J.K. Simmons has appeared in a diverse range of projects spanning from motion pictures, television and the stage on and off-Broadway. He won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of merciless jazz instructor Fletcher in Sony Pictures Classics' Whiplash. His performance in the film also garnered him a Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and BAFTA Award, as well as many critics' group awards around the world. Whiplash premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and won the Dramatic Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for Best Film. The film also garnered five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
In 2021, Simmons will star alongside Chris Pratt in the sci-fi thriller The Tomorrow War. Simmons was most recently seen starring in Hul
J.K. Simmons has appeared in a diverse range of projects spanning from motion pictures, television and the stage on and off-Broadway. He won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of merciless jazz instructor Fletcher in Sony Pictures Classics' Whiplash. His performance in the film also garnered him a Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and BAFTA Award, as well as many critics' group awards around the world. Whiplash premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and won the Dramatic Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for Best Film. The film also garnered five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
In 2021, Simmons will star alongside Chris Pratt in the sci-fi thriller The Tomorrow War. Simmons was most recently seen starring in Hulu's Palm Springs alongside Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. He also appeared in the Apple TV+ miniseries Defending Jacob, based on the 2012 novel of the same name.
In 2019, Simmons starred in the second season of the critically acclaimed Starz series Counterpart, which began its run in 2017. Created by Justin Marks, Simmons portrays both primary characters as two vastly differing versions of themselves.
In 2018, Simmons starred in Director Brian Kirk's action thriller 21 Bridges, alongside Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch and Chadwick Boseman. The film follows a disgraced NYPD detective (Boseman) who is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a cop killer. Simmons was also seen in Jason Reitman's The Front Runner with Hugh Jackman and Vera Farmiga. He was recently seen in Universal's thriller The Snowman with Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson and the Warner Bros. comedy Father Figures with Owen Wilson and Ed Helms. In 2017, he was seen in the highly anticipated Justice League, where he portrayed the iconic Commissioner Gordon.
In 2016, Simmons voiced the character of Kai in Dreamworks' highly anticipated Kung Fu Panda 3 that was released in January, and voiced the character of Mayor Leodore Lionheart in Disney's Zootopia, which released in March. Also in 2016, Simmons was seen in Sony Pictures Classics The Meddler with Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne and Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant with Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick. Simmons also portrayed the real-life hero Jeff Pugliese in the 2016 Boston marathon film Patriot's Day directed by Peter Berg. That same year Simmons completed production on an independent film entitled I'm Not Here, directed by his wife, Michelle Schumacher.
He is known for playing the character J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and, memorably, his portrayal of the off-beat but not deadbeat father, Mac McGuff, in the hit comedy Juno.
Past projects include Terminator: Genisys, Jobs, Labor Day, The Words, The Music Never Stopped, Jennifer's Body, Extract, The Vicious Kind, I Love You Man, Beginner's Guide to Endings, Contraband, Hidalgo, The Ladykillers, The Mexican, Off the Map, For Love of the Game, The Gift, Thank You for Smoking, Rendition, Burn After Reading and the Academy Award-nominated Up in the Air.
On the small screen, Simmons played LAPD Assistant Chief Will Pope in TNT's hit series The Closer. He also played Vern Schillinger on HBO's acclaimed drama Oz and had a recurring role as Dr. Emil Skoda on NBC's Law & Order. He has had guest-starring roles on NBC's Parks and Recreation and a recurring role on TBS' hit comedy Men at Work. Simmons has appeared on the Broadway stage in performances of Guys and Dolls, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, A Change in the Heir, Peter Pan and A Few Good Men.