Actor Jeremy Suarez was once living the dream. The 31-year-old actor enjoyed a successful and thriving career in Hollywood. But as life would have it, Suarez experienced an unfortunate decline that would seem to forever change the course of his life. And all of this would occur following the cancellation of a successful television show on which he was a primary cast member.
Life Before The Bernie Mac Show
California native Jeremy Suarez’s path in Hollywood began at a very young age and with a very significant beginning. At just six years old, the actor made a guest appearance on ABC’s Sister, Sister, starring twin actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry. That same year in 1996, Suarez’s talents helped him secure a recurring role in the CBS medical drama series Chicago Hope. He appeared in six episodes throughout two seasons. But before the year was over, Jeremy Suarez debuted in one of the highest-grossing films of 1996. The six-year-old starred as “Tyson Tidwell” in Jerry Maguire alongside blockbuster actor Tom Cruise and Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. The film received five nominations at that year’s Oscars, including one for Best Picture.
For his next act, Jeremy Suarez appeared as “Ryce Watkins” in the short-lived NBC sitcom Built To Last. But things continued to align in his favor, as the young actor was cast in guest appearances on The Wayans Brothers, MadTV, and Beverly Hills, 90210. He also played a bit part in the black-comedy Susan’s Plan and starred in The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze in 2001. But that year was also the year he’d secure one of the roles he’d become best known for.
In 2003 Jeremy Suarez Was Nominated For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series At the Image Awards
Life was sweet for young Jeremy Suarez. What came next for the then 11-year-old actor was a starring role in FOX’s The Bernie Mac Show. For five seasons, Jeremy Suarez portrayed the legendary comedian’s nephew, “Jordan Jay Thomkins,” a very playful and sometimes rude child that often would get into it with his little sister. Interestingly, the relationship with actress Dee Dee Davis, who played his little sister, started off a bit contentious but eventually grew extremely close.
Actress Camille Winbush, who played his older sister “Nessa,” expressed to Entertainment Weekly that she was “very impressed with Jeremy’s ability to break out into a tantrum.” Suarez has also shared his experiences while on the set of The Bernie Mac Show. In the same article, he reflected on the many pranks he would play on the late comedian. One of the pranks involved a pet rat that he had, knowing that Bernie Mac had a massive fear of the rodent.
Jeremy Suarez’s work on the series also garnered him multiple award nominations. In 2003, the actor received his first NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Suarez received the same nomination the following year and a BET Comedy Award and Young Artist Award Nomination.
Following The Cancellation Of Bernie Mac, Jeremy Suarez Appeared In King Of The Hill
The Bernie Mac Show was unfortunately canceled after five seasons. However, Jeremy Suarez appeared in other notable films and television shows while the series was on the air. In 2003, he starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Disney’s Academy Award-nominated film Brother Bear. Suarez also reprised his role in the 2006 sequel. Jeremy Suarez also starred in the Marlon Wayans and Tom Hanks-led film The Ladykillers in 2004. He was also cast in the live-action remake of Fat Albert, which starred Kenan Thompson and Kyla Pratt. And in the television world, Suarez voiced a character in an episode of Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold! Continuing in the animated world, he also voiced one of the characters in Disney’s The Proud Family Movie in 2005 and had a three-episode run on FOX’s King Of The Hill, where he played multiple characters.
Life After Bernie Mac
While work was once consistent for Jeremy Suarez in “Tinseltown,” it slowed down after the cancellation of The Bernie Mac Show. According to the actor’s explanation on Comedy Hype’s “Unforgotten,” child actor laws played a role in him not being hired for many roles. Studios looked to hire adults that appeared younger because they would be able to go around the laws, and it proved to be a bit cheaper as they didn’t have to provide teachers on set. Jeremy Suarez shared that things felt vastly different as he had “never gone six months without a job.” He eventually resorted to having to work in construction and retail. But everything wasn’t all bad. In 2017, the actor got married to his wife, Maria Suarez.
