Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Jon Gries
View on Wikipedia
Jonathan Gries (/ɡraɪz/ GRYZ; born June 17, 1957)[1][2] is an American actor and music video director. He is best known for portraying Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite (2004), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male; the recurring role of Roger Linus on Lost (2007–2010); and Greg Hunt on The White Lotus (2021–present). He is also known for other film and television credits such as Real Genius (1985), The Monster Squad (1987), Martin (1992–1994), Get Shorty (1995), The Pretender (1996–2000), the Taken trilogy (2008–2014), and Dream Corp LLC (2016–2020).
Key Information
Life and career
[edit]Gries was born in Glendale, California,[3] the son of writer, director, and producer Tom Gries.[4] His first film role came at age 11, when he played the Boy Horace in the Charlton Heston film Will Penny, which was written and directed by his father. Some of his signature roles have come in cult classics. He played Lazlo Hollyfeld in Real Genius (1985), Azzolini in Rainbow Drive, Shawn McDermott in the TV series Martin (1992–1994), Ronnie Wingate in Get Shorty (1995), Harvey in The Rundown, and Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite (2004). Gries has played a werewolf on several occasions, such as Fright Night Part 2 and The Monster Squad.
In the historical Western film September Dawn, he played executed murderer John D. Lee, in a performance praised by critics who otherwise panned the film.[5][6][7] He played Casey in the films Taken (2008), Taken 2 (2012), and Taken 3 (2014), and was in TerrorVision, as O.D. He lent his voice for the video game Hitman: Absolution.
Among his television roles are that of a terrorist in season two of the hit show 24 and as Broots on the NBC series The Pretender. He had a guest role on The X-Files in the episode "Sleepless". He played Dylan McKay's drug dealer in season 5 of Beverly Hills, 90210. He played Ben Linus's father Roger in a recurring role on the TV series Lost. He played Shawn on the Fox sitcom Martin during the first two seasons. He appeared twice in the TV series Quantum Leap—first, as a bookie in the episode "The Right Hand of God" and then as a band member in the episode "Glitter Rock". He appeared as Rusty the Bum in two episodes of Seinfeld.[8]
In 2007, he played the menacing dad to Samaire Armstrong in Around June. In 2008, he appeared in the CSI: NY episode "The Box" as the father of that episode's victim. In 2010, he wrapped production on A True Story. Based on Things That Never Actually Happened. ...and Some that Did and appeared in one episode of Nikita. He played Martin in the TV show Supernatural in the episodes "Sam, Interrupted" (2010), "Hello, Cruel World" (2011) and "Citizen Fang" (2012). He played Bob, a former drug addict who operates a safe haven for abused Mexican women, in The Bridge. He played Strabinsky in the TV Show Psych in the episode "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" (2010).[9]
Gries is a part-owner of the Richmond Flying Mummies, a Northwoods League baseball team that will begin play in May 2026.[10]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Will Penny | Horace (Button) | Credited as Jon Francis |
| 1976 | Born of Water | Friend | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1977 | The Chicken Chronicles | Tom | |
| 1979 | Sunnyside | Wild Child | |
| More American Graffiti | Ron | ||
| Swap Meet | Doug | ||
| 1983 | Joysticks | King Vidiot | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1985 | Real Genius | Lazlo Hollyfeld | |
| 1986 | TerrorVision | O.D. | |
| Running Scared | Det. Tony Montoya | ||
| 1987 | Number One with a Bullet | Bobby Sweet | |
