Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK remake (2010s decade)
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- Actor
- Soundtrack
Indian-American Neel Sethi was born on December 22, 2003, in New York City. He is a child actor who landed a break-out role as Mowgli in John Favreau's 2016 live-action version of the classic tale 'The Jungle Book'. He also starred in the short film 'Diwali' (2013).
He was selected for the role of Mowgli among thousands who auditioned across the globe. Also, he is the only real human character in The Jungle Book (2016), with everyone else providing voices for the beast characters.Mowgli- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bill Murray is an American actor, comedian, and writer. The fifth of nine children, he was born William James Murray in Wilmette, Illinois, to Lucille (Collins), a mailroom clerk, and Edward Joseph Murray II, who sold lumber. He is of Irish descent. Among his siblings are actors Brian Doyle-Murray, Joel Murray, and John Murray. He and most of his siblings worked as caddies, which paid his tuition to Loyola Academy, a Jesuit school. He played sports and did some acting while in that school, but in his words, mostly "screwed off." He enrolled at Regis College in Denver to study pre-med but dropped out after being arrested for marijuana possession. He then joined the National Lampoon Radio Hour with fellow members Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi. However, while those three became the original members of Saturday Night Live (1975), he joined Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell (1975), which premiered that same year. After that show failed, he later got the opportunity to join Saturday Night Live (1975), for which he earned his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series. He later went on to star in comedy films, including Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Tootsie (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Scrooged (1988), What About Bob? (1991), and Groundhog Day (1993). He also co-directed Quick Change (1990). Murray garnered additional critical acclaim later in his career, starring in Lost in Translation (2003), which earned him a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Ghostbusters, Rushmore (1998), Hyde Park on Hudson (2012), St. Vincent (2014), and the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014), for which he later won his second Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie.Baloo- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was a Kenyan-born medical doctor, of Gujarati Indian descent, and his mother, Anna Lyna Mary (Goodman), was an English actress. Ben began to act in stage plays during the 1960s. He soon became a successful stage actor, and also began to have roles in films and television. His birth name was Krishna Bhanji, but he changed his name to "Ben Kingsley" soon after gaining fame as a stage actor, fearing that a foreign name could hamper his acting career.
Kingsley first earned international fame for his performance in the drama movie Gandhi (1982). His performance as Mohandas K. Gandhi earned him international fame. He won many awards - including an Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won Golden Globe, BAFTA and London Film Critics' Circle Awards. After acting in Gandhi (1982), Ben was recognized as one of the finest British actors.
After his international fame for appearing in Gandhi (1982), Kingsley appeared in many other famous movies. His success as an actor continued. His performance as Itzhak Stern in the drama movie Schindler's List (1993) earned him a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actor. Schindler's List (1993) won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. During the late 1990s, Kingsley acted in many successful movies. He played Sweeney Todd in the television movie The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1997), for which he was nominated for the Screen Actors' Guild Award. His other notable role was as Otto Frank in the television movie Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001), for which he won the Screen Actors' Guild Award.
In 2002, Kingsley was appointed Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Years Honours for his services to drama. In 2013, he received the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Filmed Entertainment. That same year, he also received the Fellowship Award at the Asian Awards in London, England.Bagheera- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lead and supporting actor of the American stage and films, with sandy colored hair, and pale complexion. He won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Deer Hunter (1978), and has been seen in mostly character roles, often portraying psychologically unstable individuals, though that generalization would not do justice to Walken's depth and breadth of performances.
Walken was born in Astoria, Queens, New York. His mother, Rosalie (Russell), was a Scottish emigrant, from Glasgow. His father, Paul Wälken, was a German emigrant, from Horst, who ran Walken's bakery. Christopher learned his stage craft, including dancing, at Hofstra University & ANTA, and picked up a Theatre World award for his performance in the revival of the Tennessee Williams play "The Rose Tattoo". Walken then first broke through into cinema in 1969 appearing in Me and My Brother (1968), before appearing alongside Sean Connery in the sleeper heist movie The Anderson Tapes (1971). His eclectic work really came to the attention of critics in 1977 with his intense portrayal of Diane Keaton suicidal younger brother in Annie Hall (1977), and then he scooped the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1977 for his role as Nick in the electrifying The Deer Hunter (1978). Walken was lured back by The Deer Hunter (1978) director Michael Cimino for a role in the financially disastrous western Heaven's Gate (1980), before moving onto surprise audiences with his wonderful dance skills in Pennies from Heaven (1981), taking the lead as a school teacher with telepathic abilities in the Stephen King inspired The Dead Zone (1983) and then as billionaire industrialist Max Zorin trying to blow up Silicon Valley in the 007 adventure A View to a Kill (1985). Looking at many of Walken's other captivating screen roles, it is easy to see the diversity of his range and even his droll comedic talents with humorous appearances in Biloxi Blues (1988), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Joe Dirt (2001), Mousehunt (1997) and America's Sweethearts (2001). Most recently, he continued to surprise audiences again with his work as a heart broken and apologetic father to Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can (2002).King Louie- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped out. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre - thanks to a £1,500 Prince's Trust grant. To support himself between acting roles, he worked in jobs such as tyre-fitting, cold call advertising sales, and working night shifts at Ford Dagenham. He worked in nightclubs under the nickname DJ Big Driis at age 19, but began auditioning for television roles in his early-twenties.
