Biography
Born in Israel of South African parents, Jonathan came to the Rainbow nation at age 2 when the colours were still not allowed on the same flag. Educated at Northview High School and then Johannesburg College of Education, he was supposed to be a teacher but the performing bug had already hit hard. While still a teenager, he had tasted success with The Jugless Jug Band and when he was offered a role in the original touring production of Joseph, he jumped at it. Early musicals included Grease, The Me Nobody Knows, while in later years he appeared in such blockbusters as March of the Falsettoes(Vita nomination, Best Supporting Actor), Joburg Follies, Buddy and toured South Africa and the Far East with Phantom of the Opera, for which he was again nominated for a Naledi award as Best Supporting Actor.
Recent Productions: Equus, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Love Letters, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, Saturday Night Fever, Beauty and The Beast, The Buddy Holly Story, and as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance.
In between acting jobs, he regularly did 3-month stints as resident guitar-entertainer in various hotels, pubs and restaurants around the, singing and playing 4 hours a night, 6 nights a week to anyone who would listen.
He spent a number of years travelling the cities and dorps of South Africa doing schools theatre during the daytime and legit theatre at night, in productions such a Don't Just Lie There Say Something, Canterbury Tales, My Fat Friend and The Fool in Shakespeare.
TV roles followed, including a lead in The Best of Mates, and supporting roles in many productions, including Justice For All, Backstage, Generations, You Be The Judge to name but a few. Most recently he has been seen in Isidingo, 7de Laan, 4-play/Sex Tips for Girls , Rhythm City, Madiba and Bedford Wives.
Features include Little One, The Little Kings, Safari, The Emissary, District 9, A Million Colours, ,Table Manners, Blessers and Winnie Mandela in which he played opposite Jennifer Hudson.
In the good old days of Springbok Radio, he appeared in many dramas and wrote the popular series Squad Cars until the station closed in 1985.
His voice is heard regularly on TV and Radio commercials.
His fledgling company, Really Genuine Productions has produced AR Gurney's Love Letters, and Ian Fraser's Dogs of the Blue Gods, both directed by Jonathan Taylor, at the National Festival of the Arts, Grahamstown.
He is a former Premier-League cricket umpire, and has advanced motoring skills acquired at the BMW Driver Training Academy at Kyalami. Other interests include photography, graphology and horse-riding, not necessarily at the same time.
Would like to be a racing driver when he grows up.
