Jon Favreau Net Worth (2024)
Lifestyle | Bio | Facts [UPDATED]

Who Is Jon Favreau?

Jonathan Kolia Favreau Early life

Jonathan Kolia Favreau was born on October 19, 1966, to Madeleine Favreau, an elementary school teacher from a Russian Jewish family, and Charles Favreau, a special education teacher with French, German, Italian, and Canadian blood. 

Being a son of teachers…

…it’s not very surprising that little Jon grew up to be quite smart. 

In fact, Favreau graduated from The Bronx High School of Science, which is considered a school for gifted minds. 

During his time in The Bronx high school, Jon discovered his love for the film industry.

Favreau then decided to attend Queens college from the year 1984 to 1987 just to drop out later on. 

During his break from school…

…Jon went to work on Wall Street.

Yes, you’ve read that right.

Finding it hard to give his interest and focus on his academics, the future television director and executive producer realized that he had more interest in the goings-on at school socially than academically.

And as it happened, he had a friend whose father was working in Wall Street and was looking for an assistant.

Yep, Jon Favreau literally worked in Wall Street years before starring in a Wall Street movie.

Regarding this, he shared “I was there the day depicted in the film when the market crashed in ’87. I was in facilities planning at an investment banking house.”

Now that’s quite amazing!

But then, he was just about to exit Wall Street then.

Just after a year of working as an office assistant, Jon went back to Queens College for yet another semester in 1988, and then Favreau dropped out for good.

Know what?

He was just a few credits shy of getting his college degree when he dropped out!

Just whatever this guy was thinking, it proved to be good for him after all.

After dropping out of Queens College for good, Jon bought a motorcycle and packed his things to go to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy.

Yep, he started as a comedian.

But things weren’t as movie-perfect for the aspiring actor back there in the Windy City.

Initially, Jon wanted to be a part of the Second City, an improvisational comedy enterprise that’s famous for launching the names of today’s biggest Hollywood stars such as Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.

Well, Jon Favreau became a part of Second City…

…” Actually, I washed dishes at The Second City,” Jon shared. 

There, Jon learned all about improv acting. The young man enjoyed his freedom as he improved along the way. 

He learned how to make a story, write, edit, direct, and act. 

Now it sounds like everything he does today!

Soon, he was performing in a number of improvisational theaters in Chicago such as the Improv Institute ans ImprovOlympic. 

Jon Favreau’s career started when he finally landed a role in the film Rudy. 

The film Rudy, which was Jon’s film debut, is a biographical film that follows the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.

It’s a sleeper hit, meaning, it was initially unsuccessful but became a hit much later on. 

And in this film…

….Jon met his would-be lifelong friend and co-actor Vince Vaughn. 

After filming Rudy, the two because very close friends and would be instrumental in the success of each other’s career. 

After Rudy…

Jon packed his things again and went to the center of Hollywood itself, Los Angeles with the goal of maintaining his newfound success.

But of course, it wouldn’t be the perfect early life of a future big star if there wouldn’t be failures. 

Things didn’t go as peachy as he expected it to be for him in L.A. but the future Happy Hogan didn’t lose his passion for the film industry.

While waiting for his turn, Jon penned away writing his what would be his breakthrough not only as an actor but as a screenplay writer as well- it’s none other than the film Swingers. 

The film Swingers featured both Jon and his buddy Vince Vaughn and helped launched both men’s careers higher. 

Television and directorial career

The next couple of years saw Jon cross the silver screen to the small screen, the television. 

In 1997, he appeared on several episodes of the iconic television sitcom Friends. He played the role of Pete Becker, the millionaire boyfriend of Courteney Cox’s character Monica Geller.

Here’s the kicker.

Apparently, the Friends producers were having a hard time casting an actor for the character of Chandler Bing, the squad’s sarcastic jokester.

Several actors auditioned for the role, including Jon Cryer and Craig Bierko but only one man came close to their idea of Chandler.

You’ve guessed it.

It’s Jon Favreau. 

But alas…

…Jon refused the offer because he was planning to work on other projects!

So yep, Jon Favreau almost became our Chandler Bing.

But apparently, it wasn’t such a loss for Jon because his career was gradually heading upwards.

Favreau also appeared in the sketch comedy series called Tracey Takes On… both in years 1996 and 1997. 

