Freddie Prinze Jr. is a successful actor, screenwriter, and producer who has starred in a wide array of hit films in his nearly 30-year career. From dazzling audiences as the handsome Fred Jones in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies to playing heartthrobs in teen romantic comedies like She’s All That and Summer Catch, the seasoned star has appeared in countless memorable projects over the years. He returned to his romantic comedy roots in 2022 when he starred in the Netflix holiday original, Christmas with You.

Prinze Jr. has frequently shared the screen with his real life wife Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame), with the delightful duo fighting for their lives against a demented, hook-wielding killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer and in the cult-classic Scooby-Doo films based on the beloved cartoon. Let’s take a closer look at some of Freddie Prinze. Jr.’s best TV shows and movies.

9 Freddie

The TV sitcom Freddie
Warner Bros. Television Distribution 

Freddie Prinze Jr. starred in the short-lived 2005 television series Freddie, which he co-created and based upon his real life, portraying popular Chicago chef Freddie Moreno who welcomes in four female members of his family and quickly realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Prinze Jr. drew inspiration from his relationships with the women in his life growing up as well as paying tribute to his late father, Chico and the Man star Freddie Prinze. The program co-starred Brian Austin Green, Mädchen Amick and Jacqueline Obradors and despite delivering solid ratings for ABC was canceled after just one season.

8 Punky Brewster

Punky Brewster Peacock Revival
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

For the 2021 Peacock sitcom Punky Brewster, Soleil Moon Frye revived her iconic '80s character to headline the feel-good reboot that follows Punky as she attempts to navigate life as a single mother raising three kids while having a career as a photographer. In the series Prinze Jr. appears as Travis, Punky's musician ex-husband whom she has unresolved feelings and though he's on the road often remains a devoted father to their children. The original sitcom ran from 1984 to 1988, and while many fans searching for good ol' fashioned nostalgia tuned in to the reboot, it was canceled after 10 episodes.

7 Star Wars Rebels

The crew of the Ghost in promo art for Star Wars Rebels
Disney XD

The seasoned actor has lent his voice to both television, films and video games, with perhaps his most memorable performance being Ghost Crew leader Kanan Jarrus in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Prinze Jr.'s character, Jarrus, is a Jedi Padawan who has spent the majority of his wild life on the run after making it through the Great Jedie Purge; he is enlisted to join the crew of the Ghost starship by Hera Syndulla. Star Wars Rebels ran for four critically-acclaimed seasons and during its tenure won two Saturn Awards for Best Animated Series on Television, launching a multimedia franchise including video games, comics and novels.

6 Summer Catch

Freddie Prinze Jr. & Jessica Biel in Summer Catch
Warner Bros. Pictures 

In the early 2000s, Prinze Jr. became an established leading man in charming romantic comedies and in 2001 he starred alongside Jessica Biel as an aspiring Major League baseball player in Summer Catch. The star-studded chick flick features popular actors like Brittany Murphy, Fred Ward, and Matthew Lillard (whom he would once again share the screen with for Scooby-Doo), with Prinze Jr. and Biel portraying star-crossed lovers from different worlds who fall for each other while in Cape Cod. Summer Catch garnered lackluster reviews from critics but remains an underrated 2000s rom-com full of up-and-coming performers.

5 Friends

Freddie Prinze Jr. on Friends
Warner Bros. Television Distribution 

Fans everywhere were delighted when the actor made a guest appearance on the beloved '90s juggernaut Friends in 2002, taking on the role of emotional male nanny Sandy to mark the program's 200th episode. When Ross and Rachel begin their search for a nanny for their newborn daughter Emma, the on-and-off duo find themselves at odds over potential employee Sandy; Ross is unfcomfortable with how sensitive the man is while Rachel thinks he's the perfect person for the job.

Related: Friends: The Best Films the Cast Members Have Made, Ranked

Prinze Jr. was not actually the first choice for the guest role, as he ended up taking over for Tom Hanks when he was unable to squeeze in the shoot; he had less than 24 hours to prepare for the sidesplitting appearance.

4 24

Freddie Prinze Jr. on 24
20th Television 

For the eighth season of the adrenaline-pumping drama series 24, Prinze Jr. was cast as Director of Field Operations at CTU Cole Ortiz, with the actor and character squaring off with Kiefer Sutherland both on screen and off. Cole appears in every episode of the season (depicting the events of the eighth day) and had an uneasy relationship with Sutherland's tough-as-nails agent Jack Bauer.

Though he served up a compelling performance in the Golden Globe-winning show, Prinze Jr. was not a fan of his time there, having retrospectively stated, "I did 24, it was terrible. I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That’s not me talking trash, I’d say it to his face, I think everyone that’s worked with him has said that.”

3 Scooby-Doo

Scooby Doo 2002 live-action movie cast
Warner Bros.

The iconic, perpetually frightened Great Dane was given the live-action treatment with the 2002 fantasy adventure flick Scooby-Doo, which follows the legendary Mystery Inc. as they are lured to an exciting yet dangerous horror-themed resort in order to figure out if the tourists are being brainwashed. The lead characters were brilliantly cast by the stellar ensemble cast including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini, with Prinze Jr. tackling the role of the gang's blonde-haired, attention-loving leader Fred Jones.

Related: Scooby-Doo Movies in Order Chronologically and by Release Date

Scooby-Doo was a smash hit at the box office and since its release has attracted a passionate cult following, with fans loving the dazzling cast's spot-on renditions of the cherished Mystery Inc. members. The film's overwhelming success led to the 2004 follow-up sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and though Prinze Jr. walked away from a third film over money disputes, he appreciates the legacy of the adaptation and what it means to fans of the cartoon.

2 I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer
Columbia Pictures 

Freddie Prinze Jr. skyrocketed to stardom when he appeared in the 1997 slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer, which centers on a group of four friends who after accidentally running over and killing a fisherman find themselves being terrorized by a hook-handed murderer seeking cold, hard revenge. Kevin Williamson (Scream, The Vampire Diaries) wrote the screenplay for the spine-tingling film, drawing inspiration from both the Lois Duncan novel of the same name, the spooky urban legend about 'The Hook,' and '80s horror flicks like Prom Night.

Along with the Wes Craven masterpiece Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer helped revitalize the slasher genre and was a massive hit with moviegoers, grossing over $125 million at the box office. Its popularity and sensational young cast (including future wife Sarah Michelle Gellar) helped establish the horror film as a celebrated '90s staple and led to two direct sequels and a television remake.

1 She's All That

She's All That
Miramax Films

Lauded as one of the most enduring and celebrated teen films of the 1990s, the 1999 romantic comedy She's All That stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook as two vastly different high school students who find their paths crossed after one of them accepts a secret bet. Campus big-shot Zach Siler (Prinze Jr.) agrees to take on a challenge by his friends in which he must transform social outcast Laney Boggs (Cook) into the prom queen within 6 weeks. Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker and Kieran Culkin also appear in the Robert Iscove flick, with the rom-com serving as a modern adaptation of 1964's My Fair Lady.

She's All That proved to be box office gold and raked in over $100 million, with Prinze Jr. and Cook's performances earning praise from critics. Surprisingly, the character of Zach was rewritten to better fit the actor's personality, with Iscove and Prinze Jr. setting out to make him more relatable and sympathetic. The rom-com remains a popular, nostalgia-fueled film that also inspired the poorly-received 2021 Netflix remake He's All That.