{{short description|American actor, musician and baseball player}}
{{Infobox person | name = Zack Gottsagen | image = Zack Gottsagen Bravemaker 2025 02.jpg | caption = Gottsagen at the BraveMaker Film Festival in 2025 | birth_name = Zachary Robin Gottsagen | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|4|22}} | birth_place = United States | alma_mater = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2012–present | spouse = }} '''Zachary Robin Gottsagen''' (born April 22, 1985) is an American actor and rapper. He had a breakout role for the film ''The Peanut Butter Falcon''.
== Career == His screen debut happened as an infant in an instructional film on natural childbirth.<ref name=BBBY>{{Cite web|title=Zack Gottsagen - 2018 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient|url=https://bebeautifulbeyourself.org/zack-gottsagen/|website=Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show |access-date=June 5, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
While at Zeno Mountain Farm, a camp for people with and without disabilities, Gottsagen met Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. At his request for them to make a film with him as the star, Nilson and Schwartz wrote and directed ''The Peanut Butter Falcon''. In the film, Gottsagen had a starring role as an aspiring professional wrestler with Down syndrome.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosen|first=Lisa|date=2019-12-03|title=Zack Gottsagen has Down Syndrome. And a movie role. And a best bud named Shia LaBeouf|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-12-03/zack-gottsagen-shia-labeouf-peanut-butter-falcon-dakota-johnson|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2020, Gottsagen became the first person with Down Syndrome to be a presenter at the Academy Awards, when he and Shia LaBeouf presented the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|title='The Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Zack Gottsagen Takes Stage as First Oscar Presenter With Down Syndrome |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/peanut-butter-falcon-star-zack-gottsagen-makes-history-at-oscars-1277720|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Hollywood Reporter|date=9 February 2020 }}</ref> In 2019, he was recognized as a Breakthrough Entertainer by the Associated Press.<ref name=Isaza-2019>{{Cite web|last=Isaza|first=Marcela|date=2019-12-17|title=Breakthrough Entertainer: Zack Gottsagen realizes a dream|url=https://apnews.com/article/e9f2308710bae22c27af1ea14a4989ab|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Associated Press}}</ref>
Gottsagen starred with Felicity Huffman in an ABC television pilot based on the life of Susan Savage, owner of the minor league baseball team the Sacramento River Cats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title=Felicity Huffman To Headline Baseball TV Comedy In Acting Return; ABC Nabs Project Co-Starring Zack Gottsagen From Becky Hartman Edwards & Kapital |url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/felicity-huffman-return-acting-tv-baseball-comedy-abc-zack-gottsagan-college-admissions-scandal-zack-gottsagen-becky-hartman-edwards-kapital-1234618744/ |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=Deadline |date=November 30, 2020}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role ! class="unsortable" |Notes |- |2012 |''Bulletproof'' (short) | Gar Vunderson / Grimm Jim |<ref name=reelabilities>{{Cite web |title=Zack Gottsagen |url=https://reelabilities.org/newyork/guest/zack-gottsagen/ |website=Reel Abilities |access-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605082233/https://reelabilities.org/newyork/guest/zack-gottsagen/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- |2014 |''Becoming Bulletproof'' (documentary) |self |<ref name=reelabilities/><ref name=BBBY/> |- |2019 |''The Peanut Butter Falcon'' |Zak |<ref name=Isaza-2019 /> |- |2020 |''Best Summer Ever'' |Cheerleader |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kranking |first1=Emily |title=5+ Independent Movies Starring Actors With Disabilities You Can Stream |url=https://themighty.com/2020/03/independent-movies-actors-disabilities-stream/ |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=The Mighty |date=March 27, 2020}}</ref> |- |2025 |''Night Always Comes'' |Kenny |<ref>{{Cite web |title='Night Always Comes': Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephan James, Julia Fox, Randall Park & More Join Vanessa Kirby In Upcoming Netflix Thriller |url=https://theplaylist.net/night-always-comes-jennifer-jason-leigh-stephan-james-julia-fox-randall-park-more-join-vanessa-kirby-in-upcoming-netflix-thriller-20240523/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=theplaylist.net}}</ref> |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Award ! Work ! Result ! Ref. |- | rowspan=2| 2020 |Palm Springs International Film Festival Rising Star Award | rowspan=2| ''The Peanut Butter Falcon'' | {{Won}} |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Umberto |title=Zack Gottsagen to Receive Rising Star Award From Palm Springs International Film Festival |url=https://www.thewrap.com/zack-gottsagen-rising-star-award-palm-springs-international-film-festival/ |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=The Wrap |date=December 4, 2019}}</ref> |- | Hollywood Critics Association Newcomer Award | {{Won}} |<ref name="Andreeva">{{cite news |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title='The Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Zack Gottsagen Inks Talent Deal With Kapital Entertainment |url=https://deadline.com/2020/04/the-peanut-butter-falcon-star-zack-gottsagen-talent-deal-kapital-entertainment-1202904451/ |access-date=November 30, 2020 |work=Deadline |date=April 9, 2020}}</ref> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|5789377|Zack Gottsagen}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Gottsagen, Zach}} Category:1985 births Category:21st-century American male actors Category:Actors with Down syndrome Category:American actors with disabilities Category:American male film actors Category:Living people