Jason Mantzoukas

Jason Mantzoukas was born on December 18, 1972, in Nahant, Massachusetts. He began his involvement in comedy during his high school years, writing and performing sketches for variety shows. Mantzoukas attended Middlebury College, where he majored in religion and engaged in short-form improvisational comedy with the Otter Nonsense Players. After graduating in 1995, he received a Watson Fellowship, which enabled him to travel through North Africa and the Middle East for nearly two years to study religious and transcendental music, including Gnawa music in Morocco.

Upon relocating to New York City in 1998, Mantzoukas became a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), where he was mentored by Amy Poehler. He was a member of the improv team “Mother,” one of UCB’s initial house teams. His work with comedian Ed Herbstman as “The Mantzoukas Brothers” earned them the “Best Improv Duo” title from Time Out New York in 2006. Mantzoukas also collaborated with Jessica St. Clair, performing in sketch shows and long-form improv. These early experiences at UCB laid the foundation for his career progression in comedy and acting, emphasizing his skills in improvisation and comedic writing.

His career gained broader recognition with his recurring role as Rafi in the FX comedy series “The League” from 2010 to 2015. Mantzoukas has appeared in films such as “The Dictator” (2012), “They Came Together” (2014), “Sleeping with Other People” (2015), “The Long Dumb Road” (2018), and “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” (2019). He has contributed to animated series by voicing characters like Jay Bilzerian in Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” Alex Dorpenberger in HBO Max’s “Close Enough,” Rex Splode in Amazon Prime’s “Invincible,” and Jankom Pog in Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Prodigy.” Mantzoukas also co-hosts the podcast “How Did This Get Made?” alongside Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael, further demonstrating his engagement across various entertainment formats.