Jon Turteltaub

Jon Turteltaub
Turteltaub in 2013
Born (1963-08-08) August 8, 1963 (age 61)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materWesleyan University
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer
Years active1989–present
Spouse
Amy Eldon
​
(m. 2006)​
Children3
RelativesSaul Turteltaub (father)

Jonathan Charles Turteltaub (born August 8, 1963) is an American film director and producer.

Early life, family and education

Turteltaub was born on August 8, 1963, in New York City, one of two children born to comedy writer Saul Turteltaub (best known for his work on Sanford and Son) and his wife, Shirley Steinberg. His parents are both Jewish.[1] Turteltaub graduated from Wesleyan University and the USC School of Cinematic Arts.[2]

Career

Jon Turteltaub has directed successful mainstream films for the Walt Disney Studios, including; 3 Ninjas (1992), Cool Runnings (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Phenomenon (1996), Instinct (1999), Disney's The Kid (2000), National Treasure (2004), as well as its 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010), as well as The Meg (2018) for Warner Brothers.[3][4][5] Turteltaub produced the CBS television series Jericho. He also directed the show's first three episodes. In 1996, his production company Junction Entertainment had a film deal with Disney, and in 2006, signed a deal with Paramount Television, which would soon become CBS Paramount Network Television.[6]

In 2020, Turteltaub directed two episodes of NBC's musical TV series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist including the episode "Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch", which The Hollywood Reporter listed as one of the 10 best episodes of television that year.[7]

Personal life

Turteltaub is married to British television writer and producer Amy Eldon, co-founder of Creative Visions Foundation. Their family resides in Malibu, California, next door to his in-laws.[8] Amy's brother photojournalist Dan Eldon was stoned to death alongside several other journalists in Somalia in 1993.[9] [10]

Turteltaub serves on the Creative Council of Represent.Us, a nonpartisan anti-corruption organization.[11]

Ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Turteltaub directed an anti-Trump video for the Lincoln Project.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Producer Writer
1990 Think Big Yes No Yes
1991 Driving Me Crazy Yes No Yes
1992 3 Ninjas Yes No No
1993 Cool Runnings Yes No No
1995 While You Were Sleeping Yes No No
1996 Phenomenon Yes No No
1999 Instinct Yes No No
2000 Disney's The Kid Yes Yes No
2004 National Treasure Yes Yes No
2007 National Treasure: Book of Secrets Yes Yes No
2010 The Sorcerer's Apprentice Yes No No
2013 Last Vegas Yes No No
2018 The Meg Yes No No

Television

Year Title Director Executive
Producer 		Notes
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Yes No Episode "That's All There Is"
2006 Jericho Yes Yes 3 episodes
2009 Harper's Island Yes Yes Episode "Whap"
2012 Common Law Yes Yes Episode "Pilot"
2016 Rush Hour Yes No Episode "Pilot"
2020 Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Yes No 2 episodes
2022 National Treasure: Edge of History No Yes

References

  1. ^ Turteltaub, Jon. "Jon Turteltaub Interview - The Director of the National Treasure Movies Discusses His 16 Years of 'Surprise Hits' at Disney". DVDizzy.com (Interview). Retrieved August 25, 2015. You need to stop reading the internet. Tennessee? I'm a Jew from New York
  2. ^ "Jon Turteltaub biography and filmography". Tribute.ca. August 8, 1963. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  3. ^ "Jon Turteltaub profile". nndb.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  4. ^ "Jon Turteltaub filmography". Fandango.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  5. ^ "Company With Disney; By Hollywood standards, director Jon Turteltaub has remained remarkably loyal to one studio, from '3 Ninjas' to his latest, 'The Kid.'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  6. ^ Adalian, Josef (August 21, 2007). "Turteltaub inks deal with CBS Par TV". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  7. ^ "Hollywood Reporter TV Critics Pick the 10 Best Episodes of 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  8. ^ onioneye. "My Daughter – Amy Eldon Turteltaub « Kathy eldON". kathyeldon.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  9. ^ "Dan & Amy Eldon". my hero.com. The MY HERO Project. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  10. ^ Turteltaub, Amy Eldon (July 12, 2013). "Remembering My Brother Dan Eldon: A Journalist Who Died To Tell the Story". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  11. ^ "About". Represent.Us. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  12. ^ Mazza, Ed (July 31, 2020). "Biting New Anti-Trump Video Imagines A Republican Waking Up From A Coma". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
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