Kevin Franklin Gaede, later known as Kevin Gage, was born and raised in northern Wisconsin. He was an athletic child, working on his grandparents' dairy farm and excelling in school sports such as basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and track. Additionally, he enjoyed outdoor activities like fishing.
After graduating high school, Kevin traveled to Florida to see the ocean. He later moved to California, planning to find work in construction, and eventually settled in Hollywood. There, he worked for a security company, drove delivery trucks, and even attended bartending school, becoming a bartender at the age of 18. The job paid well, and life was good.
At the age of 21, while tending bar at a local steakhouse, Kevin was approached by a theatrical agent, who recommended that he take an acting class. He became a regular in local plays and soon started picking up small roles in films and television, including Highway to Heaven, Steele Justice, and High Mountain Rangers.
It was in acting class that Kevin met Kelly Preston, whom he later married in Hawaii in 1985. His first movie part was in Space Camp, where Preston had a leading role. Unfortunately, his lines ended up on the cutting room floor. Two years later, the marriage fell apart, and they went their separate ways.
Kevin continued to find small acting roles and appeared in films such as The 'Burbs opposite Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, and Brother Theodore in 1989.
One of his most memorable roles was as "Waingro" in Heat, released in 1995, after a long and competitive casting process. This role led to many more offers, and Kevin continued to work in A-list films, TV episodes, and lower-budget films, often playing opposite leading actors like Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Nicholas Cage, and Johnny Depp.
Kevin's career was temporarily derailed in 2002 when he was arrested and served two years in a minimal-security facility for running a licensed medicinal marijuana business in California. He was released early in 2005 for good behavior.
Kevin married Perris Knight in 2006 and had a son, Ryder Jay Gage, in 2007. Unfortunately, Perris was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2008 and passed away in 2014. Kevin's focus shifted to caring for his son and Perris, with the help of her parents.
As of 2020, Kevin lives with his teenage son in southern California and continues to work on various acting projects each year.