| The Monster Squad | Desperate Man/Wolfman | ||
| Che's Revenge | Jack | Short | |
| 1988 | Fright Night Part 2 | Louie | Credited as Jonathan Gries |
| 1989 | Kill Me Again | Alan Swayzie | |
| Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog | Max | ||
| 1990 | The Grifters | Drunk's Friend | |
| 1993 | Ed and His Dead Mother | Rob Sundheimer | |
| 1995 | Get Shorty | Ronnie Wingate | |
| 1997 | Casualties | Bill Summers | |
| Men in Black | Van Driver | ||
| The Maze | Dr. Holmes | ||
| Mitzi & Joe | Joe | ||
| 1999 | Twin Falls Idaho | Lawyer Jay Harrison | |
| 2001 | The Beatnicks | B Cool | |
| Jackpot | Sunny Holiday / Glen Allen Johnson | Also co-producer | |
| 2003 | Northfork | Arnold | |
| The Big Empty | Elron | ||
| The Snow Walker | Pierce | ||
| The Rundown | Harvey | ||
| 2004 | Napoleon Dynamite | Uncle Rico Dynamite | |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action Star | Donald Buckheim | |
| Waterborne | Ritter | ||
| Last Best Chance | Bernard Wheeler | Video | |
| 2006 | The Sasquatch Gang | Chilcutt | |
| Stick It | Brice Graham | ||
| The Astronaut Farmer | FBI Agent Killbourne | ||
| Car Babes | Gary | ||
| 2007 | American Pastime | Ed Tully | |
| Bicentennial Curious | Mick Jones | Short | |
| Fathom | |||
| September Dawn | John D. Lee | ||
| The Comebacks | Barber | ||
| Frank | Colin York | ||
| 2008 | Taken | Casey | |
| Bar Starz | Ricky Fabulous | ||
| South of Heaven | Hood #1 | ||
| So Long Jimmy | Levi Franklin | ||
| Around June | Murry | ||
| 2009 | Elsewhere | Mr. Tod | |
| The Smell of Success | Early Dunchamp | ||
| A Lone Star State | Wyatt Kinney | Short | |
| 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Edgar | |
| Good Intentions | Sheriff Ernie | ||
| Pearblossom | Harry | Short | |
| 2011 | Natural Selection | Peter | |
| Not Quite College | Tone Cash | ||
| 5 Time Champion | Melvin Glee | ||
| Redemption: For Robbing the Dead | Tom Sutter | ||
| 2012 | Deep in the Heart | Dick Wallrath | |
| Unicorn City | Shadowhawk | ||
| Noobz | Greg Lipstein | ||
| Taken 2 | Casey | ||
| Byron's Theme | Butcher | Short | |
| 2013 | Bad Turn Worse | Sheriff Shep | |
| A True Story | Richard Simpkins | ||
| Skinwalker Ranch | Hoyt | ||
| 2014 | Eternity: The Movie | Barry Goldfield, Jr. | |
| Faults | Terry | ||
| Locker 13 | Archie | Segment: Title Story | |
| After We Rest | Mr. Norman | Short | |
| The Last Survivors | Carson | ||
| Brothers | Ronnie | Short | |
| Taken 3 | Casey | ||
| 2015 | Pass the Light | Franklin | |
| Endgame | Principal Thomas | ||
| A Country Called Home | Tyler | ||
| Mucho Dinero | Jon Waters | ||
| 2016 | Durant's Never Closes | Dizzy Dean | |
| The Axe Murders of Villisca | Greg | ||
| Falsely Accused | Gus | ||
| The Knife Thrower | Circus Manager | ||
| Operation Chromite | Hoyt Vandenberg | ||
| 2017 | All About the Money | Jon Waters | |
| Americons | Billy | ||
| 2018 | Glass Jaw [1] | Sam Austin | |
| 2024 | Solvent | Gunner S. Holbrook | |
| 2025 | Carolina Caroline | TBA |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Helter Skelter | William Garretson | TV movie |
| 1977 | Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | Uncredited | |
| Mulligan's Stew | Adams | Episode: "Melinda Special" | |
| 1979 | 240-Robert | Brad | Episode: "Poison Air" |
| 1980 | The White Shadow | Uri Kogenski | Episode: "The Russians Are Coming" |
| 1983 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Brad | Episode: "The Road Rebels" |
| September Gun | Brian Brian | TV movie | |
| The Jeffersons | Frank | Episode: "I Do, I Don't" | |
| High School U.S.A. | Dirty Curt | TV movie | |
| 1987 | The Twilight Zone | Nick Gatlin (Segment: "Shelter Skelter") | Episode: "Joy Ride/Shelter Skelter/Private Channel" |
