• 62-year-old American actor, director and writer
• Growing up in Glendale, California with art-obsessed parents
• Acting debut at age 11 in 'Will Penny' with Charlton Heston
• Notable roles in 'More American Graffiti', 'The Monster Squad', 'Real Genius', 'Martin', 'Lost', 'Napoleon Dynamite', and 'Seinfeld'
• Net worth is approximately $2 million
Known for movies
Short Info
Date Of Birth | June 17, 1957 |
Fact | Son of noted writer/director/producer Tom Gries and actress Mary Munday. His paternal step-grandfather was jazz musician Muggsy Spanier (who was married to Jon's grandmother, Ruth). |

Contents
- 1 Who is Jon Gries?
- 2 Early Life an Education: Growing Up in California
- 3 Career Beginnings: Working with Charlton Heston, More American Graffiti, Real Genius and More
- 4 Gaining Recognition: The Monster Squad, September Gun, Real Genius, TerrorVision and More
- 5 1990s and 2000s: Martin, Beverly Hills 90210, Men in Black, The Pretender, Napoleon Dynamite and More
- 6 Recent Works: Napoleon Dynamite (the series), The Bridge, Dream Corp LLC and More
- 7 Personal Life: Is Jon Gries Married? Does He Have Children?
- 8 Net Worth: How Rich is Jon Gries?
- 9 Online Presence
- 10 General Info
- 11 Family
- 12 Accomplishments
- 13 Social profile links
- 14 Quotes
- 15 Facts
- 16 Pictures
- 17 Movies
- 18 Awards
Who is Jon Gries?
Born in Glendale, California, on 17 June 1957, under the air sign of Gemini, Jonathan Francis Gries is a 62-year-old American actor, director and writer. He is sometimes credited as Jonathan/Jonathon Gries and Jon Francis, depending on the project he’s involved in. As he’s been acting for more than 50 years now, there’s no genre, situation or demand that’s too challenging for him. Jon is perhaps best known for being Uncle Rico in “Napoleon Dynamite”, and Roger Linus in “Lost”. We could also see him in seminal titles such as “Monster Squad”, “Martin”, “Real Genius” and, unbeknownst to most – “Seinfeld”. Coming from an art-obsessed family, he knew what he wanted to be from the get go and exceeded all expectations by becoming one of the most respected names in show business.
Early Life an Education: Growing Up in California
Jon was raised in his birthplace by very famous parents – his mother, Mary Eleanor Munday, was a popular actress in the last century, amassing roles in cult classics such as “Ghost Dad”, “The Twilight Zone” and “The Golden Hawk”. Thomas Stephen Gries, a prominent producer, writer and director, was his father. A man respected throughout Hollywood, Gries Sr. introduced his son to the art of acting at a very young age. ‘Our house was not your average household’, Jon recalls. ‘There were movie scripts all over the place, and often my dad’s celebrity friends would stop by for a chat or a meeting.’ With exposure to such an artistic environment, he had little choice but to follow the footsteps of his influential parents. As for his education, Jon Gries attended an unspecified high school in his hometown, matriculating in 1975.
Given the fact that he devoted his life to acting, he forewent his college education and never looked back. Throughout the years, he attended several seminars and programs in France, Britain and other countries. His will to learn and improve as an actor have turned him into a living legend, with his peers having only kind words about him.
Career Beginnings: Working with Charlton Heston, More American Graffiti, Real Genius and More
While most actors need years of small-time roles to work with big names, Jon didn’t. At the tender age of 11, he was thrown into the fire by being cast as Horace in the hit Charlton Heston film “Will Penny”. Even though his father Thomas was both the writer and director, young Gries impressed Heston and the rest of the crew with his composure and maturity. Despite the success of his debut, he put acting aside in order to complete his education. In 1976, as a fresh high school graduate, he made appearances in “Helter Skelter” and “Born of Water”, followed by a series of roles in various popular TV shows and movies.
Hooooly shit look what I just found!! pic.twitter.com/gv2KwAQaym
— jon gries (@jongries) May 23, 2018
This was a rather interesting development, as he didn’t face any significant difficulties when it came to picking roles. “More American Graffiti”, “Swap Meet” and “Sunnyside” were the most important of the bunch. Critics began writing about him, which lead to more directors and producers wanting to work with him. While Jon wasn’t a star by any means, but his talent was evident.
