# Kevin Zegers
**Kevin Zegers** is a Canadian actor whose career runs from child stardom in the *Air Bud* films (1997–2002) through an acclaimed adult turn in *Transamerica* (2005) to current television work on *The Rookie: Feds* and [Taylor Sheridan](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-sheridan)'s *The Madison*. His full name is Kevin Joseph Zegers, and he was born in 1984 in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada; full name Kevin Joseph Zegers[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) |
| Breakthrough role | Josh Framm, the shy kid opposite a basketball-playing Golden Retriever, in Disney's *Air Bud* (1997) and three sequels[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) |
| Critical turn | Toby, a young hustler, in *Transamerica* (2005); Chopard Trophy for male revelation at the Cannes Film Festival, 2006[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984) |
| Notable TV roles | Damian Daalgard on *Gossip Girl* (2009–2011, 10 episodes); Brendon Acres on *The Rookie: Feds* (2022–2023, 22 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/23487/kevin-zegers) |
| Current work | Cade Harris in *The Madison* (2026); Coach Brandon Wiebe in *Heated Rivalry* season 2 (premiering 2027)[5](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a70804088/kevin-zegers-the-madison-interview/) • [6](https://www.wbab.com/entertainment/kevin-zegers-milla-jovovich-added-heated-rivalry-season-2/LJCKLRD2VQ3EHBSBWAEXJITW5E/) |
| Family | Married talent agent Jaime Feld on August 3, 2013; twin daughters Zoë Madison and Blake Everleigh born 2015[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/bio/) |
| Output | More than 40 films; IMDb lists 83 acting credits[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) |
## Early life and child career
Zegers was born in Woodstock, Ontario, to Mary-Ellen (Veldman), a teacher, and James Zegers, a quarry worker; all four of his grandparents were Dutch immigrants.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) He began appearing in television commercials at age six and accumulated more than 30 of them, and he also worked as a model in London.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984)
His first feature film was *Life with Mikey* (1993), opposite fellow Canadian Michael J. Fox.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) Canadian television followed: he voiced Einstein in the ABC animated series *Free Willy* (1994), appeared in the TV movie *Silence of Adultery* (Lifetime, 1995) and the series *Road to Avonlea* (1989–1996), and guested on *Street Legal* and *Traders*.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) His most visible early Canadian role came on *The X-Files*, in the 1995 episode "Revelations," playing Kevin Kryder, a boy suffering from stigmata whom Agents Mulder and Scully try to save.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/)
## Air Bud and the teen years
**Air Bud.** In 1997, at age 12, Zegers played Josh Framm in Disney's *Air Bud*, a family film about a [Golden Retriever](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-retriever) who plays basketball; it was his first major press in the United States.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) Three sequels followed with Zegers in the same role: *[Air Bud](https://www.edgepedia.org/air-bud-series): Golden Receiver* (1998), *Air Bud: World Pup* (2000), and *Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch* (2002).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) The role brought industry recognition: a [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) for best leading young actor in a feature film in 1997, plus a YoungStar Award nomination in 1998.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984)
Producer [Aaron Spelling](https://www.edgepedia.org/aaron-spelling), basing his decision largely on the *Air Bud* work, hand-picked the 15-year-old for the primetime soap *Titans* in 2000; the series lasted less than a full season.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) Guest spots on *Smallville* (2003) and *House, M.D.* (2004) followed, along with a role in the 2004 remake of *Dawn of the Dead*, George A. Romero's apocalyptic horror classic.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/)
## Transamerica and adult career
In Duncan Tucker's *Transamerica*, released in 2005, Zegers campaigned to win the part of Toby, a street hustler with problems who sets off on a road trip alongside Bree ([Felicity Huffman](https://www.edgepedia.org/felicity-huffman)), a trans woman awaiting surgery who is revealed to be his father.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) While Huffman's performance drew most of the press attention, Zegers's work stood out, and he took home the Chopard Trophy for male revelation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984) While doing publicity for the film, he said he had briefly posed as a hustler in a Toronto neighborhood to get a feel for the character's life.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) In a 2013 *Out* interview, he described the role as one of the performances most talked about in his career, and said his own sense of "otherness" drew him to characters like Toby and Alec.[8](https://www.out.com/movies/2013/7/24/kevin-zegers-plays-gay-hero-alec-lightwood-supernatural-fantasy-mortal-instruments?page=9)
The film changed how the industry saw him, and he followed it with a deliberately varied run of films: *[It's a Boy Girl Thing](https://www.edgepedia.org/its-a-boy-girl-thing)* (2006), in which he and [Samaire Armstrong](https://www.edgepedia.org/samaire-armstrong) played swapped-body high schoolers; *Zoom* (2006); *The Jane Austen Book Club* (2007); *The Stone Angel* (2007); *Fifty Dead Men Walking* (2008), set in 1980s [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland); *Frozen* (2010); and *The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones* (2013), in which he played the gay Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood.[9](https://www.fandango.com/people/kevin-zegers-743227/film-credits) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/) For *The Mortal Instruments*, the cast did their own fight choreography under the stunt coordinator of *300*; Zegers described the training as like shooting a second movie.[10](https://collider.com/kevin-zegers-the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-interview/) On television, he played drug-dealing ambassador's son Damian Daalgard in a multi-episode arc on *Gossip Girl* (2009–2011).[8](https://www.out.com/movies/2013/7/24/kevin-zegers-plays-gay-hero-alec-lightwood-supernatural-fantasy-mortal-instruments?page=9) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/)
