Born on October 19, 1969, Randolph Severn “Trey” Parker III is an American actor, animator, composer, and director. He is well-known for co-creating The Book of Mormon (2011) and South Park (since 1997). Both projects were co-created by him and Matt Stone.
When Parker was young, in high school, and attending the University of Colorado Boulder, where he met Stone, he developed an interest in both music and movies. They worked together on several short films. In the 1993 full-length musical Cannibal! The Musical, they both co-wrote the script and shared the lead roles.
“Orgazmo,” their second film, was written by Parker and Stone when they relocated to Los Angeles. South Park debuted on Comedy Central even before the premiere of the movie in August 1997. The two have full creative control over the video games and songs that they specifically made based on the show.
A 1999 movie based on the series, “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,” was favorably received by both critics and spectators. Parker later wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the comedic action movie “Team America: World Police (2004).” The Book of Mormon also received positive reviews when it debuted on Broadway following a protracted gestation period.
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Early Life
The son of geologist Randolph “Randy” Parker and insurance saleswoman Sharon, Parker was born in Conifer, Colorado. He was a bashful kid who participated in honors classes and got “decent” grades. He started watching Monty Python on television in the third grade, and he idolized the show.
Later animation projects of his were heavily influenced by Terry Gilliam. Parker participated in his school’s talent competition in the sixth grade and performed a sketch he had written titled The Dentist. A friend played the patient, and he played the dentist. The plot deals with dental emergencies. Parker’s parents were called and outraged owing to the amount of fake blood used. Parker reminisces and subsequently recalls that “the kindergarteners were all crying and freaking out.”
Parker attended Berklee College of Music for a semester after graduating from Evergreen High School in 1988 before moving to the University of Colorado Boulder. Parker double-majored in Japanese and cinema.
During his time there, he enrolled in a film course that required group projects from the students. He connected with math major Matt Stone in the class right away over subversive, anti-authoritarian humor and Monty Python. Stone is from the nearby town of Littleton. Giant Beavers of Southern Sri Lanka, Parker’s debut film, was a satire of Godzilla-style beaver rampages.
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Personal Life
In 2006, Parker wed Emma Sugiyama, and the producer of the 1970s sitcom “Norman Lear” served as the official at their wedding. In 2008, the couple got divorced.
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Parker started dating Boogie Tillmon, who he got married to in the year 2014. This partnership resulted in Parker getting a stepson. The couple was blessed with a daughter in 2013. The pair named her Betty Boogie Parker. The couple filed for divorce in 2019, claiming their irreconcilable differences. Despite the fact that they are still divorced, they have now made up and agreed to co-parent their child.
California’s Los Angeles is home to Parker. He owns homes in Seattle, Washington, Midtown Manhattan in New York City, Kauai, Hawaii, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Midtown Manhattan in New York City.
Awards and Recognition
Parker has been nominated for an Academy Award for the song “Blame Canada” from the South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut movie, which he co-wrote with Marc Shaiman. Parker has also received five Primetime Emmy Awards for his exceptional writing abilities on South Park, four Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award. He also won a Grammy Award for The Book of Mormon.
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Parker’s Views on Religion
The satirical perspectives of Trey Parker and Matt Stone on a variety of subjects, including religion, are well recognized. All religions, according to Parker, make him laugh. He stated in an interview, “I don’t understand the tale of Jesus. Only the Son of God was sent. Why did God have to die, and why could He only have one son? Really, it’s just lousy writing. And it becomes pretty bad around the second act.
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Parker’s Philanthropic Work
Another part of Parker’s persona is philanthropy. In 2013, he gave $1 million to the Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit promoting equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. He has contributed to numerous other charitable organizations, in addition to Autism Speaks and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Parker’s Net Worth
Anyone who watches the cartoon television program “South Park” is certainly familiar with Trey Parker. The cultural phenomena that Matt Stone and Parker produced have persisted for almost 20 years.
He is one of the wealthiest people in the entertainment business, with a net worth of $650 million. Parker’s wealth will probably keep rising as long as “South Park” is a success and he continues to work on other projects.
Some Important Stats:
- Monthly Income and Salary: $4 Million+
- Yearly Income and Salary: $50 Million+
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