Biography
A longtime character actor with the unique ability to alternate between meek and menacing at the drop of a hat, Jon Gries can play a computer wiz (
Real Genius,
The Pretender) or a South American mercenary (
The Rundown) with equal zeal and conviction. A native of Glendale, CA, and the son of Emmy-winning writer/producer/director
Tom Gries, Jon launched his acting career with a small role in his father's made-for-television feature
Helter Skelter (1976). His father unfortunately died shortly thereafter due to a heart attack, but the the groundwork for Gries' career had been laid. After moving to New York, the young actor studied under the capable tutelage of
Stella Adler. Supporting roles in
More American Graffiti, Joysticks, and
High School USA segued Gries' career into the 1980s, with his role as the reclusive genius Lazlo in the brainy college comedy
Real Genius enduring him to a nation of moviegoers. If the remainder of the decade didn't offer Gries the sort of roles that would take him to leading-man status, they would at least find him cast in such high-profile releases as
Running Scared,
The Monster Squad, and
Fright Night Part 2.
After once again appearing opposite
Real Genius co-star
Val Kilmer in the 1989 noir thriller
Kill Me Again, Gries found a niche in television with roles in such series as
Martin and
The Pretender in the 1990s. Of course, Gries also continued to remain active on the big screen throughout the 1990s, and after a bit role in the popular sci-fi comedy
Men in Black, he would establish a fruitful working relationship with Mark and Michael Polish -- the filmmaking duo behind the quirky sleeper
Twin Falls Idaho. After turning in a memorable performance as a lawyer in that film, Gries became something of a stock player for the Polish brothers with appearances in both
Jackpot and
Northfork. Even outside of his work with the Polish brothers, Gries continued to gain indie credibility thanks to parts in such features as
The Big Empty and
Napoleon Dynamite. Gries' performance as a literally whip-smart heavy in the 2003 action comedy
The Rundown found him essaying a rare villainous role, but doing so with such malevolent gusto that even audiences with vivid memories of the brainy Lazlo may not have realized whom they were watching give
The Rock such a sound thrashing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide