Jon Cryer
| Jon Cryer | |
|---|---|
 Cryer at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011 |
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| Born | Jonathan Niven Cryer April 16, 1965 New York City |
| Occupation | Actor, writer, film director, film producer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | Sarah Trigger (1999–2004; 1 child) Lisa Joyner (2007–present; 1 child, adopted) |
Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink. In 1998, he finished writing and producing the independent film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five, which was well received.[1]
Even though Cryer gained subsequent fame by starring in these films, it took several years to find success on television; the shows in which he starred, (The Famous Teddy Z, Partners and The Trouble with Normal), did not last long. In 2003, he was cast as Alan Harper on the CBS hit comedy series Two and a Half Men, opposite Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher, for which Cryer was nominated six consecutive times (2006–2011) for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; winning the Emmy in 2009.[2][3] And eventually receiving a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in September 19, 2011.
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[edit] Early life
Cryer was born in New York. His mother, Gretchen Cryer (née Kiger), was a playwright, songwriter, actress, and singer, and his father, Donald David Cryer, was an actor/singer who originally studied to be a minister.[4][5][6] His paternal grandfather, Rev. Dr. Donald W. Cryer, was a well-known Methodist minister in the West Ohio Conference. He has two sisters, Robin and Shelley.[7] When he was twelve years old, he decided that he wanted to become an actor.[8] When his mother heard this, she thought he should have a backup plan, and joked, "Plumbing is a pretty good career."[7] Cryer attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center for several summers as a teenager[9] and is a 1983 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. He was classmates with screenwriter and film director Boaz Yakin.[10]
To his mother's "great disappointment", Cryer skipped college and went to London to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.[11]
[edit] Career
At age 19, Cryer appeared in the 1984 romantic comedy film No Small Affair, in the lead role as Charles Cummings.[12] He went on to have small roles in films and television movies, and he made his breakthrough as Phil "Duckie" Dale in the John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink.[13] In an interview with the Daily News, Cryer's mother said that after Pretty in Pink, she started getting calls from teenage girls from all over the world, who would leave hysterical, giggling messages on her answering machine.[7] Thanks to Pretty in Pink, Cryer slowly became more famous.[7] In 1989, he got the lead role in the TV comedy series, The Famous Teddy Z. His performance gained poor reviews[14] and the show was canceled after the first season.[14]
One year later, he starred with Charlie Sheen in the Jim Abrahams comedy Hot Shots!,[8] which was received very positively.[15] Cryer is frequently linked to the Brat Pack.[16] In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell, Cryer stated that he had auditioned for St. Elmo's Fire but was not cast in a role.[17] In 1993, he was asked to audition for the role of Chandler Bing on Friends, while doing a play in London. His reading was videotaped by a British casting agent but the tape failed to arrive in the U.S. before the network had made its final decision.[8]
In 1995, he was cast as Bob in the sitcom Partners, which, like his prior show The Famous Teddy Z, was canceled after its first season. In an interview with Time Out New York he stated, "Hey, every show I'm in goes down. Think about this: George Clooney was in 28 pilots, or something. It means nothing".[7] After guest starring on shows such as Dharma & Greg and The Outer Limits, he successfully wrote and produced the film, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five. It debuted in 1998 at the Los Angeles Film Festival and gained positive reviews from critics.[1] Leonard Maltin from Playboy Magazine called it "A breath of fresh air".[18] In 2000, he was cast as the lead in a comedy series called Trouble With Normal. For the third time, Cryer starred in a show which was canceled after its first season.[19]
Cryer's long run of unsuccessful TV projects finally ended three years later. Against the wishes of CBS executives (who were aware of his past failures), he was cast in 2003 to portray Alan Harper on the hit comedy series Two and a Half Men. To date, he has earned six Primetime Emmy Award[20] nominations and one win[2] for his acting work on the show.[3] In a comment on the show's high ratings, he said, "When you’re on a show that's fighting for survival every week, you stop trusting your instincts, because you think, ‘My instincts haven't worked so far.’ But when people clearly like the show and are watching it in great numbers, it takes a huge amount of pressure off you. It allows you to trust your instincts and go with what has worked for you before."[8] As of season 9 of Two and a Half Men, Cryer is the only actor to appear in every episode of the series. Before being cast for Two and a Half Men, Cryer auditioned for the role of Gaius Baltar on the Sci-Fi Channel's reimagined Battlestar Galactica, but the role went to James Callis.[21] In 2008, Cryer appeared with Laurence Fishburne and James Cromwell in the film Tortured,[22] and in 2009 co-starred with James Spader in the film Shorts.[23]
[edit] Political views
Cryer was reported to have supported McCain in 2008[24] but, according to Cryer’s spokeswoman Karen Sanfilippohis, “Jon is not a Republican." She added that "in 2008 he attended events for both parties. It seems the Republican Party was very quick to align him with their group of supporters. He did attend events for both parties, because he wanted to hear what both sides had to say. He’s not really political.”[25]
[edit] Personal life
Cryer married British-born actress Sarah Trigger in 1999, with whom he has a son, Charlie Austin.[7] The pair divorced in 2004.
