Jon Cryer | |
|---|---|
 Cryer in 2011 | |
| Born | Jonathan Niven Cryer (1965-04-16)April 16, 1965 (age 60) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Pretty in Pink,Two and a Half Men |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | |
Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965)[1][2] is an American actor. Born into a show business family, he made his film debut with a lead role inNo Small Affair (1984); his breakout role was as Duckie in theJohn Hughes-written filmPretty in Pink (1986).[3] Cryer then had lead roles in the filmsMorgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987) andHiding Out (1987), starring roles inSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) andHot Shots! (1991), and the lead role of Teddy Zakalokis on theCBS sitcomThe Famous Teddy Z (1989–1990).
In the late 1990s and 2000s, Cryer transitioned to television, with main roles as Bob on theFox sitcomPartners (1995–1996), Sam Wagner on the Fox sitcomGetting Personal (1998), and Zack Mango on theABC sitcomThe Trouble with Normal (2000–2001). He also starred in the filmHoly Man (1998), and wrote, produced, and starred in the independent filmWent to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998).
Cryer experienced a career resurgence when he was cast in a co-leading role as Alan Harper on theCBS sitcomTwo and a Half Men (2003–2015), for which he won twoPrimetime Emmy Awards;Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009 andOutstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012.[4][5] He received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 2011.[3] Cryer also starred in the fantasy filmShorts (2009).
Post-Two and a Half Men, Cryer portrayedLex Luthor on theCW television seriesSupergirl (2019–2021) and multiple otherDC Comics-related shows. He had a lead role as Jim Kearney on theNBC sitcomExtended Family (2023–2024), and starred in the coming-of-age filmBig Time Adolescence (2019).
Cryer was born inNew York City. His mother,Gretchen Cryer (née Kiger), is a playwright, songwriter, actress and singer. His father,Donald David Cryer, is an actor and singer who originally studied to be aminister.[6][7][8] His paternal grandfather, the Rev. Donald Walter Cryer, was a prominentMethodist minister. He has two sisters, Robin and Shelly.[9]
When Cryer was twelve years old, he decided he wanted to become an actor.[10] When his mother heard this, she thought he should have a backup plan, and joked, "Plumbing is a pretty good career."[9] Cryer attendedStagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center for several summers as a teenager,[11] and is a 1983 graduate of theBronx High School of Science. He was classmates with screenwriter and film directorBoaz Yakin.[12] To his mother's "great disappointment," he skipped college and went to theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, for a summer short course in Shakespeare.[13]
Cryer's first professional acting effort was as David in theBroadway playTorch Song Trilogy, replacingMatthew Broderick, whom he "closely resembled."[14] He reprised the role in San Francisco and Los Angeles.[15] He was later a standby and replacement for Broderick as Eugene Jerome in the original Broadway production ofNeil Simon'sBrighton Beach Memoirs in 1984.[15][citation needed]
At age 19, Cryer appeared in the 1984 romantic comedy filmNo Small Affair, in the lead role as Charles Cummings, after the original production with Matthew Broderick was shut down when directorMartin Ritt suffered aheart attack.[16] He went on to appear in small roles in films and television films.
Cryer made his film breakthrough as Philip F. "Duckie" Dale in theJohn Hughes-scripted filmPretty in Pink.[17] In an interview with theDaily News, Cryer's mother Gretchen said that afterPretty in Pink, she started getting calls from teenage girls from all over the world, who would leave hysterical, giggling messages on her answering machine.[9]
Cryer then starred in the 1987 filmHiding Out as a stockbroker on the run from aMafia hit man. His mother Gretchen played his aunt. The film broke even, but Cryer's performance as a character who was much older than him was critically acclaimed. In the same year, he played Lenny Luthor, nephew of supervillainLex Luthor, in the filmSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace. In 1989, he got the lead role in the TV comedy seriesThe Famous Teddy Z. His performance gained poor reviews[18] and the show was canceled after the first season.[18]
In 1990, Cryer appeared as Sandy in anOff-Broadway adaptation ofCarnal Knowledge.[19] That same year he appeared alongside futureTwo and a Half Men costarCharlie Sheen in theJim Abrahams comedyHot Shots!,[10] which was received very positively.[20] Cryer is frequently linked to theBrat Pack.[21] In a March 2009 interview onAnytime with Bob Kushell, Cryer stated that he had auditioned forSt. Elmo's Fire but was not cast in a role.[22] In 1993, he was asked to audition for the role ofChandler Bing onFriends, while doing a play in London. His reading was videotaped by a British casting agent but the tape failed to arrive in the U.S. before the network had made its final decision.[10]
In 1995, Cryer was cast as Bob in the sitcomPartners, which, like his prior showThe Famous Teddy Z, was canceled after its first season. In an interview withTime Out New York he stated, "Hey, every show I'm in goes down. Think about this:George Clooney was in 28 pilots, or something. It means nothing."[9] After guest starring on shows such asDharma & Greg andThe Outer Limits, he wrote, produced and co-starred in the filmWent to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five. It debuted in 1998 at theLos Angeles Film Festival and gained positive reviews from critics.[23]Leonard Maltin fromPlayboy Magazine called it "a breath of fresh air."[24] That same year, Cryer landed in another TV series, theFox sitcomGetting Personal, alongsideVivica A. Fox andDuane Martin. Although the show was picked up for a second season after its abbreviated spring run, it was canceled that fall, after airing 17 episodes in total.
