Jonathan Gries (/ɡraɪz/ GRYZ; born June 17, 1957)[1][2] is an American actor, writer, and director. He is best known for the role of Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, and recurring character Roger Linus on Lost. He is also known for his roles in Martin, The Pretender, The Monster Squad, Running Scared, Real Genius, Dream Corp LLC, Get Shorty, and The White Lotus.
Jon Gries | |
|---|---|
 Gries at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Jonathan Gries June 17, 1957 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Jon Francis |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1968–present |
Life and career
editGries was born in Glendale, California,[3] the son of writer, director, and producer Tom Gries.[4] His first film role came at the age of 11, when he played the Boy Horace in the Charlton Heston film Will Penny, which was written and directed by his father. Some of his signature roles have come in cult classics. He played Lazlo Hollyfeld in Real Genius (1985), Azzolini in Rainbow Drive, Shawn McDermott in the TV series Martin (1992–1994), Ronnie Wingate in Get Shorty (1995), Harvey in The Rundown, and Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite (2004). Gries has played a werewolf on several occasions, such as Fright Night Part 2 and The Monster Squad.
In the historical Western film September Dawn, he played executed murderer John D. Lee, in a performance praised by critics who otherwise panned the film.[5][6][7] He played Casey in the films Taken (2008), Taken 2 (2012), and Taken 3 (2014), and was in TerrorVision, as O.D. He lent his voice for the video game Hitman: Absolution.
Among his television roles are that of a terrorist in season two of the hit show 24 and as Broots on the NBC series The Pretender. He had a guest role on The X-Files in the episode "Sleepless". He played Dylan McKay's drug dealer in season 5 of Beverly Hills, 90210. He played Ben Linus's father Roger in a recurring role on the TV series Lost. He played Shawn on the Fox sitcom Martin during the first two seasons. He appeared twice in the TV series Quantum Leap—first, as a bookie in the episode "The Right Hand of God" and then as a band member in the episode "Glitter Rock". He appeared as Rusty the Bum in two episodes of Seinfeld.[8]
In 2007, he played the menacing dad to Samaire Armstrong in Around June. In 2008, he appeared in the CSI: NY episode "The Box" as the father of that episode's victim. In 2010, he wrapped production on A True Story. Based on Things That Never Actually Happened. ...and Some that Did and appeared in one episode of Nikita. He played Martin in the TV show Supernatural in the episodes "Sam, Interrupted" (2010), "Hello, Cruel World" (2011) and "Citizen Fang" (2012). He played Bob, a former drug addict who operates a safe haven for abused Mexican women, in The Bridge. He played Strabinsky in the TV Show Psych in the episode "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" (2010).[9]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Will Penny | Horace (Button) | Credited as Jon Francis |
| 1976 | Born of Water | Friend | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1977 | The Chicken Chronicles | Tom | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1979 | Sunnyside | Wild Child | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| More American Graffiti | Ron | Credited as Jonathan Gries | |
| Swap Meet | Doug | ||
| 1983 | Joysticks | King Vidiot | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1985 | Real Genius | Lazlo Hollyfeld | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1986 | TerrorVision | O.D. | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| Running Scared | Det. Tony Montoya | Credited as Jonathan Gries | |
| 1987 | Number One with a Bullet | Bobby Sweet | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| The Monster Squad | Desperate Man/Wolfman | Credited as Jonathan Gries | |
| Che's Revenge | Jack | Short | |
| 1988 | Fright Night Part 2 | Louie | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1989 | Kill Me Again | Alan Swayzie | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog | Max | Credited as Jonathan Gries | |
