Jon Gries


Jonathan Francis Gries is an American actor, writer, and director. He is also credited under the names Jon Francis and Jonathan Gries. He is best known for his role in Napoleon Dynamite as Uncle Rico, and also as recurring character Roger Linus on Lost. He is also known for his roles in Martin, The Pretender, The Monster Squad, Running Scared, Real Genius, and Dream Corp, LLC.

Life and career

Gries was born in Glendale, California, the son of Mary Eleanor Munday, an actress, and Thomas Stephen Gries, a writer, director, and producer. His first film role came at the age of 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, Azzolini in Rainbow Drive, Shawn McDermott in the TV series Martin, Ronnie Wingate in Get Shorty, Harvey in The Rundown, and Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite. 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.
He played Casey in the films Taken, Taken 2, and Taken 3, and was also in TerrorVision, as O.D. He also lent his voice for the video game '.
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' 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 as a band member in the episode "Glitter Rock". He appeared as Rusty the Bum in two episodes of Seinfeld. In "The Beard", when Elaine rips George's toupee off and tosses it out the window, Rusty finds it and puts it on. In "The Bookstore" Kramer and Newman start a rickshaw business powered by bums, but on its maiden run, Rusty takes off with the conveyance. In 2007 he played the menacing dad to Samaire Armstrong in Around June. In 2008, he appeared in the ' episode "The Box |The Box" as the father of that episode's victim. In 2010 Jon 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 also played Martin in the TV Show Supernatural in the episodes "Sam, Interrupted", "Hello, Cruel World" and "Citizen Fang". 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".

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1968Will PennyHorace Credited as Jon Francis
1976Born of WaterFriend
1977The Chicken ChroniclesTomCredited as Jonathan Gries
1979SunnysideWild ChildCredited as Jonathan Gries
1979More American GraffitiRonCredited as Jonathan Gries
1979Swap MeetDoug
1983JoysticksKing VidiotCredited as Jonathan Gries
1985Real GeniusLazlo HollyfeldCredited as Jonathan Gries
1986TerrorVisionO.D.Credited as Jonathan Gries
1986Running ScaredDet. Tony MontoyaCredited as Jonathan Gries
1987Number One with a BulletBobby SweetCredited as Jonathan Gries
1987The Monster SquadDesperate Man/WolfmanCredited as Jonathan Gries
1987Che's RevengeJackShort
1988Fright Night Part 2LouieCredited as Jonathan Gries
1989Kill Me AgainAlan SwayzieCredited as Jonathan Gries
1989Pucker Up and Bark Like a DogMaxCredited as Jonathan Gries
1990The GriftersDrunk's FriendCredited as Jonathan Gries
1993Ed and His Dead MotherRob Sundheimer
1995Get ShortyRonnie Wingate
1997CasualtiesBill Summers
1997Men in BlackVan Driver
1997The MazeDr. Holmes
1997Mitzi & JoeJoe
1999Twin Falls IdahoLawyer Jay Harrison
2001The BeatnicksB Cool
2001JackpotSunny Holiday / Glen Allen Johnson
2003NorthforkArnold
2003The Big EmptyElron
2003The Snow WalkerPierce
2003The RundownHarvey
2004Napoleon DynamiteUncle Rico
2005Confessions of an Action StarDonald Buckheim
2005WaterborneRitter
2005Last Best ChanceBernard WheelerVideo
2006The Sasquatch GangChilcutt
2006Stick ItBrice Graham
2006The Astronaut FarmerFBI Agent Killbourne
2006Car BabesGary
2007American PastimeEd Tully
2007Bicentennial CuriousMick JonesShort
2007FathomShort
2007September DawnJohn D. Lee
2007The ComebacksBarber
2007FrankColin York
2008TakenCasey
2008Bar StarzRicky Fabulous
2008South of HeavenHood #1
2008So Long JimmyLevi Franklin
2008Around JuneMurry
2009ElsewhereMr. Tod
2009The Smell of SuccessEarly Dunchamp
2009A Lone Star StateWyatt KinneyShort
2010Crazy on the OutsideEdgar
2010Good IntentionsSherriff Ernie
2010PearblossomHarryShort
2011Natural SelectionPeter
2011Not Quite CollegeTone Cash
20115 Time ChampionMelvin Glee
2011Tom Sutter
2012Deep in the HeartDick Wallrath
2012Unicorn CityShadowhawk
2012NoobzGreg Lipstein
2012Taken 2Casey
2012Byron's ThemeButcherShort
2013Bad Turn WorseSheriff Shep
2013A True StoryRichard Simpkins
2013Skinwalker RanchHoyt
2014Eternity: The MovieBarry Goldfield, Jr.
2014FaultsTerry
2014Locker 13ArchieSegment: Title Story
2014After We RestMr. NormanShort
2014The Last SurvivorsCarson
2014BrothersRonnieShort
2014Taken 3Casey
2015Pass the LightFranklin
2015EndgamePrincipal Thomas
2015A Country Called HomeTyler
2015Mucho DineroJon Waters
2016Durant's Never ClosesDizzy Dean
2016The Axe Murders of VilliscaGreg
2016Falsely AccusedGus
2016The Knife ThrowerCircus Manager
2016Operation ChromiteHoyt Vandenberg
2017All About the MoneyJon Waters
2017AmericonsBilly
2018Glass Jaw Sam Austin

