Jonathan Francis "Jon" Gries was born on June 17, 1957 in Glendale, California. He is an American actor, writer and director.

He is known for his role in the movie Napoleon Dynamite and in the 1985 comedy film Real Genius.

He also has appeared in TV series, such as "24" (2002), Broots and The Pretender. Gries has made several television appearances in small roles including Seinfeld episode "The Beard" and in the 2007 Lost episode "The Man Behind the Curtain".

He also has appeared in movies, including September Dawn (2006), Stick It (2006), The Astronaut Farmer (2006) and The Astronaut Farmer (2006).

Filmography

• Thicker (2009)
• Crazy on the Outside (2009)
• Manure (2008)
• Good Intentions (2008)
• Confessions of an Action Star (2008)
• Around June (2008)
• Elsewhere (2008)
• Bar Starz (2008)
• Taken (2008)
• The Comebacks (2007)
• Fathom (2007)
• "Lost" (1 episode, 2007)
• Bicentennial Curious (2007)
• American Pastime (2007)
• Frank (2007)
• Car Babes (2006)
• The Astronaut Farmer (2006)
• Stick It (2006)
• September Dawn (2006)
• The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang (2006)
• South of Heaven (2006)
• Last Best Chance (2005) (V)
• Waterborne (2005)
• Sledge: The Untold Story (2005)
• "Carnivàle" (2 episodes, 2003-2005)
• "Las Vegas" (1 episode, 2004)
• Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
• The Rundown (2003)
• The Snow Walker (2003)
• The Big Empty (2003)
• Northfork (2003)
• "24" (1 episode, 2002)
• The Pretender: Island of the Haunted (2001) (TV)
• Jackpot (2001)
• "ER" (1 episode, 2001)
• The Pretender 2001 (2001) (TV)
• "The Pretender" (67 episodes, 1996-2000)
• The Beat Nicks (2000)
• Twin Falls Idaho (1999)
• "Seinfeld" (2 episodes, 1995-1998)
• Men in Black (1997)
• Casualties (1997)
• Mitzi & Joe (1997)
• The Maze (1997)
• Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah (1996) (TV)
• Get Shorty (1995)
• "Strange Luck" (1 episode, 1995)
• "Chicago Hope" (1 episode, 1995)
• "Beverly Hills, 90210" (4 episodes, 1994)
• "The X Files" (1 episode, 1994)
• "Martin" (6 episodes, 1992-1994)
• "Bakersfield P.D." (1 episode, 1993)
• Ed and His Dead Mother (1993)
• Four Eyes and Six-Guns (1992) (TV)
• Fever (1991) (TV)
• "Quantum Leap" (2 episodes, 1989-1991)
• The Grifters (1990)
• Rainbow Drive (1990) (TV)
• "Tour of Duty" (1 episode, 1990)
• "Jake and the Fatman" (1 episode, 1990)
• "Falcon Crest" (1 episode, 1990)
• Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog (1990)
• Kill Me Again (1989)
• "Paradise" (1 episode, 1989)
• Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
• "Cagney & Lacey" (1 episode, 1987)
• The Monster Squad (1987)
• "The Twilight Zone" (1 episode, 1987)
• Number One with a Bullet (1987)
• Running Scared (1986)
• TerrorVision (1986)
• Real Genius (1985)
• "The Jeffersons" (1 episode, 1983)
• High School U.S.A. (1983) (TV)
• September Gun (1983) (TV)
• Joysticks (1983)
• "The Powers of Matthew Star" (1 episode, 1982)
• "The White Shadow" (1 episode, 1980)
• "240-Robert" (1 episode, 1979)
• Swap Meet (1979)
• More American Graffiti (1979)
• Sunnyside (1979)
• The Chicken Chronicles (1977)
• Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) (TV)
• Helter Skelter (1976) (TV)
• Born of Water (1976)
• Will Penny (1968)