National Treasure

Background:

“The role in 'National Treasure' came to me like any role. I got the script, I gave it a read, and it was originally written older, actually quite older; I think they wanted John Turturro for the role. (But) I think after a while, they re-imagined the part as a little younger. I went in and (producer) Jerry Bruckheimer, I guess, had seen 'Gigli.’ He was one of the three people who had seen that movie and he enjoyed the performance. He had a relationship with Martin Brest, who was the director of 'Gigli,' and through those kind of pipelines I guess he thought that I was the right guy for the part.” Justin Bartha

American actor Justin Bartha is best known for his costarring role of Riley Poole in the 2004 hit “National Treasure” and the equally successful sequel “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (2007). Prior to his success, Bartha was applauded for his portrayal of the psychologically challenged younger brother in Martin Brest's “Gigli” (2003). He also had significant roles in Bart Freundlich's “Trust the Man” (2005) and the Matthew McConaughey vehicle “Failure to Launch” (2006).

Moviegoers will soon see Bartha in the comedy film “The Rebound” (2009), opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones. Other upcoming credits include “Shoe at Your Foot” (opposite Cesar-winning actress Melanie Laurant), Todd Phillips' “The Hangover” (2009, with Heather Graham), Kevin Tyler Asch's “Holy Rollers” (2009) and “Long Time Gone” (2009, with Christina Ricci). .

New York City Bound

Childhood and Family:

Justin Lee Bartha was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 21, 1978, to a real estate developer father, Stephen Bartha, and a school teacher mother, Betty Bartha. At age 9, he moved with his family to West Bloomfield, Michigan, where he later attended West Bloomfield High School. Justin discovered acting in high school and by the time he was 15, had founded a children's theater group.

After graduating in 1996, Justin, who attended the same metro-Detroit high school as actor/producers Brandon T. Jackson and Sam Khaleghi, wanted to further his acting career in New York so he enrolled at New York University's Meisner Extension. He currently still lives in New York City.

Gigli

Career:

Justin Bartha began acting in high school. A performance in the local production of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” prompted him to create a kids' theater group at age 15, with which he entertained children in hospitals and at elementary schools. After high school, the Florida native set his sights on New York and upon completing his training at New York University's Meisner Extension, he launched his career as a production assistant on the 1999 Harold Ramis comedy “Analyze This,” which starred Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. Later that same year, he landed an acting job in the 8-minute short “Tag,” playing Kip Woffard.

Bartha directed, wrote, produced and edited a short film called “Highs and Lows,” which was shown at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival. It was also in 2003 that Bartha received his break-out role playing the mentally disabled younger sibling of a powerful federal prosecutor on Martin Brest's “Gigli,” opposite Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and Christopher Walken. Although the film was a huge box office flop and largely panned by critics, Bartha's performance won critical raves.

After starring in the award-winning short “Carnival Sun” (2003) and the HBO film “Thought Crimes”(2004), which was directed by Sidney Lumet and co-produced by Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, Bartha enjoyed a real breakthrough when director Jon Turteltaub had him costar opposite Nicolas Cage and Daine Kruger in the highly successful adventure movie “National Treasure” (2004), which was nominated for Best Family Feature Film - Drama at the 2005 Young Artist Awards and a Saturn award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film at the 2005 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. He portrayed Cage’s wisecracking sidekick, Riley Poole.

Bartha next supported David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the Toronto-premiered “Trust the Man” (2005), a drama from director Bart Freundlich, and offered a memorable turn as Ace in Paramount Pictures' “Failure to Launch” (2006), which starred Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. 2006 also saw the actor make a rare TV performance by starring as Jeff Cahill, a new English teacher at Filmore High School, on the NBC mid-season sitcom “Teachers.” Debuting on March 28, 2006, the show was axed in May 15, 2006, because of low ratings. Commenting about the show, Bartha said, “TV wasn't on my radar, but this script was one of the funniest things I'd ever read. I just loved this character. He popped off the page for me.”

Bartha next recreated his famous role of treasure hunter Ben Gates' crony for the 2007 installment “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” again directed by Jon Turteltaub. The film, which also featured veteran performers like Helen Mirren and Ed Harris, was also a massive hit at the box office. He followed it with a smaller role in the drama “New York, I Love You” (2008), opposite Kevin Bacon, Orlando Bloom and James Caan.

In late 2008, Bartha completed shooting “The Rebound,” which was directed by Bart Freundlich. The film, in which he stars opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, is scheduled to be released on January 23, 2009. He will star as Jack on first-time director Jennifer Devoldere's “Shoe at Your Foot,” which was in post-production as of October 2008. Talking about “Shoe at Your Foot,” he said, “It’s about a young American guy who wins a trip to Paris for two just as his girlfriend dumps him and he decides to go alone or his friends push him to go to Paris alone and the airline loses his luggage and it’s sent to a beautiful French girl who falls in love with him through the contents of his suitcase. I pretty much spend the whole movie by myself in a hotel room in a robe waiting for a suitcase. It’s a really wonderful film. It’s a whimsical romance in the spirit of ‘Amelie’ and ‘Punch-Drunk Love.’”

Currently, Bartha is working with director Todd Phillips on the comedy “The Hangover” (2009), which he costars with Heather Graham, Rachael Harris and Bradley Cooper. He also has important roles in the upcoming movies “Holy Rollers” (2009), for director Kevin Tyler Asch, and “Long Time Gone” (2009), which is based on the novel by April Stevens.

Awards:
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