Most people probably know Dax Shepard as the husband of The Good Place's star Kristen Bell, but, as it turns out, Dax is a very successful actor of his own right. He's been in many incredible and popular projects such as Without a Paddle, Zathura: A Space Adventure, and Parenthood.
He also appeared in MTV's Punk'd, and when he's not too busy being a movie star, he likes to spend time with his family and with his other passion: cars. In this article, readers will learn all there is to know about Dax's hobbies, his family life, and his other endeavors in the entertainment industry.
10 He Had A Very Strong Bond With His Dad
No matter what age a person is, losing a parent is never easy. Especially when someone has such a strong relationship with them. That was the case of Dax and his father. He was a complicated man who made mistakes in the past, particularly when Dax was young, but the actor found it in his heart to forgive him and they mended their relationship. He even got to meet Kristen Bell and be with her during her first pregnancy. Dax wrote some very emotional words about "(his father's) last thrill" which was meeting his grandchild, even if just through Kristen, and people joined in to share their condolences and wish him the best.
9 His Family Had An Unusual Christmas Tradition
Dax's mother is an incredible woman, who always did right by her children no matter what. She didn't always have it easy, but managed to do everything in her power to make sure her children got everything they needed in life. And that included spoiling them during Christmas.
"My mom was a janitor on night shift, and she had three kids (as a) single mom," Dax explained. "We barely got by, but the one thing we did as if we were the Rockefellers was Christmas, which is why I'm so obsessed with the holiday. We got so, so spoiled every year on Christmas, no matter how tight things were the rest of the year. It was kind of this three-week fantasy that we had once a year."
8 He Got Interested In Cars Because Of His Mom
Dax's mother Laura LaBo started out working as a night shift janitor at General Motors, but slowly moved up the chain until she became a fleet manager.
During those years, she and Dax got to know a lot about cars and vehicles in general, but eventually left General Motors to start her own business that ended up managing GM's press events. Because of that, he got to attend events and races and get acquainted with how the business worked. He inevitably fell in love with it.
7 He Perfected His RC Car Race Skills During Quarantine
Apparently, quarantine wasn't totally boring for this race fan. Having too much free time with nothing to do can be overwhelming, so what could be better than using it to improve in a hobby? Cars have always been a passion for Dax, and thankfully Kristen Bell is a very supportive wife that encourages him to do what he loves. So, during lockdown, she built him a remote-controlled car race track in the backyard. She shared that in an Instagram post, along with pictures of her husband and his enthusiasm for it.
6 He Has An Anthropology Degree
Interestingly enough, the beginnings of Dax's adult life were not in acting. Instead, he went to UCLA to get an anthropology degree. He graduated in 2000, and despite having done exceptionally well academically, he had never intended to actually have a career in that field. As much as he learned and enjoyed his time in college, he was discouraged by the lack of interesting jobs with that degree. Besides, he soon discover his true passion in acting and there was no turning back.
5 Kristen And Him Didn't Click Right Away
It would be wonderful to say that Dax and Kristen's romance was the love at first sight kind, but that was not the case. In fact, Kristen said that she didn't feel attracted to him at all when they first met at a party with mutual friends in 2007.
Additionally, both of them had just gotten out of very serious relationships and weren't exactly looking to start anything. They kept in touch, however, through mutual friends, and eventually, a spark ignited between them.
4 He Broke Up With Kristen A Few Months After They Started Dating
Not only did their relationship not get off to the best start, Dax actually ended things before they could go too far. Although she was a lot more invested in the relationship at the time, Kristen understood and valued Dax's honesty.
"He sat me down and said, 'I can't have this right now. I think you're wonderful, but I am still dating other people,'" Kristen said. "And then I, like, liquefied and fell to the ground, but I felt incredibly respected that he had the balls to tell me we weren't in the same place."
3 His Struggle With Addiction
With the stigma attached to addiction in this society, it's always important and brave to hear a celebrity be open about it. Dax has struggled with substance abuse since he was young, and has fought hard to recover. It's not a straightforward process, though, and he's acknowledged that from the very beginning. He told the story about how a motorcycle accident caused him to relapse on his painkiller addiction after eight years of being sober. He got through that, but sadly, in 2020, he had another relapse. The important thing, however, is that he was never too ashamed to hide it. He talked about it, he was honest with his family, and he found a way to move forward. Hopefully, that will inspire anyone who's dealing with a similar problem to reach out for help and start a new life.
2 He's Also A Director
In addition to being an incredible actor, Dax has also directed many projects, including some he's acted in like the TV series About A Boy. Being both an actor and a director helps him see the making of a movie or series differently, and has certainly changed his style.
"I personally have the most fun acting when I don't know what's going to happen, when someone throws me a curve ball and I have to adjust. My favorite acting partners are the ones who improv a lot, because it forces me to listen more and to actually engage and react," he said. "I like to direct that way (too). I like to direct really fast; I like to do series; I like to make people do something a completely different way without ever cutting; I like to get everyone out of their comfort zone just to see what happens."
1 He Doesn't Celebrate Anniversaries
Before judging, hear him out. It's not that he doesn't care about commemorating the day he married Kristen, is that he simply doesn't remember. And, in his defense, neither does her. They know they got married sometime in October, but that's about it. It doesn't matter, though, because they know a date won't change their feelings for each other. Plus, it's hilarious.
"Well, it's that time of year again," Kristen jokingly said. "The anniversary of the day each year when we say to each other 'wasn't our anniversary last week at some point?' I love you, Dax, and I always will."