Five Facts about Funny Man Jonah Hill That you Never Knew
Jonah Hill is one of Hollywood’s most talked about comedic actors. The Award winning star has been making audiences laugh for 10 years. Hill made his on-screen debut with a supporting role in 2004’s I Heart Huckabees. Hill credit’s Dustin Hoffman’s children, his long-time friends, with helping him land the part. Hill got his first major role in the 2007 film Superbad, in which he played of Seth, a young man who, along with his friend Evan (Michael Cera) set out to meet girls. Fans quickly fell in love with Hill and his role as the funny on-screen sidekick who always took things just a little too far. Hill was nominated for three awards for his role in Superbad, including two MTV Music Awards. In the years since Superbad’s release, Hill has gone on to star in several other comedic film roles. However, even though most of his characters are known for adding a funny flair every time they appear on-screen, Hill’s career definitely isn’t something to laugh at.
Most recently, Hill’s role in Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Although Hill didn’t take home the award, the role helped show viewers that Hill’s acting abilities extended far beyond a few jokes. Although he will probably always be best known for making viewers laugh; here are five seriously interesting facts about Jonah Hill.
5. Jonah Hill’s brother manages pop band, Maroon 5.
Jonah Hill’s older (and only) brother, Jordan Feldstein, is no stranger to the entertainment industry. He currently works as the manager for the Grammy Award winning music group, Maroon 5. However, unlike his famously funny brother, Jordan Feldstein has had quite a few incidents with other celebrities including disputes with singer Sara Bereilles and TV personality, Sharon Osbourne.
4. Jonah Hill had dreams of being a hip-hop producer.
In an interview with prestigious hip-hop publication, Vibe Magazine, Hill shared that he once considered himself a “hardcore hip-hop head” with dreams of becoming a famous producer. Hill told Vibe that he used to “make beats all day,” and he also stated: “I wanted to be more of a hip-hop producer. DJ Premier and Prince Paul were my heroes. Those were the guys that I was obsessed with. I had a MPC. I would go to Fat Beats [legendary downtown record store in New York] every weekend, take the bus, and buy vinyl and just try to sample all the great drum records.” Although Hill’s career ultimately took a different path, he has stayed close to music. Earlier this year reports broke that Hill and his Wolf of Wallstreet co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, planned to team up with legendary hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest. Hill cites his favorite hip-hop producers as DJ Premier and Prince Paul.
3. Jonah Hill turned down a role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The 2009 film, Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen, was the highest grossing film of the year, and one of the top 50 highest grossing films of all-time. Hill, who could have had a part in the film, turned down the role of Shia LaBeouf’s sidekick. The rumor is that after reading the script and decided that he didn’t like it, Hill simply walked out. However, during an interview, Hill explained his reason for not taking the role, stating: “I just think like I have to prove myself more in what I’m doing now, making comedies and stuff before I do the big action movie… I’m not proven yet… I’ve only been in one movie that people have seen that I’ve been the lead in so like, um, I could still suck in people’s minds, they don’t know yet!…It was very cool of them but I thought I should make some more comedies first, you know?” Fortunately for Hill, opting out of the role hasn’t appeared to hurt his career one bit.
2. Jonah Hill really hates birds.
Jonah Hill has admitted that he has a strong fear of all wild animals, especially birds. During an interview he shared: “It’s not like I don’t like (animals), I think they don’t like me… One time I was in New York… and I was coming home late at night and a pack of rats chased me down the street… They formed a V and were running after me and I ran down the street as fast as I could. Then I’m scared of birds… and when I was about 20 I had my first serious girlfriend and I was all excited and I had lunch for her brother’s high school graduation and we’re all sitting there on the beach. They’re all, like, tough, alpha male dudes, and… I see a bird flying at me and I scream and fall out my chair. I never recovered from that. I never won their respect back. And then a bird attacked me during (filming on) 22 Jump Street; it’s in the movie. These things have it out for me.”
1. Jonah Hill has a tattoo in honor of his grandmother.
Although Hill practices the Jewish faith, which forbids tattoos, he has chosen to get some ink in honor of his grandmother. Hill’s tattoo, a heart which reads “NANNY RULES” on the inside, is on his forearm and represents the close relationship he shares with his grandmother. Hills grandmother follows his career closely and has told him that she wasn’t a fan of the role he played in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street.
(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
