Jonathan Michael Lovitz was born on July 21, 1957, in Los Angeles, California, USA, into a Jewish family with roots traceable to Russia, Hungary and Romania. He is a comedian and actor, also known for his activities as a singer, perhaps still best known for his work on the television show, called “Saturday Night Live”, on which he worked from 1985 to 1990. During his career, Jon has won the Mark Twain Prize, Screen Actors Guild Award and Primetime Emmy Award twice. Lovitz has been working in the movie and television industries for more than 30 years and he is now one of the most experienced actors and comedians.
So how rich is Jon Lovitz? It is estimated that Jon’s net worth is over $12 million, undoubtedly mainly gained through his appearances in various shows and movies. In addition to this, Jon’s career as a comedian has also had a huge influence on the growth of his wealth. His other activities have also made this sum of money higher.
Jon Lovitz Net Worth $12 Million
Jon studied at the University of California at Irvine, from where he graduated with a degree in theatre. Later he met Tony Barr and together learned more about acting at the Film Actors Workshop. Soon Lovitz joined the comedy troupe called “The Groundlings”, and began his career as a comedian. In 1985 Jon started working on the “Saturday Night Live” show, and it had a huge impact on the growth of Jon’s net worth. Jon worked on this show until 1990 and it still remains one of the most famous projects that Lovitz was associated with. Other television shows that Jon has appeared in include “Married…with Children”, “Friends”, “The Naked Truth”, “Two and a Half Men”, “New Girl” among many others. In addition to this, Jon has acted in numerous movies, for example “Matilda”, “High School High”, “Rat Race”, “Grown Ups 2”, “Casino Jack” and others. All these appearances added significantly to Jon Lovitz’s net worth.
What is more, in 2007 Jon opened his own comedy club, called “The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Aubergine”, later changed to “The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theatre”. Sadly, in 2014 this club was closed. It is clear that Jon is a very busy person as he is a part of various upcoming movies and current television shows and even finds time for doing stand-up comedy as well. Undoubtedly, his hard-working personality helped him to become one of the most acclaimed and experienced actors, comedians in the industry.
In his personal life, Jon keeps it private, but is known to be romantically linked with actress Janice Dickenson. All in all, it can be said that Jon Lovitz is a very talented personality, who has achieved acclaim in various spheres of show business. As he has been working in this industry for a very long time, he can share his experience and knowledge with contemporary actors and comedians, who have only started their career. Jon has numerous fans who have been supporting him from the beginning of his career up till now and who will support him in the future as well. Undoubtedly, Jon’s achievements and talent will remain respected and acclaimed for a long time in the future even when he will decide to end his acting career.
Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance - Variety Or Music Program
Movies
The Benchwarmers, Rat Race, A League of Their Own, High School High, Hotel Transylvania, Casino Jack, Little Nicky, Trapped in Paradise, Small Time Crooks, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold, The Stepford Wives, The Brave Little Toaster, Loaded Weapon 1, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West,...
(2010, on landing Big) Penny Marshall gave me the part in Big. She goes, "You can improvise again." So I get on set and I start trying to improvise and she goes, "No, you can't do that." I said, "Penny, the part's nothing. You said I could." She said, "I know, but the writers don't want you to." I go, "Then what am I here for?" She didn't want me to do anything-just play it totally straight. I go, "Crap. I'll just be subtly funny. I'll sneak it in." And later on she goes, "See, that's why I said that. So you would do that." I worked on it for about a week, and one day I said, "Listen, I feel really sick. I think I'm going to throw up." She goes, "All right, well, try." We're doing a scene, and in the middle they go, "Cut," and I ran and threw up. I said to her, "I can't work anymore." I was sick as shit. So I went home, and I had the flu bad for about a week. And then I felt better, and I thought, "Maybe I should call her up and tell her I'm feeling better, see if she wants to put me back into the movie." But then I thought, "Ah, forget it! The part was nothing." And then it turns out to be this huge hit, and I'm like, "I'm an idiot."