Gaining Recognition: The Monster Squad, September Gun, Real Genius, TerrorVision and More
The 1980s were an important period for Gries. He started the decade off with supporting roles in “The White Shadow”, “The Texas Rangers” and “Joysticks”. People were wondering why he was silent in 1982, but they found out the answer when he caught everyone’s attention by having five critically praised roles, especially in “September Gun” and “High School U.S.A.” His jam-packed schedule stayed pretty much the same, with seminal parts in “The Monster Squad”, “Number One with a Bullet”, and even an appearance in “The Twilight Zone”.
In equal measure, Gries was in both films and series, slowly establishing himself as one of the premier supporting actors in the industry. In such a short period, he managed to build up his portfolio more than most actors manage over the course of several decades. It’s also worth noting his performances in “Kill Me Again”, “Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog”, amongst the many credits he had in the 1980s. The first part of the 1990s decade included stints in “L.A. Law”, “Quantum Leap” and “Baskersfield P.D.”. At this time, he was finally handed the opportunity to showcase character development in a recurring role.
1990s and 2000s: Martin, Beverly Hills 90210, Men in Black, The Pretender, Napoleon Dynamite and More
In 1992, John Bowman and Martin Lawrence wanted to work with Jon on “Martin”, a cult 1990s sitcom in which Lawrence himself was the star. Initially, they wanted to feature him in a few episodes, but fans immediately took a liking to Shawn McDermott, so we got to seem him a lot in the next few seasons.
Appearing in over 50 episodes, Gries showcased that he can handle complex characters and implement changes in his approach to individual scenes. Hollywood took notice of his talents, as he went on to appear in “The X Files”, “Beverly Hills, 90210”, “Chicago Hope” and even “Seinfeld”. By the mid-1990s, the man was everywhere. His second big role was as Broots in “The Pretender”; the story features Michael T. Weiss as a man who escaped from a government testing facility and has the ability to master any skill. When his time on the show concluded after 82 episodes, he mostly focused on movies, the most important of which was “Napoleon Dynamite”. Throughout the 2000s, we would rarely see Jon performing in TV shows, but when he did – he was nothing short of impressive.
Recent Works: Napoleon Dynamite (the series), The Bridge, Dream Corp LLC and More
After highly praised performances in “Lost”, “Cold Case” and “CSI: NY”, Gries was ready to leave his mark on the 2010s. He reprised his role as Uncle Rico in the “Napoleon Dynamite” TV series, but only as a voice actor. Later on, he would make appearances in “Supernatural”, “Dr. Fubalous”, “Skinwalker Ranch” and other movies and shows. In “The Bridge”, he was Bob for eight episodes before moving onto “Dream Corp LLC”. As the lead star of this Daniel Stessen-created show, he played the quirky and absent-minded genius who records and analyzes dreams of various patients. Despite being in the sixth decade of his career, Gries is showing no signs of slowing down. He regularly hosts panels, gives speeches at Comic Cons and interacts with fans. According to multiple reports, he is always kind and never refuses to take a picture or give an autograph. With several projects in the making, who knows what this seemingly ageless man has in store for us?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRtkP0ysZc
Personal Life: Is Jon Gries Married? Does He Have Children?
Jon’s current love life is quite a mystery. In 2011, it became known that he was dating actress Kimberly Rose McConnell. They got together on 11 November that year and immediately set tabloids ablaze with frequent social media posts and public displays of affection. However, in late 2015, they seemingly dropped off the grid as a couple. Nobody knew what they were up to and they stopped showing up to events together. It’s obvious that they broke up at a certain point, but didn’t want to create a fuss around the whole thing. Because he’s never married and there wasn’t any controversy involving the opposite sex, there were rumors that he might, in fact, be gay. Gries himself stated that he is heterosexual, putting these allegations to rest. Still, he is a very private person, so don’t expect any of his relationships to be publicized. As for his siblings, Jon has one sister – actress Cary Gries.
Trivia and Fun Facts About Jon Gries
In 2004, fans noticed a strange parallel between two of Gries’ many roles. In 1989, he played a homeless guy in “Seinfeld”, and proceeded to steal Tupperware from another character. 15 years later, in “Napoleon Dynamite”, his character was a door-to-door Tupperware salesman! In “Lost”, his plays the father to Michael Emerson’s character. Unbeknownst to most, Emerson is three years older than him in real life. On multiple occasions, he tried to become a vegan, but was unable to completely get rid of meat and dairy. His dad’s stepfather is famous jazz virtuoso Muggsy Spanier. Also, he played a wolf-man hybrid on two separate occasions – in “The Monster Squad” and “Fright Night Part 2”.
Net Worth: How Rich is Jon Gries?
