CLEARWATER — Emmy nominated actor, comedian and singer Jon Lovitz will take the stage on Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater.
Tickets start at $35. Visit www.rutheckerdhall.com or call 727-791-7400.
Lovitz has been one of the best-known comedians for the last 30 years. He got his start acting in high school plays and developing his skills at the University of California, Irvine, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in drama. He also studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop. At the advice of Tony Barr, Lovitz decided to concentrate solely on comedy.
He began taking classes with the famous improv comedy group, The Groundlings, in 1982. One year later, after being accepted into The Sunday Company, Lovitz got his first acting job on the television show “The Paper Chase: the Second Year.” Thinking he was on his way, he promptly quit his job at a clothing store … and became a messenger. The next few years were lean, with no opportunities materializing. Then, in September of 1984, he was accepted into the main company at The Groundlings.
On March 28, 1985, The Groundlings appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” During the appearance, Lovitz premiered his character Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous. Following the introduction of this persona, Lovitz got an agent, and booked a movie, a series, a voiceover for a cartoon, and “Saturday Night Live.”
Lovitz has been working non-stop since.
He was nominated for an Emmy his first two years on “Saturday Night Live.” While on SNL, he became known for his characters Tommy Flanagan of the Pathological Liars Anonymous, Master Thespian, Hanukkah Harry, and the Devil. He has appeared in over 40 films, including “Big,” “A League of Their Own,” “The Wedding Singer,” “High School High,” “Small Time Crooks,” “Rat Race,” “The Producers,” “Eight Crazy Nights,” “The Benchwarmers,” “Grown Ups 2,” “The Ridiculous 6,” among many others. He has also worked with acclaimed directors such as Penny Marshall, Rob Reiner, Jerry Zucker, and Woody Allen. He one of a handful of actors used regularly in almost all his movies by Adam Sandler.
In 2024, he just completed the lead character in the film “The Toast” and will be appearing in “Happy Gilmore 2” starring Adam Sandler.