| Cagney & Lacey | Hands Callahan | Episode: "The City is Burning" | |
| 1988 | Tattingers | Rick Jurasky | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Paradise | Emmett | Episode: "Dead Run" |
| 1990 | Falcon Crest | Stone | Episode: "Finding Lauren" |
| Jake and the Fatman | Lenny Maddox | Episode: "By Myself" | |
| Tour of Duty | Maj. Rex Chapman, USAF | Episode: "The Raid" | |
| Rainbow Drive | Azzolini | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Flash McGrath | Episode: "Glitter Rock–April 12, 1974" |
| Fever | Bobby | TV movie | |
| 1992 | L.A. Law | Dr. Harold Benson | Episode: "I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. Markowitz" |
| Four Eyes and Six Guns | TV movie | ||
| 1992–1994 | Martin | Shawn McDermott | 54 episodes |
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. | Ray Coombs | Episode: "A Bullet for Stiles" |
| 1994 | The X-Files | Salvatore Matola | Episode: "Sleepless" |
| Beverly Hills, 90210 | Mr. Trilling, Dope Dealer | 4 episodes | |
| 1995 | Chicago Hope | Jack Kimball | Episode: "Hello Goodbye" |
| Strange Luck | Henry Bloom | Episode: "Last Chance" | |
| Seinfeld | Homeless Man | Episode: "The Beard" | |
| 1996 | Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah | Steve | TV movie |
| 1996–2000 | The Pretender | Broots | 82 episodes |
| 1998 | Seinfeld | Rusty | Episode: "The Bookstore" |
| 2001 | The Pretender 2001 | Broots | TV movie |
| ER | Defense Attorney Marty Nesmith | Episode: "Fear of Commitment" | |
| The Pretender: Island of the Haunted | Broots | TV movie | |
| 2002 | 24 | Joseph Wald | Episode: "Day 2: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m." |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Texas Ranger | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Las Vegas | Greg Walker | Episode: "Sons and Lovers" |
| 2007–2010 | Lost | Roger Linus | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | CSI: NY | Jim Warren | Episode: "The Box" |
| 2010 | Cold Case | Bill Shepard '78 | 2 episodes |
| Sons of Anarchy | Passport Forger | Episode: "So" | |
| Psych | Strabinsky | Episode: "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" | |
| Nikita | The Engineer | Episode: "Dark Matter" | |
| Supernatural | Martin Creaser | 2 episodes | |
| 2011 | Hawaii Five-0 | Liam Miller | Episode: "Lapa'au" |
| 2012 | Dr. Fubalous | Dr. Reed | 2 episodes |
| Napoleon Dynamite | Uncle Rico | 6 episodes | |
| BlackBoxTV | Dad | Episode: "Silverwood: The Hunger" | |
| 2013–2014 | The Bridge | Bob | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Criminal Minds | Clifford Walsh | Episode: "The Road Home" |
| 2016–2020 | Dream Corp LLC | Dr. Roberts | 28 episodes[11] |
| 2021–present | The White Lotus | Greg Hunt | Recurring in seasons 1 to 3 |
| 2024 | It's Florida, Man | Denver | Episode: "Saucy" |
| 2025 | Saturday Night Live | Howard Lutnick | Episode: "Jon Hamm / Lizzo" |
| Devil May Cry | President Hopper | Voice role | |
| 2025–present | Fallout | Biff | Recurring role |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hitman: Absolution | Sheriff Clive Skurky (voice) |
Music videos
[edit]As director
- Flies on Fire – "Long Gone Dead" (1989)
- Low Profile – "Pay Ya Dues" (1989)[12]
- Low Profile – "That's Y They Do It" (1989)
- Low Profile – "Funky Song" (1990)
- Mere Mortals – "Cracked" (2006)
As actor
- Lenny Kravitz – "Mr. Cab Driver" (1990)
- Alice in Chains – "Rooster" (1993)
References
[edit]- ^ Gries, Jon (May 19, 2021). "Napoleon Dynamite's Uncle Rico Actor Jon Gries Full Interview". Legends & Masters Show (Interview). Interviewed by Tom Wheeler. Event occurs at 0:34. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ "Today's Birthdays". The Wausau Daily Herald. The Associated Press. June 17, 2004. p. 2B.
