Biography
Jonathan Verd was born in Chehalis, Washington on March 28th and grew up in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Growing up he took to roller skating at the age of ten which became his introduction to the performing arts. The same year he began figure skating he qualified for his first National Championships and competed at the National Championships for five years consecutively. Verd received a Presidential Sports Award in roller skating from President Ronald Reagan.
Verd was educated at Napavine High School and graduated as salutatorian of his class. He attended Centralia College on scholarship earning an Associate in Arts degree in Dramatic Arts. Shortly after, he joined the American Northwest Repertory Theatre (ANRT) for two regional and international tours with productions in Gdansk and Krakow, Poland and Mazatlan, Mexico. Verd's staged performances have included roles in Our Town, Scapino, The Grapes of Wrath, Godspell, The Dining Room, The Water Engine, Damn Yankees, A Thurber Carnival, R.U.R., Grease, Paint Your Wagon, Show Boat and Lend Me A Tenor.
In 1995, Verd moved to Seattle, Washington to work for an airline. Soon after, Jonathan became a dancer for Ichiban Records recording artist Tia with hit songs "Slip N' Slide" and "As I Watch U Dance." Verd performed in tours with Tia in Washington, California, Louisiana and Tennessee. He also appeared in Tia's music videos for "Slip N' Slide" and "Cars" as well as a black-and-white documentary style video profiling Tia and her dancers.
Verd attended the University of Washington on scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2001. He majored in Photographic Arts with an emphasis in theater and dance. He also participated in a Studio Arts study abroad program at the University of Washington Rome Center in Rome, Italy in 1999-2000.
Verd has worked with several prominent employers. He has also worked as an apprentice to the Fine Art Photographer Jock Sturges. Verd's most notable contribution was printing the images for "Jock Sturges: New Work 1996-2000" for publication with Scalo. Jonathan continues to lead a creative life through acting, writing, dancing and other fine arts. Recent and current t.v. and film projects include Treading Yesterday, SuperComplex, Fire Inside, The Talk, Hunt, The Hallow One and Big Silver Nights.
Jonathan Verd lives by the banner of the Finnish word "Sisu."