His first acting roles were on the soap opera Family Affairs (1997), the television serial Ultraviolet (1998), and the medical drama Dangerfield (1995). His best known roles are as drug baron Russell "Stringer" Bell on the HBO series The Wire (2002), as DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther (2010), and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He later starred in the films Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Prom Night (2008), RocknRolla (2008), The Unborn (2009) and Obsessed (2009). He also appeared in the films American Gangster (2007), Takers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Beasts of No Nation (2015) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia (2016), Shere Khan in The Jungle Book (2016), and Fluke in Finding Dory (2016).
Idris Elba was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 New Years Honours for his services to drama.Shere Khan- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Her father is of Lebanese descent and her mother is of Mexican/Spanish ancestry. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theater, she decided she wanted to become an actress. At age 12, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, Louisiana. After attending Mexico City's prestigious university Universidad Iberoamericana, she felt ready to pursue acting seriously.
She soon landed the title role in Teresa (1989), a hugely successful soap opera which earned her the star status in her native Mexico. However, anxious to make films and to explore her talent as well as passion, she left both Teresa (1989) and Mexico in 1991. Heartbroken fans spread rumors that she was having a secret affair with Mexico's president and left to escape his wife's wrath. She made her way to Los Angeles. She approached Hollywood with naive enthusiasm and quickly learned that Latina actresses were typecast as the mistress maid or local prostitute. By late 1992, she had landed only small roles. She appeared on Street Justice (1991), The Sinbad Show (1993), Nurses (1991), and as a sexy maid on Dream On (1990). She also had only one line in My Crazy Life (1993). Feeling under-appreciated by Anglo filmmakers, she vented her frustrations on Paul Rodriguez's late-night Spanish-language talk show.
Robert Rodriguez and his wife Elizabeth Avellan happened to be watching and were immediately smitten with her. He soon gave her big break -- to star opposite Antonio Banderas in the cult classic Desperado (1995), bringing her into Hollywood prominence. The moviegoers were as dazzled with her as he had been. Afterwards, she was cast again by Rodriguez to star in the cult classic From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Her first star billing came later that year with Fools Rush In (1997) opposite Matthew Perry. It was a modest hit and her star continued to rise in both commercial and films such as Breaking Up (1997) with an unknown Russell Crowe, 54 (1998), Dogma (1999) and In the Time of the Butterflies (2001), the small artistic film which won her an ALMA award as best actress and the summer blockbuster Wild Wild West (1999). Her production company Ventanarosa produced the Mexican feature film El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (1999), which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and selected as Mexico's official Oscar entry for best foreign film.
The new millennium started out quietly as she prepared to produce and star in her dream role of Frida Kahlo, the legendary Mexican painter whom she had been admiring her entire life and whose story she wanted to bring to the big screen ever since she arrived in Hollywood. Frida (2002) was full of passion and enthusiasm, with performances from her and Alfred Molina as Kahlo's cheating husband Diego Rivera. It also featured an entourage of stars such as Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino.
It was a box office hit and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best actress for Hayek. It won awards for make-up and score by Elliot Goldenthal. Later that year, she expanded her horizons, directing The Maldonado Miracle (2003), which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, she starred in the finale of Rodriguez's Desperado trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), again opposite Banderas. She also starred in After the Sunset (2004) opposite Pierce Brosnan, and Ask the Dust (2006) opposite Colin Farrell. She then starred in Bandidas (2006), which also featured Penélope Cruz, and Lonely Hearts (2006) opposite Jared Leto.Kaa- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).Raksha - Mother Wolf- Actor
- Casting Department
Omid Abtahi was born on 12 July 1979 in Tehran, Iran. He is an actor, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015), Brothers (2009) and My Own Worst Enemy (2008).Sahi - Father Wolf- Music Department
- Actor
- Producer
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African-American opera singer mother from Alabama. His parents, working in Europe at the time of his birth, settled in Manhattan by the time he was 6, and that's where he grew up.
