''"]. ''Entertainment Weekly''. September 10, 2013.</ref> Perez Hilton opined that "As smart as the show tries to be, a new parody video from ''Funny or Die'' may be even SMARTER!"<ref>Hilton, Perez. [http://perezhilton.com/2013-09-11-aaron-sorkin-the-newsroom-get-parodied-in-new-funny-or-die-video#sthash.XliO6IbT.dpbs "''The Newsroom'' Isn't The Best Show On TV! But It Can Be In New HIGHlarious Video Parody!"]. ''PerezHilton.com''. September 11, 2013.</ref> The spoof was also featured on ESPN's ''Grantland'',<ref>Lynch, Tess. [http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/86894/afternoon-links-is-the-newsroom-the-greatest-show-on-television "Afternoon Links: Is ''The Newsroom'' the Greatest Show on Television?"]. ''Grantland''. September 11, 2013</ref> ''The New York Observer'',<ref>Grant, Drew. [http://observer.com/2013/09/why-we-need-shows-like-the-newsroom-a-satire-video/ "Why We Need Shows Like ''The Newsroom'': A Satire"]. ''New York Observer''. September 13, 2013.</ref> and international sites such as ''56.com''.<ref>[http://www.56.com/u63/v_OTY3MjkzMDA.html "A Message to Aaron Sorkin"]. ''56.com''.</ref><ref>[http://www.spin-off.fr/actualite-3528-12092013-hbo-parodie-porn-the-newsroom-aaron-sorkin.html "HBO parodiée, une nouvelle tendance"]. ''Spin-Off.fr''. September 12, 2013.</ref>

==Film and television career== {{update section|date=October 2024}}

==Filmography== {{update section|date=October 2024}}

=== Film === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2002 |''Orange County'' |Bon-Fire Friend |Uncredited |- |2007 |''Mama's Boy'' |Cool Guy Skater |Uncredited |- |2008 |''Safehouse'' |Mitchell | |- |2010 |''Weeding Out'' |Glenn | |- |2010 |''You, Only Better...'' | | |- |2011 |''Sedona'' |Nicholas | |- |2011 |''Coffin'' |Pete | |- |2014 |''The Scribbler'' |Orderly | |- |2014 |''Making the Rules'' |Mexican Restaurant Waiter | |- |2015 |''400 Days'' |Reporter | |- |2016 |''Pandemic'' |Desperate Infected | |- |2016 |''Aaron's Blood'' |Officer Vaughn | |- |2020 |''Faith Based'' |Luke |Also writer and producer |- | 2023 | ''Dark Obsession'' | Clark | |- | 2024 |''Push'' |Dr. Waller | |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2003 |''Grounded for Life'' |Nick |Episode: "Tonight's the Night" |- |2007 |''Manswers'' |Stoner Joe |3 episodes |- |2021 |''List of a Lifetime'' |Franceso |TV movie |- |2023–2026 |''For All Mankind'' |Mike Shaw |2 episodes |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150801205016/http://lukebarnett.net/ Official site] (archived) * {{IMDb name|1146612}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, Luke}} Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male screenwriters Category:Film producers from Maryland Category:Male actors from Maryland Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American male writers