Jon Cryer
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, screenwriter
and film producer
. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer
. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair
, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink
. In 1998, he finished writing and producing the independent film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
, which was well received.
Even though Cryer gained subsequent fame by starring in these films, it took several years to find success on television
; the shows he had starred in (The Famous Teddy Z
, Partners
and The Trouble with Normal) did not last very long. In 2003, he was cast as Alan Harper
on the CBS
hit comedy series Two and a Half Men
, opposite Charlie Sheen
, for which Cryer was nominated six consecutive times (2006–2011) for a Primetime Emmy Award
for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; winning the Emmy in 2009.
. His mother, Gretchen Cryer
(née
Kiger), was a playwright, songwriter, actress, and singer, and his father, Donald David Cryer, was an actor/singer who originally studied to be a minister. His paternal grandfather, Rev. Dr. Donald W. Cryer, was a well-known Methodist minister in the West Ohio Conference. He has two sisters, Robin and Shelley. When he was twelve years old, he decided that he wanted to become an actor. When his mother heard this, she thought he should have a backup plan, and joked, "Plumbing is a pretty good career." Cryer attended Stagedoor Manor
Performing Arts Training Center for several summers as a teenager and is a 1983 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science
. He was classmates with screenwriter
and film director
Boaz Yakin
.
To his mother's "great disappointment", Cryer skipped college and went to London
to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
At age 19, Cryer appeared in the 1984 romantic comedy film No Small Affair
, in the lead role as Charles Cummings. He went on to have small roles in films and television movies, and he made his breakthrough as Phil "Duckie" Dale in the John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink
. In an interview with the Daily News, Cryer's mother said that after Pretty in Pink, she started getting calls from teenage girls from all over the world, who would leave hysterical, giggling messages on her answering machine. Thanks to Pretty in Pink, Cryer slowly became more famous. In 1989, he got the lead role in the TV comedy series, The Famous Teddy Z
. His performance gained poor reviews and the show was canceled after the first season.
One year later, he starred with Charlie Sheen in the Jim Abrahams
comedy Hot Shots!
, which was received very positively. Cryer is frequently linked to the Brat Pack. In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell
, Cryer stated that he had auditioned for St. Elmo's Fire
but did not get a role. In 1993, he was asked to audition for the role of Chandler Bing
on Friends
, while he was doing a play in London. His reading was videotaped by a British casting agent but the tape failed to arrive in the U.S. before the network had made its final decision.
In 1995, he was cast as Bob in the sitcom Partners
, which, like his prior show The Famous Teddy Z, was canceled after its first season. In an interview with Time Out New York he stated, "Hey, every show I'm in goes down. Think about this: George Clooney
was in 28 pilots, or something. It means nothing". After guest starring on shows such as Dharma & Greg
and The Outer Limits
, he successfully wrote and produced the film, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
. It debuted in 1998 at the Los Angeles Film Festival
and gained positive reviews from critics. Leonard Maltin
from Playboy Magazine called it "A breath of fresh air". In 2000, he got the lead in a comedy series called Trouble With Normal. For the third time, Cryer starred in a show which was canceled after its first season.
Cryer's long run of unsuccessful TV projects finally ended three years later. Against the wishes of CBS executives (who were aware of his past failures), he was cast in 2003 to portray Alan Harper
on the hit comedy series Two and a Half Men
. To date, he has earned four Primetime Emmy Award
nominations and one win for his acting work on the show. In a comment on the show's high ratings, he said, "When you’re on a show that's fighting for survival every week, you stop trusting your instincts, because you think, ‘My instincts haven't worked so far.’ But when people clearly like the show and are watching it in great numbers, it takes a huge amount of pressure off you. It allows you to trust your instincts and go with what has worked for you before." As of season 9 of Two and a Half Men, Cryer is the only actor to appear in every episode of the series. Before being cast for Two and a Half Men, Cryer tried out for the role of Gaius Baltar
on the Sci-Fi Channel
's reimagined Battlestar Galactica
. The role went to James Callis
. In 2008, Cryer appeared with Laurence Fishburne
and James Cromwell
in the film Tortured
, and in 2009 co-starred with James Spader
in the film Shorts
.
Cryer's voice can also be heard doing voice-overs for Wells Fargo
in the company's radio and television ads. Cryer also provided the voice for Freakshow on two episodes of Danny Phantom
.
for President in 2008.
