“I really care about this stuff, I care about movies, and you just have to be strong and don't be stupid; freedom of choice is a big responsibility, and I'm lucky enough not to have to just take any movie to pay the rent, so there's no need to be greedy.” – Jonah Hill
We hope you’re ready to learn some more about the actor, comedian, and producer Jonah Hill.
Jonah Hill Facts
1. Sounds Cleaner
The actor was actually born Jonah Hill Feldstein.
2. Homeward bound
Unlike many actors, who had to make the move to L.A., Hill was born there and moved to New York City for school. Clearly, he found his way home.
3. Educated man
After graduating high school, Hill attended Bard College, The New School and the University of Colorado Boulder.
4. Bunk buddies
Jonah Hill used to be roommates with Justin Long.
5. Connections
Hill’s father Richard Feldstein was an accountant and he handled the books for major clients like Guns N’ Roses.
6. Family business
Jonah has a sister Beanie, who is an actress, and a brother Jordan, who manages musicians such as Robin Thicke and Maroon 5.
7. How you living?
Hill grew up in an affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Cheviot Hills, where he continues to live today.
8. Green Lantern
Jonah Hill was the voice of the Green Lantern in The Lego Movie.
9. What happens in Vegas
Hill turned down one of the leading roles in The Hangover to work with Jay and Mark Duplass in Cyrus.
Sign up to our newsletter.
History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.
10. Half the man he used to be
Hill started noticeably dropping weight in 2011, allegedly doing so not just for his health, but to be able to get more serious roles.
11. He went Platinum
Jonah Hill is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah – the theme of which was “Jonah Goes Platinum.”
12. Nancy rules
No joke, Jonah Hill has a tattoo on his left forearm that says “Nancy rules” – as a tribute to his grandmother.
13. Pastor Hill
Jonah Hill officiated Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo’s wedding in 2014.
14. Shakespeare
Jonah started writing his own plays in college and would perform them at the Black and White bar in New York. His work gave him a small following, which made him realize that he wanted to be a movie actor.
15. Famous friends
Hill was friends with Dustin Hoffman’s children, Rebecca and Jake, who introduced him to their father. It was through the Hoffmans that Hill made his big screen debut in I Heart Huckabees.
16. Faceted
Hill always had a passion for writing. At some point he was penning a screenplay with his friend and I Heart Huckabees co-star Jason Schwartzman. Then he was writing a screenplay for Sony called Pure Imagination, about a man who develops an imaginary friend after a traumatic incident. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be seeing a Jonah Hill film some time in the future.
17. Anything for Marty
Jonah Hill is a huge fan of Martin Scorsese. He even agreed to be paid the minimum SAG salary of $60,000 just to be in The Wolf of Wall Street.
18. Stand up
Hill is a vocal opponent of the Russian anti-gay laws and has spoken out against them publicly in alliance with the Human Rights Campaign.
19. Why not?
Before Jonah decided to be an actor, he actually wanted to be a hip-hop producer.
20. Nailed it
After making the transition to more serious acting roles, Hill was nominated for his very first Golden Globe and Academy Award for his role in Moneyball (2011).
21. The Simpsons appearance
It wasn’t quite a cameo, but Hill voiced the character Andy Hamilton on The Simpsons back in 2009.
22. Speaking of The Simpsons…
When he was a kid, Jonah loved the Simpsons as much he asked his parents if they could move to the fictional town of Springfield.
23. Good ol' Judd
Jonah Hill made a brief appearance in Judd Apatow’s directorial debut The 40-Year-Old Virgin, then he scored a larger supporting role in Knocked Up. It was also with the help of Apatow (and Seth Rogen) that Hill landed his first leading role in Superbad.
24. Seth Rogen collaborations
Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen have appeared in 7 films together.
25. Quite the wager
Jonah Hill made a bet with Channing Tatum that 21 Jump Street would not make more than $35 million in its opening weekend, promising to kiss the tip of Tatum’s penis if he lost. Well… The movie made $36 million in its opening weekend. No word on whether the payment has been collected.