Have you ever wondered how affluent this famous actor really is? According to authoritative sources, Jon Gries has a net worth of approximately $2 million, as of October 2019. While this amount of money might not seem much for such a seasoned actor, Jon never prioritized big paydays. ‘It’s not about the money’, he said on the topic. ‘It’s not about the prestige or being recognized. It’s about doing work that you really think has integrity.’ Given the fact that he’s still active, we can expect this number to change in the following years.
Online Presence
When compared to most actors, Jon isn’t particularly active on social media. He has a Twitter profile and is followed by 1,400 people, but hasn’t posted anything since September 2018.
General Info
Full Name | Jon Gries |
Date Of Birth | June 17, 1957 |
Height | 1.8 m |
Profession | Film producer, Voice Actor, Film director, Writer |
Nationality | American |
Family
Parents | Mary Munday, Tom Gries |
Siblings | Cary Gries |
Accomplishments
Nominations | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Rumble, Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Sleazebag, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Blush |
Movies | Napoleon Dynamite, Taken, Taken 3, Taken 2, The Rundown, Real Genius, Men in Black, Get Shorty, Will Penny, Unicorn City, The Astronaut Farmer, Stick It, Faults, Northfork, The Monster Squad, September Dawn, Fright Night Part 2, Deep in the Heart, Bad Turn Worse, Noobz, The Sasquatch Gang, Skinwalke... |
TV Shows | Dr Fubalous, Napoleon Dynamite, The Pretender, Martin |
Social profile links
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | (On Get Shorty) I was probably the 250th person they saw for that. They saw Matthew McConaughey, Steve Buscemi, a lot of people. Getting it was kind of an anomaly. It's very difficult being nobody and getting a part in a movie like that. My personal feeling is that what I did in the audition didn't translate on film, and part of that was Barry Sonnenfeld's insecurity. There was so much dialogue, so he thought everything should be sped up. He kept saying, "Make it faster," and I think it lost something. When we had the cast and crew screening, there wasn't a peep from the audience. Barry was sweating profusely. He thought everyone hated it. I walked out of there thinking it was gonna be a big flop. Of course, seeing it now, I think it worked just fine, and we were all being too hard on it. |
2 | On Napoleon Dynamite (2004): The fun of this kind of experience, which I think, unfortunately, a lot of people in the film industry miss, is really the adventure of making a movie that is being nurtured almost like a child and having to go through a channel where there are not millions of hands kind of massaging it to the screen. |
3 | On his definition of success: It's not about the money. It's not about the prestige or being recognized. It's about doing work that you really think has integrity. |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Played the role of a wolf man in 2 films, in The Monster Squad (1987) as Desperate Man (wolf man in human form) and in Fright Night Part 2 (1988) as Louie. |
2 | Brother of Cary Gries. |
3 | On Lost (2004) he played the father of Michael Emerson, who is actually 3 years older than him. |
4 | In one of his appearances on Seinfeld (1989), he plays a homeless man that refuses to give Kramer's (Michael Richards) Tupperware back. In Napoleon Dynamite (2004), his character is a door-to-door salesman of Tupperware-like products. |
5 | Does not drink milk and eats very little red meat. |
6 | Son of noted writer/director/producer Tom Gries and actress Mary Munday. His paternal step-grandfather was jazz musician Muggsy Spanier (who was married to Jon's grandmother, Ruth). |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Around June | 2008 | Murry | |
So Long Jimmy | 2008 | Levi Franklin | |
South of Heaven | 2008 | Hood 1 | |
Bar Starz | 2008 | Ricky Fabulous | |
Taken | 2008/I | Casey | |
The Comebacks | 2007 | Barber | |
September Dawn | 2007 | John D. Lee | |
Fathom | 2007 | Short | |
Bicentennial Curious | 2007 | Short | Mick Jones |
American Pastime | 2007 | Ed Tully | |
Frank | 2007/I | Colin York | |
Car Babes | 2006 | Gary | |
The Astronaut Farmer | 2006 | FBI Agent Killbourne | |
Stick It | 2006 | Brice Graham | |
The Sasquatch Gang | 2006 | Chilcutt | |
