Jon Favreau Biography
Summary
"Jonathan K. Favreau" (born on October 19, 1966) is an American actor and director.
Biography
Early life
Favreau was born in Flushing, New York to Charles Favreau, a special education teacher, and Madeleine, a schoolteacher who died of leukemia in 1978. His father was an Italian American Catholic and his mother was Jewish. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1984 and attended Queens College from 1984 to 1987, before dropping out. He briefly worked for Bear Stearns on Wall Street before returning to Queens College for a semester in early 1988. He dropped out of college for good (a few credits shy of completing his degree) , and in the summer of 1988, he moved to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy. He performed at several Chicago improvisational theaters, including the ImprovOlympic and the Improv Institute.
Career
While in Chicago, Favreau landed his first film role alongside Sean Astin as the pudgy tutor D-Bob in the classic sleeper hit "Rudy" (1993). Favreau met Vince Vaughn—who also played a small role in this film—during shooting. The next year, he appeared in the college film "PCU" alongside Jeremy Piven, and also stepped into the world of television in the 1994 episode of "Seinfeld" titled The Fire as Eric the Clown. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he made his breakthrough in 1996 as an actor-screenwriter with the film "Swingers", which was Vaughn's breakthrough role as the glib and extremely confident Trent Walker, a perfect foil to Favreau's heartbroken Mike Peters. In 1997 he appeared on popular TV sitcom "Friends" as Pete Becker, whom Monica dates for several episodes.
He rejoined Piven in 1998 as part of "Very Bad Things" (1998), and later appeared in "Love & Sex" (2000), co-starring Famke Janssen. Favreau got some screen time as lawyer Foggy Nelson in the 2003 movie "Daredevil" (2003) (considerably more in the Director's Cut version). Earlier, Favreau appeared in 2000's "The Replacements" as maniacal linebacker Daniel Bateman. He was a guest-director for an episode of the college dramedy "Undeclared" in 2001.
In 2000, he played himself in a "Sopranos" episode as a Hollywood director who feigns interest in developing mob associate Christopher Moltisanti's execrable screenplay
in order to collect material for his own screenplay.
In 2001, he made his (film) directorial debut with another self-penned screenplay, "Made". "Made" once again teamed him up with his "Swingers" co-star Vince Vaughn but was generally perceived as lacking the spark that made "Swingers" such a big hit. In the fall of 2003, he scored his first financial success as a director of the hit comedy "Elf" starring Will Ferrell. Also in 2003, Favreau had a small part in 'Something's Gotta Give' (a film starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson); Favreau played Leo, a friend of Harry Sanborn (Nicholson) who visited Harry in the hospital. Among Favreau's latest projects, he has directed the film adaptation of "Zathura" (2005). Never to turn his back on acting, Favreau still makes regular appearances in film and television. He recently reunited with friend Vince Vaughn in the much-hyped hit romantic comedy "The Break-Up" and appeared in "My Name Is Earl" as a reprehensible fast food manager.
Favreau also has a TV series called "Dinner for Five" which airs on the cable TV channel IFC. On April 28, 2006, it was announced that Favreau was signed to direct the long awaited "Iron Man" movie. Favreau was the third director attached to "John Carter of Mars", the film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' swashbuckling space hero. Robert Rodriguez and Kerry Conran were previously attached within the last two years. Mark Protosevich and Ehren Kruger have both written drafts. "The Marshal in Revelation" has been in development since "Swingers" was released. It's a western about a Hasidic gunslinger. At one time both Favreau and Vince Vaughn were to co-direct. "Neanderthals" is a CG animated film that Favreau will write and produce. "Johnny Zero" will cover the birth of the hot rod movement following World War II. Favreau will write and direct. "Iron Man" is the first Marvel-produced movie under their alliance with Paramount, and Favreau is listed as the director and an executive producer.
Personal life
Favreau married Joya Tillem in November 24, 2000. The couple have three children, a son, Max, born July 25, 2001, and two daughters, Madelaine, born April 2003 and Brighton Rose, born August 2006.
Favreau also plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the Cancer Care charity.
Filmography
Director
"Made" (2001)
"Elf" (2003)
"Zathura" (2005)
"Iron Man" (2008)
Writer
"Swingers" (1996)
External links
Q Magazine (The magazine for Queens College alumni and friends) (Fall 2006)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Jon Favreau.
