On the Legends and Masters podcast, Jon recounted how he stumbled upon his first role. He was cast as Horace in Will Penny as an 11 year-old, and rubbed elbows with Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, Lee Majors and Donald Pleasence during the making of the film. Early Careerīecause of his family’s connection and some luck, Gries did not necessarily need a lucky break in order to enter the acting world.īefore he even became a teenager, the boy had a chance to work with some of Hollywood’s most storied talent. Thomas Stephen Gries was Jon’s father, and had a successful career behind the camera as a director and producer. Mary Munday was Gries’ mother, who was known for appearing in The Twilight Zone, True Confessions and Ghost Dad, among other movies and TV shows.
There wasn’t much doubt as to what young Jon might end up doing when he got older.īoth of his parents were entrenched in the film industry, and it turned out the apple did not fall far from the tree. Jonathan Francis Gries was born on Jin Glendale, California. Having first appeared on TV as a ten year-old, and still continuing to produce quality work at age 65, he has built a career that is underrated by many but deserves a ton of acknowledgement. Veteran entertainer Jon Gries certainly fits into that category. There are some actors with Hollywood resumes that are a mile and a half long.
