Jonah Hill has become one of the most globally recognized actors due to his presence in films like The Wolf of Wall Street, War Dogs, and Don’t Look Up. The actor has worked with acclaimed directors such as Martin Scorsese, Adam McKay, Gus Van Sant, and Todd Philips. He has been nominated for the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes twice.
However, the actor was not always known for his dramatic roles. In fact, he has made quite a few appearances in comedies such as Superbad, Knocked Up, This is the End, and more. One comment from one of the biggest stars in the world seems to have changed the tide for the actor.
The Career Trajectory Of Jonah Hill
Before starring in the hilarious 21 Jump Street series, Jonah Hill started out on stage, writing and performing his own plays. He was introduced to actor Dustin Hoffman, who helped him get his cinematic debut in the film I Heart Huckabees. He had a minor role in the David O Russell directorial.
Hill then later appeared in a string of comedies directed by Judd Apatow such as Knocked Up, The 40-year Old Virgin, and Funny People. His breakthrough role came with the teen comedy Superbad in which he co-starred with Micheal Cera and Emma Stone. The film, which was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, launched the careers of both Hill and Cera.
After starring in independent films, the actor finally transitioned to dramatic territory with the Brad Pitt starrer Moneyball. Written by Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Hill starred as the assistant manager Peter Brand of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. The film earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The actor has since appeared in many films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, which was directed by Martin Scorsese and earned the actor a second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He returned to his comedic roots with the 21 Jumo Street duology where he starred with Channing Tatum. He also turned director with the independent film Mid90s.
How Did Brad Pitt Influence Jonah Hill’s Career Shift?
It seems like one comment from his co-star Brad Pitt affected Jonah Hill so much that he decided to change the way he was perceived. While prompting Moneyball, Pitt, and Hill interviewed each other. While answering questions from fans, Pitt was asked which co-star would choose to adopt some personality traits from. While Hill jokingly tries to lead Pitt into choosing him, Pitt says, “No, I gotta go with a serious actor”. Hill seemed affected by the statement as he looked dumbfounded after the comment.
Since then, Hill has been trying to give this image a makeover. In an interview during the promotions for This Is The End, the actor refused to answer questions about his workout routine, saying,
“I’m not answering that dumb question! I’m not that kind of person! Being in a funny movie doesn’t make me have to answer dumb questions. It has nothing to do with who I am.”
The actor went on to say how he has transitioned from being a comedic actor to a dramatic actor. He said,
“I’ve done one of the biggest challenges you can do in Hollywood, which is transition from being a comedic actor to being a serious actor, and I’m really prideful of that. I could have made a billion dollars doing every big comedy of the last 10 years and didn’t, in order to form a whole other life for myself. Now I have fulfillment doing both.”
While Brad Pitt has since stated that he had a blast on set with Jonah Hill, the latter seems to have taken the comment seriously and has worked hard on giving himself an image makeover.
Source: Moviefone
