Jason Kravits

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Jason Kravits
Jason Kravits The Best You Can-52 (cropped).jpg
Kravits at the 2025 Tribeca Festival
Born (1967-05-28) May 28, 1967 (age 58)
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Children1

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.

Contents

Early life and education

Kravits was born on May 28, 1967, 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]

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. [3]

While living in the DC area, Kravits also appeared in Major League II and Homicide: Life on the Street.

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, Colorado, where they took home the Jury Award for Best Sketch Show. [4]

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. [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 .

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. [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]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
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 GuestUncredited
2002 The Third Wheel Stage manager
2002H.O.L.E.: The Disillusionment of Mike and EvaRad Blitzstein
2004 The Stepford Wives Vic Stevens
2005WheelmenPercy
2006Waltzing AnnaDr. 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
2013Twenty Million PeopleTwenty Million People
2013 Chinese Puzzle L'avocat de Xavier
2014 Lullaby Ira
2016 Bling Oscar (voice)
2016 My Dead Boyfriend Medical examiner
2017Laura Gets a CatAdam
2018AccommodationsWarren
2018Barking MadIrwin Cates
2021Either Side of MidnightBowles
2022 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Cy
2025 Snow White Sneezy (voice and facial motion-capture)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982–1983 Powerhouse Lolo Knopke16 episodes
1995 Homicide: Life on the Street P.R. LacquesEpisode: "Cradle to Grave"
1996 Remember WENN Mr. BedlowEpisode: "Some Good News, Some Bad News"
1998 LateLine ElliotEpisode: "Mona Moves Up"
1999 Jackie's Back Wimpy Bald ManTelevision film
1999–2001 The Practice A.D.A. Richard Bay31 episodes
2001 Strong Medicine Dr. IdingerEpisode: "Bloodwork"
2002 Ed Barry GleepEpisode: "Nice Guys Finish Last"
2002 Wolf Lake BradleyEpisode: "Leader of the Pack"
2002 Gilmore Girls DwightEpisode: "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis"
2002 Do Over Dr. Nachman3 episodes
2003 Becker Mr. WhitfordEpisode: "Mr. and Ms. Conception"
2003 Wanda at Large Roger4 episodes
2003 Charlie Lawrence Walter KornbluthEpisode: "New Kid in School"
2004 Yes, Dear TimEpisode: "Greg Needs a Friend"
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation PierceEpisode: "Bad Words"
2004 Friends Man in CabEpisode: "The Last One"
2004 Everybody Loves Raymond SamEpisode: "The Mentor"
2004 According to Jim Dr. SchulmanEpisode: "A Vast Difference"
2004, 2020, 2022 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Joelle's Attorney / Principal Andrew Kilgore3 episodes
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Jim KettleEpisode: "Smile"
2008 As the World Turns Dr. BrodyEpisode #1.13206
2008 30 Rock KeithEpisode: "Reunion"
2009 Grey's Anatomy Chuck RubinEpisode: "Sympathy for the Devil"
2009 Life on Mars JerryEpisode: "Home Is Where You Hang Your Holster"
2009 Sherri Dr. FlemmingEpisode: "Birth"
2009–2010 Royal Pains Dr. Dan Irving3 episodes
2010 Law & Order Attorney BaronEpisode: "Blackmail"
2010 Gravity Credit card asshole3 episodes
2010Edgar FloatsLeonard ChaskesTelevision film
2010–2011 Are We There Yet? Travel Agent / Banker / loan guy2 episodes
2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Ron SolotaroffEpisode: "Palestinian Chicken"
2012 The Good Wife NestorEpisode: "Pants on Fire"
2012 Harry's Law ADA Odom2 episodes
2013 Blue Bloods Dave GreenwaldEpisode: "Inside Jobs"
2013 Dallas Pamela's Lawyer2 episodes
2013 Smash Timothy3 episodes
2013 Raising Hope Rabbi ZwerinEpisode: "Burt Mitzvah: The Musical"
2013 Sullivan & Son James FranklinEpisode: "Over the Edge"
2013 Masters of Sex DoctorEpisode: "Manhigh"
2013–2014 The Michael J. Fox Show Doug7 episodes
2014 Hot in Cleveland Dr. Ira KleinEpisode: "Dr. Who?"
2014 Deadbeat Buddy SilversEpisode: "The Comedium"
2014 Married WebermanEpisode: "Uncool"
2014 The Blacklist Dr. Gordon AlbeeEpisode: "Dr. James Covington (No. 89)"
2015 Blindspot DoctorEpisode: "Eight Slim Grins"
2015 Madam Secretary Senator Parisi2 episodes
2015–2016 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Gary Dubbin4 episodes
2016 Madoff Frank Avellino
2016 Major Crimes D.D.A Barry Rosen2 episodes
2017 Disjointed Franklin YoungEpisode: "Omega Strain"
2017 The Mick Barry3 episodes
2017 Young Sheldon Dr. Ronald HodgesEpisode: "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac"
2018 Kevin Can Wait MalcolmEpisode: "Fight or Flight"
2018 Instinct Theodore BurtonEpisode: "Flat Line"
2018 The Deuce PhotographerEpisode: "What Big Ideas"
2018 The Kominsky Method Woody LittlehalesEpisode: "Chapter 2: An Agent Grieves"
2018–2020 Our Cartoon President Michael Bloomberg / Alan Dershowitz / Security Guard 110 episodes
2019 The Big Bang Theory DannyEpisode: "The Conference Valuation"
2020 Hunters Rabbi Grossman3 episodes
2020 The Goldbergs Dr. MittlemanEpisode: "Pretty in Pink"
2020 Little Voice DaleEpisode: "Ghost Light"
2020 The Undoing Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld2 episodes
2020–2021 B Positive Dr. Baskin5 episodes
2021 Search Party LeonardEpisode: "The Imposter"
2021 Halston Carl Epstein2 episodes
2024 Only Murders in the Building Big MikeEpisode: "Valley of the Dolls"

References

  1. "Actor gives commencement speech at Magruder graduation". The Sentinel. June 9, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  2. Brantley, Ben (25 January 1997). "The Dark Rage of Jews Puts on a Happy Face". The New York Times.
  3. "Nominees & Recipients Database". TheatreWashington. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  4. Brownfield, Paul (November 15, 2000). "Sketching Their Future". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  5. May 11, Mark Harris Updated; EDT, 2001 at 04:00 AM. "Why 'The Practice' killed off a major character". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. Fitzgerald, T. J. "A 'Drowsy' Jason Kravits Cooks On Stage". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  7. Isherwood, Charles (2011-10-21). "Each Family, Tortured in Its Own Way". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  8. "Talkin' Broadway on Broadway Review: "Relatively Speaking"". talkinbroadway.com. October 20, 2011. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  9. Genzlinger, Neil (2017-06-07). "A Familiar TV Face, Pulling an Improvised Life Out of a Bowl". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  10. Rabinowitz, Chloe. "OFF THE TOP! WITH JASON KRAVITS to Return to Birdland Theater". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  11. Rabinowitz, Chloe. "2022 MAC Award Nominees Announced; View the Full List". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  12. Camus, Renée (2022-06-21). "The Young Sheldon Actor You Forgot Played A Completely Different Character On TBBT". Looper.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  13. Wang, Lydia. "You Might Recognize Some Of The "Our Cartoon President" Voice Actors". refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  14. 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. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  15. "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-11-30.