In February 2007, on an episode of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, he announced that he would marry entertainment reporter Lisa Joyner; the couple married in Mexico[7] in June 2007.[26][27] On September 29, 2009, Jon and Lisa announced that they adopted a baby girl, whom they named Daisy.[28]
[edit] Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | No Small Affair | Charles Cummings | Debut |
| 1985 | Noon Wine | Teenage Herbert | TV movie |
| 1985 | O.C. and Stiggs | Randall Schwab Jr. | |
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink | Phil 'Duckie' Dale | |
| 1987 | Morgan Stewart's Coming Home | Morgan Stewart | |
| 1987 | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | Lenny Luthor | |
| 1987 | Dudes | Grant | |
| 1987 | Hiding Out | Andrew Morenski/Max Hauser | |
| 1988 | Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card | direct-to-video | |
| 1989 | Penn & Teller Get Killed | 3rd Frat Boy | |
| 1991 | Hot Shots! | Jim 'Wash Out' Pfaffenbach | |
| 1993 | The Waiter | Tommy Kazdan | |
| 1993 | Heads | Guy Franklin | TV movie |
| 1996 | The Pompatus of Love | Mark | also as writer |
| 1996 | Cannes Man | Himself | Cameo appearance |
| 1997 | Plan B | Stuart Winer | |
| 1998 | Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five | Daniel | also as writer and producer |
| 1998 | Holy Man | Barry | |
| 2000 | Clayton | ||
| 2001 | Glam | Jimmy Pells | |
| 2003 | The Metro Chase | Mr. Stamm | TV movie |
| 2008 | Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby | Richard Pig | Voice role |
| 2008 | Tortured | Brian | |
| 2009 | Weather Girl | Charles | completed |
| 2009 | Shorts | Dad Thompson | |
| 2009 | Stay Cool | Javier | |
| 2010 | Due Date | Alan Harper | cameo |
| 2013 | Planes | Dusty Crophopper | Voice Role In-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Phil | Episode: "Miscalculation" |
| 1989–1990 | The Famous Teddy Z | Teddy Zakalokis | |
| 1995–1996 | Partners | Bob | also as producer |
| 1996 | The Outer Limits | Trevor McPhee | Episode: "Vanishing Act" |
| 1997 | It's Good to Be King | Mort | |
| 1997 | Dharma & Greg | Brian | Episode: "Shower the People You Love with Love" |
| 1998 | Getting Personal | Sam Wagner | Episode: "Sam I am" Cryer also produced the series |
| 1998 | Hercules: The Animated Series | The Winged Wolves (voice) | Episode: "Hercules and the Underworld Takeover" |
| 1998 | Mr. Show with Bob & David | Duckie | Episode: "It's Perfectly Understandishable" |
| 1998 | Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place | Justin | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Thanksgiving" |
| 2000, 2010 | Family Guy | Kevin Swanson, Himself | Episodes: "There's Something About Paulie", "Brian Griffin's House of Payne" |
| 2000–2001 | The Trouble With Normal | Zack Mango | |
| 2002 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Lemuel Praeger | Episode: "Gimme a C" |
| 2002 | The Practice | Terry Pender | Episode: "Of Thee I Sing" |
| 2003 | Becker | Roger | Episode: "Chris' Ex" |
| 2003 | Hey Joel | Joel Stein (voice) | |
| 2003 | Stripperella | (voice) | |
| 2003–present | Two and a Half Men | Alan Harper | main cast member; directed three episodes between 2007–present Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2009) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (2011) |
| 2005, 2006 | Danny Phantom | Freakshow | Episodes: "Reality Trip" and "Control Freaks" |
| 2006 | American Dad! | Quacky (Parody of his Pretty in Pink character, Duckie.) | Episode: "It's Good to Be Queen" |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Alan Harper | Cameo |
| 2010, 2011 | Hannah Montana | Kenneth Truscott | Episodes: "The Wheel Near My Bed (Keeps on Turnin')" and "I Am Mamaw, Hear Me Roar!" |
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Went to Coney Island on a Mission From God... Be Back By Five (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/went_to_coney_island_on_a_mission_from_god_be_back_by_five/. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ a b Silverman, Stephen M. (2009-09-20). "Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Cryer Are Emmy Night's First Winners". People (People.com). http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20304925_20305842,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ a b "Jon Cryer Wins Emmy". Two and a Half Men Fan Site. 21 September 2009. http://2halfmen.com/story/232/Jon-Cryer-wins-Emmy/src=cat-3-1. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "Jon Cryer Biography (1965-)". Filmreference. http://www.filmreference.com/film/78/Jon-Cryer.html. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
- ^ Thompson, Donald Eugene (1981). Indiana authors and their books, 1967-1980. Wabash College. pp. 90. ISBN 9990440387.
