The Royal Tenenbaums

Background:

American actor Jonah Meyerson received Young Artist nominations for his performances in the films “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) and “Griffin & Phoenix” (2006). Other films he has acted in include “House of D” (2004), “From Other Worlds” (2004), “Matador” (2005) and “Little Manhattan” (2005). In addition, he portrayed the role of Yoda in the short lived television series “The Book of Daniel” (2006) and was a guest star in “The Onion News Network” (Independent Film Channel, 2011).

Meyerson is a cast member of the Mask and Wig Club, an all-male musical comedy troupe. He is also a member of the improve group Without a Net.

New Yorker

Childhood and Family:

Jonah Meyerson was born on September 20, 1991, in New York, New York. He attended Stuyvesant High School, a New York City public school that specializes in mathematics and science. He is now enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a member of the class of 2013.

Griffin & Phoenix

Career:

Jonah Meyerson made his major acting debut in the 2001 dramatic comedy “The Royal Tenenbaums,” where he played Uzi, the older son of Chas (played by Ben Stiller) and the grandson of Etheline and Royal Tenenbaum (played by Anjelica Huston and Gene Hackman, respectively). The role brought him a 2002 Young Artist nomination in the category of Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actor Age Ten or Under. Released on December 4, 2001, the film, directed by Wes Anderson and co-written by Anderson and actor Owen Wilson, received favorable reviews and grossed over $52 million against a budget of $28 million. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and a BAFTA in the same category and won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Hackman), among other awards and nominations.

Meyerson resurfaced in 2004 when he was featured in “House of D,” the directorial debut of “The X-Files” star David Duchovny, who also wrote and starred in the film with Erykah Badu, Frank Langella, Téa Leoni, Zelda Williams, Anton Yelchin and Robin Williams. Screened at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, the film received negative reviews from critics. The same year, Meyerson portrayed Henry Schwartzbaum in Barry Strugatz's movie “From Other Worlds.” In 2005, Meyerson worked with Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis and Philip Baker Hall in “Matador,” a dark comedy directed and scripted by Richard Shepard. The film was screened at many film festivals before receiving a limited theatrical release in the U.S. It received primarily good reviews from critics and Brosnan was nominated for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Meyerson also portrayed Sam in “Little Manhattan,” a romantic comedy directed and written by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. Starring Josh Hutcherson, Charlie Ray, Bradley Whitford and Cynthia Nixon, the film gained generally positive reviews from film critics and grosses $1,117,920 worldwide.

In 2006, Meyerson made his television acting debut as computer genius Yoda in the NBC controversial series “The Book of Daniel,” starring Aidan Quinn, Susanna Thompson and Christian Campbell. The drama, however, was canceled after four episodes aired. The same year, the actor was cast as Kirk in “Griffin & Phoenix,” Ed Stone's remake of the 1976 television film “Griffin and Phoenix: A Love Story.” Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet starred in the film as Henry Griffin and Sarah Phoenix, respectively. For his work in the film, Meyerson nabbed a 2007 Young Artist nomination for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special (Comedy or Drama) - Supporting Young Actor.

Recently, Meyerson appeared in an episode of “The Onion News Network” called “Man-Horse Marriage,” which was broadcasted on February 4, 2011.

Awards:
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