Jon Lovitz Biography

(Jonathan Lovitz)
actor, comedian
Born: July 21, 1957
Birthplace: Tarzana, California
Best Known as: Cast member of Saturday Night Live and the voice of Jay Sherman in The Critic

As a young comedian, Lovitz was a member of The Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles where he met Phil Hartman. He was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990. His most notable SNL characters were Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar, and the Master Thespian. In the animated series The Critic, he played the title character of Jay Sherman. Lovitz has starred in a number of films from the comedy Rat Race to the musical The Producers. On Broadway, he played the lead role in The Dinner Party. He has sung the national anthem at Dodger stadium and at the U.S. Open. In 2005, he began his stand-up comedy career. In 2007, Lovitz signed a deal to appear regularly at Laugh Factory comedy clubs.