Jason Kravits | |
|---|---|
 Kravits in 2024 | |
| Born | May 28, 1967 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Children | 1 |
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.
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.[ citation needed ] Kravits is Jewish. [2]
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. [3]
While living in the DC area, Kravits also appeared in Major League II and Homicide: Life on the Street.
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, Colorado, where they took home the Jury Award for Best Sketch Show. [4]
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. [5]
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 .
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. [6]
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). [7] [8]
In 2015, Kravits developed the solo, improvised cabaret “Off the Top," featuring entirely improvised songs and music derived from audience suggestions. [9] 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. [10] [11]
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 . [12] He provided the voices of Michael Bloomberg, Alan Dershowitz, and others on Our Cartoon President. [13]
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. [14] In 2024 he created "The Project 2025" song, an animated short inspired by Schoolhouse Rock! detailing the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 initiative. [15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Major League II | Accountant | |
| 1999 | Blue Streak | Customs guy | |
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Choreographer | |
| 2000 | Dancing at the Blue Iguana | Gordon | |
| 2001 | Sweet November | Manny | |
| 2001 | Monkeybone | Guest | Uncredited |
| 2002 | The Third Wheel | Stage manager | |
| 2002 | H.O.L.E.: The Disillusionment of Mike and Eva | Rad Blitzstein | |
| 2004 | The Stepford Wives | Vic Stevens | |
| 2005 | Wheelmen | Percy | |
| 2006 | Waltzing Anna | Dr. Meyer | |
| 2008 | What Just Happened | Pollster | |
| 2010 | See You in September | Stevie | |
| 2010 | Morning Glory | Television executive | |
| 2011 | The Adjustment Bureau | New Yorker in courthouse lobby | |
| 2013 | Twenty Million People | Twenty Million People | |
| 2013 | Chinese Puzzle | L'avocat de Xavier | |
| 2014 | Lullaby | Ira | |
| 2016 | Bling | Oscar | Voice |
| 2016 | My Dead Boyfriend | Medical examiner | |
| 2017 | Laura Gets a Cat | Adam | |
| 2018 | Accommodations | Warren | |
| 2018 | Barking Mad | Irwin Cates | |
| 2021 | Either Side of Midnight | Bowles | |
| 2022 | Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile | Cy |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–1983 | Powerhouse | Lolo Knopke | 16 episodes |
| 1995 | Homicide: Life on the Street | P.R. Lacques | Episode: "Cradle to Grave" |
| 1996 | Remember WENN | Mr. Bedlow | Episode: "Some Good News, Some Bad News" |
| 1998 | LateLine | Elliot | Episode: "Mona Moves Up" |
| 1999 | Jackie's Back | Wimpy Bald Man | Television film |
| 1999–2001 | The Practice | A.D.A. Richard Bay | 31 episodes |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Dr. Idinger | Episode: "Bloodwork" |
| 2002 | Ed | Barry Gleep | Episode: "Nice Guys Finish Last" |
| 2002 | Wolf Lake | Bradley | Episode: "Leader of the Pack" |
| 2002 | Gilmore Girls | Dwight | Episode: "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis" |
| 2002 | Do Over | Dr. Nachman | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Becker | Mr. Whitford | Episode: "Mr. and Ms. Conception" |
| 2003 | Wanda at Large | Roger | 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Charlie Lawrence | Walter Kornbluth | Episode: "New Kid in School" |
| 2004 | Yes, Dear | Tim | Episode: "Greg Needs a Friend" |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Pierce | Episode: "Bad Words" |
| 2004 | Friends | Man in Cab | Episode: "The Last One" |
| 2004 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Sam | Episode: "The Mentor" |
| 2004 | According to Jim | Dr. Schulman | Episode: "A Vast Difference" |
| 2004, 2020, 2022 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Joelle's Attorney / Principal Andrew Kilgore | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jim Kettle | Episode: "Smile" |
| 2008 | As the World Turns | Dr. Brody | Episode #1.13206 |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Keith | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Chuck Rubin | Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" |
| 2009 | Life on Mars | Jerry | Episode: "Home Is Where You Hang Your Holster" |
| 2009 | Sherri | Dr. Flemming | Episode: "Birth" |
| 2009–2010 | Royal Pains | Dr. Dan Irving | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Law & Order | Attorney Baron | Episode: "Blackmail" |
| 2010 | Gravity | Credit card asshole | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Edgar Floats | Leonard Chaskes | Television film |
| 2010–2011 | Are We There Yet? | Travel Agent / Banker / loan guy | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Ron Solotaroff | Episode: "Palestinian Chicken" |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Nestor | Episode: "Pants on Fire" |
| 2012 | Harry's Law | ADA Odom | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Dave Greenwald | Episode: "Inside Jobs" |
| 2013 | Dallas | Pamela's Lawyer | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Smash | Timothy | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Raising Hope | Rabbi Zwerin | Episode: "Burt Mitzvah: The Musical" |
| 2013 | Sullivan & Son | James Franklin | Episode: "Over the Edge" |
| 2013 | Masters of Sex | Doctor | Episode: "Manhigh" |
| 2013–2014 | The Michael J. Fox Show | Doug | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Hot in Cleveland | Dr. Ira Klein | Episode: "Dr. Who?" |
| 2014 | Deadbeat | Buddy Silvers | Episode: "The Comedium" |
| 2014 | Married | Weberman | Episode: "Uncool" |
| 2014 | The Blacklist | Dr. Gordon Albee | Episode: "Dr. James Covington (No. 89)" |
| 2015 | Blindspot | Doctor | Episode: "Eight Slim Grins" |
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | Senator Parisi | 2 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Gary Dubbin | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Madoff | Frank Avellino | |
| 2016 | Major Crimes | D.D.A Barry Rosen | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Disjointed | Franklin Young | Episode: "Omega Strain" |
| 2017 | The Mick | Barry | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Young Sheldon | Dr. Ronald Hodges | Episode: "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac" |
| 2018 | Kevin Can Wait | Malcolm | Episode: "Fight or Flight" |
| 2018 | Instinct | Theodore Burton | Episode: "Flat Line" |
| 2018 | The Deuce | Photographer | Episode: "What Big Ideas" |
| 2018 | The Kominsky Method | Woody Littlehales | Episode: "Chapter 2: An Agent Grieves" |
| 2018–2020 | Our Cartoon President | Michael Bloomberg / Alan Dershowitz / Security Guard 1 | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | The Big Bang Theory | Danny | Episode: "The Conference Valuation" |
| 2020 | Hunters | Rabbi Grossman | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | The Goldbergs | Dr. Mittleman | Episode: "Pretty in Pink" |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Dale | Episode: "Ghost Light" |
| 2020 | The Undoing | Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld | 2 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | B Positive | Dr. Baskin | 5 episodes |
| 2021 | Search Party | Leonard | Episode: "The Imposter" |
| 2021 | Halston | Carl Epstein | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Only Murders in the Building | Big Mike | Episode: "Valley of the Dolls" |
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script.
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The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Amy Poehler, Matthew Walsh, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Adam McKay, Rick Roman, Horatio Sanz and Drew Franklin. Other early members included Neil Flynn, Armando Diaz, Ali Farahnakian and Rich Fulcher.
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