Kevin Gage Biography

Kevin Gage was born Kevin Gaede in northern Wisconsin, on May 26, 1959. As a youth, he worked on his grandparents' dairy farm before and after school and throughout the summer. He was active in sports, making the team in basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and track and field. He thrived on the work and the rural lifestyle. Some of his favorite memories are of fishing northern Wisconsin rivers with his grandfather.

Kevin graduated high school on his 18th birthday. Fulfilling a life-long dream of seeing the ocean, he hitchhiked to Florida and stayed there a few months, working odd jobs. When Florida didn't meet his expectations, he headed west to California. His plan was to go for the Bay Area and get work in construction, but fate stopped him in Hollywood.

At the age of 21, a theatrical agent came up to him as he was tending bar in a steakhouse, and asked if he had ever thought of becoming an actor. When he showed up in her office, she had him read for a part, said he had talent, and recommended an acting class. He loved acting, and within a few years he was doing small jobs in low-budget films and television shows, including Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, and Divorce Court. He was also a regular in local plays on the weekends.

It was in acting class that he met Kelly Preston. After a couple of years of dating, they were married in Hawaii. Two years later, the marriage fell apart, and they went their separate ways. Kevin continued to find small acting roles.

Shortly after turning 32, an accident in his Jeep left Kevin in traction for three months and in a wheelchair and on crutches for another year. When he finally recovered, he got his first big break. His agent sent him the script for Heat. Competition for the role of "Waingro" was fierce, but after three months and eleven readings with the director, Kevin got the job.

As Kevin relates it, "The day before principle photography (filming) began, the director called me to his office, sat back in his chair, smiled and said, 'You got heart, kid, you got the job. Can you be at work tomorrow morning?' It was one of the most euphoric moments of my life. Against all odds, I had persisted in the business for 13 years, dreaming of the day I might work with Robert DeNiro."

After the success of Heat, Kevin was flooded with work offers, and continued to work in more A-list films, including G.I. Jane, Con Air and Blow. He also appeared in TV shows (Firefly and Smallville) and lower budget films. For the first time, he was able to support himself with his acting.

During a trip home to Wisconsin for Christmas, 2001, Kevin talked with his brother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and his sister, who had been fighting cancer for several years. They had both found marijuana could alleviate their symptoms.

Kevin got a California state license and set up to grow marijuana for medical prescription use, under California state law. In August, 2002, the federal government stepped in and arrested him and his partners. After serving two years of of a 41-month sentence, he was released on September 21, 2005.

Kevin is now living in southern California and once again working as an actor. His recent films include Confessions of an American Girl, Paparazzi, Lightning Bug, Chaos, and the soon-to-be-released Sin-Jin Smyth.

Kevin Gage was married on March, 26, 2006, to his long-time sweetheart, Perris Knight.

Kevin's favorite hobbies include snowboarding, skydiving, scuba diving, fishing, playing guitar, and flying small planes.