Biography for
Jon Favreau More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

19 October 1966, Queens, New York, USA

Birth Name

Jonathan Kolia Favreau

Nickname

Favs

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Spouse

Joya Tillem

(24 November 2000 - present) 3 children

Trivia

Jon is an alumnus of Chicago's ImprovOlympic improvisation troupe. Fellow members include the late Chris Farley, Ian Gomez, Pat Finn, Tim Meadows, Rachel Dratch, Mike Myers and Horatio Sanz.

Graduate of the prestigious Bronx High School of Science (1984).

Children: (with wife Joya) Max Favreau (b. July 25, 2001), Madeleine Favreau (b. April 2003) and Brighton Rose Favreau (b. August 30, 2006).

Wrote script for Swingers (1996) on computer software given to him by his father.

Met close friend and on-screen partner Vince Vaughn when both secured supporting roles in 1993's Rudy (1993).

He is of primarily French and Italian descent.

Attended SUNY Queens College in Flushing, New York but dropped out before graduation to pursue his acting career.

Personal Quotes

I've always wanted to call the shots because I would rather fail than not have a chance to figure it out on my own. I'm a very lazy person by nature. I have to be really engaged, and then I go straight from lazy to obsessive. I couldn't study chemistry, but I could memorize all the books for Dungeons and Dragons. It was ridiculous. The trick is to find what I like to do.

I don't 'handle' people. It's so much easier to manipulate actors than to really have an earnest discussion with them. It's very easy to say whatever's going to appease them and then turn around and do whatever you want to do. It's difficult to be forthright with people, because the job does not lend itself to that.

I wanted to do a Christmas movie. I had been offered Surviving Christmas (2004), and I opted not to pursue that one any further. And then Elf (2003) came along and I thought it really plays into my sensibilities. I thought the one thing about Will Ferrell that I had not seen him do a lot was show his heart as a person and a performer. In developing the script, although it was edgy and irreverent at times, I wanted to keep it a PG movie, not a PG-13 movie that made fun of Christmas.

Where Are They Now

(2004) His next project with Vince Vaughn is The Marshal of Revelation. Favreau is a Hassidic Jewish Gunfighter, while Vaughn is a gambler. It was written when Favreau was wrapping up Swingers. The duo are currently looking for financing.

(May 2006) Expecting a third child with his wife Joya.

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