Jonathan Pekar

Jonathan Pekar (born March 20, 1970) is an American producer, actor, comedian, director, artist and musician from Memphis, Tennessee.

Jonathan Pekar
Jonathan with his 2013 Emmy Award
Born
Jonathan Jacob Pekar

(1970-03-20) March 20, 1970
Memphis, Tennessee
OccupationEntertainer
Years active1982 - present
WebsitePekar Films

Early life

At age 4, Pekar threw his first art show at the Memphis College of Art. At age 15, he was the lead singer/songwriter for the punk rock band Distemper[1] and became obsessed with Skateboarding. At age 17, he relocated to Los Angeles and was cast in several commercials and in various television shows and movies such as Beverly Hills 90210, The Skateboard Kid, and Spy.[2]

In the 90's, he became a paid regular at The Comedy Store in Hollywood and formed the punk rock band Are You A Cop. In the years to follow, Pekar graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and started his producing career for various companies including Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), 20th Century Fox, The Discovery Channel,[3] 7th Level Productions, Netter Digital, SST Records[1] and Ardent Studios.[3]

Today, he owns and operates Pekar Films and is in the rock n roll bands Pig Star and Are You A Cop; he is still skateboarding.

Career

Acting

Jonathan started his acting career in 1982 as Moses in Moses and the Freedom Fanatics for Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church which gained him the attention of Jackie Nichols, founder of Playhouse on the Square where he was then cast in Peter Pan, Fiddler on the Roof, Torch Song Trilogy, March of the Falsettos and Richard Harris' international tour of Camelot.

In 1987 Pekar relocated to Los Angeles and was signed to Writers and Artists Agency under the guidance of Joan Scott. He appeared in Spy, Beverly Hills 90210, and The Skateboard Kid.[2]

In 1997, as a stand-up comedian, Pekar became a paid regular at The Comedy Store in Hollywood.

In 2006, he graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts[1] with honors and went on to work as a Director/Producer for The Discovery Channel[3] before returning to Memphis to head Ardent Studio's Film Department where Pekar won an Emmy.[4] After Ardent Studios Founder John Fry passed, Pekar started Pekar Films where his team of creative cohorts fly around the world making documentaries, television shows, music videos and promotional vehicles with an emphasis on animation and comedy.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Director Producer Writer Actor Notes
1989 Spy Yes
1993 The Skateboard Kid Yes

Television
Year Series Director Producer Writer Actor Notes
1990 Beverly Hills, 90210 Yes

Awards
Year Award Notes
2012 Emmy Award 27th Midsouth Emmy Awards "Memphis Music Foundation"[4][5]

Also in 2012, he won two Telly awards.

References
  1. "Pig Out with Pekar". www.memphisflyer.com. Contemporary Media. 15 December 2016.
  2. "Jonathan Pekar". IMDB.
  3. Warren, Rachel (25 September 2014). "Jonathan Pekar - Filming Memphis". RSVP Magazine (October 2014 ed.). p. 22.
  4. Goggin, David (8 February 2013). "Ardent Studios Film Department Wins Midsouth Emmy Award". www.mixonline.com. NewBay Media, LLC.
  5. Johnson Backer, Jennifer (11 July 2013). "Ardent Film Thriving Under Pekar's Lead". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
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