Since being honored with the Golden Globe Award in 2005 for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for “Arrested Development,” Jason Bateman, a former child actor who made the successful transition that few are able to accomplish, is back on top, conquering both film and television.
While Bateman’s starring role in the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning FOX comedy series brought a newfound appreciation with the public, it also caught the attention of the motion picture industry. Last year he starred alongside Will Smith and Charlize Theron in the blockbuster “Hancock” and can be seen next in the political thriller “State of Play,” based on the BBC miniseries, with Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. He recently completed filming “Couples Retreat” with Vince Vaughn and has also finished filming a supporting role in the Ricky Gervais comedy “This Side of the Truth.”
Up next is the Mike Judge-directed comedy “Extract,” in which Bateman stars as a flower-extract shop owner who endures many professional and personal problems. He is also producing and starring in a film, “The Remarkable Fellows,” based on his own original idea for writer/director Joe Carnahan. The action comedy, going into production in early 2009, follows two elite “revenge specialists” who are hired by the world’s most powerful and wealthy people to exact revenge on those who have wronged them.
Bateman began 2008 with Fox Searchlight’s “Juno,” arguably one of the biggest success stories of independent filmmaking. The coming-of-age story, directed by Jason Reitman, was nominated for Best Film by most major film critics’ groups, as well as by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In a supporting role, Bateman plays an emotionally stunted husband who together with his wife (Jennifer Garner) are interested in adopting a pregnant teenager’s (Ellen Page) unwanted baby.
In 2007, Bateman co-starred opposite Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner in the Peter Berg-directed drama “The Kingdom,” a poignant story taking place in war-torn Iraq. That year, he also starred in the family fantasy comedy “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” for director Zach Helm.
Other film credits include the comedy “The Ex” with Zach Braff and Amanda Peet; “The Break-Up”; “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” opposite Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller; “Starsky & Hutch” opposite Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn; the 2002 romantic comedy “The Sweetest Thing,” for which he garnered favorable reviews for his comedic timing in the role of “Roger.”
Bateman began his career on television. After impressing network executives with his portrayal of the charmingly scheming “Derek Taylor” on “Silver Spoons,” they created the spin-off “It’s Your Move,” based on his popularity. He then starred with Valerie Harper on the lauded “Valerie”/”Valerie’s Family”/”The Hogan Family” comedy series from 1986-1991. His other television credits include “Simon,” “Chicago Sons,” “George and Leo,” “Love Stinks” and “Some of My Best Friends.”
Bateman and his company, F+A Productions, recently signed a first-look production deal to develop, direct and write original content for 20th Century Fox Television.
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