Biography
Who is Jon Bernthal?
Early life and education
Jonathan Edward Bernthal was born in Washington, D.C. On September 20, 1976. He grew up in Cabin John, Maryland, and attended the Sidwell Friends School, where he graduated in 1995. During his youth, he often described himself as a troublemaker.
After finishing high school, he enrolled at Skidmore College in New York but later left. Following the advice of his acting teacher, he traveled to Russia and studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School, where he also played catcher for a professional baseball team.
Career highlights
Jon Bernthal achieved major prominence for portraying Shane Walsh on the AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead from 2010 to 2012. He later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Frank Castle, playing the character in Daredevil and starring in his own series, The Punisher.
His extensive filmography includes supporting and starring roles in World Trade Center, The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, Sicario, Baby Driver, and Ford v Ferrari. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the television series The Bear.
Theater work
In addition to his film and television projects, Jon has performed extensively in theater productions. Since 2002, he has appeared in over thirty regional and off-Broadway plays. He co-founded a theater company named Fovea Floods, which is now defunct.
He made his Broadway debut in March 2026, starring in a production of Dog Day Afternoon that ran through July of that same year. He has also been involved in producing and performing in various festival plays throughout his career.
Family background
Jon was born to parents Joan Lurie Marx and Eric Lawrence Bernthal. His father worked as a lawyer and served as chair of the board of directors for The Humane Society of the United States. His paternal grandfather was musician Murray Bernthal.
He has two brothers named Nicholas and Thomas. His brother Nicholas works as an orthopedic surgeon and professor at UCLA, while Thomas is a consulting agency CEO. The brothers are also cousins of the late rock musician Adam Schlesinger.
Birthday and age
Jon Bernthal was born on September 20, 1976, which makes Jon 50 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Jon shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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