2
(2010, on Trapped in Paradise) Well, I feel like I'm very fortunate to be in movies at all, but I called it Trapped In Shit. I love Dana Carvey, and Nicolas Cage was great and we became friends, but the director [George Gallo] just wasn't there. He wasn't directing. It was a bad time in my life personally, because my father had just died Dec. 25. And I'm up in the snow with no light-we did night shoots for six weeks. It was like 25-below. Everyone was fine, but after six weeks, the whole crew started going crazy 'cause there's no light. It really affects your mood. Then we moved to Toronto, so we're shooting inside. It wasn't fancy, but inside during the day, this was a luxury. It was like 31 degrees, but it felt like summer. So as soon as I worked during the daylight, my mood changed... But the director would say, "Just do whatever you want." He was bragging about what a great director he was before he hired us: "I'm as good as Rob Reiner and Martin Scorsese." This is George Gallo. I said, "Don't you think you should let other people say that?" We never even got to read the script. He'd go, "Well, let's rehearse this." I'd go, "Oh good, we get to rehearse." And he'd start screaming at me, "Do whatever you want!" And I go, "Saying 'do whatever you want' is not direction."
3
(2010, on Happiness) Todd Solondz was trying to decide if I would play that part or the part that Philip Seymour Hoffman played. I met with him once to talk about it. I didn't think I got it, and then five months after that meeting, they said he wanted me to play that scene. Here's the thing about that scene: It's very, very well written. A lot of times I get a scene, it's not very well written, and they'll say to me, "Can you add jokes? You've got to punch it up." And I don't mind doing that, but I kind of do, because I want to say, "Would you do your job? You didn't hire me to write the thing. Come on." This thing, though, was like Shakespeare. It's hard, because now you have to raise yourself to the level of the writing. It's like playing an easy piano piece like "Chopsticks" or playing Tchaikovsky-or Liszt or George Gershwin. It's fantastic, and it's very hard to play. I think it's a brilliant scene, but I don't take credit for it. It's like some guy wrote a great musical piece and goes, "Can you play it?" That scene is really funny and really sad at the same time, and it goes back and forth. It was hard to do-and it was hard to do because my character breaks down and cries. That's in the scene. It goes, "Breaks down and cries." So I had to cry all day for 12 hours, and I kept thinking of more and more sad stuff. Then it wouldn't work and I'd try something else. At first I'm crying about the scene. Then I'm thinking about a girl leaving me. Then I'm thinking about my dad-who's dead-waving to me. On and on, trying to make myself cry. By the end of the day I was exhausted, and then I was depressed for like two weeks. Because it's not real, but physically you're crying for 12 hours. Even though you're making it up, you're still doing it. Your body doesn't know that it's not real. Imagine for 12 hours-or even for 10 minutes-you have to cry and cry. It was hard... Everyone goes, "What's Todd Solondz like?" And I say, "Well, if Penny Marshall and Woody Allen had a kid, it'd be Todd."
4
(2010, on Tales from the Crypt in the episode "Top Billing") That was really fun. John Astin and Bruce Boxleitner were in it. I remember Joel Silver was producing the series and he asked me to do it. I had the lead, and when you have the lead, it's fun. I was playing a struggling actor, and it wasn't that long after I'd been struggling-maybe five years. I remember thinking, "I have to lose some weight. I'm too fat! I don't look like a struggling actor." I weighed 145 in high school; when I was in New York, when I was 24, I weighed 136 pounds. I didn't have much money to eat.
5
I like getting up in front of an audience. It's fun when you go to a baseball game and the crowd is cheering you. I can't deny it. And it's very funny, too. Sometimes you're shy; you go somewhere and everyone's looking at you, so you feel a little self-conscious.
6
At a certain point, if you work really hard and you get good and people like your work, you do deserve the fame -- but you shouldn't take it for granted.
7
[about his portrayal of Harvey Fierstein on Saturday Night Live (1975), and Fierstein's response to it] I did Harvey Fierstein. He didn't like it. He came in to the show to complain about it. His point was that he was getting more famous as me than as him . . . He came in to talk about it and, watching him, I realized that I was doing him quite well. He thought I was doing a gay stereotype.
8
[To Conan O'Brien] I heard you call me immature earlier. Well, you're just a big poop-head.
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Fact
1
His paternal grandparents were Romanian Jewish immigrants. His mother's family was Hungarian Jewish.