Actor Jon Gries is 47.
- ^ "Jon Gries". Allmovie. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Gries, Jon [@jongries] (September 6, 2018). "My father #Tomgries with #Jimbrown #BurtReynolds on the set of 100 Rifles Burt was a lovely, funny guy. Greatest laugh &sense of humor. RIP" (Tweet). Retrieved November 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Means, Sean P. (August 23, 2007). "'September Dawn' a campy screen disaster". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
The movie's one emotionally honest performance is handed in by Jon Gries (Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite"), who brings some weight and a sense of guilt to his portrayal of John D. Lee.
- ^ The Hollywood Reporter Archived September 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Fry, Ted. "Movies | Mormon massacre story "September Dawn" mixes fact, fiction | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Jon Gries at IMDb
- ^ Jon Gries at IMDb
- ^ admin (March 29, 2025). "Northwoods League adds Richmond, Indiana for 2026". Northwoods League. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ "Dream Corp LLC Season 2 Cast & Character Guide". screenrant.com. October 22, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Stockman, Tom (December 11, 2013). "WAMG Interview: Actor/Director Jon Gries on Another Man's Gun". wearemoviegeeks.com. Lanier Media. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
External links
[edit]Jon Gries
View on GrokipediaEarly life
Family background
Jon Gries was born Jonathan Francis Gries on June 17, 1957, in Glendale, California.[7] He is the son of Tom Gries, a prominent director, producer, and writer known for his work in television and film, and Mary Munday (born Mary Eleanor Munday), an actress who appeared in Westerns and television dramas during the mid-20th century.[8][2] Gries has brothers, including Cary Gries, who works as a film editor, and Stephen Edward Gries, a former actor.[9][10] His family moved to New York when he was five, splitting his childhood between both coasts. Raised in a household centered on the entertainment industry, Gries gained early exposure to Hollywood through his father's career, which included directing acclaimed projects like the 1968 Western Will Penny.[2][11]Entry into entertainment
Jon Gries entered the entertainment industry as a child actor at the age of 11, debuting in the 1968 Western film Will Penny, where he played the role of Horace "Button" Allen, the young son of a widowed settler. The film, starring Charlton Heston, was written and directed by Gries' father, Tom Gries, providing his son with an early introduction to professional filmmaking through familial ties in Hollywood.[4] Growing up around movie sets due to his father's directing career, Gries experienced the industry environment from a young age, though no formal acting training or school theater involvement is documented prior to his teenage years.[12] Despite offers for additional child roles, such as in The Cowboys with John Wayne, Gries expressed reluctance to continue acting as a youth, opting instead for a more conventional childhood away from the spotlight.[12] This early exposure via family connections influenced Gries' pursuit of acting professionally.Acting career
Early roles
Gries began his professional acting career as a teenager, following an early debut as a child in the 1968 Western Will Penny, where he portrayed Horace Greeley Allen under the direction of his father, Tom Gries. In the late 1970s, he took on supporting roles that helped build his experience in both film and television. He appeared as Ron, a member of a hot rod crew, in the ensemble comedy More American Graffiti (1979), a sequel to the iconic coming-of-age story.[13] Earlier, in 1976, Gries played William Garretson, the real-life caretaker falsely implicated in the Manson murders, in the CBS television movie Helter Skelter, again directed by his father. These parts showcased his ability to handle dramatic and period-specific characters in ensemble casts. The 1980s marked a period of steady work for Gries in cult-favorite films, where he often embodied quirky or unconventional figures. In Real Genius (1985), he delivered a memorable performance as Lazlo Hollyfeld, the eccentric, reclusive inventor hiding in the steam tunnels of a university campus, contributing to the film's satirical take on academic life. Two years later, he portrayed the Desperate Man, a human-turned-werewolf antagonist, in the horror-comedy The Monster Squad (1987), adding to his repertoire of genre roles. On television, Gries made guest appearances on popular series such as Cagney & Lacey (1982) and The A-Team (1983), typically in supporting capacities that highlighted his versatility in procedural and action formats.[14] Throughout this era, Gries navigated the challenges of being typecast as a character actor, frequently cast in offbeat or secondary roles that capitalized on his distinctive look and deadpan delivery, rather than leading parts. This positioning allowed him to accumulate a diverse resume across comedy, drama, and horror, solidifying his presence in Hollywood's supporting landscape without achieving immediate stardom.[15]Breakthrough and notable performances
