Jon Lovitz
Description
Jon Lovitz is an American actor and comedian who has built a significant career in voice acting alongside his extensive live-action work. Born on July 21, 1957, in Tarzana, California, he studied at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in the Film Actors Workshop before beginning his career in television and film. His breakthrough came as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990, where his popular characters led to increased demand for his work as a character actor.
Lovitz's distinctive and theatrical voice has proven well-suited for animation. One of his earliest voice roles was in the 1987 animated feature The Brave Little Toaster, where he provided the voice for the character Radio. He has since voiced numerous characters across film and television. Among his notable roles are Artie Ziff on the long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons and the lead character Jay Sherman in the adult animated sitcom The Critic, which originally aired on ABC and Fox. In feature animation, he voiced T.R. Chula in Don Bluth's An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and Calico in the live-action/animated comedy Cats & Dogs (2001). He also contributed voices to Adam Sandler's animated musical comedy Eight Crazy Nights (2002) and played Quasimodo Wilson and the Phantom of the Opera in Sony Pictures' Hotel Transylvania franchise.
In the context of anime, Lovitz provided the voice for a main antagonist in an English-language adaptation. He voiced Winston the White Weasel in the 2016 English dub of the Japanese animated film Air Bound. Originally released in Japan as Gamba: Gamba to Nakama-tachi, the film is based on a 1972 novel. In the story, Winston is the evil and manipulative leader of a clan of weasels who oppress a community of mice, serving as the primary villain the protagonist mice must confront. Special features on the film's DVD release include footage of Lovitz in the recording studio for this role.
Throughout his voice acting career, Lovitz has been part of several recurring creative collaborations, frequently working with fellow Saturday Night Live alumni. He has appeared in multiple films alongside Adam Sandler, including providing a voice for Sandler's production Eight Crazy Nights. He also voiced a character in Cats & Dogs, which was part of a larger body of voice work. His work on The Critic and The Simpsons further established his presence in animated television. While not strictly a recurring collaboration, his long friendship with director Penny Marshall led to roles in several of her live-action films, demonstrating the connections that have shaped his broader career.
Lovitz's distinctive and theatrical voice has proven well-suited for animation. One of his earliest voice roles was in the 1987 animated feature The Brave Little Toaster, where he provided the voice for the character Radio. He has since voiced numerous characters across film and television. Among his notable roles are Artie Ziff on the long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons and the lead character Jay Sherman in the adult animated sitcom The Critic, which originally aired on ABC and Fox. In feature animation, he voiced T.R. Chula in Don Bluth's An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991) and Calico in the live-action/animated comedy Cats & Dogs (2001). He also contributed voices to Adam Sandler's animated musical comedy Eight Crazy Nights (2002) and played Quasimodo Wilson and the Phantom of the Opera in Sony Pictures' Hotel Transylvania franchise.
In the context of anime, Lovitz provided the voice for a main antagonist in an English-language adaptation. He voiced Winston the White Weasel in the 2016 English dub of the Japanese animated film Air Bound. Originally released in Japan as Gamba: Gamba to Nakama-tachi, the film is based on a 1972 novel. In the story, Winston is the evil and manipulative leader of a clan of weasels who oppress a community of mice, serving as the primary villain the protagonist mice must confront. Special features on the film's DVD release include footage of Lovitz in the recording studio for this role.
Throughout his voice acting career, Lovitz has been part of several recurring creative collaborations, frequently working with fellow Saturday Night Live alumni. He has appeared in multiple films alongside Adam Sandler, including providing a voice for Sandler's production Eight Crazy Nights. He also voiced a character in Cats & Dogs, which was part of a larger body of voice work. His work on The Critic and The Simpsons further established his presence in animated television. While not strictly a recurring collaboration, his long friendship with director Penny Marshall led to roles in several of her live-action films, demonstrating the connections that have shaped his broader career.
All Characters
- EnglishAnime overview: Air Bound