Jonah Hill is now one of the most recognized actors in Hollywood. He has starred in multiple acclaimed films and has worked with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Adam McKay, and Quentin Tarantino. The actor has also been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice.
Hill, however, started his career as a comedic actor, making his breakthrough with Michael Cera in Superbad and featuring in many Judd Apatow films. He recalled how he reacted when he was invited to feature in the iconic The Simpsons, a show which the actor reportedly dreamt of being a part of as a kid.
Jonah Hill’s Stint In Comedy
Despite being nominated for an Academy Award, which has a tendency to choose dramatic performances, Jonah Hill’s performance as Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most hilarious aspects of the film. Hill, with his pearly whites, is an iconic character who acts as the right-hand man of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort in Martin Scorsese’s dark comedy.
However, the film was not Jonah Hill’s first stab at comedy. The actor started his career in David O. Russell’s I Heart Huckabees and became a staple in the comedies directed by Judd Apatow such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, and The 40-Year Old Virgin. He also appeared in a cameo in Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Hill gained national recognition for his role as Seth in the teen-comedy Superbad. The film propelled him and co-star Michael Cera to stardom. The actor spoke about the experience of becoming famous overnight, in an interview with The Guardian,
“My life changed in a day. I remember the day before the movie came out, Michael Cera and I walked around my neighborhood and nobody recognized us. One day later, we had to run to my apartment to escape the attention. There’s a kinship and a bond between us that’s pretty unique because we went through the exact same thing at the exact same time.”
The actor also starred in the hilarious 21 Jump Street franchise with Channing Tatum. Jonah Hill has only recently turned to dramatic roles and has even directed his first film Mid90s.
Jonah Hill Was Invited To Feature In The Simpsons
Apart from films, Jonah Hill has also made small appearances on series and shows. Starting off on sketch comedy shows such as Human Giant, Clark and Michael, and Wainy Days, Hill appeared in a bunch of internet-based shows. He also hosted Saturday Night Live.
Hill mentioned in the interview with The Guardian how he had his childhood dream come true when he was called to be in an episode of the adult-animated show The Simpsons. He mentioned that he cried upon getting the invite as he had dreamt of being a writer on the iconic show when he was eight years old. He said,
“I cried when they asked me. I called my mom and we both started tearing up. She knew what it meant to me. A whole generation was raised to learn about comedy from The Simpsons. To get to be in a booth with Homer and Marge and be in Springfield – it was unimaginable the emotions that I felt.”
Jonah Hill was featured as a voice actor in the 21st season of The Simpsons in the episode ‘Pranks and Greens’. He played the role of Andy, a prankster.
Source: The Guardian