In February 2007, on an episode of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, he announced that he would marry entertainment reporter Lisa Joyner
; the couple married in Mexico
in June 2007. On September 29, 2009, it was announced that Jon and Lisa had adopted a baby girl, whom they named Daisy.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer is an American playwright, lyricist and actress.-Early life:Cryer was born Gretchen Kiger in Dunreith, Indiana, the daughter of Louise and Earl William Kiger...
. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair
No Small Affair
No Small Affair is a 1984 comedy-drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg. It features the acting debuts of Jon Cryer and Jennifer Tilly.-Story:...
, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
. In 1998, he finished writing and producing the independent film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five is a 1998 film directed by Richard Schenkman and written by Schenkman and Jon Cryer. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.-Plot:...
, which was well received.
Even though Cryer gained subsequent fame by starring in these films, it took several years to find success on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
; the shows he had starred in (The Famous Teddy Z
The Famous Teddy Z
The Famous Teddy Z is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the fall of 1989. The series was created by Hugh Wilson and inspired by the true story of Jay Kantor, who was a mailroom clerk at MCA and later became Marlon Brando's agent.-Synopsis:...
, Partners
Partners (TV series)
Partners is an American sitcom that aired on FOX from 1995 to 1996.-Synopsis:The series centered a pair of young architects, Bob and Owen , and Owen's fiancée Alicia . Much of the show's humor derived from Bob's lack of success with women and his competition with Alicia for Owen's attention...
and The Trouble with Normal) did not last very long. In 2003, he was cast as Alan Harper
Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men)
Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for...
on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
hit comedy series Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, opposite Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
, for which Cryer was nominated six consecutive times (2006–2011) for a Primetime Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; winning the Emmy in 2009.
Early life
Cryer was born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His mother, Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer is an American playwright, lyricist and actress.-Early life:Cryer was born Gretchen Kiger in Dunreith, Indiana, the daughter of Louise and Earl William Kiger...
(née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Kiger), was a playwright, songwriter, actress, and singer, and his father, Donald David Cryer, was an actor/singer who originally studied to be a minister. His paternal grandfather, Rev. Dr. Donald W. Cryer, was a well-known Methodist minister in the West Ohio Conference. He has two sisters, Robin and Shelley. When he was twelve years old, he decided that he wanted to become an actor. When his mother heard this, she thought he should have a backup plan, and joked, "Plumbing is a pretty good career." Cryer attended Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts summer camp located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Over the past 36 years, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theatre....
Performing Arts Training Center for several summers as a teenager and is a 1983 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
. He was classmates with screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Boaz Yakin
Boaz Yakin
Boaz Yakin is an American screenwriter and film director based in New York City. Yakin studied filmmaking at New York City College and New York University.-Life and career:...
.
To his mother's "great disappointment", Cryer skipped college and went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career
No Small Affair
No Small Affair is a 1984 comedy-drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg. It features the acting debuts of Jon Cryer and Jennifer Tilly.-Story:...
, in the lead role as Charles Cummings. He went on to have small roles in films and television movies, and he made his breakthrough as Phil "Duckie" Dale in the John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
. In an interview with the Daily News, Cryer's mother said that after Pretty in Pink, she started getting calls from teenage girls from all over the world, who would leave hysterical, giggling messages on her answering machine. Thanks to Pretty in Pink, Cryer slowly became more famous. In 1989, he got the lead role in the TV comedy series, The Famous Teddy Z
The Famous Teddy Z
The Famous Teddy Z is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the fall of 1989. The series was created by Hugh Wilson and inspired by the true story of Jay Kantor, who was a mailroom clerk at MCA and later became Marlon Brando's agent.-Synopsis:...
. His performance gained poor reviews and the show was canceled after the first season.
One year later, he starred with Charlie Sheen in the Jim Abrahams
Jim Abrahams
Jim Abrahams is an American movie director and writer.Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, to a Jewish family, and attended Shorewood High School...
comedy Hot Shots!
Hot Shots!
Hot Shots! is a 1991 comedy spoof film starring Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Kevin Dunn, Jon Cryer and Ryan Stiles . It was directed by Jim Abrahams, co-director of Airplane! , and was written by Abrahams and Pat Proft...