In 1999, Cryer appeared as Neal inJeffrey Sweet's playBluff at theVictory Gardens Theater.[25] In 2000, he was cast as the lead in a comedy series calledThe Trouble with Normal. For the third time, Cryer starred in a show which was canceled after its first season.[26]
Cryer's long run of unsuccessful TV projects finally ended in 2003. Against the wishes of CBS executives (who were aware of his past failures) and due to a friendship with Charlie Sheen, he was cast as Alan Harper on the hit comedy seriesTwo and a Half Men. (He had auditioned for the role ofGaius Baltar on theSci-Fi Channel's reimaginedBattlestar Galactica at around the same time, but the role went toJames Callis.)[27] Cryer earned sevenPrimetime Emmy Awards[28] nominations and two wins[4] for his acting work on the show.[5] In a comment on the show's high ratings, he said: "When you're on a show that's fighting for survival every week, you stop trusting your instincts, because you think, 'My instincts haven't worked so far.' But when people clearly like the show and are watching it in great numbers, it takes a huge amount of pressure off you. It allows you to trust your instincts and go with what has worked for you before."[10]
After Sheen's departure from the series, Cryer's character became the show's main protagonist (withAshton Kutcher being cast as the co-lead) during the final four seasons. Cryer is the only actor to have appeared in every episode of the series; Sheen was fired in March 2011 and Cryer's on-screen sonAngus T. Jones left the series at the end of season 10.[29]
In 2008, Cryer appeared withLaurence Fishburne andJames Cromwell in the filmTortured,[30] and in 2009 co-starred withJames Spader in the filmShorts.[31]
In 2011, Cryer played the role of David in a concert staging ofStephen Sondheim's musicalCompany with theNew York Philharmonic atLincoln Center. The all-star cast was headed byNeil Patrick Harris andPatti LuPone.[32] The concert subsequently aired on PBS'sGreat Performances.[33]
Cryer made aguest appearance on the sitcom seriesHusbands in its second season.[34] He was initially cast to voice the lead character inDisneyToon Studios' animated filmPlanes, a spin-off ofPixar'sCars franchise,[35] but later dropped out and was replaced byDane Cook.[36][37] Cryer did however receive a credit on the film for "additional story material."[38]
In 2015, Cryer released a memoir,So That Happened, a breezy, often comic tale chronicling Cryer's 30-year career on stage, film and television.[39]
Cryer appeared in the drama seriesNCIS, where he played Navy Dr. Cyril Taft who treats NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Cryer had expressed a desire to appear inNCIS since it premiered in 2003.[40]
Pursuing a passion for criminal justice, Cryer joined the team of the popular podcastUndisclosed where he will be voicing the weekly addendum episode for the second season.[41] After appearing on the podcastCrime Writers On... it was announced that he would join theUndisclosed podcast for their second season.
