Bio
Jon Favreau is an American actor, director, screenwriter, voice artist and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers (which he also wrote), Very Bad Things and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man, its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens.
His most prominent television role was that of Pete Becker, Monica Geller's boyfriend, during season three of the television sitcom Friends.
Initially an indie film favourite, Favreau has progressed to strong mainstream visibility into the millennium and is still enjoying character stardom as well as earning notice as a writer/producer/director.
Of Jewish and French/Italian descent, the amiable, husky-framed actor with the tight, crinkly hair was born in Queens, New York on October 19, 1966, the only child of two teachers. 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 theatres, 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 castmate 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 (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 favourably on several episodes of the popular TV sitcom Friends 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... 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 (1996); 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 favourably 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.
He also made great strides as a producer/director with the mega-box office action-packed Iron Man (2008), starring Robert Downey Jr. and its sequel, Iron Man 2 (2010).
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.