Idiocracy: Dax Shepard’s most bro-tastic moments
Ya fave boy Dax Shepard landed himself a new comedy role in Fox’s Bless This Mess from Elizabeth Meriwether & Lake Bell (No Strings Attached) last year, already slated for a second season. Shepard and Bell play a newlywed couple who ditch their unsatisfying New York City lives for a simpler existence in Nebraska – except their plans don’t turn out quite as they’d hoped.
This is great news for fans of Shepard, who has enjoyed several standout guest appearances as kooky showboating bros in a number of comedy projects in recent years. Aside from box office failure CHIPS, Shepard hasn’t had a chance to enjoy much of a lead role since his turn as Crosby Braverman in Parenthood.
But as the following nine moments prove, Shepard is downright hilarious, and we look forward to seeing even more of his skills in Bless This Mess.
Veronica Mars (2014): Overconfident Club Boy
The fan-funded movie of the cult TV show featured a heap of fun cameos including Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers) & James Franco (The Disaster Artist), but Shepard’s was by far the most fun. Particularly as he’s the real life husband of star Kristen Bell and presumably knows exactly what grotesque buttons to push to make her squirm. Plus, that silk shirt? Abominable.
Idiocracy (2006): Frito Pendejo
Mike Judge’s cult classic satire sees Luke Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums) traveling forward in time to discover humanity has become so stupid that he’s now the smartest man alive. As Frito, Shepard embraces his capacity for playing simplistic lowlives to deliver an endearingly moronic performance.
The Good Place (2018): Chet
Though Shepard shares no screentime with Bell in the episode, he’s still an untenable delight as a demon bro sharing high fives for torture plans and making Chidi (William Jackson Harper) & Jianyu (Manny Jacinto) incredibly nervous in the process.
Ghosted (2017): Sam
Shepard appeared in one single episode as a perky artificial intelligence program who wields so much power he draws concern from Leroy (Craig Robinson) and pure awe from Max (Adam Scott). It was nice to see the actor playing a direct opposite to the intelligence scale of his usual roles.
Baby Mama (2008): Carl
Michael McCullers’s comedy saw Shepard starring as the deadbeat husband of Amy Poehler’s immature surrogate mom Angie. His performance is full of swaggering displays of misplaced anger; overall, it’s stupendously, voraciously dumb.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2015): JoJo
Playing a construction worker who sets himself on fire after getting pulled into Mac (Rob McElhenney) & Charlie’s (Charlie Day) ludicrous new cult, Shepard was a particular highlight in one of the show’s best episodes (“Ass Kickers United: Mac and Charlie Join a Cult”).
Parenthood (2010 – 2015): Crosby Braverman
As irresponsible loose cannon Crosby – in a strong ensemble cast including Lauren Graham (Bad Santa), Peter Krause (The Truman Show), and Craig T. Nelson (Poltergeist) – Shepard proved he has the chops for drama as well as comedy. Immensely likeable, Shepard also enjoyed a solid romantic arc opposite Joy Bryant (Get Rich or Die Tryin’), which had us weeping in ways we’re not proud to admit to.
Without a Paddle (2004): Tom Marshall
Shepard joined Matthew Lillard (SLC Punk!) & Seth Green (Austin Powers in Goldmember) to play three childhood friends on a disastrous camping trip in search of D.B. Cooper’s mysterious lost treasure. The comedy is dumb as hell but oh so satisfying for it, and Shepard’s turn as an adventurous brokowski who thinks he’s a total man of nature (he isn’t) is especially rollicking.
Dax & Kristen do “Africa”
While it might not be from a TV show or movie, may we all marvel upon the absolute majesty of the music video Shepard and his wife Bell filmed in Africa for the song “Africa” by Toto. It will nurture your soul, ladies & gentleman.