2
Owner of the "Jon Lovitz Theater".
3
Penny Marshall let him live at her house when he was first starting out in show business.
4
Sang with British pop star Robbie Williams in the song "Well, Did You Evah?" on Williams' album "Swing When You're Winning".
5
Began acting in plays in high school.
6
In the 1990s was featured as the "Author of the Yellow Pages" in comedic print ads and commercials.
7
Once worked at the New York Renaissance Faire (in Tuxedo, NY) and was almost fired for referring to himself as "the town Jew."
8
Had two guest appearances on the popular sitcom Friends (1994). His first appearance, as successful restaurant owner with a drug abuse problem and Phoebe's massage client Steve, in Season One was intended to be a one-time appearance, but he returned as Steve in Season Nine, set up with Rachel by Phoebe on what was an intentionally torturous blind date, In this appearance it was revealed in the eight years in between his first appearance, Steve had lost his restaurant to his addiction, was now silk screening shirts and had developed low self-esteem due to his weight gain and recent impotence.
9
Hosted the MTV Movie Awards in 1995 along with Courteney Cox.
10
Was originally considered for the role of Marcus Burnette in Bad Boys (1995), with Dana Carvey as Mike Lowrey. Director Michael Bay today says it would have ruined their careers.
11
Was in love with a woman older than he when he was a teenager. His heart was broken when this woman married someone else.
12
Worked various jobs while pursuing an acting career. He was a waiter, worked in a clothing store, was a messenger, worked in a copy shop, shoe store, and as a hospital orderly.
13
Father loved opera and wished he had pursued a career in it. He encouraged Jon to pursue whatever career he wanted.
14
Father was a doctor.
15
Is the only boy of 5 children.
16
Has a twin sister named Leslie.
17
Encouraged and was supportive with actresses Lisa Kudrow and Maeve Quinlan in pursuing acting careers.
18
Met Phil Hartman at the Groudlings in 1984. Suggested and encouraged Saturday Night Live (1975) creator Lorne Michaels to hire Hartman for the show, telling Lorne, "If you think I'm good, you should see Phil. He's even better!" He and Phil helped each other get acting jobs through the rest of Phil's life.
19
B.A. from University of California Irvine. [1979]
20
His Saturday Night Live (1975) character "Master Thespian" is an imitation of a professor he had at the University of California-Irvine.
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Dustin Hoffman
1999
TV Special documentary
Himself
The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1998
TV Special
Himself - Presenter: Introducing Video
The Roseanne Show
1998
TV Series
Himself
To Life! America Celebrates Israel's 50th
1998
TV Special
Himself
Howard Stern
1998
TV Series
Himself
Great Performances
1997
TV Series
Himself
1996 MTV Movie Awards
1996
TV Special
Himself
The Rodman World Tour
1996
TV Series
Himself
Jeopardy!
1996
TV Series
Himself - Celebrity Contestant
1996 VH1 Fashion Awards
1996
TV Special
Himself
Late Show with David Letterman
1993-1996
TV Series
Himself
1996 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
1996
TV Movie documentary
Himself
1995 MTV Movie Awards
1995
TV Special
Himself - Co-host
Showbiz Today
1992-1995
TV Series
Himself
1995 Young Comedians Special
1995
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
The 1994 Billboard Music Awards
1994
TV Special
Himself
The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame
1994
TV Special
Himself
MTV Video Music Awards 1994
1994
TV Special
Himself
VH1 Honors
1994
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Back in the Saddle: The Making of 'City Slickers II'
1994
Video documentary short
Himself
1993 MTV Movie Awards
1993
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Comic Relief: Baseball Relief '93
1993
TV Movie
Himself
Late Night with David Letterman
1988-1993
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
The 65th Annual Academy Awards
1993
TV Special
Himself - Presenter: Best Sound Editing
1992 MTV Movie Awards
1992
TV Special
Jason Voorhees
The 6th Annual American Comedy Awards
1992
TV Special
Himself
The Please Watch the Jon Lovitz Special
1992
TV Movie
Himself
The 5th Annual American Comedy Awards
1991
TV Special
Himself
Voices that Care
1991
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Choir Member
The Arsenio Hall Show
1990
TV Series
Himself
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
1989
TV Special
Himself
The 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1989
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member
The 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards
1988
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Dolly
1987
TV Series
Himself
