Jonathan Michael "Jon" Lovitz (born July 21, 1957) is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.
Early life
Lovitz was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was a doctor. His family is Jewish (they immigrated from Romania, Hungary, and Russia). Lovitz graduated with a theater degree in 1979 from the University of California at Irvine and then studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop. He became a member of The Groundlings comedy troupe, where he befriended his future SNL fellow Phil Hartman.
Career
Saturday Night Live
Lovitz was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990. He later said in an interview for the book Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live that his time on SNL was the most memorable in his career. He went from having no money to being offered a $500,000 movie contract. He was nominated for an Emmy Award his first two years on Saturday Night Live. One of his most notable SNL characters was "Tommy Flanagan, The Pathological Liar" who used the old catchphrase "Yeah! That's the ticket!" as he, after visible effort, finally finished constructing his latest lie. The line was previously said by Humphrey Bogart. Some of his other recurring characters included Annoying Man, Master Thespian, Tonto, Mephistopheles, Harvey Fierstein, and Michael Dukakis. In a 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live he played a virgin Trekkie, who was scripted to hang his head when asked by William Shatner if he had ever kissed a girl.
Hanukkah Harry, one of his most memorable roles, cast him in 1989 as a Jewish contemporary of Santa Claus who lives on Mount Sinai and travels the globe with a cart flown by three donkeys to give bland gifts to Jewish boys and girls. Harry is asked to fill in when Santa falls ill on Christmas Eve.
Television series
Lovitz '​s first stint as a regular in a situation comedy was as Mole, an investigator for a New York City district attorney '​s office, in the short-lived 1985â€"86 series Foley Square, starring Margaret Colin.
Voiceover work
Lovitz has lent his voice to several cartoons and films. In the series The Critic, he played the title character of Jay Sherman (using his regular speaking voice). He has made several appearances on The Simpsons, including as Marge's prom date Artie Ziff in "The Way We Was," the art teacher in "Brush with Greatness," theater director Llewellyn Sinclair and his sister who owned a daycare center in "A Streetcar Named Marge," Andre in "Homer's Triple Bypass," and numerous other appearances (including the character of Jay Sherman in the episode A Star Is Burns, which was a crossover with The Critic). He was also the voice of Radio in the Hyperion-produced, Disney-distributed animated movie The Brave Little Toaster and he lent his voice for a promo video for the video game Banjo-Kazooie.
Music
Jon Lovitz performed a duet with Robbie Williams on Williams' 2001 album Swing When You're Winning, in the song "Well, Did You Evah."
Film roles, cameos and television guest appearances
In the late 1990s, Lovitz was "the man who wrote the Yellow Pages," in a series of commercials and print ads for the American Yellow Pages industry. He also appeared in ads for Subway.
He had a cameo in the movie Matilda, as Million Dollar Sticky Man.
His first starring role was in Mom and Dad Save the World as the film's antagonist Emperor Tod Spengo. He later starred in the film High School High, this time as the protagonist.
He also had an uncredited cameo as a rival crooner to Adam Sandler in the movie The Wedding Singer and had a small role in another of Sandler's movies, Little Nicky.
He was a supporting character in "Mr. Destiny" with James Belushi.
Lovitz also appeared on Friends twice. He first appeared in the Season 1 episode "The One with the Stoned Guy" as a restaurateur who gets stoned on marijuana just prior to interviewing Monica Geller for a job. He reappeared years later in the season 9 episode "The One with the Blind Dates," where it is revealed that he lost his restaurant due to a drug problem.
Lovitz guest-starred as himself in The Larry Sanders Show episode "Larry Loses a Friend."
He appeared on Seinfeld as Gary Fogel, a man who lies about having cancer ("The Scofflaw") and later dies in a car accident.
In 1991 Lovitz appeared in the season six episode of Married... with Children entitled "Kelly Does Hollywood part 2" as sleazy Hollywood producer Mr. Littlehead.
In 1992, Lovitz portrayed crusty baseball scout Ernie Capadino in "A League Of Their Own".