Gries gained increased visibility in the mid-1990s with his role as Ronnie Wingate, a sleazy investor and associate to a drug lord, in the crime comedy Get Shorty (1995), directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta and Gene Hackman.[16] The film, adapted from Elmore Leonard's novel, received positive reviews for its witty satire of Hollywood and the underworld, with critics praising the ensemble cast's sharp performances, though Gries' supporting turn as the hapless thug contributed to the movie's engaging ensemble dynamic.[17] He followed this with a recurring role as Broots, a quirky and timid computer technician at the secretive Centre organization, on the NBC mystery series The Pretender (1996–2000), appearing in over 70 episodes across four seasons.[18] Broots served as comic relief amid the show's blend of drama and intrigue, with the series earning praise for its intelligent plotting and strong supporting characters, helping to solidify Gries' reputation for eccentric, tech-savvy sidekicks.[19] Gries achieved a career highlight with his portrayal of Uncle Rico, a delusional and nostalgic ex-athlete obsessed with his lost high school glory, in the independent comedy Napoleon Dynamite (2004), directed by Jared Hess. The film became a cult phenomenon, grossing over $44 million on a $400,000 budget and earning widespread acclaim for its deadpan humor and quirky characters, with critics noting Uncle Rico as a "sad, sleazy fellow" whose over-the-top antics provided memorable comic energy.[20] For this performance, Gries received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male in 2005.[21] In the late 2000s, Gries appeared as Mark Casey, a CIA operative and ally to protagonist Bryan Mills, in the action thriller trilogy Taken (2008), Taken 2 (2012), and Taken 3 (2014), contributing to the franchise's global success with over $1 billion in box office earnings. He also played Roger Linus, the abusive and neglectful father of Benjamin Linus, in six episodes of ABC's Lost (2007–2010), adding depth to the series' complex backstory through flashbacks that highlighted familial dysfunction.[22] The role underscored Gries' versatility in portraying antagonistic figures within ensemble narratives. Throughout these performances, Gries specialized in supporting roles as sleazy or quirky characters—often hapless thugs, eccentric technicians, or delusional opportunists—that provided comic or tense relief, earning consistent recognition for injecting authenticity and humor into ensemble casts, as seen in critical nods to his memorable turns in Get Shorty and Napoleon Dynamite.[20][17]Recent work
In the 2010s and beyond, Jon Gries has maintained a steady presence in television, often taking on roles that blend dark humor with enigmatic characters. He portrayed Dr. Roberts, the eccentric head of a rundown dream therapy clinic, in the Adult Swim series Dream Corp LLC from 2016 to 2020, where his performance as the absent-minded yet manipulative leader anchored the show's surreal, anthology-style episodes exploring patients' subconscious fears.[23] This role showcased Gries' ability to infuse absurdity with underlying menace, contributing to the series' cult following for its innovative blend of live-action and animation. Gries' career gained renewed prominence with his recurring role as Greg Hunt (later revealed as Gary) in HBO's The White Lotus (2021–present), appearing across all three seasons to date and becoming the only character to connect the anthology's disparate narratives. In Season 1, Greg is introduced as the opportunistic boyfriend of Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), evolving into a suspected orchestrator of her demise by Season 2; his unannounced return in the Season 3 premiere on February 16, 2025, set in Thailand, elicited widespread surprise and deepened the show's thematic exploration of wealth and deception.