Jason Bateman
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Before graduating to play conniving adults on television and in R-rated comedies, actor Jason Bateman established himself as a welcomed shot of vinegar to the sugary sweet "Silver Spoons" (NBC, 1982-87) at the same time sister Justine Bateman starred on "Family Ties" (NBC, 1982-89). Having literally grown up before the cameras, Bateman made a forgettable film debut in "Teen Wolf Too" (1987) and was the eldest son on "Valerie/The Hogan Family" (NBC/CBS, 1986-1991). Making a seamless transition from teen actor to adult, he continued his career on the small screen as a likeable straight man on a number of other sitcoms and television movies until launching a comeback of sorts with his starring turn as the straight-laced son of a wildly dysfunctional family on the cult hit "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06). Bateman continued his career rejuvenation with a turn as a musician-turned-yuppie in the hit comedy "Juno" (2007), while landing supporting roles in major studio films like "Hancock" (2008) and "State of Play" (2008). Following "Up in the Air" (2009), he starred in a number of hit comedies including "The Switch" (2010), "The Change-Up" (2011) and "Horrible Bosses" (2011) and its 2014 sequel, while establishing himself as a director with the dark comedy "Bad Words" (2013) and "The Family Fang" (2015) and starring in the animated hit "Zootopia" (2016). Because of his late career resurgence, Bateman proved that talent and perseverance would always win out in the end.
Born in Rye, NY on Jan. 14, 1969, Jason Kent Bateman was the son of Hollywood producer Kent Bateman and the younger brother of actress Justine Bateman. He began acting at the age of 10 as the star of an educational film, which led to several television commercials and ultimately, series work. In 1981, the 12-year-old Bateman scored a recurring role as James Cooper Ingalls, an orphan adopted by Michael Landon's Pa Ingalls, on the long-running "Little House on the Prairie" (NBC, 1974-1983). Bateman's big break, however, came when he was cast as Derek Taylor on "Silver Spoons." Portraying a cute, smooth talking ne'er do-well, Bateman's Derek became wildly popular with audiences, effortlessly stealing scenes from series' star Ricky Schroeder. Despite his popularity, or perhaps because of it, Bateman's character was written out of the show after the second season, allegedly at the insistence of Ricky Schroeder's management.
Not remaining idle for long, Bateman promptly resurfaced in 1984 as the star of his own show, "It's Your Move" (NBC, 1984-85) as Matt Burton, an outwardly angelic 14-year-old who is actually a slick confidence trickster who meets his match in his mother's new boyfriend, Norman Lamb (David Garrison). Their escalating one-upmanship provided the foundation for the short-lived comedy. Made by the same producers who would later create "Married...with Children" (Fox, 1987-1997), "It's Your Move" distinguished itself with its surprisingly subversive tone and lack of sentimentality. After the cancellation of "It's Your Move," Bateman kept busy in a string of guest shots and TV movies.
In 1986, Bateman landed the role of Valerie Harper's eldest son, David Hogan, on the resilient family sitcom "Valerie" - a.k.a. "Valerie's Family," a.k.a. "The Hogan Family" (NBC, 1986-1990; CBS, 1990-91). More naturalistic and less distinctive than his previous sitcom roles, the series provided Bateman with a comfortable, if unremarkable, berth during the bulk of his adolescence. Nevertheless, he distinguished himself during the series run by directing three episodes, becoming the DGA's youngest-ever inducted member at age 18. Less memorable TV-movies and guest shots followed the demise of "The Hogan Family." Bateman made an inauspicious feature debut replacing Michael J. Fox in the film sequel "Teen Wolf Too" (1987). Produced by his father, Kent Bateman, the film was panned mercilessly by critics, revealing at the end of the day, that Bateman's low-key charm was best served on television at that time in his career. In one of his rare serious roles, he played the brother of real-life older sister, Justine Bateman in the well-received telefilm, "Can You Feel Me Dancing?" (NBC, 1986). Also produced by their father, the film told the affecting story of a resourceful blind teen smothered by the attentions of her well-meaning family.
Coming into adulthood, the adult Bateman popped up next on the short-lived sitcom "Simon" (The WB, 1995-96), playing an unemployed MBA and recently divorced older brother of a blessed innocent. The young TV veteran next landed a lead on "Chicago Sons" (NBC, 1996-97), another sitcom about brotherly love. It also had a short shelf life. Displaying his trademark hearty resilience, Bateman quickly rebounded, playing the son of Bob Newhart's character on the CBS sitcom, "George and Leo" (1997-98). While that show effectively demonstrated that Bateman's comedic skills had carried into adulthood, it was cancelled after just one season. The actor had even worse luck with his next show, "Some of My Best Friends" (CBS, 2001), on which he played a gay writer in Greenwich Village who takes in an unsuspecting roommate. Not surprisingly, that show was cancelled after just eight airings.
