# Jon Lovitz
**Jon Lovitz** (Jonathan Michael Lovitz) is an American comedian and actor best known as a cast member of *Saturday Night Live* from 1985 to 1990, where he created recurring characters including the pathological liar Tommy Flanagan and the Master Thespian, and for voicing Jay Sherman on the animated series *The Critic*.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) • [2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) Born in Los Angeles, he trained with the Groundlings comedy troupe before joining *SNL* in its 1985 cast class, and his screen career has run from [Penny Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/penny-marshall)'s films through sitcoms, voice acting, and, since about 2003, stand-up comedy.[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/) • [5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Los Angeles[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in drama, University of California, Irvine, 1979[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) |
| *SNL* tenure | Cast member 1985–1990; two Primetime Emmy nominations (1986, 1987)[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) • [4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/) |
| Signature characters | Tommy Flanagan ("Yeah, that's the ticket!"), Master Thespian ("Acting!"), Annoying Man, Hanukkah Harry, the Devil[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) |
| Voice roles | Jay Sherman on *The Critic* (Fox, 1994–1995); Radio in *The Brave Little Toaster*; Calico in *Cats & Dogs* (2001)[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) • [2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) |
| Sitcom work | Max Louis on *NewsRadio*, 1998–1999, after Phil Hartman's death[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) |
| Stand-up and club | Stand-up from about 2003; opened the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in San Diego in 2007[5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10) • [4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/) |
## Early life and education
Lovitz was born in Los Angeles and attended [Harvard-Westlake School](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvard-westlake-school) before studying theater at the [University of California, Irvine](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-california-irvine), where he received a bachelor's degree in drama in 1979.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) In a UC Irvine alumni interview he described feeling, in his own words, "scared s—less" after graduating.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/)
## Training and early comedy
After college he honed his skills at Tony Barr's Film Actors Workshop and then joined the Groundlings, the Los Angeles-based comedy troupe whose alumni include [Will Ferrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-ferrell), Lisa Kudrow, and [Phil Hartman](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-hartman), who became a friend of Lovitz.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) At the Groundlings he performed alongside Kudrow and befriended Hartman, his future *SNL* castmate.[6](https://improvarchive.org/people/jon-lovitz) Before television comedy, he landed a role on the TV series *The Paper Chase* in 1984 and had a recurring role on *Foley Square*, with early film parts in *The Last Resort* (1986), *Ratboy* (1986), and *The Brave Little Toaster* (1987).[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/)
In 1985 he appeared with the Groundlings on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*, where he introduced his Tommy Flanagan character.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) That same year he was cast on *SNL* alongside [Anthony Michael Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-michael-hall), Randy Quaid, and [Robert Downey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-downey-jr)[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html)
## Saturday Night Live, 1985–1990
Lovitz spent five seasons on *SNL*, from 1985 to 1990, and the stint brought two Emmy Award nominations.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) His best-known creation was Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous, a character he had developed during his Groundlings years and one of the first popular recurring characters of the 1985–86 season, with the signature line "Yeah, that's the ticket!"; a later TV Funhouse segment, "The Life of a Catch Phrase," spoofed the phrase, which loses to [Dana Carvey](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-carvey)'s Church Lady line.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html)