- ^ Conn, Suzy (20 February 2005). "More on Gretchen Cryer". Blogway Baby. http://www.blogwaybaby.com/2005/02/more-on-gretchen-cryer.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Jon Cryer - Profile, Latest News and Related Articles". Notes. E! Online. http://www.eonline.com/celebrities/profile/index.jsp?uuid=6539c6ba-c9e8-4e14-a903-cb833f854618. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
- ^ a b c d Juba, Scott (26 March 2006). "Interview: Jon Cryer: Failed Friend Who Became a Man". The Trades. http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=4177. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ^ "Alumni". Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. http://www.stagedoormanor.com/. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ "5th Annual Report on Black/Jewish Relations in the United States". Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. 2001. http://www.ffeu.org/2000%20annual%20report%20for%20web.pdf. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ "In Step With: Jon Cryer". Parade (Parade.com). 18 April 2004. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2004/edition_04-18-2004/in_step_with_0. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (9 November 1984). "No Small Affair (1984)". The New York Times (NYTimes.com). http://movies.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=9E01E2D9143AF93AA35752C1A962948260. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ Bierly, Mandi (2006-08-23). "Don't You Forget About Duckie". Entertainment Weekly (ew.com). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1328652,00.html. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ a b Tucker, Ken (1990-05-25). "TV Review - The Famous Teddy Z". Entertainment Weekly (ew.com). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,317443,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
- ^ "Hot Shots! (1991)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1036179-hot_shots/. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ Lurie, Karen (2002). "Brat Pack". St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (Gale Group). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419200128. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ "Anytime with Bob Kushell feat. Jon Cryer". Anytime with Bob Kushell. 2009-03-17. No. 1, season 2.
- ^ "The Cover of Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five". HD Magazine. http://hdmag.cz/files/covers/went-to-coney-island-on-a-mission-from-god-be-back-by-five.jpg. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ Coleridge, Daniel R. (23 July 2003). "Sheen and Cryer: Sitcom Survivors". TV Guide (TVGuide.com). http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting={5C0E1B12-1F43-4C3D-926A-44A9D14730D2}. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ Jon Cryer Emmy Award Nominee
- ^ Adam B. Vary (20 March 2009). "The Beginning of the End: A 'Battlestar Galactica' Oral History". Entertainment Weekly (ew.com): p. 42. http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20265376,00.html#20595451. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Borys Kit (15 May 2007). "Cryer, Denton "Tortured" by thriller". Hollywood Reporter (Reuters). http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/05/15/film-tortured-dc-idUSN1535545820070515. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Hilton, Beth (2008-05-30). "Cryer, Spader join Rodriguez's 'Shorts'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a97096/cryer-spader-join-rodriguezs-shorts.html?imdb. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ Stephen Dinan and Ralph Z. Hallow (22 August 2008). "Hollywood conservatives to rally for McCain". http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/22/hollywood-conservatives-to-rally-for-mccain/. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Emily Goodin (17 November 2011). "Conservative celebs mostly not yet committed for 2012 presidential race". The Hill (thehill.com). http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/194173-conservative-celebs-mostly-not-yet-committed-for-2012. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ April MacIntyre (17 June 2007). "Jon Cryer marries Lisa Joyner". Monstersand Critics. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1318832.php. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Wang, Cynthia (13 April 2007). "Jon Cryer of Two and a Half Men to Wed in Summer". People (People.com). http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20035011,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ^ Gina DiNunno (29 September 2009). "Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner Adopt Baby Girl". TV Guide (TVGuide.com). http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jon-Cryer-Lisa-1010280.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jon Cryer |
- Jon Cryer Bio at CBS - Two and a Half Men
- Jon Cryer at the Internet Movie Database
- Jon Cryer at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jon Cryer at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Jon Cryer at AllRovi
- Jon Cryer interview on AOL
- TonyAwards.com Interview with Jon Cryer
- Jon Cryer at Emmys.com
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