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Jonathan Freeman (actor)

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Jonathan Freeman
Born (1950-02-05) February 5, 1950 (age 74)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materOhio University
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, voice actor, puppeteer, comedian
Years active1972–present
Notable workPuppeteer for Tito Swing on Shining Time Station
Voice of Jafar in Disney's Aladdin and its first direct-to-video sequel

Jonathan Freeman (born February 5, 1950) is an American actor, singer, voice actor, puppeteer, and comedian, known for voicing Jafar in Disney's Aladdin franchise, as well as the Kingdom Hearts franchise and the 2011 Aladdin Broadway musical.

Early life

Freeman was born in Cleveland, Ohio on February 5, 1950. He graduated from Ohio University.

Career

As well as being the voice of Jafar in Aladdin, Freeman is also known for being the puppeteer for Tito Swing of the Jukebox Band (Flexitoon Puppets) on the PBS series Shining Time Station.

In 1994, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in She Loves Me. Additionally, he appeared in the Broadway revival productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Producers, On the Town, and 42nd Street, during which his caricature was drawn for Sardi's restaurant in 2002.[1]

Freeman can be heard on the 1997 Varèse Sarabande studio recording of the flop 1965 musical Drat! The Cat!.

He was also seen on stage as Cogsworth in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and originated the role of Grimsby in Disney's Broadway production of The Little Mermaid.[2]

Freeman began his run starring as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins on December 12, 2009.[3]

Freeman reprises his role as Jafar on stage in the new musical adaptation of Aladdin, which played at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre from July 7–31, 2011.[4] He is currently reprising the role in the Broadway production, which opened in March 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre,[5] and he is the only actor from the original cast of the animated film to do so.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1987 Forever, Lulu Don
1988 Homeboy Hotel Room Man
1990 A Shock To The System Decorator
1992 Aladdin Jafar
1994 The Return of Jafar
1996 The Associate Hockey Game Executive
1997 The Ice Storm Ted Franklin
2007 The Hoax Thick Voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1989 K.I.D.S. TV News D.J. McCaw
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Waiter #2 Episode: "Here's a Cute Way to Wrap up the Holiday Season"
1989–1995 Shining Time Station Tito Swing
1990 Mathnet Joshua Episode: "The Case of the Unkidnapping"
Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift Tito Swing (TV movie)
1995 Aladdin on Ice Jafar (voice) (TV movie) (uncredited)
1996–1998 Remember WENN Rollie Pruitt Episodes: "Christmas in the Airwaves"
"Who's Scott Sherwood?"
"The New Actor"
"The Importance of Being Betty"
"Happy Homecomings"
"Some Time, Some Station"
1998 Hercules Jafar (voice) Episode: "Hercules and the Arabian Night"
2001–2003 House of Mouse Episodes: "The Stolen Cartoons"
"Donald's Lamp Trade"
"Max's Embarrassing Date"
"The Mouse who Came to the Dinner"
"Where's Minnie?"
"Donald and the Aracuan Bird"
"House of Crime"
"House of Magic"
"Pete's House of Villains"
"Pete's Christmas Caper"
"Halloween with Hades"
2003–2006 Lilo and Stitch: The Series Vox Unknown Episode
2005–2006 American Dragon: Jake Long Eli Excelsior Pandarus
Jack Frost (voice)
Episodes: "The Heist"
"Eye of the Beholder"
"A Befuddled Mind"
2008 Gossip Girl Butler Episode: "The Ex-Files"
2006–2009 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Mr. Marty Krebs
Wallace Thayer
Episodes: "Identity Crisis"
"The Healer"
2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Bobby Smith Episode: "Merchandise"
2011 Too Big to Fail Senator Richard Shelby (TV movie)
Submissions Only Greg Bonomelli Episode: "The Miller/Hennigan Act"

Video games

Year Title Role
1994 Aladdin Activity Center Jafar (voice)
2001 Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge
2002 Kingdom Hearts
2005 Kingdom Hearts II
2007 Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+
2010 Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

Theatre work

Broadway credits

Off Broadway credits

  • Of Thee I Sing as Senator Lyons (City Center Encores)
  • Finian's Rainbow as Finian (Irish Repertory)
  • A Class Act as Lehman (Manhattan Theatre Club)
  • An Empty Plate In The Cafe Du Grand Boeuf as Claude (Primary Stages)
  • Sail Away as Joe (Carnegie Hall)
  • Wall To Wall as Frank Loesser (Symphony Space)
  • Li'l Abner as Dr. Rasmussen (City Center Encores)
  • On The Town as Pitkin W. Bridgework (Public Theater/Delacourte)
  • In A Pig's Valise as Zoot/Gut (Second Stage)
  • Claptrap as Harvey (Manhattan Theater Club)
  • Bertrano as Louie/Momo (Primary Stages)
  • Confessions Of Billie as Conrad Gerhardt (Performing Garage)
  • Thirteen Days To Broadway as Cy (890 Studios)
  • Babes In Arms as Steve (Playwrights' Horizon)
  • Pinocchio as Fire Eater (Marionette Theater)
  • The Miser as Cleante (Greenwich Mews)
  • Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme as Dancing Master

Regional/Stock credits

Soundtrack

Year Artist/Writer Song Film Role
1989 Kevin Roth "Cosher Bailey's Engine"
"Camptown Races"
"Jesse James"
"Celito Lindo"
"No Business like Show Business"
"Polly Wolly Doodle"
"The Desperado"
"Home on the Range"
"Jamaican Farewell"
"Born on the Fourth of July"
Shining Time Station Tito Swing
1990 Lydia Maria Child "'Tis A Gift" Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift
1992 Alan Menken & Howard Ashman "Prince Ali Reprise"
"Humiliate the Boy"
"Why Me?"
Aladdin Jafar
1994 "You're Only Second Rate" The Return of Jafar
2001 Randy Petersen & Kevin Quinn "It's Our House Now" Mickey's House of Villains

References

  1. ^ "Jonathan Freeman Gets Hung Up at Sardi's". Playbill, Inc. April 11, 2002. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  2. ^ "Lewis, Palmer, Scott, Burgess and More Will Join Boggess in Disney's Little Mermaid". Playbill, Inc. March 20, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  3. ^ "Tony Nominee Freeman Joins Broadway's MARY POPPINS". December 11, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  4. ^ Jonathan Freeman Will Bring Jafar from Screen to Stage in Disney's Aladdin at 5th Avenue
  5. ^ Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed Will Co-Star in Disney's Aladdin; Complete Cast Announced Playbill, Retrieved September 17, 2013