His 2013 return to Canadian production, the post-apocalyptic thriller *The Colony*, shot in [North Bay, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-bay-ontario), in conditions Zegers recalled as minus-40 or minus-50, so cold the camera lenses froze.[11](https://nowtoronto.com/movies/kevin-zegers/)
## Television lead roles and recent work
**The Rookie: Feds.** Zegers played Brendon Acres, a method actor turned FBI agent, in the ABC spinoff *[The Rookie](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-rookie-tv-series): Feds*, appearing in 22 episodes across 2022 and 2023, and he also guested as the same character on the parent series *The Rookie* (2022–2025).[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/23487/kevin-zegers) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/) Other 2020s credits include *Rebel* (2021, 10 episodes as Dr. Nathaniel Flynn), *Corrective Measures* (2022), *Notorious* (2016), *Dirty John* (2018–2019), *Fear the Walking Dead* (2018), and *Power* (2019–2020).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/)
**The Madison.** Zegers plays cowboy Cade Harris in *The Madison*, the [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) series created by Taylor Sheridan. He had to fight for the part: his initial read was met with "He's great, but not for this," and he pursued the role anyway, drawing on a long acquaintance with Sheridan.[5](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a70804088/kevin-zegers-the-madison-interview/) The series premiered in March 2026 and received an early season 3 renewal.[12](https://www.justjared.com/tags/kevin-zegers/)
**Heated Rivalry.** In September 2026, Zegers was announced as a season 2 addition to *Heated Rivalry*, the Crave/[HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) hockey romance series created by [Jacob Tierney](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacob-tierney) from Rachel Reid's Game Changers novels. He plays Coach Brandon Wiebe, a former professional hockey player and rookie head coach of the Ottawa Centaurs, the team of [Ilya Rozanov](https://www.edgepedia.org/ilya-rozanov) (Connor Storrie); season 2 premieres in spring 2027.[6](https://www.wbab.com/entertainment/kevin-zegers-milla-jovovich-added-heated-rivalry-season-2/LJCKLRD2VQ3EHBSBWAEXJITW5E/) • [13](https://celebsecrets.com/kevin-zegers-says-its-been-awesome-filming-heated-rivalry-season-2-exclusive/)
## Personal life
Zegers has lived in Los Angeles since he was 17.[11](https://nowtoronto.com/movies/kevin-zegers/) He married talent agent Jaime Feld of CAA on August 3, 2013, and their twin daughters, Zoë Madison and Blake Everleigh, were born in 2015.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/bio/) In a 2013 interview, he spoke about having battled alcoholism and being several years sober, a period he linked to refocusing on his film work.[14](https://anthemmagazine.com/qa-with-kevin-zegers/) A 2026 Esquire profile described him as enjoying his work on *The Madison* after struggling to transition into Hollywood as an adult.[5](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a70804088/kevin-zegers-the-madison-interview/)
## Reception
Metacritic's tally of his film work shows an average career Metascore of 46 across 22 movies, with *All About Nina* (2018) his highest-scored film at 70 and *Zoom* (2006) his lowest at 26; *Transamerica* scored 66 and *Dawn of the Dead* 59.[15](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kevin-zegers/) His awards record includes the 2006 Cannes Chopard Trophy, a 1997 Young Artist Award for *Air Bud*, and nominations for *Rose Hill*, *A Call to Remember*, *Air Bud: Golden Receiver*, and *MVP: Most Valuable Primate*.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984)
## References
1. [Kevin Zegers, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/)
2. [Kevin Zegers, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-zegers/)
3. [Zegers, Kevin 1984–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/zegers-kevin-1984)
4. [Kevin Zegers, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/23487/kevin-zegers)
5. [In The Madison, Kevin Zegers Found Himself Again, Esquire (March 21, 2026)](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a70804088/kevin-zegers-the-madison-interview/)
6. [Kevin Zegers, Milla Jovovich added to 'Heated Rivalry' season 2, 102.3 WBAB (September 3, 2026)](https://www.wbab.com/entertainment/kevin-zegers-milla-jovovich-added-heated-rivalry-season-2/LJCKLRD2VQ3EHBSBWAEXJITW5E/)
7. [Kevin Zegers Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954225/bio/)
8. [How Kevin Zegers went from turning tricks to falling for a Brooklyn wizard, Out.com (July 25, 2013)](https://www.out.com/movies/2013/7/24/kevin-zegers-plays-gay-hero-alec-lightwood-supernatural-fantasy-mortal-instruments?page=9)
9. [Kevin Zegers Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/kevin-zegers-743227/film-credits)
10. [Kevin Zegers Talks THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, Collider (July 26, 2013)](https://collider.com/kevin-zegers-the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-interview/)
11. [Kevin Zegers, NOW Magazine (April 25, 2013)](https://nowtoronto.com/movies/kevin-zegers/)
12. [Kevin Zegers tag page, Just Jared](https://www.justjared.com/tags/kevin-zegers/)
13. [Kevin Zegers Says It's "Been Awesome" Filming 'Heated Rivalry' Season 2, Celeb Secrets (September 20, 2026)](https://celebsecrets.com/kevin-zegers-says-its-been-awesome-filming-heated-rivalry-season-2-exclusive/)
14. [Q&A with Kevin Zegers, Anthem Magazine](https://anthemmagazine.com/qa-with-kevin-zegers/)
15. [Kevin Zegers, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kevin-zegers/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames T to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license