, which was received very positively. Cryer is frequently linked to the Brat Pack. In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell
Anytime with Bob Kushell
Anytime with Bob Kushell is a five-minute talk show produced for Sony Pictures Television and their online portal "". Not to be confused with Anytime Talk Show with Christopher Logan Biggs an online broadcast which runs 40 minutes, or The Anytime Show Starring Trevor Widger which is also broadcast...
, Cryer stated that he had auditioned for St. Elmo's Fire
St. Elmo's Fire (film)
St. Elmo's Fire is a 1985 American coming-of-age film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham, is a prominent movie of the Brat Pack genre, and revolves around a group of friends that have...
but did not get a role. In 1993, he was asked to audition for the role of Chandler Bing
Chandler Bing
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
on Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, while he was doing a play in London. His reading was videotaped by a British casting agent but the tape failed to arrive in the U.S. before the network had made its final decision.
In 1995, he was cast as Bob in the sitcom Partners
Partners (TV series)
Partners is an American sitcom that aired on FOX from 1995 to 1996.-Synopsis:The series centered a pair of young architects, Bob and Owen , and Owen's fiancée Alicia . Much of the show's humor derived from Bob's lack of success with women and his competition with Alicia for Owen's attention...
, which, like his prior show The Famous Teddy Z, was canceled after its first season. In an interview with Time Out New York he stated, "Hey, every show I'm in goes down. Think about this: George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
was in 28 pilots, or something. It means nothing". After guest starring on shows such as Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
and The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
, he successfully wrote and produced the film, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five is a 1998 film directed by Richard Schenkman and written by Schenkman and Jon Cryer. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.-Plot:...
. It debuted in 1998 at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
and gained positive reviews from critics. Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
from Playboy Magazine called it "A breath of fresh air". In 2000, he got the lead in a comedy series called Trouble With Normal. For the third time, Cryer starred in a show which was canceled after its first season.
Cryer's long run of unsuccessful TV projects finally ended three years later. Against the wishes of CBS executives (who were aware of his past failures), he was cast in 2003 to portray Alan Harper
Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men)
Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for...
on the hit comedy series Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
. To date, he has earned four Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nominations and one win for his acting work on the show. In a comment on the show's high ratings, he said, "When you’re on a show that's fighting for survival every week, you stop trusting your instincts, because you think, ‘My instincts haven't worked so far.’ But when people clearly like the show and are watching it in great numbers, it takes a huge amount of pressure off you. It allows you to trust your instincts and go with what has worked for you before." As of season 9 of Two and a Half Men, Cryer is the only actor to appear in every episode of the series. Before being cast for Two and a Half Men, Cryer tried out for the role of Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
on the Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
's reimagined Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
. The role went to James Callis
James Callis
James Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
. In 2008, Cryer appeared with Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
and James Cromwell
James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
in the film Tortured
Tortured (film)
Tortured is a 2008 crime thriller film written and directed by Nolan Lebovitz and starring Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, and James Cromwell. It was released direct-to-DVD in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The movie was filmed in Canada, in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Plot:FBI agent Kevin Cole...
, and in 2009 co-starred with James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
in the film Shorts
Shorts (film)
Shorts is a 2009 family comedy/adventure film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It was released in the United States on August 21, 2009...
.
Cryer's voice can also be heard doing voice-overs for Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
in the company's radio and television ads. Cryer also provided the voice for Freakshow on two episodes of Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret...
.
Political views
According to Cryer’s spokeswoman, Karen Sanfilippohis, "He’s not really political”, though he publicly endorsed John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
for President in 2008.
Personal life
Cryer married British-born actress Sarah Trigger in 1999, with whom he has a son, Charlie Austin. The pair divorced in 2004.In February 2007, on an episode of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, he announced that he would marry entertainment reporter Lisa Joyner
Lisa Joyner
Lisa Marie Joyner is an American entertainment reporter and television host.- Life and career :Joyner has reported on celebrity news in the Los Angeles area for KTTV and KCBS-TV. She first gained national recognition for her InFANity segments on the TV Guide Network. Joyner is married to Two and a...
; the couple married in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in June 2007. On September 29, 2009, it was announced that Jon and Lisa had adopted a baby girl, whom they named Daisy.
Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | No Small Affair No Small Affair No Small Affair is a 1984 comedy-drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg. It features the acting debuts of Jon Cryer and Jennifer Tilly.-Story:... |
Charles Cummings | Debut |
| 1985 | Noon Wine | Teenage Herbert | TV movie |
| 1985 | O.C. and Stiggs O.C. and Stiggs O.C. and Stiggs is a 1987 film directed by Robert Altman, based on two characters that were originally featured in a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine. The film stars Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry as the title characters... |
Randall Schwab Jr. | |
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink Pretty in Pink Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film... |
Phil 'Duckie' Dale | |
| 1987 | Morgan Stewart's Coming Home Morgan Stewart's Coming Home Morgan Stewart's Coming Home is a 1987 comedy film directed by Paul Aaron/Terry Winsor and starring Jon Cryer, Viveka Davis, Paul Gleason, Nicholas Pryor and Lynn Redgrave. The screenplay was written by Ken Hixon and David N. Titcher... |
Morgan Stewart | |
| 1987 | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is a 1987 superhero film directed by Sidney J. Furie. It is the fourth film in the Superman film series and the last installment to star Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, but... |
Lenny Luthor | |
| 1987 | Dudes Dudes (film) -Plot:Two punks from the big city , traveling across the country in a Volkswagen bug, embrace the western ethos when they must take revenge against a group of rednecks for killing their friend in this lighthearted road movie... |
Grant | |
| 1987 | Hiding Out Hiding Out Hiding Out is a 1987 movie starring Jon Cryer as a Wall Street broker "hiding out" as a high-school student as the mob tries to kill him.- Plot :... |
Andrew Morenski/Max Hauser | |
| 1988 | Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card | direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
|
| 1989 | Penn & Teller Get Killed Penn & Teller Get Killed Penn & Teller Get Killed is a 1989 dark comedy film directed by Arthur Penn starring magicians Penn & Teller. The duo play themselves, and the plot involves them in a satirical account of what the audience would perhaps imagine the pair doing in their daily lives... |
3rd Frat Boy | |
| 1991 | Hot Shots! Hot Shots! Hot Shots! is a 1991 comedy spoof film starring Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Kevin Dunn, Jon Cryer and Ryan Stiles . It was directed by Jim Abrahams, co-director of Airplane! , and was written by Abrahams and Pat Proft... |
Jim 'Wash Out' Pfaffenbach | |
| 1993 | Tommy Kazdan | ||
| 1993 | Heads | Guy Franklin | TV movie |
| 1996 | Mark | also as writer | |
| 1996 | Cannes Man | Himself | Cameo appearance |
| 1997 | Plan B | Stuart Winer | |
| 1998 | Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five is a 1998 film directed by Richard Schenkman and written by Schenkman and Jon Cryer. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Daniel | also as writer and producer |
| 1998 | Holy Man Holy Man Holy Man is a 1998 comedy drama film directed by Stephen Herek. It starred Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum and Kelly Preston. The film was a box office and critical failure.-Plot:... |
Barry | |
| 2000 | Clayton | ||
| 2001 | Glam | Jimmy Pells | |
| 2003 | Mr. Stamm | TV movie | |
| 2008 | Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby | Richard Pig | Voice role |
| 2008 | Tortured Tortured (film) Tortured is a 2008 crime thriller film written and directed by Nolan Lebovitz and starring Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, and James Cromwell. It was released direct-to-DVD in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The movie was filmed in Canada, in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Plot:FBI agent Kevin Cole... |
Brian | |
| 2009 | Weather Girl Weather Girl Weather Girl is a 2009 comedy film. The film stars Tricia O'Kelley, Mark Harmon, Jon Cryer, Enrico Colantoni.-Plot:A Seattle morning show weather girl, after learning her boyfriend has cheated on her, freaks out on-air and is fired... |
Charles | completed |
| 2009 | Shorts Shorts (film) Shorts is a 2009 family comedy/adventure film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It was released in the United States on August 21, 2009... |
Dad Thompson | |
| 2009 | Stay Cool Stay Cool Stay Cool is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Ted Smith, and written by Mark and Michael Polish. The film stars Winona Ryder, Mark Polish, Hilary Duff, Sean Astin, Josh Holloway, Jon Cryer, and Chevy Chase.- Plot :... |
Javier | |
| 2010 | Due Date Due Date Due Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010... |
Alan Harper Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men) Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for... |
cameo |
| 2013 | Planes Planes (film) Planes is an upcoming direct-to-video spin-off of Cars. Pixar Animation Studios however, will not be producing the film. Instead, it will be produced by DisneyToon Studios... |