Last Best Chance | 2005 | Video | Bernard Wheeler |
Waterborne | 2005 | Ritter | |
Confessions of an Action Star | 2005 | Donald Buckheim | |
Carnivàle | 2003-2005 | TV Series | Texas Ranger |
Las Vegas | 2004 | TV Series | Greg Walker |
Napoleon Dynamite | 2004 | Uncle Rico | |
The Rundown | 2003 | Harvey | |
The Snow Walker | 2003 | Pierce | |
The Big Empty | 2003 | Elron | |
Northfork | 2003 | Arnold | |
24 | 2002 | TV Series | Joseph Wald |
The Pretender: Island of the Haunted | 2001 | TV Movie | Broots |
Jackpot | 2001 | Sunny Holiday / Glen Allen Johnson | |
The Beatnicks | 2001 | B Cool | |
ER | 2001 | TV Series | Defense Attorney Marty Nesmith |
The Pretender 2001 | 2001 | TV Movie | Broots |
The Pretender | 1996-2000 | TV Series | Broots |
Twin Falls Idaho | 1999 | Lawyer Jay Harrison | |
Seinfeld | 1995-1998 | TV Series | Rusty Homeless Man |
Mitzi & Joe | 1997 | Joe | |
The Maze | 1997 | Dr. Holmes | |
Men in Black | 1997 | Van Driver | |
Casualties | 1997 | Bill Summers | |
Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah | 1996 | TV Movie | Steve |
Get Shorty | 1995 | Ronnie Wingate | |
Strange Luck | 1995 | TV Series | Henry Bloom |
Chicago Hope | 1995 | TV Series | Jack Kimball |
Beverly Hills, 90210 | 1994 | TV Series | Mr. Trilling, Dope Dealer Dope Dealer |
The X-Files | 1994 | TV Series | Salvatore Matola |
Martin | 1992-1994 | TV Series | Shawn McDermott Shawn |
Bakersfield P.D. | 1993 | TV Series | Ray Coombs |
Ed and His Dead Mother | 1993 | Rob Sundheimer | |
Four Eyes and Six-Guns | 1992 | TV Movie as Jonathan Gries | |
L.A. Law | 1992 | TV Series | Dr. Harold Benson |
Fever | 1991 | TV Movie | Bobby |
Quantum Leap | 1989-1991 | TV Series | Flash McGrath / Roscoe |
The Grifters | 1990 | Drunk's Friend (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Rainbow Drive | 1990 | TV Movie | Azzolini |
Tour of Duty | 1990 | TV Series | Maj. Rex Chapman, USAF |
Jake and the Fatman | 1990 | TV Series | Lenny Maddox |
Falcon Crest | 1990 | TV Series | Stone |
Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog | 1989 | Max (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Kill Me Again | 1989 | Alan Swayzie (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Guns of Paradise | 1989 | TV Series | Emmett |
Tattinger's | 1988 | TV Series | Rick Jurasky |
Fright Night Part 2 | 1988 | Louie (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Che's Revenge | 1987 | Short | Jack (as Jonathan Gries) |
Cagney & Lacey | 1987 | TV Series | Hands Callahan |
The Monster Squad | 1987 | Desperate Man (as Jonathan Gries) | |
The Twilight Zone | 1987 | TV Series | Nick Gatlin (segment "Shelter Skelter") |
Number One with a Bullet | 1987 | Bobby Sweet (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Running Scared | 1986 | Det. Tony Montoya (as Jonathan Gries) | |
TerrorVision | 1986 | O.D. (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Real Genius | 1985 | Lazlo Hollyfeld (as Jonathan Gries) | |
High School U.S.A. | 1984 | TV Movie | Leo Bandini (as Johnathan Gries) |
High School U.S.A. | 1983 | TV Movie | Dirty Curt (as Jonathan Gries) |
The Jeffersons | 1983 | TV Series | Frank |
September Gun | 1983 | TV Movie | Brian Brian (as Jonathan Gries) |
The Powers of Matthew Star | 1983 | TV Series | Brad |
Joysticks | 1983 | King Vidiot (as Jonathan Gries) | |
The White Shadow | 1980 | TV Series | Uri Kogenski |
240-Robert | 1979 | TV Series | Brad |
Swap Meet | 1979 | Doug | |
More American Graffiti | 1979 | Ron (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Sunnyside | 1979 | Wild Child (as Jonathan Gries) | |
Mulligan's Stew | 1977 | TV Series | Adams |
The Chicken Chronicles | 1977 | Tom (as Jonathon Gries) | |
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | 1977 | TV Movie uncredited | |
Helter Skelter | 1976 | TV Movie | William Garretson |
Born of Water | 1976 | Friend | |
Will Penny | 1967 | Horace (button) (as Jon Francis) | |
The Knife Thrower | pre-production | Circus Manager | |
All About the Money | 2016 | Jon Waters | |
Dream Corp LLC | 2016 | TV Series | Dr. Roberts |
Falsely Accused | 2016/I | Gus | |
The Axe Murders of Villisca | 2016 | Greg | |
Dice | 2016 | TV Series | |
Durant's Never Closes | 2016 | Dizzy Dean | |
A Country Called Home | 2015 | Tyler (uncredited) | |
Endgame | 2015/I | Principal Thomas | |
Pass the Light | 2015 | Franklin | |
Americons | 2015 | Billy | |