| 1990 | The Grifters | Drunk's Friend | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1993 | Ed and His Dead Mother | Rob Sundheimer | |
| 1995 | Get Shorty | Ronnie Wingate | |
| 1997 | Casualties | Bill Summers | |
| Men in Black | Van Driver | ||
| The Maze | Dr. Holmes | ||
| Mitzi & Joe | Joe | ||
| 1999 | Twin Falls Idaho | Lawyer Jay Harrison | |
| 2001 | The Beatnicks | B Cool | |
| Jackpot | Sunny Holiday / Glen Allen Johnson | Also co-producer | |
| 2003 | Northfork | Arnold | |
| The Big Empty | Elron | ||
| The Snow Walker | Pierce | ||
| The Rundown | Harvey | ||
| 2004 | Napoleon Dynamite | Uncle Rico Dynamite | |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action Star | Donald Buckheim | |
| Waterborne | Ritter | ||
| Last Best Chance | Bernard Wheeler | Video | |
| 2006 | The Sasquatch Gang | Chilcutt | |
| Stick It | Brice Graham | ||
| The Astronaut Farmer | FBI Agent Killbourne | ||
| Car Babes | Gary | ||
| 2007 | American Pastime | Ed Tully | |
| Bicentennial Curious | Mick Jones | Short | |
| Fathom | Short | ||
| September Dawn | John D. Lee | ||
| The Comebacks | Barber | ||
| Frank | Colin York | ||
| 2008 | Taken | Casey | |
| Bar Starz | Ricky Fabulous | ||
| South of Heaven | Hood #1 | ||
| So Long Jimmy | Levi Franklin | ||
| Around June | Murry | ||
| 2009 | Elsewhere | Mr. Tod | |
| The Smell of Success | Early Dunchamp | ||
| A Lone Star State | Wyatt Kinney | Short | |
| 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Edgar | |
| Good Intentions | Sherriff Ernie | ||
| Pearblossom | Harry | Short | |
| 2011 | Natural Selection | Peter | |
| Not Quite College | Tone Cash | ||
| 5 Time Champion | Melvin Glee | ||
| Redemption: For Robbing the Dead | Tom Sutter | ||
| 2012 | Deep in the Heart | Dick Wallrath | |
| Unicorn City | Shadowhawk | ||
| Noobz | Greg Lipstein | ||
| Taken 2 | Casey | ||
| Byron's Theme | Butcher | Short | |
| 2013 | Bad Turn Worse | Sheriff Shep | |
| A True Story | Richard Simpkins | ||
| Skinwalker Ranch | Hoyt | ||
| 2014 | Eternity: The Movie | Barry Goldfield, Jr. | |
| Faults | Terry | ||
| Locker 13 | Archie | Segment: Title Story | |
| After We Rest | Mr. Norman | Short | |
| The Last Survivors | Carson | ||
| Brothers | Ronnie | Short | |
| Taken 3 | Casey | ||
| 2015 | Pass the Light | Franklin | |
| Endgame | Principal Thomas | ||
| A Country Called Home | Tyler | ||
| Mucho Dinero | Jon Waters | ||
| 2016 | Durant's Never Closes | Dizzy Dean | |
| The Axe Murders of Villisca | Greg | ||
| Falsely Accused | Gus | ||
| The Knife Thrower | Circus Manager | ||
| Operation Chromite | Hoyt Vandenberg | ||
| 2017 | All About the Money | Jon Waters | |
| Americons | Billy | ||
| 2018 | Glass Jaw [1] | Sam Austin | |
| 2024 | Solvent | Gunner S. Holbrook | |
| TBA | Carolina Caroline | TBA | Filming |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Helter Skelter | William Garretson | TV movie |
| 1977 | Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | Uncredited | TV movie |
| Mulligan's Stew | Adams | Episode: "Melinda Special" | |
| 1979 | 240-Robert | Brad | Episode: "Poison Air" |
| 1980 | The White Shadow | Uri Kogenski | Episode: "The Russians Are Coming" |
| 1983 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Brad | Episode: "The Road Rebels" |
| September Gun | Brian Brian | TV movie | |
| The Jeffersons | Frank | Episode: "I Do, I Don't" | |
| High School U.S.A. | Dirty Curt | TV movie | |
| 1987 | The Twilight Zone | Nick Gatlin (Segment: "Shelter Skelter") | Episode: "Joy Ride/Shelter Skelter/Private Channel" |
| Cagney & Lacey | Hands Callahan | Episode: "The City is Burning" | |
| 1988 | Tattingers | Rick Jurasky | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Paradise | Emmett | Episode: "Dead Run" |
| 1990 | Falcon Crest | Stone | Episode: "Finding Lauren" |
| Jake and the Fatman | Lenny Maddox | Episode: "By Myself" | |
| Tour of Duty | Maj. Rex Chapman, USAF | Episode: "The Raid" | |
| Rainbow Drive | Azzolini | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Flash McGrath | Episode: "Glitter Rock–April 12, 1974" |
| Fever | Bobby | TV movie | |
