Jon Cryer

Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, writer, producer, and television director.

Cryer attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center for several summers as a teenager, and is a 1983 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science.

He was classmates with screenwriter and film director Boaz Yakin.

To his mother's "great disappointment," he skipped college and went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, for a summer short course in Shakespeare.

Cryer's first professional acting effort was as David in the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy, replacing Matthew Broderick, whom he "closely resembled."

He reprised the role in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Born into a show business family, he made his motion picture debut as a teenage photographer in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair; his breakout role came in 1986 as Duckie in the John Hughes-written film Pretty in Pink.

He was later a standby and replacement for Broderick as Eugene Jerome in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs in 1984.

At age 19, Cryer appeared in the 1984 romantic comedy film No Small Affair, in the lead role as Charles Cummings, after the original production with Matthew Broderick was shut down when director Martin Ritt suffered a heart attack.

He went on to appear in small roles in films and television films.

Cryer made his film breakthrough as Philip F. "Duckie" Dale in the John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink.

In an interview with the Daily News, Cryer's mother Gretchen said that after Pretty in Pink, she started getting calls from teenage girls from all over the world, who would leave hysterical, giggling messages on her answering machine.

Cryer's other film appearances include Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Hiding Out (1987), Hot Shots! (1991), Holy Man (1998), Tortured (2008), Shorts (2009), and Hit by Lightning (2014).

He also has appeared in the recurring role of the Earth-38 Lex Luthor in the CW series Supergirl, Arrow, and Batwoman.

After appearing on the podcast Crime Writers On... it was announced that he would join the Undisclosed podcast for their second season.

Cryer was born in New York City.

His mother, Gretchen Cryer (née Kiger), is a playwright, songwriter, actress and singer.

His father, Donald David Cryer, is an actor and singer who originally studied to be a minister.

His paternal grandfather, the Rev. Donald W. Cryer, was a prominent Methodist minister.

He has two sisters, Robin and Shelly.

When Cryer was twelve years old, he decided he wanted to become an actor.

When his mother heard this, she thought he should have a backup plan, and joked, "Plumbing is a pretty good career."

Cryer then starred in the 1987 film Hiding Out as a stockbroker on the run from a Mafia hit man.

His mother Gretchen played his aunt.

The film broke even, but Cryer's performance as a character who was much older than him was critically acclaimed.

In 1989, he got the lead role in the TV comedy series The Famous Teddy Z.

His performance gained poor reviews and the show was canceled after the first season.

In 1990 Cryer appeared as Sandy in an Off-Broadway adaptation of Carnal Knowledge.

That same year he appeared alongside future Two and a Half Men costar Charlie Sheen in the Jim Abrahams comedy Hot Shots!, which was received very positively.

Cryer is frequently linked to the Brat Pack.

In 1993, he was asked to audition for the role of Chandler Bing on Friends, while doing a play in London.

His reading was videotaped by a British casting agent but the tape failed to arrive in the U.S. before the network had made its final decision.

In 1995, Cryer was cast as Bob in the sitcom Partners, which, like his prior show The Famous Teddy Z, was canceled after its first season.

In an interview with Time Out New York he stated, "Hey, every show I'm in goes down. Think about this: George Clooney was in 28 pilots, or something. It means nothing."

After guest starring on shows such as Dharma & Greg and The Outer Limits, he wrote, produced and co-starred in the film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five.

In 1998, he wrote and produced the independent film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five.

Although he gained fame with his early film roles, it took several years to find success on television as none of his star vehicles, including The Famous Teddy Z, Partners, and The Trouble with Normal, lasted more than 22 episodes.

In 2003, he was cast in a co-leading role as Alan Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which became a major hit for twelve seasons, and for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards (in 2009 and 2012).

In a March 2009 interview on Anytime with Bob Kushell, Cryer stated that he had auditioned for St. Elmo's Fire but was not cast in a role.

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 2011.