**Other recurring characters.** The Master Thespian, a grandiose Shakespearean ham, delivered the catchphrase "Acting!" and was played opposite recurring host [John Lithgow](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-lithgow) as his teacher-rival Baudelaire.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) His roster also included Annoying Man, Hanukkah Harry, and [Mephistopheles](https://www.edgepedia.org/mephistopheles) (the Devil), plus impressions of [Harvey Fierstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvey-fierstein), Michael Dukakis, and Queen Elizabeth.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) In a 1992 NPR Fresh Air interview, Lovitz discussed playing the pathological liar alongside characters such as Annoying Man and Hanukkah Harry.[7](https://freshairarchive.org/segments/comedian-jon-lovitz-his-time-saturday-night-live-0)
## Film and television career
Lovitz's long friendship with actor-turned-director Penny Marshall led to roles in her films *Jumpin' Jack Flash* (1986), *Big* (1988), and *A League of Their Own* (1992), in which she directed him as baseball scout Ernie "Cappy" Capadino.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) • [1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) The American Film Institute catalog credits him as Chula in *An American Tail: Fievel Goes West* (1991), Tod Spengo in *Mom and Dad Save the World* (1992), Capadino in *A League of Their Own*, Becker in *National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon I* (1993), and Dr. Rudolph in *Coneheads* (1993).[8](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/258428-Jon-Lovitz) His other film work includes *¡Three Amigos!*, *High School High*, *The Wedding Singer*, *Happiness* (1998), *Liar Liar* (1997), *Rat Race* (2001), *Good Advice* (2001), *The Stepford Wives* (2004), and *Casino Jack*; [Woody Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/woody-allen) cast him as Benny Borkowski in *Small Time Crooks* (2000).[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/)
On television he joined the sitcom *NewsRadio* in 1998, hired to fill the void left by the death of his former *SNL* co-star Phil Hartman, playing the obnoxious and insecure Max Louis until the show left the air in 1999.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) He has also guest-starred on *Friends*, *Seinfeld*, *The Larry Sanders Show*, *Married… with Children*, and *The Simpsons*, and performed on Broadway in [Neil Simon](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-simon)'s *The Dinner Party*.[1](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/) • [5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10)
## Voice acting and The Critic
Lovitz voiced the [Siskel and Ebert](https://www.edgepedia.org/siskel-and-ebert)-esque film critic Jay Sherman on *The Critic* in its original Fox run from 1994 to 1995 and in an Internet-based sequel in 2000.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/) Earlier, he recorded the voice of Radio in *The Brave Little Toaster* in five hours, just before flying to New York to begin work on *SNL*.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html) In 2001 he voiced Calico, Mr. Tinkles' cat servant, in *Cats & Dogs*.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/)
## Stand-up and the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club
Lovitz began performing stand-up comedy in earnest around 2003, when he says acting jobs were drying up, developing his act at the Laugh Factory with the owner Jamie Masada's help; he took two years before headlining because he did not feel ready.[5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10) Dana Carvey, one of his closest friends, helped him learn the craft of writing and performing stand-up.[5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10) His act includes playing piano and singing what he calls silly songs, with material about [Bob Saget](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-saget), and he describes stand-up as very different from sketch comedy because the performer is alone before the audience.[5](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10)
In 2007 he opened the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in San Diego, and he later ran the Jon Lovitz Podcast Theater; his later projects include the audio memoir *The ABC's of SNL*, hosted by Kevin Smith.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html)
## Recurring characters and typecasting: an assessment
Vulture's retrospective characterizes Lovitz as "a recurring character pioneer and ham out of time" who drew his comedic success from voice more than physicality.[2](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html)
## Awards and recognition
Lovitz was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program in 1986 and 1987, both for his *SNL* work.[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/) He won a 1998 National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble, and was nominated for a 1993 American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and a 2013 BTVA voice-acting award.[4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/)
## References
1. [Master thespian, UC Irvine News (2013)](https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/)
2. [Saturday Night's Children: Jon Lovitz (1985–1990), Vulture (2011)](https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/saturday-nights-children-jon-lovitz-1985-1990.html)
3. [Jon Lovitz – Comedian, Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jon-lovitz/)
4. [Jon Lovitz Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jon-lovitz/bio/3000397068/)
5. [That's the Ticket: Jon Lovitz on his move to stand-up comedy, Baltimore Post-Examiner (2019)](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/thats-the-ticket-jon-lovitz-on-his-move-to-stand-up-comedy/2019/07/10)
6. [Jon Lovitz, The Improv Archive](https://improvarchive.org/people/jon-lovitz)
7. [Comedian Jon Lovitz on His Time on "Saturday Night Live," NPR Fresh Air Archive (1992 interview)](https://freshairarchive.org/segments/comedian-jon-lovitz-his-time-saturday-night-live-0)
8. [AFI Catalog – Jon Lovitz](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/258428-Jon-Lovitz)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license