| 1992 | L.A. Law | Dr. Harold Benson | Episode: "I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. Markowitz" |
| Four Eyes and Six Guns | TV movie | ||
| 1992–1994 | Martin | Shawn McDermott | 54 episodes |
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. | Ray Coombs | Episode: "A Bullet for Stiles" |
| 1994 | The X-Files | Salvatore Matola | Episode: "Sleepless" |
| Beverly Hills, 90210 | Mr. Trilling, Dope Dealer | 4 episodes | |
| 1995 | Chicago Hope | Jack Kimball | Episode: "Hello Goodbye" |
| Strange Luck | Henry Bloom | Episode: "Last Chance" | |
| Seinfeld | Homeless Man | Episode: "The Beard" | |
| 1996 | Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah | Steve | TV movie |
| 1996–2000 | The Pretender | Broots | 82 episodes |
| 1998 | Seinfeld | Rusty | Episode: "The Bookstore" |
| 2001 | The Pretender 2001 | Broots | TV movie |
| ER | Defense Attorney Marty Nesmith | Episode: "Fear of Commitment" | |
| The Pretender: Island of the Haunted | Broots | TV movie | |
| 2002 | 24 | Joseph Wald | Episode: "Day 2: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m." |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Texas Ranger | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Las Vegas | Greg Walker | Episode: "Sons and Lovers" |
| 2007–2010 | Lost | Roger Linus | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | CSI: NY | Jim Warren | Episode: "The Box" |
| 2010 | Cold Case | Bill Shepard '78 | 2 episodes |
| Sons of Anarchy | Passport Forger | Episode: "So" | |
| Psych | Strabinsky | Episode: "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" | |
| Nikita | The Engineer | Episode: "Dark Matter" | |
| Supernatural | Martin Creaser | 2 episodes | |
| 2011 | Hawaii Five-0 | Liam Miller | Episode: "Lapa'au" |
| 2012 | Dr. Fubalous | Dr. Reed | 2 episodes |
| Napoleon Dynamite | Uncle Rico | 6 episodes | |
| BlackBoxTV | Dad | Episode: "Silverwood: The Hunger" | |
| 2013–2014 | The Bridge | Bob | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Criminal Minds | Clifford Walsh | Episode: "The Road Home" |
| 2016–2020 | Dream Corp LLC | Dr. Roberts | 28 episodes[10] |
| 2021–present | The White Lotus | Greg |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hitman: Absolution | Sheriff Clive Skurky (voice) |
Music videos
edit- As director
- Flies on Fire - "Long Gone Dead" (1989)
- Low Profile - "Pay Ya Dues" (1989)[11]
- Low Profile - "That's Y They Do It (1989)
- Low Profile - "Funky Song" (1990)
- Mere Mortals - "Cracked" (2006)
- As actor
- Alice in Chains - "Rooster" (1993)
- Lenny Kravitz - "Mr. Cab Driver" (1990)
References
edit- ^ Gries, Jon (May 19, 2021). "Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Rico Actor Jon Gries Full Interview". Legends & Masters Show (Interview). Interviewed by Tom Wheeler. Event occurs at 0:34. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ "Today's Birthdays". The Wausau Daily Herald. The Associated Press. June 17, 2004. p. 2B.
Actor Jon Gries is 47.
- ^ "Jon Gries". Allmovie. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Gries, Jon [@jongries] (September 6, 2018). "My father #Tomgries with #Jimbrown #BurtReynolds on the set of 100 Rifles Burt was a lovely, funny guy. Greatest laugh &sense of humor. RIP" (Tweet). Retrieved November 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Means, Sean P. (August 23, 2007). "'September Dawn' a campy screen disaster". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
The movie's one emotionally honest performance is handed in by Jon Gries (Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite"), who brings some weight and a sense of guilt to his portrayal of John D. Lee.
- ^ The Hollywood Reporter Archived September 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Fry, Ted. "Movies | Mormon massacre story "September Dawn" mixes fact, fiction | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Jon Gries at IMDb
- ^ Jon Gries at IMDb
- ^ "Dream Corp LLC Season 2 Cast & Character Guide". screenrant.com. October 22, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Stockman, Tom (December 11, 2013). "WAMG Interview: Actor/Director Jon Gries on ANOTHER MAN'S GUN". wearemoviegeeks.com. Lanier Media. Retrieved May 30, 2016.