On May 21, 2018, Cryer was featured in the season 9 premiere ofgenealogy programWho Do You Think You Are? Cryer uncovered the dramatic tale of his ancestor James Adams, aScottish Covenanter soldier who was captured during theBattle of Dunbar in 1650, and endured horrific conditions as a prisoner. He was thentransported to America anindentured servant to work at the Saugus Iron Works at Lynn, Massachusetts. As part of his research for the episode, Cryer visited the site of the Battle of Dunbar,Durham Cathedral inDurham, North East England – where surviving Scottish prisoners were held until they were indentured – and the Saugus Iron Works national historic site. Cryer said: "Seeing the resilience of my family over centuries, you can see the legacy he left. I can't help but feel lucky...clearly, the resilience of my family, that spine of steel, was not something that came from nowhere. Moving forward, I'm going to take James Adams' strength as my inspiration and know that when you go through very, very difficult times, if you can turn around and help the people around you who had it even worse, that's real strength. And I aspire to be one of those people."[citation needed]
On November 16, 2018, it was announced that Cryer had been cast asLex Luthor onThe CW'sSupergirl in a recurring role.[42] (He had previously played Lenny Luthor, Lex Luthor's nephew, in the 1987 filmSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.) His first appearance in the fifteenth episode of Season 4, titled "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". He reprised the role in theBatwoman andThe Flash episodes of theArrowverse crossoverCrisis on Infinite Earths.[43][44]
On April 15, 2019, Cryer joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of theWGA's stand against theATA and the practice ofpackaging.[45]
In 1999 Cryer married a British actress,Sarah Trigger, with whom he has a son, Charlie Austin.[9] They divorced in 2004. On a February 2007 episode ofThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he announced that he was engaged to entertainment reporterLisa Joyner, whom he married in Mexico[9] in June 2007.[46][47] On September 29, 2009, they announced that they had adopted a baby girl.[48][49] Cryer still adheres to theMethodist faith in which he was raised.[50]
WhenPretty in Pink co-starMolly Ringwald toldOut magazine in 2012 that she believed Cryer's character in the film, Duckie, was gay, Cryer stated, "I respectfully disagree. I want to stand up for all the slightly effeminate dorks that are actually heterosexual. Just 'cause thegaydar is going off, doesn't mean your instruments aren't faulty. I've had to live with that, and that's OK."[51] Also in 2012, he toldJeff Probst that when he and Joyner started dating, she wondered if he might be gay because "he never kissed me."[52] Cryer was asked in 2014 if he was "mistaken for gay"; he called himself "aneffeminateheterosexual dork" and made atongue-in-cheek remark about never being propositioned: "Fellas, you're dropping the ball."[53]
Prior to the2008 presidential election, Cryer attended a fundraiser hosted by theMcCain campaign and, according to news reports, endorsedJohn McCain.[54][55] When Cryer did not make a public endorsement for the2012 election, his spokeswoman said that the 2008 report aligning him with theRepublican Party was a "mistake" and that Cryer was "not really political." He had attended events for both Republicans andDemocrats "because he wanted to hear what both sides had to say."[56]
In regard toDonald Trump, Cryer opined on the May 5, 2016, episode of the podcastNever Not Funny:
I have been pointing out, and I have been screaming to the rooftops, that Donald Trump is theCharlie Sheen of politics ... I have to tell you, I love Charlie Sheen, I loved working with him when he was sober, but he was, he's full of shit. He has been full of shit, he has serious addiction. His addiction is obviously serious, drugs, and, but, Trump is just addicted to feeling important. I think if anybody is under the delusion that he cares about anybody in America besides himself, they are stoned and need to rethink their priorities, 'cause it's just ridiculous that he's gotten as far as he has.[57]
Cryer was an active supporter of the2023 Writers Guild of America strike and also a supporter of the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[58][59]
In 2025, he was spotted in the background of a photograph detailing theNo Kings protests (October 2025). He expressed his support for the movement and stated:
This photo is what The Atlantic chose to illustrate resistance cringe, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.[60]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | No Small Affair | Charles Cummings | |
| 1985 | Noon Wine | Teenage Herbert Thompson | |
| O.C. and Stiggs | Randall Schwab Jr. | ||
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink | Phil "Duckie" Dale | |
| 1987 | Morgan Stewart's Coming Home | Morgan Stewart | |
| Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | Lenny Luthor | ||
| Dudes | Grant | ||
| Hiding Out | Andrew Morenski/Max Hauser | ||
| 1989 | Penn & Teller Get Killed | Frat Boy | |
| 1991 | Hot Shots! | Jim "Wash Out" Pfaffenbach | |
