Jon Favreau
☼ Born on 19 December 1966, in Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Initially an indie film favorite, actor Jon Favreau has progressed to strong mainstream visibility into the millennium and, after nearly two decades in the business, is still enjoying character stardom as well as earning notice as a writer/producer/director.
The amiable, husky-framed actor with the tight, crinkly hair was born in Queens, New York on October 19, 1966, the only child of Madeleine (Balkoff), an elementary school teacher, and Charles Favreau, a special education teacher. His father has French-Canadian, German, and Italian ancestry, and his mother was from a Russian Jewish family. He attended the Bronx High School of Science before furthering his studies at Queens College in 1984. Dropping out just credits away from receiving his degree, Jon moved to Chicago where he focused on comedy and performed at several Chicago improvisational theaters, including the ImprovOlympic and the Improv Institute. He also found a couple of bit parts in films.
While there, he earned another bit role in the film, Rudy (1993), and met fellow cast mate Vince Vaughn. Their enduring personal friendship would play an instrumental role in furthering both their professional careers within just a few years. Jon broke into TV with a role on the classic series, Seinfeld (1989) (as "Eric the Clown"). After filming rudimentary roles in the movies Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), Notes from Underground (1995) and Batman Forever (1995), he decided to do some risk taking by writing himself a
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nd friend Vaughn into what would become their breakthrough film. Swingers (1996), which he also co-produced, centers on Jon as a luckless, struggling actor type who is emotionally shattered after losing his girlfriend, but is pushed back into the L.A. social scene via the help of cool, worldly, outgoing actor/buddy Vaughn. These two blueprint roles went on to define the character types of both actors on film.
In 1997, Jon appeared favorably on several episodes of the popular TV sitcom, Friends (1994), as "Pete Becker", the humdrum but extremely wealthy suitor for Courteney Cox's "Monica" character, and also appeared to fine advantage on the Tracey Takes On... (1996) comedy series. He later took on the biopic mini-movie, Rocky Marciano (1999), portraying the prizefighter himself in a highly challenging dramatic role and received excellent reviews. Other engagingly offbeat "everyman" films roles came Jon's way -- the ex-athlete in the working class film, Dogtown (1997); a soon-to-be groom whose bachelor party goes horribly awry in the comedy thriller Very Bad Things (1998); a newlywed opposite Famke Janssen in Love & Sex (2000); a wild and crazy linebacker in The Replacements (2000); as Ben Affleck's legal partner in Daredevil (2003); and another down-and-out actor in The Big Empty (2003). He wrote and directed himself and Vaughn as two fellow boxers who involve themselves in criminal activity in Made (2001). Both he and Vaughn produced. He also directed the highly popular Will Ferrell comedy Elf (2003), in which he had a small part.
Jon went on to re-team favorably with his friend, Vince Vaughn, who enjoyed a meteoric rise into the comedy star ranks, in such light-weight features as The Break-Up (2006), Four Christmases (2008) and Couples Retreat (2009), the last of which he co-wrote with Vaughn.
Jon has made even greater strides as a writer, producer and/or director in recent years with the exciting mega-box office action-packed Iron Man (2008), starring Robert Downey Jr., and its sequels, Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013). Jon's character of "Happy Hogan" would be featured in a number of Marvel Comic adventures. Other offerings behind the scenes have included the adventure dramedy Chef (2014), in which he also starred in the title role; the revamped film version of The Avengers (2012) also starring Downey Jr., and it's sequels Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019); and the animated Disney features The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019) and the TV series The Chef Show (2019).
Favreau's marriage to Joya Tillem on November 24, 2000, produced son Max and two daughters, Madeleine and Brighton Rose. Joya is the niece of KGO (AM) lawyer and talk show host, Len Tillem. On the sly, the actor/writer/producer/director enjoys playing on the World Poker Tour.
