Jon Polito is a seasoned actor with an impressive career spanning nearly 100 films, earning him recognition for his collaborations with the Coen brothers and his numerous television appearances as a series regular and guest star.
Notable film roles include appearances in Millers Crossing, Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There, The Crow, Blankman, and The Freshman alongside Marlon Brando, as well as Big Eyes.
Polito has worked with a diverse range of directors, including Russel Mulcahy, Clint Eastwood, John McNaughton, Tom Hanks, Andrew Bergman, Michael Apted, Ridley Scott, and Tim Burton, to name a few.
On television, he has starred as a series regular on Crime Story, Ohara, Hearts are Wild, The Chronical, and the critically acclaimed Homicide, Life on the Street.
As a guest star, he has appeared in memorable roles such as the befuddled landlord Sylvio on Seinfeld, his only role as a woman - Rhonda, on The Chris Isaak Show, Gino, brother to Danny DeVito's character, Frank, on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Earl Chambers on Modern Family.
Polito's stage career includes starring on Broadway with Faye Dunaway in The Curse Of An Aching Heart and with Dustin Hoffman in the 1985 Tony award-winning revival of Death Of A Salesman, which he also filmed for CBS.
He received the Best Actor OBIE award for Off Broadway theatre in 1980 and has won numerous other awards, including the 2001 TELLY for animation voice over in The Dancing Pumpkin, directed by his brother Jack Polito, The New York Independent Festival Award for Excellence in Acting, and the 2005 Cinequest Maverick Award for his lifetime body of work in Film and Television.
In 2012, Jon received the Best Actor Award for the short film Anti-Muse from the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.
Polito credits his success to three individuals: his mentor Dominic Garvey, his only acting teacher Irene Baird, and the late director and friend, Paul Bettis.
Additionally, his inspiration is New York theatre artist Theodora Skipitares, who taught him film and design in university and has remained a constant presence in his life.
