Simon Rex

Simon Rex Cutright, born July 20, 1974, is an American actor, model, and rapper. Raised in Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area, he is the son of an environmental consultant mother and a relationship coach father. Rex grew up as an only child. At age 18, while attending community college and working at a potato-sack factory, he began dating and living with a model in Oakland.

Rex began his mainstream modeling career in 1994 after being spotted by a casting director, who sent him to Milan to work as a model. That same year, he went on a modeling tour for Tommy Hilfiger and subsequently appeared in modeling campaigns for prominent brands, including Calvin Klein Inc, Versace, and Levi's. In 1995, MTV hired Rex to work as a VJ, a role he maintained for over two years.

In 1999, Rex transitioned into television acting, landing a role in the comedy-drama series Jack & Jill on The WB. He followed this with guest appearances on television series such as Felicity, Baywatch, Everwood, and Summerland. Beginning in 2002, he starred alongside Amanda Bynes in the sitcom What I Like About You, and later appeared in the 2006 Lifetime series Monarch Cove. Rex expanded into feature films, taking on roles in Scary Movie 3, 4, and 5, as well as Hotel California, The Karate Dog, King of the Avenue, Superhero Movie, and National Lampoon's Pledge This!. From 2016 to 2017, he starred in the Comedy Central series Typical Rick.

Rex entered the music industry in 2005 under his rap alter ego, Dirt Nasty. He formed the group Dyslexic Speedreaders with Mickey Avalon and Andre Legacy, co-producing and appearing on the song "My Dick". The group later collaborated with Lil Jon on the track "What Do You Say", which was featured in the 2009 comedy film The Hangover. Rex released his self-titled debut album in 2007, followed by Nasty as I Wanna Be in 2011 and Palatial. He also co-founded the hip-hop group Three Loco alongside Andy Milonakis and Riff Raff, releasing an eight-song EP through producer Diplo's Mad Decent label.

In 2021, Rex earned critical acclaim for his lead role in Sean Baker's drama film Red Rocket. The film premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and Rex won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance, marking a significant breakthrough and comeback in his acting career.

Following Red Rocket, Rex signed with Range Media Partners and appeared in several feature films, including Mack & Rita, Down Low, Americana, The Sweet East, Greedy People, Blink Twice, and Everything's Going to Be Great, as well as a supporting role in the biopic The Leader. Outside of entertainment, Rex co-founded the Colorado-based men's skincare brand MOX in late 2023, serving as its official face. He currently lives off the grid in Joshua Tree, California.