Jason Kravits Explained

Jason Kravits
Occupation:Actor
Birth Date:28 May 1967
Birth Place:Passaic, New Jersey, U.S.
Children:1
Years Active:1982–present

Jason Kravits (born May 28, 1967) is an American character actor. He is best known for portraying A.D.A. Richard Bay on ABC's The Practice.

Early life and education

Kravits was born in Passaic, New Jersey. In 1975, his family moved to Rockville, Maryland where he later attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School.[1] Kravits attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where, in 1986, he co-founded the university's first improv group, Erasable Inc.

Career

Washington, D.C.

In 1980, while still in middle school, Kravits landed his first professional acting job, playing Lolo Knopke on the short-lived 1982 PBS series Powerhouse. Upon graduation from University of Maryland, Kravits started working in theater in the Washington, D.C. area, performing regularly at the Washington Jewish Theater and Shakespeare Theater as well as The Round House Theater and Woolly Mammoth Theater companies. He was nominated for two Helen Hayes Awards for his performances in “Free Will and Wonton Lust” by Nicky Silver and “All in the Timing” by David Ives.[2]

While living in the DC area, Kravits also appeared in Major League II and .

New York City

In 1995, Kravits moved to New York City, where he began performing with the writer/performer collective “A Rumble in the Redroom.” Over several years, he, along with fellow performer, Joel Hurt Jones, developed enough material to create the two-man musical sketch show, “An Evening with Kravits and Jones.” In 1998, after bringing the show to the famous Improv Comedy Club in Los Angeles, the duo was asked to perform at 1999's HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen, CO, where they took home the Jury Award for Best Sketch Show.[3]

Los Angeles

In 1999, Kravits moved to Los Angeles, where he started working regularly in TV and film. Later that year, he guest starred on ABC's The Practice as A.D.A. Richard Bay. Kravits became a recurring character during the show's fourth season and a series regular during its fifth. On the show's 100th episode in 2001, Bay was assassinated after refusing to throw a murder trial.[4]

Kravits continued to work in television and film, landing roles in Gilmore Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the final episode of Friends. He also appeared regularly as a panelist on several game shows, including NBC's Hollywood Squares and CBS's To Tell the Truth.

Return to New York City

In 2003, Kravits moved back to New York. That same year, he made his Broadway debut in Larry Gelbart's comedy play Sly Fox. In 2006, he originated the role of “Gangster Number 1” alongside his brother, Garth Kravits, who played "Gangster Number 2" in the Tony-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone, directed by Casey Nicholaw.[5]

In 2011, Kravits joined the cast of Relatively Speaking, three one-act plays by Ethan Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen (directed by John Turturro).[6] [7]

In 2015, Kravits developed the solo, improvised cabaret “Off the Top," featuring entirely improvised songs and music derived from audience suggestions.[8] He has performed the show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Adelaide Cabaret Festival, as well as venues in London, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and at the Birdland Theatre in New York.

In 2017, the show won a Bistro Award for Best Comedy, and was nominated for a MAC Award in 2021.[9] [10]

Kravits continued to work in television and film, including guest appearances on many Chuck Lorre shows like The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, and B Positive.[11] He provided the voices of Michael Bloomberg, Alan Dershowitz, and others on Our Cartoon President.[12]

Kravits has created several viral parody videos, include a Hamilton-inspired song "Harrison", about William Henry Harrison, and "The Kvetch", an animated parody of Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.[13]

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
1994Major League IIAccountant
1999Blue StreakCustoms guy
2000The Flintstones in Viva Rock VegasChoreographer
2000Dancing at the Blue IguanaGordon
2001Sweet NovemberManny
2001MonkeyboneGuestUncredited
2002The Third WheelStage manager
2002H.O.L.E.: The Disillusionment of Mike and EvaRad Blitzstein
2004The Stepford WivesVic Stevens
2005WheelmenPercy
2006Waltzing AnnaDr. Meyer
2008What Just HappenedPollster
2010See You in SeptemberStevie
2010Morning GloryTelevision executive
2011The Adjustment BureauNew Yorker in courthouse lobby
2013Twenty Million PeopleTwenty Million People
2013Chinese PuzzleL'avocat de Xavier
2014LullabyIra
2016BlingOscarVoice
2016My Dead BoyfriendMedical examiner
2017Laura Gets a CatAdam
2018AccommodationsWarren
2018Barking MadIrwin Cates
2021Either Side of MidnightBowles
2022Lyle, Lyle, CrocodileCy

