Biography
Jonathan Raines was born on September 12, 1990 in Easley, South Carolina. There were several life-changing events that happened throughout his childhood that pushed him towards a creative outlet; this manifested itself properly while he attended Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina from 2009-2014, where he double majored in Theatre and Theology, eventually graduating magna cum laude. While attending, he made several connections with aspiring filmmakers from nearby Greenville, who invited him to participate in original productions that they had been developing. These partnerships went on to form Electric Soul Productions, a film and commercial production company based out of Greenville, South Carolina and led by Jonathan's college roommate Micah Taylor. Jonathan's first starring role came with Soul's Shelter County (2015), a modern noir short film depicting the (potentially) sinister goings-on of the titular province. "Shelter County" was awarded Best South Carolina Short Film at the Reedy Reels Film Festival in 2015, as well as winning The Online Film Festival and The Monthly Film Festival, and being featured in many others across the country. Shortly after, production began on UnSuper (2016), a webshow that parodies superhero cinema, as it prominently depicts the lives of those affected by the superheroes' shenanigans (Jonathan portrays their psychologist Dr. Mann, natch). "UnSuper" was also featured in many film festivals, and was then made eligible for streaming on Amazon Video, where it holds the distinction of becoming the highest-viewed webshow out of South Carolina. Additional credits include The Traveler in 9/8 Central's "The Password" (also a recipient of Best South Carolina Short Film at Reedy Reels) and Marc in House Lights (2017) (which screened in competition at Reedy Reels and many other festivals). Jonathan is set to reprise his role as Dr. Barry Mann in season 2 of "UnSuper" as the project enters pre-production this summer.
Jonathan is a huge fan of horror films and credits "Scream," "The Shining," and "Halloween" as being among his personal favorites. He also enjoys a great cult film, including "Troll 2," "Killer Klowns from Outer Space," and "Drop Dead Gorgeous." He is proficient in dance, especially modern and jazz; he has assistant choreographed several productions at his alma mater, as well as producing and directing other shows. Main stage credits include "The Corn is Green," "Mother Courage and Her Children," and the musical "Barnum." Jonathan has taken several classes and extensive workshops in acting theories and practices, including Stanislavski, Hagen, Chekhov, and Adler. He is also an avid yoga enthusiast, and enjoys biking and running.
