While not as well known as good friend Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill is still a vital part of the Judd Apatow comedy juggernaut that has been bulldozing its way to the top of pop culture relevance and big box office returns at the same time. He was born in Los Angeles in 1983 and later studied in New York at New School University. He often speaks of his experiences hanging out in the East Village at the Black and White Bar.
Thanks to a connection made with Dustin Hoffman, Jonah appeared briefly in “I Heart Huckabees” for David O. Russell, which marked his acting debut. From there, Judd Apatow took him under his wing with a small appearance in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” in 2005. While developing a repertoire with others from Apatow’s camp like Rogen, Jonah’s acting found outlets in smaller films like “Grandma’s Boy” and “Rocket Science.” But for the most part, Jonah cut his teeth on the recent comedies that have defined American comedy in the second half of the 2000s: “Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” as well as “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”
While making a name for himself, Jonah appears to eventually move into screenwriting and behind the camera, presumably in the next decade. While at the moment his success his due in major part to the Judd Apatow circle, Jonah seems to possess the independent talent to forge his own path in comedy or otherwise.
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Jonah on the Screen
Making his debut in “I Heart Huckabees” in 2004, Jonah was the eBay Customer in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” appeared in seven episodes of “Campus Ladies,” played young Ben Newman in “Click,” and co-starred in “Accepted,” “Rocket Science,” and “Just Add Water.” 2007 and 2008 were major breakout years for Jonah, including roles in “Knocked Up,” “Evan Almighty,” “Superbad,” “Walk Hard,” “Horton Hears a Who!” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
“Wolf of Wall Street” (2013)
Jonah starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in this monster hit directed by Martin Scorsese.
Jonah Says
On looking funny:
“It’s harder to be funny if you’re handsome than if you’re very normal-looking. It’s just more relatable. You’re the underdog.”