J.K. Simmons' Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Closer Asst. Polic… Oz Vernon 'Ver… The Legend of Korra Tenzin Ultimate Spider-man J. Jonah Ja… The Family Tools Tony Shea Generator Rex White Knight Desert Car Kings Narrator - … The Family Guide Mel Fisher The D.A. Dep. Dist. … Timeless Narrator (2)

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 2010 - Megamind 2010 - Crazy on the Outside 2009 - Jennifer's Body 2009 - New In Town 2009 - Aliens in the Attic 2009 - Post Grad 2009 - Red Sands 2009 - The Vicious Kind 2009 - The Way of War 2009 - I Love You, Man 2009 - Up in the Air 2009 - Extract 2008 - Burn After Reading 2007 - Spider-Man 3 2007 - Rendition 2007 - Postal 2007 - Juno 2006 - Harsh Times 2006 - The Astronaut Farmer 2005 - Thank You for Smoking 2004 - The Ladykillers 2004 - Hidalgo 2004 - Spider-Man 2 2003 - Off the Map 2002 - Spider-Man 2001 - The Mexican 2000 - Beautiful Joe 2000 - Autumn in New York 2000 - The Gift 1999 - The Cider House Rules 1999 - For Love of the Game 1998 - Celebrity 1997 - The Jackal 1997 - Anastasia 1996 - The First Wives Club 1996 - Extreme Measures 1994 - The Ref 1994 - The Scout

BIOGRAPHY:

Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Dr. Emil Skoda in Law & Order (and in other U.S. series of the that franchise), neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, and J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man film series.

Personal life
Simmons was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Patricia (née Kimble), an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, a college professor. He has a brother, David (a singer-songwriter), and a sister, Elizabeth. He attended the University of Montana[3] and was a member of the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Career
Musical theatre
Prior to his film & television career, Simmons was a Broadway actor and singer. He was in the revival of Guys and Dolls as Benny Southstreet. He also played the role of Jigger in a revival of Carousel at the Houston Grand Opera.

Notable film and television roles
Simmons is known for his TV roles as Dr. Emil Skoda, a police psychiatrist, who has appeared on three of the four incarnations of Law & Order and New York Undercover, and as the sadistic inmate Vernon Schillinger on the prison drama Oz. He also stars as Ralph Earnhardt, the father of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt, in 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story. He played B.R. in the film Thank You For Smoking and has been praised for his performance in Juno as "Mac" McGuff, the title character's father. Currently, he plays Will Pope, Assistant Chief of the LAPD, in The Closer.

He also played J. Jonah Jameson in all three Spider-Man movies and the expanded video game adaption of Spider-Man 3. Simmons provided his voice for two newspaper editors in two episodes of the eighteenth season of The Simpsons. The characters are never named, but are obviously meant to emulate the character of Jameson (one, bearing Jameson's appearance, even demands "pictures of Spider-Man", then on being reminded he works at a poetry journal, demands "poems about Spider-Man").

Simmons also provides the voice of the yellow M&M in the product's commercials, as well as the 3-D movie "I Lost My M in Vegas" playing at M&M's World in Las Vegas, NV. He has also done voiceover work for Norelco razors. He also provided the voice of General Wade Eiling in Justice League Unlimited. He recorded an audio book for Tom Clancy's Net Force Point of Impact. Like many of his Law & Order co-stars, he also appeared in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street, portraying a criminal in an episode that crossed over with Law & Order before Simmons joined the cast as Skoda. He also played a small role as an army general in the television sitcom Arrested Development, alongside his Juno co-stars, Michael Cera and Jason Bateman. As well, he played Dan the Barber in the surreal Nickelodeon kid's show The Adventures of Pete & Pete in 1995.

He has recently appeared in the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as the anti-communist U. S. President Howard T. Ackerman.

Simmons appears also in Postal as Candidate Wells.

Simmons is quickly becoming known for starring in movies that are produced or directed by his friend Jason Reitman, including Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air and Jennifer's Body, written by Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody.


TRIVIA:

• Graduate of the University of Montana. Received an Achievement Award for the UofM in April 2002. Studied to become a composer before getting to musicals and acting.
• Wore a wig to play J. Jameson in the Spiderman films.
• Voiceover work for Norelco razors.
• Is the voice of the yellow M&M on the commercials.
• Met his wife, 'Michelle Schumacher' (qv), during a tour of "Peter Pan".
• Before playing police psychiatrist "Dr. Emil Skoda" on _"Law & Order" (1990)_ (qv), he played a fanatical nut-case suspect on a crossover episode of _"Law & Order" (1990)_ (qv) and _"Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993)_ (qv). He is among the few recurring members to have a guest spot as one character on a "Law & Order" series before going on to play a different character in the L&O universe (others include 'S. Epatha Merkerson' (qv) and 'Jerry Orbach' (qv)). 'Ice-T' (qv) played a criminal who met a "striking" fate in _Exiled (1998) (TV)_ (qv) before going on to star as Det. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola in _"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999)_ (qv).
• Attended The Ohio State University while living in Worthington, Ohio. Still remains a huge Ohio State sports fan today.
• Played the manager of his hometown pro baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, in _For Love of the Game (1999)_ (qv).