
Kent Matthew Osborne (born August 30, 1969) is an American film and television writer, storyboard artist, actor, producer, and director. He has worked for such animated television shows as SpongeBob SquarePants, Camp Lazlo, Phineas and Ferb, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time, Regular Show and The Amazing World of Gumball, he has received multiple Emmy Award nominations and has won twice for Adventure Time (in 2015 and 2017). He is currently the head writer for Cartoon Network's animated series Summer Camp Island, which premiered in 2018.[1] He has also starred in several mumblecore films, including Hannah Takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends, All the Light in the Sky and Uncle Kent (in the title role). His brother is the director Mark Osborne.[2]
Early life[]
Kent Osborne and his brother Mark were raised in Vermont before moving to Flemington, New Jersey. He graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School and studied acting in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and David Mamet's Atlantic Theater Company.
Career[]
Osborne's first film role was a small part in School Ties (1992) with Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Chris O'Donnell. His character Emile in School Ties inspired Osborne to write the screenplay for the film Dropping Out, in which he starred alongside David Koechner, Adam Arkin, John Stamos, Katey Sagal, and Fred Willard. His brother Mark directed the film, which had its world premiere at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.
Osborne served as writing partner for the comedian Rob Schneider. After recurring appearances on the TBS show Dinner and a Movie, he hosted a spinoff TBS program, Movie Lounge, beginning in 1998.
From 2002 to 2005, Osborne was a writer for SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon. He received two Emmy Award nominations for his writing on the show, in 2003 and 2004. He was also one of the writers for the theatrical film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004).
Osborne went on to write for other animated series appearing on the Cartoon Network, including Camp Lazlo (Emmy nomination in 2006), The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (Emmy nomination in 2010), and Adventure Time (Emmy nominations in 2010, 2012, and 2013). He also wrote and storyboarded several episodes of the first season of Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb in 2008.
Osborne has been a screenwriter and actor in a number of films associated with the mumblecore movement, including several directed by Joe Swanberg. He co-wrote and acted in Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007) and had a supporting role in Nights and Weekends (2008). For Uncle Kent, which debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Osborne served as co-writer and co-producer, as well as playing the title role, loosely based on his own life.
In 2011, he starred in writer/director Amber Sealey's film How to Cheat. Osborne and his castmates won the award for Best Performance in the Narrative Competition of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Written Stories[]
- Loogie Llama (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- I've Never Bean in a Sub (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- The Great Snipe Hunt (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Hello Summer, Goodbye Camp (along with Merriwether Williams, Steve Little and Kaz)
- Bowling for Dinosaurs (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Creepy Crawly Campy (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Sweet Dream Baby (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Dirt Nappers (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Are You There S.M.I.T.S? It's Me Samson (along with Merriwether Williams, Steve Little and Kaz)
- Tusk Wizard (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Squirrel Scout Slinkman (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Bear-l-y a Vacation (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Radio Free Edward (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Taking Care of Gretchen (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Scoop of the Century (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Hold It Lazlo (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Being Edward (along with Merriwether Williams, Steve Little and Kaz)
- Award to the Wise (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Nursemaster (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Tour Wars
- Livin' La Vida Lumpus (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Clown Camp (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- The List (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Baby Bean (along with Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- Where's Lazlo? (along with Kaz, Steve Little and Merriwether Williams)
- The Eternal Flame (along with Kaz)
- Tales from the Campfire (along with Kaz)
- Mail Dominance
- Laid Off Lumpus (along with C.H. Greenblatt, Merriwether Williams and Steve Little)
- A Chip and Skip Cartoon: Mi Casa, Eew Casa (along with Merriwether Williams, Martin Olson, Mark O'Hare, Kaz, Joe Murray and Steve Little)
- A Chip and Skip Cartoon: The Amazing Race (along with Merriwether Williams, Kaz, Steve Little)
Written and Storyboarded Episode(s)[]
- Loogie Llama (along with John Infantino)
- Hello Dolly (along with Mike Roth)
- I've Never Bean in a Sub (along with John Infantino)
- Burpless Bean (along with John Infantino)
- Snow Beans (along with John Infantino)
- Camp Samson (along with John Infantino)
- Hard Days Samson (along with John Infantino)
- Sweet Dream Baby (along with John Infantino)
- Dirt Nappers (along with John Infantino)
- Temper Tee Pee (along with Clayton McKenzie Morrow and Cosmo Sergurson)
- Tusk Wizard (along with John Infantino)
- Bear-l-y a Vacation (along with John Infantino)
- Taking Care of Gretchen (along with John Infantino)
- Award to the Wise (along with John Infantino)
- Never Bean on the Map (along with John Infantino)
- Tour Wars (along with John Infantino)
- Clown Camp (along with Ant Ward)
- The List (along with John Infantino)
- Where's Lazlo? (along with Mike Roth, J.G. Quintel, Clayton McKenzie Morrow, Cosmo Sergurson, Thurop Van Orman, Kaz, Eddie Trigueros and John Infantino)
- Kamp Kringle (along with Kaz)
- Mail Dominance
- Laid Off Lumpus (along with John Infantino)
- A Chip and Skip Cartoon: Mi Casa, Eew Casa (along with Aaron Springer, Dave Cunningham, Takeshi Nagashima, Joe Murray, Mark O'Hare, Cosmo Segurson and John Infantino)
- A Chip and Skip Cartoon: The Amazing Race (along with Joe Murray, Mark O'Hare, John Infantino)