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"I like happy endings in movies. I think life has a happy ending. When it's all said and done, it's all something worthwhile, and I want my movies to reflect that. There are enough things to be sad about. When you pop in a movie, let the message be one that's one of hope." Having a message of hope is rarely a bad thing, and it's worked well for Jon Favreau throughout his life. He gained popularity for both acting and directing films, including directing Elf (1993), The Jungle Book (2016), and The Lion King (2019). He also starred in a number of other films, beginning in the 1990s and working his way through to 2018. But where did Favreau get his start, and what's he planning to do next? Stay tuned, and read on to find out what's coming up for this talented actor.

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Growing Up in Queens, New York

There are many places where growing up is an adventure, and New York is one of them. For Favreau, who was born in Queens and attended high school in The Bronx, New York offered a world of opportunities to consider. In 1984, Favreau graduated high school and went to college, where he dropped out in 1987. In 1988, he moved to Chicago in pursuit of a comedy career and started performing at several improv locations. It was while he was in Chicago that he landed his first film role, in 1993's Rudy. After that film ended, Favreau decided to pursue acting more seriously. In order to do that, he chose to move to Los Angeles where he would be closer to more of the people who could provide him with film roles and opportunities for other acting jobs.

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His breakthrough came in 1996, with Swingers. He acted in that movie but was also a screenwriter for it, giving him credit and credibility he could use to continue acting and working in the industry. He was on the TV sitcom Friends a few times, and made appearances in sketch comedy series, as well. Favreau continued to act throughout the 2000s and 2010s, taking roles in comedies and more serious films. Whether the roles were large or small, he took them on if the characters interested him or had something good to offer. Those acting roles were important to Favreau, but he didn't let them get in the way of the directing roles he was taking on, as well. He was determined to remain well-rounded in Hollywood, to make himself more versatile and valuable in the industry.

An Actor and a Director of Note

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About being more established and having options now, Favreau has said, "I've hit a point where my big luxury is getting to work on the things I want to work on. That's my hobby. It's being able to do a movie like 'Chef,' where you don't get paid, where you get paid scale, but you get to do exactly the movie you want to do. To me, that's worth more to me than whatever money I would have gotten paid." Money definitely isn't everything to Favreau, who likes to work on the things that matter most to him. Iron Man and The Avengers may have been blockbusters, but they were also movies that Favreau enjoyed and wanted to be involved with. That was also true of The Jungle Book and The Lion King. But Favreau is far from done, and there are many other projects in the works.

Future projects include a live-action TV series based on Star Wars, and a sequel to The Jungle Book, along with a documentary about the origins of the planet that will air on BBC. There have also been other projects worked on that have not been released, and aren't likely to be released at all. These are projects Favreau either abandoned, or where funding was cut and the chance of the project continuing looked bleak. Additionally, there were some projects Favreau was being considered for, that he ultimately didn't end up working on for a variety of reasons. But it's clear that Favreau isn't done, and that there are plenty of future projects for him to consider. His career as an actor and director is far from over.

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Favreau married a physician in 2000, and the couple have two daughters and a son. Their son has also gotten into acting, and had a role in Iron Man 2. Fans definitely haven't seen the last of Favreau, whose interest in acting and directing will likely continue well into the future. For fans of the talented actor and director, part of the fun is in seeing what he'll be involved in next.