In 1994, Lovitz appeared in "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" as the strange brother of Billy Crystal.
In 1998, Lovitz made a dramatic turn when he appeared in a small but pivotal role in Todd Solondz's film Happiness as a depressed, socially inept man who publicly berates his date for thinking of him as nothing. His insults set the tone for her character throughout the film.
Lovitz guest-starred twice on NewsRadio as two separate characters before becoming a cast member in the show's final season. In the final season, he played Max Louis, the news radio announcer who replaced Phil Hartman's Bill McNeal.
Lovitz played Randy in Rat Race. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of Just Shoot Me! as a man married to Nina. He appeared on Two and a Half Men in 2006 as a jingle writer named Archie. He had multiple guest appearances on Las Vegas as Fred Puterbaugh, up to the end of the second series. Lovitz also appeared in the second The Producers film (2005), as Mr. Marks.
In 2010, he appeared as the Raw Guest Host on the May 24 episode of WWE Raw.
On Feb. 15 2015, on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, he was referenced to be dead twice, with the camera cutting to him each time to show his reaction.
Broadway theatre
He has appeared on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party, taking over the lead role from Henry Winkler. He sang at Carnegie Hall three times (including Great Performances' Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall) and sang the national anthem at Dodger Stadium and the U.S. Open.
On October 10, 2001, Lovitz sang a duet (with Robbie Williams) of the song "Well, Did You Evah!" at the Royal Albert Hall. The recording can be found on the Swing When You're Winning album.
Commercial work
In 2006 he became the spokesman in an advertising campaign for the Subway restaurant chain.
Stand-up comedy
In 2003, Lovitz began his stand up career at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California.
The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club
On November 8, 2007, Lovitz had the grand opening for his new comedy club "The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Aubergine" in the Gaslamp District in San Diego, California, sponsored by RR-Ex. The club has played host to David Spade, Ralphie May, Carlos Mencia, Dana Carvey, Jo Koy, Eric Schwartz, Norm Macdonald, Joe Rogan, Russell Peters, Kevin Nealon, Jon Stewart, and Ryan Robinson.
There is also a second Jon Lovitz Comedy Club location on Universal CityWalk in Universal Studios Hollywood. A comic short film starring Ken Davitian ('Borat') and featuring Lovitz was filmed there, directed by Emmy nominee Brent Roske and written by Aaron Davitian. Weekly episodes of The Adam Carolla Show, a podcast hosted by comedian Adam Carolla, have been recorded at the City Walk location since early 2011.
The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in Universal Studios Hollywood is home to the first ever MMA Roast / MMA Roasted stand up comedy show in 2009. Admirable Mixed Martial Arts Fighters including UFC Legend Kimo Leopoldo were recognized with good-humor for their outstanding accomplishments while being ridiculed in a heartwarming fashion.
The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theatre
On May 29, 2011, the name was changed from The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club to The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theatre. A premiere event called, Podammit was held, in which Kevin Smith hosted a variety of six podcasts, including Plus One 3D with his wife, Jennifer Schwalbach, Hollywood Babble-On with Ralph Garman and Jay & Silent Bob Get Old with Jason Mewes, as well as The ABCs of SNL with Jon Lovitz himself, a 6-episode 'This Is Your Life' style biographical interview about Lovitz's life and career. On April 22, 2013, Smith announced through Twitter that the podcasts would no longer be recorded at the Club after a falling out with Lovitz. The Club still periodically hosts other podcasts such as Rob Paulsen's Talkin' Toons (which subsequently left in October 2013). On June 15, 2013, Smith detailed the falling out in a podcast. The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theater closed on November 5, 2014.
Filmography
Television
Other work
- Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget (2008) - Himself
- Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen (2011) - Himself
- Cranium Command (1989) - Right Brain
- The Critic (webisodes) (2000â€"2001) - Jay Sherman
Awards
References
External links
- Jon Lovitz at the Internet Movie Database
- Jon Lovitz at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jon Lovitz on Myspace
