| Zack Gottsagen | |
| Birth Name: | Zachary Robin Gottsagen |
| Birth Date: | 22 April 1985 |
| Birth Place: | United States |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2019–present |
Zachary Robin Gottsagen (born April 22, 1985) is an American actor and rapper. He had a breakout role for the film The Peanut Butter Falcon.
His screen debut happened as an infant in an instructional film on natural childbirth.[1]
While at Zeno Mountain Farm, a camp for people with and without disabilities, Gottsagen met Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. At his request for them to make a film with him as the star, Nilson and Schwartz wrote and directed The Peanut Butter Falcon. In the film, Gottsagen had a starring role as an aspiring professional wrestler with Down Syndrome.[2]
In 2020, Gottsagen became the first person with Down Syndrome to be a presenter at the Academy Awards, when he and Shia LaBeouf presented the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.[3] In 2019, he was recognized as a Breakthrough Entertainer by the Associated Press.[4]
Gottsagen starred with Felicity Huffman in an ABC television pilot based on the life of Susan Savage, owner of the minor league baseball team the Sacramento River Cats.[5]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Bulletproof (short) | Gar Vunderson / Grimm Jim | [6] | |
| 2014 | Becoming Bulletproof (documentary) | self | ||
| 2019 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | Zak | ||
| 2020 | Best Summer Ever | Cheerleader | [7] | |
| TBA | Night Always Comes | Kenny | [8] |
| Year | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Palm Springs International Film Festival Rising Star Award | The Peanut Butter Falcon | [9] | |
| Hollywood Critics Association Newcomer Award | The Peanut Butter Falcon | [10] | ||