The next year, in 1998, Favreau appeared in the science fiction disaster film Deep Impact as the doctor Gus Partenza. 

That same year, Jon also starred in the comedy thriller film Very Bad Things as a soon-to-be groom in his own bachelor party that turned horribly wrong.

In 1999…

…Favreau returned to television for the television film titled Rocky Marciano.

This TV film is based on the life of Rocky Marciano, the world heavyweight champion. Jon received critical praise for this performance. 

At the turn of the century, Jon amazed yet again in the film comedy-drama film Love & Sex as a newlywed couple alongside actress Famke Janssen. 

He also appeared in the sports comedy film The Replacements as Daniel Bateman, a wild linebacker. That same year, he also appeared in the crime drama TV series The Sopranos in the episode “D-Girl” as a Hollywood director who collects materials for his own screenplay.

Then Jon added yet another entry to his resume.

In 2001, Jon made his directorial debut as a film director to the movie Made.

Aside from being its film director, Jon also penned its screenplay and even starred in a role alongside his friend Vince Vaughn.

Talk about talent!

Jon also starred in Dinner for Five, a TV series in which he got together with a revolving celebrity guest list to eat, drink, and just talk. It aired from 2001 to 2005.

In 2002, Favreau penned another screenplay for the film The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest. 

In 2003, Favreau starred in the film The Big Empty, in which he played the character of John Person, a jobless actor who’s given a strange job of delivering a blue suitcase to a man named Cowboy. 

Now, here comes one of his biggest breaks.

In 2003, Favreau directed and wrote the screenplay for what would be an iconic Christmas classic Elf.

Aside from directing and writing, he also starred in the film himself, alongside Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, and James Caan.

But here’s another kicker:

Did you know that the Elf version that we know today almost never made it out?

When film producer Judd Apatow gave Jon Favreau the script, Jon took one look and decided that he wasn’t so interested in it.

According to him, it’s “a much darker version of the film.”

Uh-oh.

So Jon took it and rewrote it for about a year, turning it into a PG-13 movie. 

Aside from directing and writing, Jon also starred in the film alongside Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, and James Caan. 

Elf became Favreau’s first financial success in film directing.

Iron Man

In as early as 2006, it’s announced that Jon was signed to be the director in the film Iron Man.

It will go down to be the first movie produced by Marvel under their partnership with Paramount.

In the early 2000s…

…superhero movies weren’t really a big thing, so Iron Man’s success was still not guaranteed. 

Released in May 2008, it turned out to be a huge commercial and critical success, further establishing Favreau’s reputation as a director. 

Iron Man broke the “$100 million mark on its opening weekend” which was totally unexpected.

Iron Man also jump started the Marvel Cinematic Universe films or MCU. Years later, it will go down in history as one of the biggest franchises in cinema. 

In Iron Man’s first scenes…

….Jon acted as Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s driver. 

Jon also wrote two issues for a planned mini-series titled Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas, but it was canceled in late 2008.

Jon also directed and produced Iron Man 2 but didn’t direct Iron Man 3 although he stayed the franchise’s executive producer. 

And his success doesn’t end there.

That same year, he also voiced the character of Pre Vizsla in the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

In 2014, he wrote, directed, co-produced, and starred in the comedy-drama film called Chef alongside Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johanson, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, and many more. 

Jon Favreau started his string of Disney projects by directing and producing the live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book. It was a critical and commercial success. 

In 2017, he returned as Happy Hogan once again for the film Spider-man: Homecoming and also executive produced Avengers: Infinity War. 

The next year, he appeared in the space adventure Solo: A Star Wars Story to voice the character, Rio Durant. 

In 2019, Favreau returned to his Happy Hogan role for the film Avengers: Endgame, also appearing in Spider-man: Far From Home. 

Later in 2019, The Lion King was released. 

It was Jon’s first dive into directing musicals and it was a critical and commercial success, surpassing The Jungle Book in becoming Jon’s highest-earning film as a director. 

Meanwhile, in November 2019, the TV series The Mandalorian premiered in Disney Plus. Jon also executively produced it.

Jon’s hard work soon paid off….

…because in 2019, he was awarded the Visionary Award, a decade after the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films honored him with the Best Director Award for Iron Man.

He also received the Critics Circle Awards in the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival for Swingers. 

Jon Favreau was also named a Disney Legend in 2019.