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Hellin Kay

Photo: Getty Images

We first met him as Ashton Kutcher's right-hand man on Punk'd, but now Dax Shepard wears many different hats: actor, writer, director, and, as of 2010, doting fiancé to actress Kristen Bell ("Anything she wants, I'll figure out how to get," he told ELLE). When he's not catering to his wife-to-be (or surprising her with sloths), Shepard keeps busy with his other roles: He plays one of the main characters on NBC's Parenthood; wrote, directed, and starred in 2010's Brother's Justice; and did triple-duty once more in his latest film, Hit & Run, in theaters August 24. "I've worked as much as a writer as I have as an actor, maybe even more," Shepard said. Hit & Run tells the story of Charlie Bronson (Shepard), an ex-bank robber who drops out of the witness protection program to escort his
girlfriend (Bell) to Los Angeles, while being chased by cops and a group of gangsters, including a dreadlocked Bradley Cooper. We spoke with the funnyman about his new movie, what it's like working alongside his real-life love, and his return to Punk'd.

Age: 37

Provenance: Detroit, Michigan

Relationship Status: Engaged to actress Kristen Bell

The origin of Dax: "There was a best-selling book in the late '60s and '70s called The Adventurers by Harold Robbins. The lead character's name was Dax. Anyone that's roughly my age that's named Dax is named from that book. I've met probably five other [men named] Dax."

Dax the writer, Dax the director, and Dax the actor: "There were quite a few hurdles. I wrote, prepped, and shot the movie [Hit & Run] within the very short hiatus that Parenthood provides me with between seasons two and three so within 12 weeks I'd done all those things. It was pretty quick."

On directing his dame: "It was a dream. She requires very little direction. She's very open and not insecure about that type of thing. Over the years we've worked on a lot of auditions together, and we have a very good rapport. I had directed in these viral shots we made for When in Rome, and we had some experience with it."

On whether Hit & Run will top the famed sloth video: "It would be great if it did, because I think that would mean it would make about 150 million dollars, assuming every view was a ten dollar ticket."

The pressures of Punk'd: "There's no second-take: You're either believable in that moment or the bit is over, and you've wasted everyone's time."

Hit & Run opens in theaters today.

this image is not available
Hellin Kay

Photo: Courtesy of Open Road Films

this image is not available
Hellin Kay

Photo: Courtesy of Open Road Films

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Claire Stern Milch
Digital Director

Claire Stern Milch is the Digital Director of ELLE.com. Previously, she was Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.