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- BiographyClassically trained actor Jon Bernthal consistently captivates audiences with various roles across a multitude of genres.
Bernthal can recently be seen in the HBO Series We Own This City as ‘Sgt. Wayne Jenkins’ for which he received rave reviews including Vulture stating “Bernthal infuses Jenkins with distinctly Baltimorean swagger. Speaking with boastful, rounded o’s and walking with a sway that suggests he’s ready to spring into attack mode at any time, you can’t take your eyes off the guy even when his behavior is so abhorrent you want to… It’s a high-voltage, Emmy-worthy performance.”
Prior, he was seen in Lena Dunham’s feature film Sharp Stick, alongside Kristine Froseth, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Taylour Paige. He also starred in King Richard from director Reinaldo Marcus Green, alongside Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis. Bernthal played Serena and Venus Williams’ famed tennis coach Rick Macci. The film was nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture and also received a Critics Choice nomination for Best Picture. Bernthal appeared in Netflix’s original feature The Unforgivable, opposite Sandra Bullock, which broke into the all-time Top 10 movies watched on Netflix.
In addition to his on-screen projects, Bernthal recently started a weekly podcast called “Real Ones” in which he gives the microphone to some of the most interesting, authentic people living on the front lines of the big issues of our time including soldiers, doctors, police officers, activists, and first responders. The product is an honest, open dialogue that is informative, funny, and at times heartbreaking. The most recent episode received almost 5 million views.
Last fall, Bernthal played Tony Soprano’s father, ‘Johnny Boy Soprano’ in the Sopranos movie prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, opposite an all-star cast. Additionally, Bernthal recently starred in the feature film adaptation of Small Engine Repair, which he also co-produced based on the award-winning stage production which he also produced and starred in.
On the television side, he starred in the BJ Novak anthology series, The Premise, for a compelling episode titled ‘Moment of Silence’ which has garnered critical acclaim for its thought-provoking subject matter and for his standout performance. He also appeared in an episode of Hulu’s The Bear and can be seen in Showtime’s adaptation of American Gigolo.
- Bernthal starred in James Mangold’s Ford V. Ferrari as Lee Iacocca, alongside Christian Bale and Matt Damon. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019 to critical acclaim and received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. In 2019, he also appeared in The Peanut Butter Falcon alongside Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson. The film received the Narrative Spotlight Award at SXSW Festival in March 2019 and was nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film. Bernthal opened multiple films in 2017, including Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver for Sony Pictures, in which he starred alongside Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx.
In 2013, he starred in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie. Terence Winter wrote the script about the rise and fall of Wall Streeter Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio). The film was released by Paramount Pictures on Christmas day and was nominated for five Academy Awards – including Best Picture.
Additional film credits include Taylor Sheridan’s Those Who Wish Me Dead, Steve McQueen’s Widows released by 20th Century Fox; Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River; Jamie Dagg’s Sweet Virginia released by IFC Films; Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller released by Saban Films; Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant released by Warner Brothers; Brendan Muldowney’s Pilgrimage released by RLJ Entertainment; Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario released by Lionsgate; David Ayer’s Fury released by Sony; and Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s film adaptation to Me & Earl & the Dying Girl. He also appeared in Date Night with Steve Carell and Tina Fey; in Roman Polanski’s award-winning The Ghost Writer opposite Ewan McGregor; Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian opposite Ben Stiller, Christopher Guest, and Hank Azaria; Grudge Match opposite Robert De Niro; and the independent films The Air I Breathe with Kevin Bacon and Julie Delpy, and Day Zero with Elijah Wood. Bernthal’s first major film role was in the Oliver Stone picture World Trade Center with Nicholas Cage and Maria Bello.
Alongside his father, Bernthal launched a production company called Story Factory with several film and television projects in development.