The 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1987
TV Special
Himself - Nominee
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1987
TV Series
Himself
The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1986
TV Special
Himself - Nominee: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program & Presenter: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
Comic Relief
1986/I
TV Special
Tom Finnegan
The Apprentice
2017
TV Series
Himself - Contestant
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016
TV Series
Himself - Celebrity Player
WGN Morning News
2016
TV Series
Himself
Gotham Comedy Live
2016
TV Series documentary
Himself - Host
First Impressions with Dana Carvey
2016
TV Series
Himself - Guest Expert
Made in Hollywood
2010-2015
TV Series
Himself
I Am Chris Farley
2015
Documentary
Himself
Hot in Cleveland
2012-2015
TV Series
Himself
Saturday Night Live: 40th Anniversary Special
2015
TV Special
Himself
Entertainment Tonight
2009-2015
TV Series
Himself
Conan
2014
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Comics Unleashed
2006-2014
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Comedian
Sing Your Face Off
2014
TV Series
Himself - Contestant / Himself - Special Performance
Birds of Paradise: Bringing the Characters to Life - At the Recording Studio
2014
Video documentary short
The American Cinematheque Tribute to Jerry Bruckheimer
2013
TV Movie
Himself
Lovitz or Leavitz with Jon Lovitz
2013
TV Series
Himself
Kevin Pollak's Chat Show
2013
TV Series
Himself
18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards
2013
TV Special
Himself
Regardless: The Freddy Soto Story
2012
Documentary
Hollywood Uncensored with Sam Rubin
2012
TV Series
Himself - Panelist / Himself
Piers Morgan Tonight
2012
TV Series
Himself
America Live
2012
TV Series
Himself
The O'Reilly Factor
2012
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Extra
2016
TV Series
Himself
The Eighties
2016
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Entertainment Tonight
2015-2016
TV Series
Himself
Live from New York!
2015
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: Thanksgiving Special
2014
TV Special
Tonto (segment "Thanksgiving Greetings")
Saturday Night Live: Halloween
2013
TV Special
Tonto (uncredited)
The O'Reilly Factor
2012
TV Series
Himself
Vanilla Ice Archive
2012
Documentary
Give It Up for Greg Giraldo
2011
TV Movie documentary
Himself
SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas
2009
TV Movie
Various (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash '08
2008
TV Special
Michael Dukakis
Hillary! Uncensored: Banned by the Media
2008
Video documentary
Himself
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Jon Lovitz
2005
TV Special
Various Characters
The Best Damn Sports Show Period
2004
TV Series
Himself
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Tom Hanks
2004
TV Special
Himself / Various
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2004
2004
TV Movie
Michael Dukakis (uncredited)
101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments
2004
TV Movie
Himself
Biography
2004
TV Series documentary
Dave Markowitz
When Stand-Up Comics Ruled the World
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Brilliant But Cancelled
2002
TV Movie documentary
Saturday Night Live Christmas 2002
2002
TV Special
Various (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000
2000
TV Special
Himself (Various Characters)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler
1999
TV Special documentary
Operaman's Older Brother (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live Christmas
1999
Video
Hanukkah Harry Mr. Potter Master Thespian
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Mike Myers
1998
Video documentary
Various Characters (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman
1998
TV Special documentary
Himself / Various Characters (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Steve Martin
1998
TV Special
M (uncredited)
The Simpsons
1994
TV Series
Artie Ziff
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash
1992
TV Special
Gov. Michael Dukakis (uncredited)
Best of Saturday Night Live: Special Edition
1992
Video
Various Characters
Saturday Night Live Goes Commercial
1991
TV Special
Various Characters (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams
1991
Video documentary
Himself / Various Characters
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1998
NBR Award
National Board of Review, USA
Best Acting by an Ensemble
Happiness (1998)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2013
BTVA Feature Film Voice Acting Award
Behind the Voice Actors Awards
Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
1987
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Saturday Night Live (1975)
1986
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program