Standup comedian Jamie Kennedy has made a career out of surprising people. From his hit candid camera type TV show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” (JKX), to portraying a serial killer on the TV show “Criminal Minds,” Kennedy surprises everyone but himself.

“Sometimes you have to change people’s perceptions of who you are,” said Kennedy, about starting to take more dramatic roles. “They couldn’t believe I could do it.”

But the man who wrote and starred in the movie “Malibu’s Most Wanted” still embraces his funny side and Kirklanders had a chance to see it recently at Laughs Comedy Spot. And while his acting roles have become more varied his live show may not be what his fans expected.

“Sometimes people come and want to see some of my characters but I try to be a little more edgy than that,” said Kennedy, who also starred in the movie franchise “Scream.”

Kennedy said that his childhood and being the youngest of six kids and growing up in Pennsylvania, shaped a lot of who he is.

“I always needed attention and no one would pay attention to me,” said Kennedy. “I always felt out of place.”

His mother got him his acting debut in a movie she was doing with Robin Williams as an extra in the movie “Dead Poet Society.”

“My mom was a local actress and knew that there was a movie coming to town,” said Kennedy. “She had two lines. I owe her everything. I fell in love with acting right there.”

Kennedy moved to Hollywood just after graduating high school.

“It was scary but I knew I had to do it,” he said. “Something was pushing me from inside. I knew I would struggle for a while.”

Kennedy began doing standup when he got to Hollywood in 1990. He also began writing ‘Malibu’s Most Wanted,’ with a friend.

He wrote the movie from his perspective as a white kid growing up in a black neighborhood in Philadelphia.

“When I moved to L.A. all I saw was white kids talking all ghetto,” said Kennedy, whose idol is Robert Downey Jr., another actor that started out in comedy and transitioned to dramatic roles.

‘Scream’ was Kennedy’s biggest break, staring in all three movies as Randy Meeks. Scream 4 is ramping up production and some rumors have Kennedy reprising his role. But the actor said there is one problem with those rumors: “I am dead. But there are always rumors.”

His transition to television was big, getting his own show ‘The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” (JKX).

With its combination of candid camera and skit comedy, the show debuted in 2002 and was the highest rated new program on the Warner Brothers Network.

But not all the participants got the joke: “One guy took a swing at me and threw a putter at me. It was a lot of fun to make but it was crazy.”

By 2004 viewership had declined to the point that the show was canceled.

Kennedy’s most recent role was staring on the dramatic TV show “Ghost Whisperer” on CBS, where he played psychology professor Eli James. The show was recently canceled but might get picked up by ABC. Kennedy recently went through a very public break up with co-star Jennifer Love-Hewitt. But his birthday has put things in perspective.

“40 is a big one,” said Kennedy. “As long as people don’t think I look or act 40, it’s OK.”