Justin Long's Real Name: Justin Long

Quick answer: Justin Long is known professionally and in reference works as Justin Long. The Library of Congress heading dates his birth to 1978, and a Los Angeles Times profile describes him as a Connecticut native. He is an actor who appeared in Galaxy Quest and Jeepers Creepers and later became widely recognized as the Mac guy in Apple's "Get a Mac" commercials (Los Angeles Times; Vassar Quarterly).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "Long, Justin, 1978-." The authorized record cites film credits and an IMDb note for a more precise date and a Fairfield, Connecticut, birthplace; because those details are documented there only through IMDb, this page uses the public name in the title and treats 1978 and Connecticut, confirmed independently by the heading year and the Los Angeles Times, as the established facts. A 2005 Vassar Quarterly profile, which describes him as 27, says he attended Vassar College with the class of 2000, concentrated on social life and plays, and left before graduating after winning a part in Galaxy Quest (1999), always thinking he would return. He later called those years the best of his life and credited the school with increasing his confidence as an actor. The Times notes that his mother was a commercial actress.

Career highlights

After Galaxy Quest, the Vassar profile lists Jeepers Creepers (2001), Dodgeball (2004), Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) opposite Lindsay Lohan, and a recurring role on NBC's Ed. He also appeared opposite Britney Spears in Crossroads. In 2005 he was shooting Accepted, which the profile called his first attempt at being the star of a movie. The Times, writing in 2006, said he was then on screen in The Break-Up and that nine out of 10 people who recognized him knew him from the Apple ads. He plays the laid-back Mac guy opposite John Hodgman's PC guy in the "Get a Mac" spots; the paper said seven were out and nearly 20 more had been filmed. He was initially wary of commercials, then agreed after learning that Phil Morrison, director of Junebug, would direct the campaign.

Name notes for searchers

Justin Long is the name used in the Library of Congress heading, the Los Angeles Times, and the Vassar profile. Searchers looking for the Galaxy Quest actor or Apple's Mac guy are usually aiming at the same person.