Jason Gann
| Jason Gann | |
|---|---|
 Jason Gann at Comic-Con International, July 2011 | |
| Born |
Jason William Gann Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor, writer, executive producer |
Jason Gann is an Australian actor, writer, and executive producer. He is best known for his role as the title character in the Australian comedy series Wilfred, directed by Tony Rogers, and the U.S. remake of the same name.
Biography
Early life
The son of a military father and country singer mother, Gann grew up in Brisbane, Australia.[1] At 14, while attending an all-boys school, Gann discovered his love for comedy when he performed as Suzanne, leader of the can-can dancers in a high school production of Paint Your Wagon.[2] After high school, he went on to study acting at the University of Southern Queensland. He earned a B.A. in Acting while also attending classes in humanities and the arts.[1]
Early career
Immediately following his studies, Gann moved to Brisbane where he continued studying theatre and music.[1] He worked in children's theatre at the Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills for several years, performing in dozens of shows. He also played lead roles and toured the country in several comedy theatre productions for that theatre company. He developed and starred in several seasons of the Arts Council-funded play Keep Everything You Love, for which he won the Del Arte Award for Best Male Actor 1997.[citation needed] Gann then worked for the Queensland Theatre Company as an actor in several development projects and starred in the Sven Swenson play The Vertigo and the Virginia for QTC in 1999.[3]
Wilfred and Australian TV
In 2001, Gann wrote and produced several short films that screened in festivals internationally. In 2002 he co-wrote and starred in the short Wilfred. He first came to national attention when he won Best Male Actor and the short won Best Comedy and the Peoples' Choice Award at Tropfest in 2002. Wilfred went on to screen at festivals including Sundance Film Festival in 2003.[3]
Gann won the Tropfest Best Male Actor award again in 2003 for Buried. He then appeared in Australian feature films including Gettin' Square, Thunderstruck, The Illustrated Family Doctor, and Kenny.[1][2][3]
In 2004, for Australian TV, Gann appeared in two episodes of Blue Heelers and had a cameo on Kath and Kim. In 2006, Gann wrote and starred in 52 episodes of the sketch comedy show The Wedge on Australia's Network Ten. Gann then created, produced, wrote and starred in the network's spin-off comedy series Mark Loves Sharon. The following year, Gann co-created and played the title character for the Australian comedy series Wilfred, based on the short film. It ran for two seasons, both of which went on to win awards at Tropfest in 2007 and 2009.[3]
US television
In 2010, Renegade Films sold the Australian format of Wilfred to the U.S. network FX. Faced with redeveloping the show for an American market, Gann teamed with Family Guy executive producer David Zuckerman. Actor Elijah Wood signed on to co-star with Gann.<ref name=nymag=1>"Jason Gann on Bringing His Show to America". New York. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.</ref> The Wilfred debut became FX's highest-rated comedy series debut.<ref name=nymag=2>"Louie and Wilfred Premiere Strongly". New York. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.</ref>
Awards and nominations
In 2007 and 2010, Gann was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Series. In 2007 he won for Best Comedy Series, for Wilfred, and in 2010 he won for Best Screenplay in a Television Series. In 2011, Gann was nominated for a Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor for his work on Wilfred.[citation needed] He was awarded the Australian GQ Comedian of the Year Award for 2011,[4] and was nominated for the annual Golden Collar Award, normally given solely to canine performers.[5]
Personal life
An animal lover, he is a celebrity spokesperson for multiple animal rights groups including Stray Cat Alliance in Los Angeles, California.[6] Gann married Alejandra Varela on 4 February 2013, and the two have a son born 13 August 2013.[7]
In 2007, Gann assaulted a shuttle bus driver, Joseph Hosny, whom he repeatedly punched in the face after being refused entry on to a full bus.[8] Gann pleaded guilty to criminal assault charges in May 2008 and received a bond without conviction, allowing him to work in the United States. Following this, he was involved in a civil legal case regarding payment of medical expenses to Hosny, who claimed that this incident caused depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving him unable to work for over five years. Gann pled guilty and was ordered to pay $325,000 to Hosny.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Ain't Got No Jazz | Intruder | |
| 2003 | "Button it" | jogger (Squealer A.C) | |
| 2003 | Gettin' Square | Wood-Duck Frank | |
| 2004 | Thunderstruck | Robbo | |
| 2005 | The Illustrated Family Doctor | Carl Lucas | |
| 2006 | Kenny | Buggy victim's friend | |
| 2007 | Rats and Cats | Writer |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 | The Wedge | Various characters | Writer |
| 2007–2010 | Wilfred (Australian TV series) | Wilfred | Co-Creator, writer |
| 2008 | Mark Loves Sharon | Mark Wary | Co-creator, writer, executive producer |
| 2008 | Jason and the Residents | Jason | |
| 2008 | Comedy Gold | Himself | |
| 2008 | 9am with David & Kim | Himself / Mark Wary | 1 episode |
| 2009 | The Squiz | 2 episodes | |
| 2011–present | Wilfred (US TV series) | Wilfred | Creator, writer |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 'Allo 'Allo! | Herr Otto Flick | Twelfth Night Theatre |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Of rats, cats and indiscretion". Brisbane Times. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "One on One with Jason Gann". Hobotrashcan.com. 23 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Wilfred". IFC.com. 7 July 2006. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ "Men of the Year". GQ (Australia). 21 November 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ "Uggie is top dog at the Golden Collar Awards – of course". Reuters. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ "Endorsements". Stray Cat Alliance. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ↑ "Jason Gann welcomes son Xano William". People. 14 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ↑ Bachelard, Michael (3 July 2011). "Attack dog cries poor on assault". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2011. Additional archive (26 August 2011)
- ↑ Kaila, Jon (9 June 2012). "'Wilfred' star Jason Gann puts record straight". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.