Coming from a theatrical background, it was, perhaps, inevitable that young Giancarlo would appear on stage sooner or later, and he did, at age 8, appearing on Broadway as a slave child in "Maggie Flynn" in 1966.
More Broadway work followed through the 1960s and early '70s, followed by some small roles in movies. TV work followed in the 1980s, with increasingly significant parts in a string of high-profile series until he became well-established as a character player both on TV and in a number of movies.
He came very much to the public's attention playing Agent Mike Giardello in the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) in 1998 and since then has rarely been off our screens.Akela- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Russell Peters was born on 29 September 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Source Code (2011), New Year's Eve (2011) and Hip-Hop Evolution (2016).Rocky- Casting Director
- Producer
- Casting Department
Sarah Finn was born on 1 February 1965 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a casting director and producer, known for Crash (2004), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).casting director- Cinematographer
- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Pope was born on 19 June 1952 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. He is a cinematographer and director, known for The Matrix (1999), The Jungle Book (2016) and Bound (1996). He is married to Sharon Oreck. They have one child.cinematographer- Editorial Department
- Editor
- Sound Department
Mark Livolsi was born on 10 April 1962 in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He was an editor, known for Wedding Crashers (2005), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The Blind Side (2009). He was married to Maria Livolsi. He died on 23 September 2018.editor- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Throughout his legendary career, composer John Debney has seen himself in equal demand for holiday classics such as Hocus Pocus and Elf, tentpoles like Iron Man 2, The Jungle Book, and The Greatest Showman, and the powerful epic The Passion of the Christ, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. Debney's key to success is his immense versatility, composing for comedies (Bruce Almighty, Liar, Liar), action (Predators, The Scorpion King), horror (End of Days, Dream House), romance (Marry Me, Valentine's Day), and family films (Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) with the same confidence and panache. Debney is also known for his work in such films as Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Sin City, Spy Kids, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, No Strings Attached, The Emperor's New Groove, Chicken Little, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ice Age: Collision Course, Isn't It Romantic, Come Away, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Home Sweet Home Alone, and The Beach Bum.
His more recent projects include Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids: Armageddon for Netflix, Paramount Pictures' Tom Brady-produced 80 for Brady, Apple+ and Skydance Animation's Luck, Universal's Jennifer Lopez starrer Marry Me, and Disney+'s Hocus Pocus 2.
Upcoming projects include Kevin Costner's 2-part western epic Horizon: An American Saga for New Line Cinemas, Columbia Pictures' animation Garfield starring Chris Pratt, Paramount Pictures' Under the Boardwalk, Netflix's In Your Dreams, and Amazon Prime's Space Cadet.
Born in Glendale, California, Debney studied music composition at the California Institute of the Arts, and afterward began his career orchestrating and composing scores for Walt Disney Studios and various television series. He won his first Emmy Award in 1990 for the main theme for western series The Young Riders, and has since won three additional Emmy Awards and received nominations for a total of seven, with his latest being Disney+'s smash hit Hocus Pocus 2 in 2023. Debney has also worked with industry titan Seth MacFarlane on numerous episodes of his sci-fi space series The Orville, utilizing nearly 100-piece orchestras to record his bombastic adventure scores. His first foray into video game scoring, Sony's 2007 medieval adventure Lair, resulted in a BAFTA nomination and a Best Videogame Score award from The International Film Music Critics Association.
Debney has collaborated with acclaimed directors as diverse as Jon Favreau, Kevin Costner, Robert Rodriguez, David E. Talbert, Harmony Korine, Kat Coiro, Brenda Chapman, Mel Gibson, Peggy Holmes, the late Garry Marshall, Adam Shankman, Kenny Ortega, and the late Ivan Reitman. In 2005, he was the youngest recipient of ASCAP's Henry Mancini Career Achievement Award.music score- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Van Dyke Parks was born on 3 January 1943 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for The Brave Little Toaster (1987), The Departed (2006) and Heathers (1988).music producer- Set Decorator
- Art Department
- Director
Amanda Moss Serino is known for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and The Mandalorian (2019).set decorator- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Producer
Laura Jean (LJ) SHANNON (Specialty Costume Designer / Associate Producer)
Laura Jean Shannon or LJ, as she is known by her peers, is currently serving as the Super Hero/Specialty Costume Designer as well as Associate Producer for the smash hit, THE BOYS based on Garth Ennis' Graphic novels for Amazon and Sony, as well as the much anticipated spin off GEN V.
In the past six years, LJ has carved a niche out with her amazing team, designing and building Superheroes, Villains, Robots and Creatures of all kinds. Their work can be seen in practically built mechanized, illuminated and fully functional creations on hit shows including, BLACK LIGHTNING,TITANS, DOOM PATROL and STARGIRL for DC comics and Warner Brothers.
