06/19/2023
Please come out and support😊
Jeremy Crawford will be inducted into the Wetzel County Hall of Fame on Thursday evening at the Lincoln Theater to kick off the festivities for the weekend.
Jeremy is a proud native of New Martinsville, West Virginia. He is the youngest son of Bruce and Lynne Crawford. At the age of 3, Jeremy was diagnosed with Russel-Silver Syndrome, a rare disorder that is characterized by a restriction of growth. Growing up as a person of short stature, Jeremy had many struggles to overcome, but Jeremy's parents wouldn't let him view his height as a disadvantage. In fact, his parents would constantly remind him that the phrase, “I can't” was not allowed to be used. This ideology set the tone for Jeremy throughout his life. He was always determined to do things that others thought would not be possible for someone of his size.
Jeremy's brother's, Greg and Chris, reinforced their parent's mantra of not allowing him to use his height as an excuse. They never took it easy on him, something he appreciated later on, and helped him find clever ways to utilize his size as a strength. This was never more resonant than when playing sports. Whether it was playing basketball with his brothers in the driveway, or competing alongside his friends on the court or on the soccer field, Jeremy found ways to see his size as an asset.
Jeremy fell in love with movies and stories at a young age. Watching films like Willow, Time Bandits, and Rankin & Bass's The Hobbit cartoon in his grandparent's basement inspired Jeremy to see himself in these stories. However, having that reflection of seeing someone that looked like him on television, or in the movies, was very few and far between. The idea of becoming a performer himself never really felt possible. It wasn't until high school when his drama teacher, Eileen Miller, cast him as 'Randolph McAfee' in Magnolia High School's production of Bye, Bye Birdie, that he got the acting bug and his dream of becoming an actor truly started.
Whether it was making funny videos for Young Life with Kirk Wilson and Josh Watson, or appearing in the annual fall musical and contest play at Magnolia, Jeremy was always trying to find ways to perform. He graduated high school in 1999 and continued his studies at Fairmont State University, where he majored in Speech and Theatre education. Jeremy appeared in dozens of productions at FSU. After graduating Cum Laude in 2004, Jeremy spent the next few years as a teacher in the Marion County school system, and as a radio personality for Froggy Country. Wanting to go back to performing theatre instead of teaching it, Jeremy applied and was accepted to the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland.
Jeremy earned his Master’s Degree in Classical and Contemporary Acting in 2009. After graduating from RCS, Jeremy worked as a professional actor throughout the UK. Upon returning to the US Jeremy began work on The Heart of Robin Hood, at Harvard's American Repertory Theater, in the role of 'Little John'. Later that same year, he was recognized for his role as 'Smee' in Peter Pan, at The Arizona Broadway Theater, with the 2014 Broadway World Phoenix's Best Supporting Actor in A Musical award. The following year Jeremy returned to the role of “Little John' in the Pre-Broadway run of The Heart of Robin Hood in Toronto, Canada. Their Broadway run was postponed, but Jeremy was once again nominated for an award. This time for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the 2015 Broadway World Toronto Awards. Even better, Jeremy met his wife Janine on that production. In 2016 they were married and he moved to Toronto.
It was then when Jeremy began the transition from stage to screen. In the years that followed Jeremy made appearances in commercials, on television, and in film. Some of his credits include Titans, Man Seeking Woman, Anne With An E, and the Emmy® Award nominated Most Dangerous Game. Most notably Jeremy can be remembered as the television spokesperson, and loveable elf, of Five Below stores across the US. In 2019
Jeremy's childhood dream of being a part of a fantasy production came true when he was cast as dwarven warrior 'Yarpen Zigrin' in Netflix's The Witcher. Jeremy continues to refrain from using the words, “I can't.” and hopes to show anyone watching him hunt dragons and fight alongside Henry Cavill in The Witcher, that anything is possible, no matter your size!
