Jon Bass

From Broadway Sweat to the Malibu Sands

Jon Bass was born in Texas, but his career truly took off on the stages of New York. Before stepping onto a professional film set, he spent years honing his comedic timing in college theater and small rehearsal venues.

The stage was his true school.

In 2011, he landed the role of Elder Cunningham in the hit musical The Book of Mormon. Stepping in for a Broadway veteran was a technical challenge that many would have turned down out of pure stage fright. But Bass held his own for months and got the industry to notice his talent for physical comedy.

His big break into mainstream film came in 2017 with the release of Baywatch. He played Ronnie, the character who brought a note of vulnerability next to the sculpted bodies of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

The film grossed $177 million at box offices worldwide. Although critics were especially harsh on the movie, Bass's performance caught the attention of casting directors looking for faces capable of handling sarcasm and self-deprecation.

And the gamble paid off.

Because in Hollywood, it's hard to find someone who is comfortable being the target of every cruel joke. In 2019, he joined the cast of the series Miracle Workers alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi. This anthology production allowed him to switch registers each season, going from a medieval peasant to a Wild West outlaw in later years.

Internet Villains and New Formats

His entry into the superhero universe came in 2022 through the series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He played Todd Phelps, a millionaire with toxic traits who represented the worst face of internet forums.

It was a risky move in his career. Audiences responded with a mix of hatred and fascination toward a character deliberately designed to be detestable.

During 2024, he appeared in the series Bad Monkey for Apple TV+. In this project, he shared scenes with Vince Vaughn within a criminal plot set in the landscapes of Florida. Filming took place mainly on exterior locations in Miami and the Keys to achieve a realistic look.

Bass keeps a private life away from the usual circuit of Los Angeles gossip media. He prefers to focus on screenwriting and independent production when he has no commitments in front of the camera.

In 2025, his work schedule included developing several dark comedy projects seeking funding in the independent market. The actor still lives in the United States and maintains a constant involvement with the actors' union to protect the rights of supporting performers.

The production of Bad Monkey had an estimated budget of $50 million for its first season.