| 1993 | The Waiter | Tommy Kazdan | |
| 1994 | Heads | Guy Franklin | |
| 1996 | The Pompatus of Love | Mark | Writer |
| Cannes Man | Himself | ||
| 1997 | Plan B | Stuart Winer | |
| 1998 | Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five | Daniel | Writer and producer |
| Holy Man | Barry | ||
| 2001 | Glam | Jimmy Pells | |
| 2003 | The Metro Chase | Mr. Stamm | |
| 2008 | Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby | Richard Pig | Voice[61] |
| Tortured | Brian Mark | ||
| 2009 | Weather Girl | Charles | |
| Shorts: The Adventures of the Wishing Rock | Bill Thompson | ||
| Stay Cool | Javier | ||
| 2010 | Due Date | Alan Harper | Cameo |
| 2011 | Company | David | Filmed performance |
| 2013 | Ass Backwards | Dean Morris | |
| Planes | Dusty Crophopper (original trailer only; Cryer does not appear in final film) | Writer; additional story material | |
| 2014 | Hit by Lightning | Ricky Miller | |
| 2019 | Big Time Adolescence | Reuben Harris | |
| 2021 | 18½ | H. R. Haldeman | Voice |
| 2024 | Brats | Himself | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Phil | Episode: "Miscalculation" |
| 1988 | Cinemax Comedy Experiment | Himself | Episode: "Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card" |
| 1989–1990 | The Famous Teddy Z | Teddy Zakalokis | 20 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Partners | Bob | 22 episodes |
| 1996 | The Outer Limits | Trevor McPhee | Episode: "Vanishing Act" |
| 1997 | It's Good to Be King | Mort | |
| Dharma & Greg | Brian | Episode: "Shower the People You Love with Love" | |
| 1998 | Getting Personal | Sam Wagner | 17 episodes (also producer) |
| Hercules | The Winged Wolves | Voice, episode: "Hercules and the Underworld Takeover" | |
| Mr. Show with Bob and David | Duckie | Episode: "It's Perfectly Understandishable" | |
| Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Justin | Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Thanksgiving" | |
| 2000–2001 | The Trouble with Normal | Zack Mango | 13 episodes |
| 2000 | Family Guy | Wiseguy | Voice, episode: "There's Something About Paulie" |
| 2002 | Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Lemuel Praeger | Episode: "Gimme a C" |
| The Practice | Terry Pender | Episode: "Of Thee I Sing" | |
| 2003 | Becker | Roger | Episode: "Chris' Ex" |
| Hey Joel | Joel Stein | Voice, 13 episodes | |
| Stripperella | Dave / Clifton / Clifford | Voice, 3 episodes[61] | |
| 2003–2015 | Two and a Half Men | Alan Harper | 262 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Danny Phantom | Freakshow | Voice, 2 episodes[61] |
| 2006 | American Dad! | Quacky | Voice, episode: "It's Good to Be The Queen" |
| 2008 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Himself | Episode: "Two and a Half Deaths" |
| 2010–2011 | Hannah Montana | Kenneth Truscott | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Husbands | Vic Del Rey | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Cleveland Show | Alan Harper | Voice, episode: "The Fist and the Furious" |
| 2013–2016 | Mom | Restaurant customer | Episode: "Pilot"; 2 episodes (director) |
| 2015–2016 | NCIS | Dr. Cyril Taft | 3 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | The Ranch | Bill Jensen | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Lady Dynamite | Himself | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017–2019 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Jon Cryer | 7 episodes |
| 2017 | Justice League Action | Felix Faust | Voice, 4 episodes[61] |
| Disjointed | N/a | 2 episodes (director) | |
| 2018 | Robot Chicken | Brainy Smurf / Ziggy | Voice, episode: "Your Mouth Is Hanging off Your Face" |
| Will & Grace | Himself | Episode: "Kid 'n Play" | |
| Drop the Mic | Episode: "Shawn Mendes vs.Odell Beckham Jr. &Molly Ringwald vs. Jon Cryer" | ||
| Who Do You Think You Are? | 2 episodes | ||
| 2019–2021 | Supergirl | Lex Luthor (Earth-38) | 20 episodes |
| 2019 | Batwoman | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part 2" | |
| The Flash | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part 3" | ||
| 2020 | Arrow | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part 4" | |
| Legends of Tomorrow | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part 5" | ||
| The Forgotten West Memphis Three | N/a | Television mini-series documentary (executive producer) | |
| 2021 | The Kominsky Method | Himself | Episode: "Chapter 22. The fundamental things apply" |
| 2023–2024 | Extended Family | Jim Kearney | 13 episodes (executive producer) |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Torch Song Trilogy | David | US national tour | [62] |
| 1983 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | Eugene Jerome | Alvin Theatre | [63] |
| 1990 | Carnal Knowledge | Sandy | Kaufman Theater | [64] |
| 1994 | 900 Oneonta | Gitlo | The Old Vic | [65] |
| 1999 | Bluff | Neal | Victory Gardens Theater | [66] |
| 2011 | Company | David | Concert with theNew York Philharmonic atLincoln Center | [67] |
To mark a new special-edition DVD of "Pretty in Pink", Emmy nominee Jon Cryer chats with Mandi Bierly about the movie's original ending, 'Try a Little Tenderness', and more
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