Brothers | 2014/VIII | Short | Ronnie |
Dream Corp LLC | 2014 | TV Movie | Dr. Roberts |
Taken 3 | 2014 | Mark Casey | |
The Bridge | 2013-2014 | TV Series | Bob |
The Last Survivors | 2014 | Carson | |
After We Rest | 2014 | Short | Mr. Norman |
Locker 13 | 2014 | Archie (segment "title story") | |
Faults | 2014 | Terry | |
Eternity: The Movie | 2014 | Barry Goldfield, Jr. | |
Criminal Minds | 2014 | TV Series | Clifford Walsh |
Skinwalker Ranch | 2013 | Hoyt | |
A True Story | 2013 | Richard Simpkins | |
Bad Turn Worse | 2013 | Sheriff Shep | |
Byron's Theme | 2012 | Short | Butcher |
Supernatural | 2010-2012 | TV Series | Martin Creaser |
Hitman: Absolution | 2012 | Video Game | Skurky (voice, as John Gries) |
Taken 2 | 2012 | Casey | |
Noobz | 2012 | Greg Lipstein | |
BlackBoxTV | 2012 | TV Series | Dad |
Napoleon Dynamite | 2012 | TV Series | Uncle Rico |
Unicorn City | 2012 | Shadowhawk | |
Deep in the Heart | 2012 | Dick Wallrath | |
Dr. Fubalous | 2012 | TV Series | Dr. Reed |
Hawaii Five-0 | 2011 | TV Series | Liam Miller |
Redemption: For Robbing the Dead | 2011 | Tom Sutter | |
Not Quite College | 2011 | Tone Cash | |
Natural Selection | 2011 | Peter | |
5 Time Champion | 2011 | Melvin Glee | |
Pearblossom | 2010 | Short | Harry |
Nikita | 2010 | TV Series | The Engineer |
Psych | 2010 | TV Series | Strabinsky |
Sons of Anarchy | 2010 | TV Series | Magoo |
Good Intentions | 2010/I | Sherriff Ernie | |
Lost | 2007-2010 | TV Series | Roger Linus |
Crazy on the Outside | 2010 | Edgar | |
A Lone Star State | 2009 | Short | Wyatt Kinney |
The Smell of Success | 2009 | Early Dunchamp | |
Elsewhere | 2009 | Mr. Tod | |
CSI: NY | 2008 | TV Series | Jim Warren |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Napoleon Dynamite | 2012 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
Deep in the Heart | 2012 | arranger: "Under The Bottle" / performer: "Under The Bottle" / producer: "Under The Bottle" / writer: "Under The Bottle" | |
The Big Empty | 2003 | writer: "SILVER PIECES" | |
Twin Falls Idaho | 1999 | writer: "Wish" |
Producer
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Second Coming | 2012/II | co-producer | |
Pickin' & Grinnin' | 2010 | producer | |
Northfork | 2003 | associate producer | |
Jackpot | 2001 | co-producer | |
Twin Falls Idaho | 1999 | associate producer |
Director
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Coker | attached announced | ||
Pickin' & Grinnin' | 2010 | ||
The Pretender | 2000 | TV Series 1 episode |
Composer
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Pickin' & Grinnin' | 2010 |
Music Department
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Sunday | 2016 | Short music engineer completed |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
You're So Cool Brewster! The Story of Fright Night | 2016 | Documentary | Himself |
Teens Wanna Know | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
Full Burn | 2014 | Documentary short | JJ Perry |
Featured by Fameus | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
The Playboy Morning Show | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
48 Hours | 2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Witness |
The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards | 2005 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
Napoleon Dynamite: Still Gallery | 2004 | Video documentary short | Himself |
Make the Movie Live the Movie | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The 19th Annual People's Choice Awards | 1993 | TV Special | Himself - Accepting Award for Favourite New Television Comedy Series |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Lost: Destiny Calls | 2009 | TV Movie | Roger Linus (uncredited) |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Filmed in Utah Award | Filmed in Utah Awards | Best Supporting Actor: Feature | Unicorn City (2012) |
Nominated Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Male | Napoleon Dynamite (2004) |
2005 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Blush Scene | Napoleon Dynamite (2004) |
2005 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Sleazebag | Napoleon Dynamite (2004) |
2005 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Rumble | Napoleon Dynamite (2004) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
1 Comment
Cary Gries is not Jon’s sister. That’s one of his brothers.