Nick on "Freaks and Geeks"

Jason Segel plays Nick, a tall and fun-loving freak who dreams of stardom as a rock-and-roll drummer, like his idol, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Although Segel never played the drums before working on "Freaks and Geeks," he and his on-screen persona do share a common appreciation for the music of Led Zeppelin. And, Segel is now taking drum lessons.

"Nick is the consummate dreamer," says Segel. "He is so intense about his desire to become a famous drummer that he disregards practically everything else in life. Although Nick seems totally focused on what he wants's when things get very interesting with him."

Influenced at a young age by the work of James Dean and Robert DeNiro, the Los Angeles native always knew he wanted to become an actor. Segel began reading everything he could on acting and started appearing in school plays. One day, his high school drama teacher set up a mock audition for the students with a "fake" casting agent. The casting agent turned out to be legitimate (the students didn't know), and the agent later asked Segel to work in the film "Dead Man on Campus," where he appeared opposite his "Freaks and Geeks" co-star Linda Cardellini, who played his girlfriend. Segel went on to appear in the films "Can't Hardly Wait," "S.L.C. Punk" and "The New Jersey Turnpikes."

Away from the set Segel loves to read (J.D. Salinger is his favorite author) and play basketball. He was also a member of his high school's basketball team which won the California State Championship. The middle child of three kids, Segel recently moved out of his parents' house and into his own place in Los Angeles. His birthday is January 18, 1979.