LJ has enjoyed helping realize the vision for several other TV projects including the feminist period drama GOOD GIRLS REVOLT, the Science Fiction anthology PHILLIP K. DICK: ELECTRIC DREAMS and the pilots for PREACHER and FUTUREMAN.
Shannon's recent film credits include: RED ONE and JUMANJI, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, directed by Jake Kasdan as well as JUNGLE BOOK, CHEF and IRON MAN, all directed by Jon Favreau. The latter earned Shannon a nomination for The Costume Design Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film Design.
Other films she has designed include: TWO GUNS, directed by Baltazar Kormakur, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, directed by Edgar Wright; and many more.
Shannon's work has a wide range. She began her career in NYC designing indie cult classics such as REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, directed by Darren Aronofsky; THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS, directed by Rose Troche and MADE, directed by Jon Favreau. Over the years she has had the pleasure of designing many genres including family favorites like ZATHURA and ELF, which afforded Shannon a spot on the prestigious costume exhibition "50 Designers/50 Costumes: Concept to Character," curated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Shannon enjoys working all over the globe and calls a farm in central New York her home, which she shares with her wonderful family, furry, feathered and flesh.costume designer- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Director
David H. Venghaus Jr. is known for Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Minority Report (2002) and Jungle Cruise (2021).first assistant director- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
- Production Manager
second assistant director- Visual Effects
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Robert Legato was born on 6 May 1956 in Ocean Township, New Jersey, USA. He is an assistant director and director, known for Titanic (1997), Apollo 13 (1995) and Hugo (2011).second unit director / visual effects supervisor- Art Department
- Art Director
Richard F. Mays is known for Iron Man (2008), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).set designer- Art Department
- Actress
Sara Escamilla is known for Battle of the Sexes (2017), The Jungle Book (2016) and MacGruber (2021).graphic designer- Art Department
- Visual Effects
Jonathan Bach is known for The Jungle Book (2016), Jurassic World (2015) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).concept art- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Production Designer
Annis Naeem is known for Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019).illustrator- Art Department
- Producer
- Animation Department
David Lowery was born on 10 April 1959 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer, known for War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Iron Man (2008) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011).storyboard/s- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
Christopher Boyes is known for Avatar (2009), King Kong (2005) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).sound designer- Sound Department
- Music Department
Frank E. Eulner was born in 1963. He is known for Iron Man (2008), The Jungle Book (2016) and Jurassic Park III (2001).supervising sound editor- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Lora Hirschberg is known for Inception (2010), The Dark Knight (2008) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).sound re-recording mixer- Sound Department
- Producer
- Director
Ron Judkins is a producer and director, known for Jurassic Park (1993), Minority Report (2002) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).sound mixer- Special Effects
J.D. Schwalm is known for First Man (2018), The Fate of the Furious (2017) and The Jungle Book (2016).special effects supervisor- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roberto De Angelis was born on 27 July 1970 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Ferrari (2023), Baby Driver (2017) and Ambulance (2022).camera operator- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
- Writer
Glen Wilson is known for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), The Devil All the Time (2020) and Harriet (2019).still photographer- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Additional Crew
Sarah Lee-Taylor is known for Iron Man (2008), Chef (2014) and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017).costume supervisor- Publicist
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Gregg Brilliant has served a number of acclaimed filmmakers, contributing to film and television campaigns for all genres ranging from highly successful studio tentpoles and franchises to independent projects.
Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, Brilliant began his career after moving to Los Angeles, landing an internship with Paramount Pictures while studying journalism and film at university. Over the next two decades, he elevated to publicity vice president, involved with hundreds of successful launches and release campaigns. In 2006, Twentieth Century Fox appointed Gregg, vice president, corporate communications & publicity. In 2010, he branched out to specialize as a unit production publicist, where he has since compiled an extensive list of credits collaborating with the publicity and marketing teams for companies such as Walt Disney Studios and Disney+, Lucasfilm, Amblin, Netflix, Warner Bros, Sony, Universal Pictures, Paramount, BRON Studios, Lionsgate, and more.unit publicist- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Producer
Michael Rooney was born on 30 March 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) and Kylie Minogue: Can't Get You Out of My Head (2001).choreographer- Location Management
- Producer
- Production Manager
Peter M. Tobyansen was born in 1957. He is a producer and production manager, known for The Jungle Book (2016), Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Avatar (2009).executive producer- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Steve Kloves was born on 18 March 1960 in Austin, Texas, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Wonder Boys (2000) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).producer- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Justin Marks was born on 27 April 1980 in Harris, Texas, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Top Gun: Maverick (2022), The Jungle Book (2016) and Shōgun (2024). He is married to Rachel Kondo.writer- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
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 and 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.director