Former skateboarder, California native, and all-round funny man Jason Lee moved seamlessly from ollies to acting in the 90s, and since then his onscreen career has gone from strength to strength. After some bit parts in films made by his friend Kevin Smith, he soon graduated on to bigger roles, eventually becoming a leading man himself, as well as branching out into animated and voice work. With such a vast back catalogue of movies and shows he’s been in, you might be wondering which performances of his are the best, but luckily we’ve rounded them all up! Here are the 10 best Jason Lee movies and TV shows.
10. Cop Out
Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan star as Jimmy and Paul respectively in this Kevin Smith buddy cop comedy, in which two veteran policemen go in search of a rare and incredibly expensive baseball card that Jimmy pawned to help pay for his daughter’s wedding, only to find themselves on the trail of a memorabilia obsessed gangster. Lee plays Jimmy’s ex-wife’s new partner, and is brilliantly smarmy and cocky in the role, giving us a few hilarious scenes in what is, generally speaking, not the best movie. While it falls flat a lot of the time thanks to an over-reliance on obvious gags and some truly glacial pacing, there are a few moments worth savoring, and a lot of them involve Lee’s character.
9. Dogma
Lee takes on the role of the demon Azrael in this fantasy comedy about two fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) who’ve been thrown out of heaven and landed in Wisconsin. They soon discover a loophole that would allow them to override God and get back into paradise, but with one catch — it will lead to the downfall of all of humanity. An abortion clinic worker and two prophets sent by an angel are tasked with stopping them. This Kevin Smith film was highly controversial when it was released, with many Catholic groups in the U.S protesting it, but if you take away the politics around it, you have a great movie with a devlishly hilarious performance from Lee.
8. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
The two iconic, titular characters star in the fifth film set in the View Askewniverse, Kevin Smith’s creation that began with Clerks. In the movie, the pair are finally banned from hanging around the Quick Stop by a restraining order, and as a result discover that a famous production company is adapting a comic book that’s based on their lives. They travel to Hollywood in search of the royalties they’re owed, leaving a trail of hilarious destruction behind them. Lee reprises his role as Brodie Bruce, an unemployed slacker, as well as Banky Edwards, the owner of the comic book store where Jay and Silent Bob learn about their upcoming transition into the big screen. He’s brilliant as both, but especially the lazy Brodie.
7. We Bare Bears
This adorable, endearing sitcom follows three adoptive brother bears: Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear, who attempt to join human society by making friends, going grocery shopping, and trying to get internet-famous, but sometimes struggle to fight their bearish instincts. Thankfully, in the end they always realize they have each other, and that’s enough to get by. Lee appears in 22 episodes of the show as Bigfoot, a friend of the three brothers, and shows he can do wholesome humor just as well as the gross-out stuff. A cartoon that’s enjoyable at all ages, thanks to great voice performances and writing.
6. Alvin and the Chipmunks
Although this 2007 film about the famous animated group of musical chipmunks isn’t exactly what you’d call a good watch, Lee is one of the few saving graces that turn it into something passable. He plays Dave, the singer/songwriter turned accidental guardian of the three chipmunks. As the trio gain more fame, their relationship with Dave falters, although they eventually reconcile after he makes a last ditch effort to stop them being exploited by record companies. Generic and mostly forgettable, Alvin and the Chipmunks isn’t Lee’s best, but it features some of his better work.
5. Vanilla Sky
This meandering sci-fi is marked by an uncharacteristically poor performance from leading man Tom Cruise. He plays the role of David, a wealthy publishing magnate and playboy who becomes disfigured in a car accident, only for reality to begin unraveling around him as he recovers. Lee plays his best friend, Brian, and he’s a good foil to the narcissistic, unlikable David, with the scenes he’s in are some of the most entertaining. They also make the most sense, as the confused sci-fi element of Vanilla Sky isn’t really too well thought out. A decent watch that most either love or hate, but Lee is great in it.
4. The Incredibles
This 2004 animated comedy was a smash hit when released, and to this day remains one of Pixar’s best films, which is saying something considering the golden run it had during this period. Lee plays the villain Syndrome, once a major fanboy of Mr Incredible. After being rejected as a sidekick, he becomes increasingly bitter while also gaining incredible wealth by selling weapons that mimic superpowers, and hatches a dangerous, destructive plan to gain hero status in Metroville, only to be foiled by the family of real superheroes. Lee is brilliant in the role, but his fantastic voice performance is further elevated by the story, script, and animation. A brilliant movie, made even better by Lee’s character.
3. Almost Famous
Lee is brilliant as Jeff, the temperamental lead singer of fictional band Stillwater in this iconic coming-of-age comedy drama. Almost Famous chronicles the attempts of teenage prodigy and wannabe reporter William (Patrick Fugit) as he manages to snag himself an assignment from Rolling Stone to cover a band on tour. As he travels with the rambunctious musicians and their crew (including groupies), William learns about himself, the world, and how to write a damn good article. Funny and touching, this is a truly compelling and rewarding watch, and Lee is incredible in his role, bringing just the right mixture of arrogance and charm that really makes you believe he’s performing to thousands of screaming fans every night.
2. Chasing Amy
Our second entry on this list where Lee plays Banky, this was the character’s introduction to the View Askewniverse. Chasing Amy follows Holden (Ben Affleck) as he falls in love with a woman who considers herself a lesbian, named Amy (Joey Lauren Adams). After getting to know each other they enter a romantic relationship, and Banky becomes jealous of their growing closeness, and attempts to dig up dirt on Amy so that he can resume his close friendship with Holden. A genuinely heartfelt rom-com, Adams earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, and Lee was able to match her presence, so you know he’s done well int he role. While some see Chasing Amy is a bit controversial as it implies queer folk can have their mind “changed,” many celebrate it for its early depiction of fluid sexuality, and exploration of how love can sometimes undo even our strongest beliefs about ourselves.
1. My Name is Earl
Lee plays the titular character in this underrated, offbeat sitcom about a small town criminal who decides to turn his life around after he learns about the concept of karma. Quirky, charming, and unique, My Name is Earl ran for four brilliant seasons before being abruptly cancelled, and the showrunners weren’t willing to compromise on their artistic vision enough for it to be picked back up again. Lee earned multiple award nominations for playing Earl, and gave the seemingly simple character a lot more depth than many others could have. A wonderful little show that was taken off our screens too soon.