In 2003, Bateman landed his best role to date and the part that brought him back to the forefront of comedic TV actors. As Michael Bluth, the good son born into a vain and supremely dysfunctional family on the much beloved "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06), Bateman provided the only voice of reason in the eccentric household, populated with such scene-stealers as Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor. Low-rated but critically adored, the edgy offering struggled in the Nielsen ratings throughout its first season, but was ultimately renewed, thanks to the support of Fox executives and the outpouring of anger from fans upset that the smart comedy might meet a premature end . Although the ratings failed to significantly improve, the cast was showered with well-deserved praise, particularly Bateman, who ended up winning his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy. Despite all its accolades, however, "Arrested Development" simply could not survive its low ratings. After much back-and-forth between the show's producers and the network, the fast-paced sitcom was finally canceled in 2006.
Meanwhile, Bateman continued to thrive as a favored supporting player in big screen comedies, including deft turns as a sleazy mob lawyer in "Starsky & Hutch" (2004) and as a sports commentator in "Dodgeball" (2004). Due to his onscreen pairing with Vince Vaughn in the latter, he subsequently gave a fine comic performance in Vaughn's feature film creation "The Break-Up" (2006), playing a real estate agent refusing to waive his commission on a condo sold to a couple (Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston) going through a bitter split. Bateman followed up with a supporting role in another romantic comedy, "The Ex" (2007), starring Zack Braff and Amanda Peet as a happily married couple whose marital bliss is shattered with the arrival of an old flame (Bateman), a passive-aggressive paraplegic who schemes to get Peet's character back. Bateman earned more buzz that year for his starring role in Jason Reitman's indie favorite "Juno" (2007), in which he played a Bohemian-leaning suburbanite who forms an unusual bond with the pregnant teenager (Ellen Page) whose child he and his wife have agreed to adopt. The offbeat charmer of a film topped critic's "Best of" lists, blew away indie film box office expectations to earn over $200 million dollars, and earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Diablo Cody), Best Director, and Best Actress (Page).
Bateman's legacy with the seemingly eternally mourned "Arrested Development" continued to snare him an onslaught of comedy casting, including a supporting role as the accountant of a magical toy shop in the fantastical misfire "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (2007) and a PR agent who seeks to rebrand a cynical superhero (Will Smith) in the blockbuster "Hancock" (2008). He had cameos in hit comedies "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008) and "Tropic Thunder" (2008) before making a departure from his niche to portray a Mohawk-sporting, drug addicted, fetish club promoter in "State of Play" (2009), a political thriller surrounding the journalistic investigation into a Washington murder starring Russell Crowe. Bateman returned to comedy with Mike Judge's "Extract" (2009), in which he starred as a factory owner enduring a bad run of both professional and personal bad luck, and joined comedy all-stars Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and Kristin Davis for the ensemble romantic comedy "Couples Retreat" (2009), about a group therapy endeavor gone awry.
Also that year, Bateman had a supporting role in the film adaptation of Walter Kirn's 2001 novel "Up in the Air" (2009), starring George Clooney as a corporate downsizer obsessed with earning frequent flyer miles. He played Clooney's young boss, who forces him to take an inexperienced employee (Anna Kendrick) on his next round of terminations. The following year, he teamed onscreen with Jennifer Aniston in "The Switch" (2010), playing the best friend and accidental sperm donor to a childless 40-year-old (Aniston). After playing a Secret Service agent in the British sci-fi comedy "Paul" (2011), starring Simon Pegg, Bateman led the ensemble cast of the R-rated comedy "Horrible Bosses" (2011), where he played one of three friends (also Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) who plot to kill one another's overbearing and abusive bosses. The movie earned a generally favorable reception from critics and became one of the surprise hits of the year.