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982–1983PowerhouseLolo Knopke16 episodes
1995P.R. LacquesEpisode: "Cradle to Grave"
1996Remember WENNMr. BedlowEpisode: "Some Good News, Some Bad News"
1998LateLineElliotEpisode: "Mona Moves Up"
1999Jackie's BackWimpy Bald ManTelevision film
1999–2001The PracticeA.D.A. Richard Bay31 episodes
2001Strong MedicineDr. IdingerEpisode: "Bloodwork"
2002EdBarry GleepEpisode: "Nice Guys Finish Last"
2002Wolf LakeBradleyEpisode: "Leader of the Pack"
2002Gilmore GirlsDwightEpisode: "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis"
2002Do OverDr. Nachman3 episodes
2003BeckerMr. WhitfordEpisode: "Mr. and Ms. Conception"
2003Wanda at LargeRoger4 episodes
2003Charlie LawrenceWalter KornbluthEpisode: "New Kid in School"
2004Yes, DearTimEpisode: "Greg Needs a Friend"
2004PierceEpisode: "Bad Words"
2004FriendsMan in CabEpisode: "The Last One"
2004Everybody Loves RaymondSamEpisode: "The Mentor"
2004According to JimDr. SchulmanEpisode: "A Vast Difference"
2004, 2020, 2022Joelle's Attorney / Principal Andrew Kilgore3 episodes
2007Jim KettleEpisode: "Smile"
2008As the World TurnsDr. BrodyEpisode #1.13206
200830 RockKeithEpisode: "Reunion"
2009Grey's AnatomyChuck RubinEpisode: "Sympathy for the Devil"
2009Life on MarsJerryEpisode: "Home Is Where You Hang Your Holster"
2009SherriDr. FlemmingEpisode: "Birth"
2009–2010Royal PainsDr. Dan Irving3 episodes
2010Law & OrderAttorney BaronEpisode: "Blackmail"
2010GravityCredit card asshole3 episodes
2010Edgar FloatsLeonard ChaskesTelevision film
2010–2011Are We There Yet?Travel Agent / Banker / loan guy2 episodes
2011Curb Your EnthusiasmRon SolotaroffEpisode: "Palestinian Chicken"
2012The Good WifeNestorEpisode: "Pants on Fire"
2012Harry's LawADA Odom2 episodes
2013Blue BloodsDave GreenwaldEpisode: "Inside Jobs"
2013DallasPamela's Lawyer2 episodes
2013SmashTimothy3 episodes
2013Raising HopeRabbi ZwerinEpisode: "Burt Mitzvah: The Musical"
2013Sullivan & SonJames FranklinEpisode: "Over the Edge"
2013Masters of SexDoctorEpisode: "Manhigh"
2013–2014The Michael J. Fox ShowDoug7 episodes
2014Hot in ClevelandDr. Ira KleinEpisode: "Dr. Who?"
2014DeadbeatBuddy SilversEpisode: "The Comedium"
2014MarriedWebermanEpisode: "Uncool"
2014The BlacklistDr. Gordon AlbeeEpisode: "Dr. James Covington (No. 89)"
2015BlindspotDoctorEpisode: "Eight Slim Grins"
2015Madam SecretarySenator Parisi2 episodes
2015–2016Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtGary Dubbin4 episodes
2016MadoffFrank Avellino
2016Major CrimesD.D.A Barry Rosen2 episodes
2017DisjointedFranklin YoungEpisode: "Omega Strain"
2017The MickBarry3 episodes
2017Young SheldonDr. Ronald HodgesEpisode: "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac"
2018Kevin Can WaitMalcolmEpisode: "Fight or Flight"
2018InstinctTheodore BurtonEpisode: "Flat Line"
2018The DeucePhotographerEpisode: "What Big Ideas"
2018The Kominsky MethodWoody LittlehalesEpisode: "Chapter 2: An Agent Grieves"
2018–2020Our Cartoon PresidentMichael Bloomberg / Alan Dershowitz / Security Guard 110 episodes
2019The Big Bang TheoryDannyEpisode: "The Conference Valuation"
2020HuntersRabbi Grossman3 episodes
2020The GoldbergsDr. MittlemanEpisode: "Pretty in Pink"
2020Little VoiceDaleEpisode: "Ghost Light"
2020The UndoingDr. Stuart Rosenfeld2 episodes
2020–2021B PositiveDr. Baskin5 episodes
2021Search PartyLeonardEpisode: "The Imposter"
2021HalstonCarl Epstein2 episodes

Notes and References

  1. News: June 9, 2018 . Actor gives commencement speech at Magruder graduation . The Sentinel . August 21, 2022.
  2. Web site: Nominees & Recipients Database . 2022-08-21 . TheatreWashington . en.
  3. News: Brownfield . Paul . November 15, 2000 . Sketching Their Future . The Los Angeles Times . August 21, 2022.
  4. Web site: May 11 . Mark Harris Updated . EDT . 2001 at 04:00 AM . Why 'The Practice' killed off a major character . 2022-08-21 . EW.com . en.
  5. Web site: Fitzgerald . T. J. . A 'Drowsy' Jason Kravits Cooks On Stage . 2022-08-21 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  6. News: Isherwood . Charles . 2011-10-21 . Each Family, Tortured in Its Own Way . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-08-21 . 0362-4331.
  7. Web site: Talkin' Broadway on Broadway Review: "Relatively Speaking". October 20, 2011 . 2022-08-21 . talkinbroadway.com.
  8. News: Genzlinger . Neil . 2017-06-07 . A Familiar TV Face, Pulling an Improvised Life Out of a Bowl . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-08-21 . 0362-4331.
  9. Web site: Rabinowitz . Chloe . OFF THE TOP! WITH JASON KRAVITS to Return to Birdland Theater . 2022-08-21 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  10. Web site: Rabinowitz . Chloe . 2022 MAC Award Nominees Announced; View the Full List . 2022-08-21 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  11. Web site: Camus . Renée . 2022-06-21 . The Young Sheldon Actor You Forgot Played A Completely Different Character On TBBT . 2022-08-21 . Looper.com . en-US.
  12. Web site: Wang . Lydia . You Might Recognize Some Of The "Our Cartoon President" Voice Actors . 2022-08-21 . refinery29.com . en.
  13. News: Raynor . Madeline . March 17, 2016 . This Hamilton Parody Tells the Story of William Henry Harrison, Another American Historical Figure with a Seven-Syllable Name . Vulture . August 21, 2022.