Jonah Hill Feldstein Bio
Jonah Hill Feldstein, known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor and filmmaker born on December 20, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. He ranked 28th on Forbes’s list of highest-paid actors from June 2014 to June 2015, earning $16 million during that period. Hill has received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards throughout his career. He has appeared in a variety of films spanning comedies and dramas, and has established himself as a screenwriter and director as well.
Early Life and Background
Jonah Hill Feldstein was born in Los Angeles, California, to Richard Feldstein, a tour accountant for Guns N’ Roses, and Sharon Lyn Chalkin, a costume designer and fashion stylist. He was raised in the wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood of Cheviot Hills, where he continues to reside. Hill is Jewish and had a bar mitzvah ceremony. His parents were originally from Long Island, New York, and the family vacationed in the Catskill Mountains.
Hill has two siblings, a younger sister, actress Beanie Feldstein, and an older brother, Jordan Feldstein, who worked as a music manager for Robin Thicke and Maroon 5 before his death in 2017. Hill attended the Center for Early Education, Brentwood School, and Crossroads School in Santa Monica. He worked at Hot Rod Skateboard Shop on Westwood Boulevard during his youth.
After graduating from high school in 2002, Hill attended The New School, Bard College, and the University of Colorado Boulder, but did not complete a degree. During his college years, Hill began writing his own plays and performing them at the Black and White bar in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. His plays developed a small following and helped him realize his desire to act in films.
Path to Acting
Hill wanted to be a writer from a young age and dreamed of joining the writing teams of The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, and The Larry Sanders Show. He befriended Dustin Hoffman’s children, Rebecca and Jake, who introduced him to their father. Hoffman asked him to audition for a role in I Heart Huckabees, where Hill made his film debut. At one point, Hill was writing a screenplay with close friend and I Heart Huckabees co-star Jason Schwartzman.
Hill then made a brief appearance in Judd Apatow’s directorial debut, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which led to his role as a virgin video game tester in the comedy Grandma’s Boy and roles in Accepted and Click, where he played Adam Sandler’s character’s son. He had a larger supporting role in the Apatow-directed Knocked Up. On television, he played the RA Guy on the first season of the Oxygen Network sitcom Campus Ladies and guest-starred in an episode of Clark and Michael.
Hill’s first leading role was in the Apatow-produced comedy Superbad, where he appeared with Michael Cera in roles based on the teen years of the film’s writers, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Superbad is often cited as the film that launched Hill’s and Cera’s careers. He followed it with an uncredited role as Dewey Cox’s brother Nate in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story in December 2007 and hosted Saturday Night Live on March 15, 2008.
Jonah Hill Career
Early Career (2003-2010)
After his breakthrough with Superbad, Hill starred in Judd Apatow’s third directorial feature, Funny People in 2009, which also starred Adam Sandler, Eric Bana, and Seth Rogen. He played Cooker in Fred Wolf’s Strange Wilderness and served as an associate producer of the 2009 Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary Brüno. Hill guest-starred in The Simpsons episode Pranks and Greens, portraying an immature man named Andy Hamilton, and had an uncredited role in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian as a security guard.
In 2010, Hill co-starred in Get Him to the Greek with Russell Brand and started seeking more work in independent film. He turned down a role as one of the three principals in The Hangover to work with directors Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass in Cyrus. Hill also created the Fox animated series Allen Gregory with Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul in 2011, though it received negative reviews and was canceled in January 2012.
Breakthrough (2011-2014)
In 2011, Hill starred in Bennett Miller’s feature film Moneyball alongside Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film garnered favorable reviews, with critics noting Hill’s performance as a departure from his usual comedy roles. He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture and received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the role in late January 2012.
In 2012, Hill co-starred with Channing Tatum in the film 21 Jump Street, which received an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He co-wrote the treatment for the film with screenwriter Michael Bacall. Later that year, Hill starred in The Watch with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. He was able to join the cast of Django Unchained in a minor role, which was released in 2012. Hill was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2012.
In 2013, Hill appeared in This Is the End as himself and in the biographical film The Wolf of Wall Street. He received his second Academy Award nomination for his work on the latter. In an interview, Hill stated he had accepted SAG’s minimum wage of $60,000 for The Wolf of Wall Street. In 2014, he voiced the Green Lantern in The Lego Movie and reprised his role as Morton Schmidt in 22 Jump Street.
Notable Works and Milestones
Hill’s notable works include Superbad, Moneyball, The Wolf of Wall Street, 21 Jump Street, and 22 Jump Street. His performance in Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He has also voiced characters in animated films including Horton Hears a Who!, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Megamind, The Lego Movie franchise, and Sausage Party. As a screenwriter, Hill contributed to the stories of 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Sausage Party, Why Him?, and You People.
Jonah Hill Award Nominations
Jonah Hill has received significant recognition throughout his career, including nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. His first Academy Award nomination came in 2012 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Moneyball. He received his second Academy Award nomination in 2014 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. These nominations marked his transition from primarily comedic roles to more dramatic performances.
Jonah Hill Awards Won
While specific award wins are not verified in the available information, Jonah Hill’s career has been marked by critical acclaim and industry recognition. His performances in Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street established him as a versatile actor capable of both comedy and drama. Beyond acting, Hill has made his mark as a writer and director, making his directorial debut with Mid90s in 2018 and directing the documentary Stutz in 2022.
Jonah Hill Family
Jonah Hill comes from a creative family background. His father, Richard Feldstein, worked as a tour accountant for Guns N’ Roses, while his mother, Sharon Lyn Chalkin, is a costume designer and fashion stylist. Hill has a younger sister, actress Beanie Feldstein, born in 1993, who has appeared in films such as Lady Bird and Booksmart. His older brother, Jordan Feldstein, was a music manager for Robin Thicke and Maroon 5 until his death in 2017 at age 40 from a pulmonary embolism. The family originally comes from Long Island, New York, and Hill was raised in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Personal Life
Jonah Hill has been open about his health and wellness journey. In July 2011, he appeared at the ESPN ESPY Awards having lost a significant amount of weight, explaining that he consulted with a trainer and nutritionist and changed his diet to mainly sushi. Hill trains in Brazilian jiu jitsu and has described it as humbling. He has credited transcendental meditation and surfing with improving his ability to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. In October 2019, Hill was engaged to Gianna Santos, but the engagement ended in October 2020. Hill legally dropped Feldstein from his name in 2023. People reported in 2023 that he welcomed his first child with girlfriend Olivia Millar.