Not so well received was his next film, "The Change-Up" (2011), a body swapping comedy where he played an overworked lawyer and father who - after a night of drinking - manages to switch bodies with his best friend (Ryan Reynolds), a single, unemployed man-child with no responsibilities. Though the film fared decently at the box office, most critics were dismissive of the effort. A brief cameo in the barely-seen romantic action-comedy "Hit and Run" (2012) marked just one of the several projects the busy Bateman had on his slate at the time, although there was one endeavor fans had been long been waiting for. Anticipation turned to celebration at the announcement of the resurrection of "Arrested Development" (Netflix, 2013- ) for a fourth season, set to be aired on Netflix's live-streaming application. Returning cast members included Bateman, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor, prompting devotees of the dysfunctional Bluth dynasty to once again hold out hope for a feature film adaptation.
Bateman co-starred opposite Melissa McCarthy in the action comedy "Identity Thief" (2013), which was a major box-office success despite poor reviews that focused largely on the number of fat jokes at McCarthy's expense. Bateman followed up his first film as both star and director, the indie comedy "Bad Words" (2014), with a short-lived return to series television as the narrator of "Growing Up Fisher" (NBC 2014), a family sitcom starring J.K. Simmons and Jenna Elfman as a divorcing couple. Following the indie romantic comedy "The Longest Week" (2014), Bateman co-starred in the high-profile family drama "This Is Where I Leave You" (2014), and rounded out the year with the sequel "Horrible Bosses 2" (2014). The following year, he took on a rare dramatic role in the psychological thriller "The Gift" (2015) before releasing his second film as a director, comedy-drama "The Family Fang" (2015). Going the family-friendly route, Bateman starred opposite Ginnifer Goodwin in animated hit "Zootopia" (2016) and took on a supporting role in the Dwayne Johnson/Kevin Hart comedy "Central Intelligence" (2016).
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1979
Cast in first film at age 10 after accompanying a friend to an audition
1981
Cast as the orphaned James Cooper adopted by Michael Landon on NBC's "Little House on the Prairie"
1982
Played Derek Taylor, Ricky Schroder's conniving friend on NBC's "Silver Spoons"
1984
Co-starred on short-lived NBC sitcom "It's Your Move"
1984
Made TV-movie debut in "Just a Little More Love"
1985
Made TV miniseries debut as Joe Kennedy III in "Robert Kennedy and His Times" (CBS)
1986
Co-starred with sister Justine in "Can You Feel Me Dancing?" (NBC), their father Kent served as supervising producer
1986
Portrayed eldest son David Hogan on "Valerie" (later renamed "The Hogan Family" after star Valerie Harper's replacement), made directing debut, helming two episodes of the series
1987
Made film debut in sequel "Teen Wolf Too"; produced by father Kent
1988
Co-starred with Tom Skerritt in NBC TV-movie thriller "Moving Target"; executive produced by father Kent
1995
Co-starred with Harland Williams on short-lived sitcom "Simon" (The WB)
1997
Cast in lead role on family sitcom "Chicago Sons" (NBC)
1997
Played Bob Newhart's son on CBS sitcom "George & Leo"
2002
Cast in supporting role as Thomas Jane's brother in romantic comedy "The Sweetest Thing"
2003
Played the loyal and patient Michael Bluth on Fox dysfunctional family comedy "Arrested Development"; reprised role 2013 after seven year series hiatus, and then again in 2018
2004
Appeared opposite Ben Stiller in big screen remake of "Starsky & Hutch"
2006
Teamed with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston in "The Break-Up"
2007
Portrayed a government agent investigating the bombing of an American facility in Saudi Arabia in Peter Berg's "The Kingdom"
2007
Co-starred in Jason Reitman-directed comedy/drama "Juno"
2008
Re-teamed with director Peter Berg for superhero comedy "Hancock"
2009
Co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in comedy feature "Couples Retreat"
2009
Played the owner of an extract factory in Mike Judge's "Extract"
2009
Played a bisexual fetish club promoter in political thriller "State of Play"
2009
Featured in Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," starring George Clooney
2010
Co-starred opposite Jennifer Aniston in romantic comedy "The Switch"
2011
Co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in "The Change-Up"
2011
Starred with Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis in comedy hit "Horrible Bosses"
2013
Cast opposite Melissa McCarthy in "Identity Thief"
2013
Directed and starred in dark comedy "Bad Words"
2014
Co-starred with Olivia Wilde in comedy-drama "The Longest Week"
2014
Co-starred opposite Tina Fey in family comedy-drama "This Is Where I Leave You"
2014
Reprised role as Nick in "Horrible Bosses 2"
2015
Starred in psychological thriller "The Gift"
2016
Co-starred in "Office Christmas Party"
2017
Began playing Marty on "Ozark"
2018
Co-starred in ensemble comedy "Game Night"
Family
Companions