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976Helter SkelterWilliam GarretsonTV movie
1977'UncreditedTV movie
1977Mulligan's StewAdamsEpisode: "Melinda Special"
1979240-RobertBradEpisode: "Poison Air"
1980The White ShadowUri KogenskiEpisode: "The Russians Are Coming"
1983The Powers of Matthew StarBradEpisode: "The Road Rebels"
1983September GunBrian BrianTV movie
1983The JeffersonsFrankEpisode: "I Do, I Don't"
1983High School U.S.A.Dirty CurtTV movie
1987The Twilight ZoneNick Gatlin Episode: "Joy Ride/Shelter Skelter/Private Channel"
1987Cagney & LaceyHands CallahanEpisode: "The City is Burning"
1988TattingersRick Jurasky2 episodes
1989ParadiseEmmettEpisode: "Dead Run"
1990Falcon CrestStoneEpisode: "Finding Lauren"
1990Jake and the FatmanLenny MaddoxEpisode: "By Myself"
1990Tour of DutyMaj. Rex Chapman, USAFEpisode: "The Raid"
1990Rainbow DriveAzzoliniTV movie
1991Quantum LeapFlash McGrathEpisode: "Glitter Rock–April 12, 1974"
1991FeverBobbyTV movie
1992L.A. LawDr. Harold BensonEpisode: "I'm Ready for My Closeup, Mr. Markowitz"
1992Four Eyes and Six GunsTV movie
1992–1994MartinShawn McDermott54 episodes
1993Bakersfield P.D.Ray CoombsEpisode: "A Bullet for Stiles"
1994The X-FilesSalvatore MatolaEpisode: "Sleepless"
1994Beverly Hills, 90210Mr. Trilling, Dope Dealer4 episodes
1995Chicago HopeJack KimballEpisode: "Hello Goodbye"
1995Strange LuckHenry BloomEpisode: "Last Chance"
1995SeinfeldHomeless ManEpisode: "The Beard"
1996Race Against Time: The Search for SarahSteveTV movie
1996–2000The PretenderBroots82 episodes
1998SeinfeldRustyEpisode: "The Bookstore"
2001The Pretender 2001BrootsTV movie
2001ERDefense Attorney Marty NesmithEpisode: "Fear of Commitment"
2001'BrootsTV movie
200224Joseph WaldEpisode: "Day 2: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m."
2003–2005CarnivàleTexas Ranger2 episodes
2004Las VegasGreg WalkerEpisode: "Sons and Lovers"
2007–2010LostRoger Linus6 episodes
2008Jim WarrenEpisode: "The Box"
2010Cold CaseBill Shepard '782 episodes
2010Sons of AnarchyPassport ForgerEpisode: "So"
2010PsychStrabinskyEpisode: "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out"
2010NikitaThe EngineerEpisode: "Dark Matter"
2010SupernaturalMartin Creaser2 episodes
2011Hawaii Five-0Liam MillerEpisode: "Lapa'au"
2012Dr. FubalousDr. Reed2 episodes
2012Napoleon DynamiteUncle Rico6 episodes
2012BlackBoxTVDadEpisode: "Silverwood: The Hunger"
2013–2014The BridgeBob7 episodes
2014Criminal MindsClifford WalshEpisode: "The Road Home"
2016-presentDream Corp, LLCDr. Roberts20 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRole
2012Sheriff Clive Skurky

Music videos

;As director
;As actor