Dusty Crophopper | Voice Role In-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Amazing Stories Amazing Stories Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction... |
Phil | Episode: "Miscalculation" |
| 1989–1990 | Teddy Zakalokis | ||
| 1995–1996 | Partners Partners (TV series) Partners is an American sitcom that aired on FOX from 1995 to 1996.-Synopsis:The series centered a pair of young architects, Bob and Owen , and Owen's fiancée Alicia . Much of the show's humor derived from Bob's lack of success with women and his competition with Alicia for Owen's attention... |
Bob | also as producer |
| 1996 | Trevor McPhee | Episode: "Vanishing Act" | |
| 1997 | It's Good to Be King | Mort | |
| 1997 | Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites... |
Brian | Episode: "Shower the People You Love with Love" |
| 1998 | Getting Personal | Sam Wagner | Episode: "Sam I am" Cryer also produced the series |
| 1998 | Hercules: The Animated Series Hercules: The Animated Series Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles... |
The Winged Wolves (voice) | Episode: "Hercules and the Underworld Takeover" |
| 1998 | Mr. Show with Bob & David Mr. Show Mr. Show with Bob and David is an American sketch comedy series featuring former Saturday Night Live writer/actor Bob Odenkirk and stand up comedian/actor David Cross... |
Duckie | Episode: "It's Perfectly Understandishable" |
| 1998 | Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place Two Guys and a Girl Two Guys and a Girl is an American sitcom created by Kenny Schwartz and Danny Jacobson. It ran on ABC from March 10, 1998 to May 16, 2001. 81 episodes were transmitted over four seasons.... |
Justin | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Thanksgiving" |
| 2000, 2010 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Kevin Swanson, Himself | Episodes: "There's Something About Paulie", "Brian Griffin's House of Payne Brian Griffin's House of Payne "Brian Griffin's House of Payne" is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 28, 2010. The episode features Brian after he discovers an old script he had written in the basement, and subsequently... " |
| 2000–2001 | Zack Mango | ||
| 2002 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe Andy Richter Controls the Universe Andy Richter Controls the Universe is a sitcom which aired from 2002–2003 on the Fox network. The series was Andy Richter's first starring role after leaving Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2000.... |
Lemuel Praeger | Episode: "Gimme a C" |
| 2002 | Terry Pender | Episode: "Of Thee I Sing" | |
| 2003 | Becker Becker (TV series) Becker is an American television sitcom that ran from 1998 to 2004 on CBS. Set in the New York City borough of The Bronx, the show starred Ted Danson as John Becker, a misanthropic doctor who operates a small practice and is constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, friends, and practically... |
Roger | Episode: "Chris' Ex" |
| 2003 | Hey Joel Hey Joel Hey Joel is an American animated television series. It is about Joel Stein, the host of a three-minute rock-star interview show on VH1 called "3 minutes with Joel". However, he is anything but respectful to his famous guests, often badgering them with aggressive, pointless, irreverent, and often... |
Joel Stein (voice) | |
| 2003 | Stripperella Stripperella Stripperella was an American animated series created by Stan Lee. The main character, voiced by and based on Pamela Anderson, is a stripper named Erotica Jones who is also the superheroine/secret agent Stripperella. The series was produced by The Firm and Spike Animation Studios... |
(voice) | |
| 2003–present | Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake... |
Alan Harper Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men) Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for... |
main cast member; directed three episodes between 2007–present Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2009) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011) |
| 2005, 2006 | Danny Phantom Danny Phantom Danny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret... |
Freakshow | Episodes: "Reality Trip" and "Control Freaks" |
| 2006 | American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television... |
Quacky (Parody of his Pretty in Pink character, Duckie.) | Episode: "It's Good to Be Queen" |
| 2007 | "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... " |
Alan Harper Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men) Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for... |
Cameo |
| 2010, 2011 | Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real... |
Kenneth Truscott | Episodes: "The Wheel Near My Bed (Keep's on Turnin')" and "I Am Mamaw, Hear Me Roar!" |
External links
- Jon Cryer Bio at CBS - Two and a Half Men
- Jon Cryer at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Jon Cryer interview on AOL
- TonyAwards.com Interview with Jon Cryer