In the role of actor
Deadpool & Wolverine (26/07/2024)
The merc with the mouth recruits a variant of Logan to help save his universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has given up life as the mercenary Deadpool and now works as a used car salesman with Peter (Rob Delaney). A surprise birthday party for Wade is interrupted when he is taken […]
Spider-Man: No Way Home (19/12/2021)
Spider-Man and Doctor Strange inadvertently open up the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The world of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turns upside down after J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) publicly reveals a video, where Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) reveals Peter’s secret identity as Spider-Man and frames him for Mysterio’s own death. This turns the world […]
The Lion King (21/07/2019)
The animated classic receives a photorealistic update with The Lion King. The son of Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Sarabi (Alfre Woodard), young Simba (JD McCrary) is destined to one day become the king of the Pride Lands. However, Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) plots to usurp the throne for his own, with the […]
Spider-Man: Far from Home (03/07/2019)
In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker tries to focus on his school vacation in Spider-Man: Far from Home. Reeling from the recent death of his mentor Tony Stark, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is ready to take a break from being Spider-Man and focus on his upcoming class trip to Europe, where he hopes […]
Solo: A Star Wars Story (26/05/2018)
The origins of Han Solo are told in Solo: A Star Wars Story. After escaping from a life of servitude on the planet Corellia, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) finds himself a member of the Imperial Army. It is there that he meets the Wookie Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), as well as the scoundrel Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who […]
Spider-Man: Homecoming (10/07/2017)
The webcrawler officially enters the Marvel cinematic universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After assisting Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) during Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is desperate to become a full-time Avenger. However, Stark would prefer than Peter focus on his high school studies. However, when he finds out that a criminal named Adrian Toomes […]
Deadpool (15/02/2016)
The “merc with a mouth” receives the big screen treatment in Deadpool. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a wise cracking mercenary, who finds love with the beautiful prostitute Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). However, Wade finds out that he has late-stage cancer, which results in him enrolling in a program headed by Ajax (Ed Skrein), who ends […]
The Wolf of Wall Street (29/12/2013)
The latest film by Martin Scorsese is loosely based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Wall Street stockholder who became a self-made millionaire, using less-than-legal tactics. Using the knowledge he learned from his mentor Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), Belfort is able to quickly make a lot of money by selling penny […]
The Wolverine (28/07/2013)
The most famous member of the X-Men returns for this Japan-set solo adventure. The Wolverine takes place a number of years after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and begins with Wolverine (High Jackman) having long since left the X-Men and is now living in seclusion, haunted by visions of the late Jean Grey […]
The Rep (23/05/2013)
In today’s world of the digital downloading and streaming, the concept of a repertory cinema probably sounds quite weird. It is a cinema, in which the sole purpose is to play old films that you have likely already seen. Most people would take a look at rep cinemas and ask “Why should I go this […]
Iron Man 3 (08/05/2013)
The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins with Iron Man 3. Taking place sometime after the events of last year’s The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been feeling the effects of PTSD and spends his time working on his Iron Man suits, while becoming increasing distant from girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth […]
I Love You, Man (21/03/2009)
For Paul Rudd‘s second leading role, he teams up with fellow Judd Apatow alumnus Jason Segel for this buddy comedy about male bonding. It seems that male-bonding or “bromance” is in these days (complete with an MTV reality show), so it was only natural that a movie be made. That said, the film would have […]
Four Christmases (06/12/2008)
Every year always adds at year one more holiday film to the large list that receive high rotation on TV at this film of the year. Of course, it’s a mixed bag, since for every Elf there is a Christmas with the Kranks. In the more high profile of the two holiday films opening this […]
Wall-E (09/07/2008)
Even though I missed the film when it came out a couple weeks ago, I finally managed to see Wall-E today. I would probably compare this film to The Incredibles in the fact that even though it is animated, it stands on its own as a sci-fi adventure in the same way The Incredibles stood […]
In the role of director
Buddy (23/04/2019)
The relationship between six guide dogs on their owners are explored in Buddy. Even though guide dogs are a necessary need of their owners, the connection that develops between the two are often deeper than any other relationship in their lives. Filmmaker Heddy Honigmann follows six guide dogs and what what they mean to their […]
Cowboys & Aliens (31/07/2011)
This is one of those films where everything that you need to know about it is in the title. The film is pretty much done as a straight-forward western, except for the fact that the villains just happen to be alien invaders. I think it’s this western/sci-fi genre-bending that makes the film so fun to […]
Iron Man 2 (09/05/2010)
There is nothing much that I can say about Iron Man 2 other than that it was an entertaining summer action film. There is always the pressure with film sequels to follow-up the original, however I am not going to nitpick on little details (like a slow middle act) and just say that I was […]
Iron Man (04/05/2008)
While some may consider Iron Man a secondary Marvel hero, I was already a fan thanks to an animated series from the mid-90s. This was definitely the most star-studded of the Marvel comic adaptations and that probably really helped the film. This film was a very fun ride from beginning to end and it really […]