SNL

Background:

“Any actor who tells you he doesn't want to be famous is full of crap. I've been a waiter, an orderly, a messenger, and I can tell you that being a movie star is much better. No comparison.” Jon Lovitz

American actor and comedian Jon Lovitz has been in films and on television, but is probably best recalled for being a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” from 1985 to 1990. During his five-year tenure on the NBC popular sketch comedy series, he became famous for doing a number of hilariously board characters, most notably actor-playwright Harvey Fierstein, and received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. He jointly netted a National Board of Review for Best Acting by an Ensemble for his work in “Happiness” (1998) and was outstanding for portraying a baseball scout in Penny Marshall's “A League of Their Own” (1992) and as Benny Borkowshi in Woody Allen's “Small Time Crooks” (2000). Other films in which he has acted in include “Jumpin' Jack Flash” (1986) and “Big” (1988, both also helmed by Marshall), “Mr. Destiny” (1990), “High School High” (1996), “3000 Miles to Graceland” (2001), “Rat Race” (2001), “The Stepford Wives” (2004), “The Producers” (2005), “The Benchwarmers” (2006), “Southland Tales” (2006) and more recently, “I Could Never Be Your Woman” (2007). He has also appeared in some of his SNL cast members’ vehicles like David Spade's “Lost & Found” (1999) and “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star” (2003), as well as Adam Sandler's “Little Nicky” (2000) and the animated feature “8 Crazy Nights” (2002). Among cartoon fans, Lovitz is known for his contributions to such animated features as “An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West” (1991) and “Cats & Dogs” (also 2001), as well as TV series like “The Simpsons” and “The Critic.”

Outside of film and TV work, Lovitz is known for his friendship with the late Phil Hartman, whom he met at the Groundlings. He and Hartman supported each other in getting acting jobs through the rest of Hartman's life. On one occasion, Lovitz suggested and encouraged “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels to hire Hartman for the show by telling him, “If you think I'm' good, you should see Phil. He's even better!”

As for his love life, 5' 10” Lovitz has been dating Janice Dickinson since May 2004.

Twin

Childhood and Family:

Jonathan M. Lovitz, professionally known as Jon Lovitz, was born on July 21, 1957, in Tarzana, California. He was raised in a Jewish family and is the only boy of 5 children. He has a twin sister named Leslie J Lovitz. Jon's father, a former doctor, was an Albanian immigrant who lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and later relocated to California.

Jon enrolled at the University of California at Irvine, in Irvine, California, to study theater and graduated in 1979. He also trained at the Film Actors Workshop, with Tony Barr.

Small Time Crooks

Career:

Jon Lovitz got his first break when he earned a place at the prestigious L.A. improv troupe, The Groundlings, which has helped launch many famed comedians' careers over the years. At around this time, in 1984, he encountered Phil Hartman and they helped one another get acting jobs until Phil's death in 1998.

Moving to the small screen, Lovitz made his debut in a guest spot on an episode of “The Paper Chase” in 1984 and then in 1985 joined the cast of the CBS legal sitcom “Foley Square” in the recurring role of Mole. However, the comic did not reach stardom until he became a regular performer on the NBC popular comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” a gig he held from 1985 to 1990. Despite lacking the representational skill of some of his colleagues, Lovitz became one of the show's stars thanks to a number of uproariously large-minded characters such as Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous, the extraordinary Shakespearean ham Master Thespian, the Devil, and most notably, an unforgettable impression of actor-playwright Harvey Fierstein. He was nominated for two consecutive Emmys in 1986 and 1987 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. With his newfound fame, Lovitz emerged as a well-liked character player in movies and a regular guest on TV.

A year after joining “SNL,” Lovitz's first film, “The Last Resort,” was released. The same year, he also appeared in four more movies, including the Rob Thompson-written “Ratboy,” John Landis' “¡Three Amigos!” and “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” directed by his longtime friend, actor-turned-director Penny Marshall. After supplying the voice of the radio for the cartoon feature “The Brave Little Toaster” (1987), he rejoined Marshall for the blockbuster hit “Big” (1988), which featured Oscar-nominated performances by star Tom Hanks, supported Dan Aykroyd and Kim Basinger in “My Stepmother is an Alien” (1988) and closed out the decade with participation on the short “Cranium Command” (1989).

“Mr. Destiny,” a fantasy/comedy film starring James Belushi, was Lovitz's opening project in the 1990s. He then took on guest roles in HBO's “Tales from the Crypt” and the acclaimed comedy series “Married With Children” (both 1991), voiced T.R Chula for the animated film “An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West” (1991) and delivered an entertaining turn as a baseball scout, Ernie 'Cappy' Capadino, in Marshall's “A League of Their Own” (1992). 1992 also saw Lovitz star in “Please Watch the Jon Lovitz Special,” a live comedy pilot that was broadcasted as a Fox TV special, where he also served as executive producer and creator.

Other film credits include “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold” (1994), “Trapped in Paradise” (1994), “The Great White Hype” (1996), Roald Dahl's “Matilda” (1996), “High School High” (1996, starred as Richard Clark), Todd Solondz's “Happiness” (1998, with Jane Adams) and “Lost & Found” (1999), the vehicle of former “SNL” cast member David Spade. Lovitz was also a voice in the original Fox series “The Critic” from 1994 to 1995, a gig he later reprised for the Internet based installment in 2000. In 1997, he joined the cast of the NBC sitcom “NewsRadio” in the regular role of the offensive and insecure Max Louis, which he portrayed until the show came to its demise in 1999.

In 2000, Woody Allen brought Lovitz back to the attention of moviegoers when the director cast him as Benny Borkowshi on the light and hilarious comedy “Small Time Crooks.” He followed it up with roles in Adam Sandler's “Little Nicky” (2000) and the misfire “3000 Miles to Graceland” (2001, as a money launderer). He was also seen in Jerry Zucker's “Rat Race” and “Good Advice” (both 2001). His distinctive voice could be heard as Calico, Mr. Tinkles' short-haired cat servant, in the comedy “Cats & Dogs” (also 2001). Still in 2001, the actor was spotted on stage playing one of the leads in Neil Simon's Broadway comedy, “The Dinner Party,” opposite Veanne Cox and Larry Miller. He took up the role after Henry Winkler left the production.

Lovitz returned to voice over work with Adam Sandler's “Eight Crazy Nights” (2002) and then appeared as a guest star in TV series like “Just Shoot Me,” “Friends” and “Las Vegas.” He then appeared as the spouse of Bette Midler in the comic remake of the 1975 cult classic “The Stepford Wives” (2004). The busy player was cast as Matthew Broderick's boss in the musical “The Producers” (2005), based on the stage musical by Mel Brooks, teamed up with Jon Heder, Rob Schneider and (again) David Spade for the sport-themed comedy “The Benchwarmers” (2006) and played the supporting role of Bart Bookman in “Southland Tales” (2006), a comedy/drama directed and written by Richard Kelly and starring The Rock, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Mandy Moore. His recent film, “I Could Never Be Your Woman,” by writer/director Amy Heckerling, premiered in Spain on May 11, 2007, and will be released theatrically in the USA in November.

On March 25, 2007, Lovitz returned to the popular cartoon TV series “The Simpsons” in the episode of “Homerazzi,” where he voiced paparazzo Enrico Irritazio.

Awards:

• National Board of Review: Best Acting by an Ensemble, “Happiness,” 1998