[3] Gries drew inspiration for the character's chilling calm from real-life convicted murderer Robert Durst, modeling Greg's "even keel personality" to mask a dangerous core, as he discussed in a March 2025 interview.[24] Season 3, which concluded in April 2025, highlighted Greg's luxurious yet precarious life in Southeast Asia, funded by Tanya's inheritance, underscoring Gries' skill in portraying quiet villainy.[25] While HBO renewed The White Lotus for Season 4 in January 2025, set to film in Paris and the French Riviera starting in 2026, Gries has expressed uncertainty about his involvement, though his prior appearances make a return plausible given the series' penchant for callbacks.[26][27] More recently, Gries has diversified into guest spots and independent films, demonstrating his versatility in smaller-scale projects. He appeared as a Conservative Commentator in the 2023 Prime Video series I'm a Virgo, a surreal coming-of-age story by Boots Riley, where his brief but pointed role amplified the show's satirical take on American politics and identity.[28] In 2024, he guest-starred as Denver in an episode of HBO's It's Florida, Man, playing an ex-boyfriend seeking marinara-fueled revenge in a segment that leaned into the series' irreverent, meme-inspired anthology format.[29] On the film front, Gries starred as Gunner S. Holbrook, a mercenary leading a team hunting Nazi artifacts in an abandoned Austrian farmhouse, in the supernatural horror-comedy Solvent, which premiered theatrically and on VOD on October 10, 2025; the first-person found-footage style emphasized his voiceover narration, blending tension with dark wit.[30] Looking ahead, he is set to appear as Benny O'Malley (aka Benny Sunshine) in the crime thriller Tuesday's Flu, which world-premiered at the 2025 Austin Film Festival; the film follows a debt-ridden man entangled in blackmail, with Gries' character adding layers of moral ambiguity to the ensemble.[31] Beyond acting, Gries expanded his public profile in 2025 through a high-fashion campaign for Jacquemus' "Going Bananas for Jon" series, photographed by Andrew Jacobs in Los Angeles to promote the brand's Spring/Summer 2025 collection; at 67, he modeled banana-printed apparel on a golf course, flashing abs and chest hair in images that went viral for their playful contrast to his dramatic roles.[32] In August 2025, during a USA Today interview promoting his recent work, Gries' pet parrot Pablo unexpectedly crashed the session, perching nearby and stealing the spotlight, which he later described as a lighthearted moment highlighting their close bond.[33] These ventures illustrate Gries' evolving career, bridging prestige television with eclectic, culturally resonant opportunities that keep him relevant into his late 60s.Other professional activities
Music video direction
Jon Gries transitioned from his established acting career in the 1980s to directing music videos, marking an expansion into behind-the-camera work within the entertainment industry.[34] His initial forays into direction focused on rock and hip-hop projects, leveraging his industry connections to collaborate with emerging artists. This niche allowed Gries to explore creative storytelling in short-form visuals, distinct from his on-screen roles. In 1989, Gries directed the music video for Flies on Fire's "Long Gone Dead," a track from the rock band's debut efforts, capturing the era's gritty aesthetic.[34] That same year, he helmed videos for the hip-hop duo Low Profile, including their single "Pay Ya Dues" from the album We're in This Together, which addressed themes of perseverance in the rap scene and featured Gries in a cameo appearance.[34] He continued this collaboration into 1990 with Low Profile's "Funky Song," another upbeat track from the album, where his direction emphasized energetic performances and urban settings, again including a brief cameo by Gries himself.[35] These projects highlighted his ability to blend narrative elements with musical energy, drawing from his acting experience to enhance performer authenticity. Gries revisited music video direction in 2006 with "Cracked" for the band Mere Mortals, a personal project tied to a friend's involvement in the group.[11] The video showcased a more polished, alternative rock style, reflecting his evolved directorial approach after years focused on acting. This sporadic body of work underscores Gries' selective engagement in music video direction as a creative outlet complementary to his primary career.Producing and business ventures
