Jonathan Favreau is a well-known American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his roles in films like The Replacements (2000), Daredevil (2003), Couples Retreat (2009), and Chef (2014). He has also directed films like Elf (2003), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), The Jungle Book (2016), and The Lion King (2019). Favreau is globally recognized due to his presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he directed the films Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010). He also played the role of Harold Happy Hogan in both films. He has served as an executive producer for The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In 2019, he also started to co-host and produce for Netflix, a cooking show, called The Chef Show. He supports non-profit organizations like Catalina Island Conservancy, Children’s Defense Fund, Got Your 6, and Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation.
Sun Sign
Libra
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Favreau attended Hebrew school and then graduated from The Bronx High School, in 1984. Post his schooling, he attended Queens College from 1984 to 1987. He worked for a short while on Wall Street before returning to Queens College. He attended a semester in early 1988. But, he eventually dropped out, a few credits short of completing his degree.
Manager
He is represented by Slate PR, Public Relations Agency, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Girlfriend / Spouse
Jon has dated –
- (1995-1996) – Jon had a short-lived fling with actress Heather Graham from 1995 to 1996. They had met during the filming of the 1996-released film Swingers.
- Joya Tillem (2000-Present) – Jon married physician Joya Tillem in 2000. The couple has a son named Max and 2 daughters, named Madeleine and Brighton Rose.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Curly, Brown Hair
- Bespectacled
- Often sports a Goatee
- Plump, Oval Face
Best Known For
- His acting in movies like Swingers, Chef, and Rocky Marciano
- His direction of movies such as Elf, Cowboys & Aliens, Iron Man, Zathura, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King
First Film
Jon’s first theatrical film appearance was in a very minor role, as a taxi driver, in the 1992 film Folks!
Jon’s feature film directorial debut was the movie Made in 2001.
First TV Show
Jon made his first TV show appearance as Eric the Clown in Seinfeld in 1994.
As a director, he debuted with the episode Eric’s POV in the sitcom Undeclared in 2002.
Personal Trainer
In 2007, Jon lost 85 pounds in just 8 months, to achieve his target of 205 pounds. He stuck to a 1,200-calorie-a-day modified diet. His wife, Joya, a doctor of internal medicine, helped him with the customized diet plan.
Jon Favreau Favorite Things
- Book – Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’
- Comedians – and Larry David
Source –
Jon Favreau Facts
- As of 2019, Jon enjoys playing on the World Poker Tour.
- In 1988, after dropping out of college, he moved to Chicago with the objective of pursuing a career in comedy. He performed at several Chicago theaters, including the ImprovOlympic and the Improv Institute.
- In Chicago, he landed his first major film role, when he was cast as football tutor D-Bob in Rudy (1993). He then moved to Los Angeles to extend his career and eventually made his breakthrough as an actor-screenwriter with the film Swingers (1996).
- Jon produces films under his production banner, Fairview Entertainment.
- He met actor when both secured supporting roles in the film Rudy (1993). The two became close friends and collaborated on many film projects thereafter.
- In 2005, he appeared as a guest judge on reality TV business show, The Apprentice, which was hosted by . His task was to choose from 2 teams who were tasked with designing and building a float to publicize his movie Zathura: A Space Adventure.
- He credits the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with influencing him in terms of storytelling, imagination, creativity and building tone and balance in his films.
- In August 2019, Favreau was named a “Disney Legend” at the 2019 D23 Expo for his outstanding contributions to The Walt Disney Company.
- He voiced the character Pre Vizsla, in some episodes of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- In 2017, Jon directed the pilot episode of Young Sheldon, a spin-off of the globally popular sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.
- From 2001 to 2005, he hosted a talk show titled Dinner for Five, on the Independent Film Channel, where he chatted with 4 guests from showbiz, over dinner.
- In 1997, Jon had a recurring role as Pete Becker for 6 episodes, the love interest of , on the series Friends.
- He hails Rob Reiner as an inspiration, for his ability to switch seamlessly from acting to directing or producing.
- In 2019, PETA sponsored a rescued lion named Louie to honor Jon Favreau’s decision to use computer-generated imagery to create the animals in The Lion King. Louie was taken from his mother as a cub and forced to perform in film and television productions.
Featured Image by Eva Rinaldi / / CC BY-SA 2.0
Facts of Jonathan Kolia Favreau
- Gender Male
- full nameJonathan Kolia Favreau
- middle nameKolia
- nicknamesFavs, Johnny Hack
- birthplaceFlushing, Queens, New York, United States
- Date of Birth October 19, 1966
- Age 57 years 11 months
- Horoscope Libra
- Lucky Number 6
- Lucky Stone Peridot
- Lucky Color Blue
- Best Match for Marriage Gemini
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundRussian and Italian and French-Canadian
- nationalityAmerican
- net worth$100 Million
- professionActor, Director, Screenwriter, Producer
- weight89 kg or 196 lbs
- height6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm
- hair colorDark Brown
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildAverage
- high schoolThe Bronx High School
- collegeQueens College
- motherMadeleine Favreau
- fatherCharles Favreau
- favorite booksAnthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’