In addition to acting and directing, Gries has worked as a producer on independent films, including serving as a producer on the comedy Pickin' & Grinnin' (2010), which he also directed.[36] Gries has expanded into business ownership outside the entertainment industry. In March 2025, he joined the ownership group for a new expansion team in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball organization.[37] The team, based in Richmond, Indiana, was officially announced as the Richmond Flying Mummies on October 7, 2025, drawing inspiration from local folklore and history.[38] Gries is part of a diverse ownership collective that includes former league executives and local business leaders, with the team set to begin play in May 2026 at the renovated McBride Stadium.[39] This venture marks Gries' entry into sports management, aiming to revitalize community baseball in the region through family-oriented events and stadium upgrades.[40]Filmography
Film
Jon Gries' feature film acting credits span from his childhood debut to recent and upcoming projects. The following is a chronological list of his roles in feature films.- Horace in Will Penny (1968)[2]
- Lazlo Hollyfeld in Real Genius (1985)
- Desperate Man in The Monster Squad (1987)
- Alan in Kill Me Again (1989)[41]
- Ronnie Wingate in Get Shorty (1995)
- Van Driver in Men in Black (1997)
- Arnold in Northfork (2003)
- Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite (2004)[42]
- Ritter in Waterborne (2005)
- Jon D. Lee in September Dawn (2006)
- Casey in Taken (2008)
- Casey in Taken 2 (2012)
- Hoyt in Skinwalker Ranch (2013)
- Franklin Baumann in Pass the Light (2013)
- Sheriff Shep in Bad Turn Worse (2013)
- Terry in Faults (2014)
- Casey in Taken 3 (2015)
- Tyler in A Country Called Home (2015)
- Dizzy Dean in Durant's Never Closes (2016)
- Greg in The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016)
- Jon Waters in All About the Money (2017)
- Sam Austin in Glass Jaw (2018)
- Tim in 3 Days with Dad (2019)
- Bud in Wish Upon a Unicorn (2020)
- Cult Leader in Only the Good Survive (2023)[43]
- Gunner S. Holbrook in Solvent (2024)[44]
- Lew Schätze in The Knife Thrower (2025)[5]
- Role TBA in Tuesday's Flu (2025)[45]
- Caroline's father in Carolina Caroline (2025)[45]
Television
Gries began his television career in the 1970s with guest appearances on shows such as The High Chaparral (1970), Bonanza (1972), and Kung Fu (1973).[5] His early roles often featured him as young characters in dramatic series, including a part in the TV movie The Execution of Private Slovik (1974). Throughout the 1980s, he continued with guest spots on popular action and sci-fi programs like The A-Team (1983), T.J. Hooker (1983), and The Twilight Zone (1985 revival).[5] In the 1990s, Gries transitioned to more prominent recurring roles, marking a significant phase in his TV career. He portrayed Broots, a tech-savvy lab technician, in The Pretender (1996–2000), appearing in 83 episodes across the series and its telemovies.[46] He also had a recurring guest role as Shawn McDermott in Martin (1992–1994), featuring in 24 episodes including "Credit Card Blues" (1993) and "The Hoedown in Motown" (1994). Other notable 1990s appearances included Salvatore Matola in The X-Files ("Sleepless," 1993) and a salesman in Seinfeld ("The Fix-Up," 1994).[47] The 2000s and 2010s saw Gries in ensemble dramas and procedurals, with a standout recurring role as Roger Linus, the abusive father of Ben Linus, in Lost (2004–2010), appearing in 5 episodes. He guest-starred as terrorist Joseph Wald across 5 episodes of 24 season 2 (2002–2003) and as Magoo in Sons of Anarchy (2010).[48][49] Additional credits included single-episode roles in Supernatural (2005), Criminal Minds (2008), and Justified (2010). In recent years, Gries has balanced guest spots with recurring parts in prestige series. He voiced Uncle Rico in the animated Napoleon Dynamite (2012), appearing in 6 episodes. From 2021 to 2025, he portrayed the enigmatic Greg Hunt (also known as Gary) in The White Lotus, recurring across all three seasons for a total of at least 10 episodes, including key arcs in seasons 1 and 2.[50] He voiced Pres. Hopper in the animated series Devil May Cry (2025), appearing in 2 episodes.[51] His most recent role is Denver in the comedy series It's Florida, Man (2024– ), with appearances in season 1.[52]| Year(s) | Series | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–2000 | The Pretender | Broots | 83 |
| 1992–1994 | Martin | Shawn McDermott | 24 (recurring guest) |
| 2004–2010 | Lost | Roger Linus | 5 |
| 2021–2025 | The White Lotus | Greg Hunt / Gary | 10+ (recurring across seasons 1–3) |
| 2024– | It's Florida, Man | Denver | Multiple (season 1) |