This week's Director's Chair looks at the multitalented Jon Favreau an American actor, director and writer who has helmed the new Marvel Comic project Iron Man.Born in New York Favreau dropped out of college to move to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy. While in Chicago he landed his debut film role alongside Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin in Rudy in 1993.And so began his unexpected acting career going on to appear in college film PCU and television comedy Seinfeld.A move to Los Angeles in the mid nineties lead to a breakthrough as an actor and a screenwriter with the comedy film Swingers, which was also Vince Vaughn's breakthrough role.Swingers follows insecure Mike and smooth-talking Trent, two retro-hip showbiz wannabes, as they make the scene at various clubs in Hollywood and Vegas. During their martini-fueled odyssey, the duo and their buddies explore an altogether new vernacular while struggling with images of machismo, self-esteem, relationships, and, of course, sex.
The film was a critical and financial success and proved to be a launchpad for Vaughn.
Over the next couple of years Favreau gained more acting experience as he appeared in Very Bad Things and Sex & Love Daredevil.
In 2001 he moved behind the camera for his directorial debut with self penned screenplay Made, he also starred in the film.
Following their success five years before with Swingers, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn team up again in Made, a comedy about two very different down-on-their-luck L.A. friends who get caught up in a dangerous deal in New York City.
Favreau stars as Bobby, a hardworking, very serious construction worker who dreams of becoming a boxer and settling down with his stripper girlfriend (Famke Janssen) and her young daughter.
Vaughn plays Ricky, an obnoxious ne'er-do-well who thinks that pulling off a big job for boss Max (Peter Falk) will be their ticket to the big time.
The duo is sent off to New York to take part in a deal they know nothing about; while Bobby waits calmly for them to be discreetly contacted, Ricky never shuts his mouth, barking orders at random people, flashing his green and his wry smile all over town, annoying the heck out of everyone he meets, especially Ruiz (Sean "P-Diddy" Combs), who is their connection
However the Favreau/Vaughn partnership did not do as well as Swingers with mixed reviews from the critics. It went on to receive only a limited release.
But in 2003 Favreau went back behind the camera, this time teaming up with Will Farrell, for festive hit Elf.
One Christmas Eve, a long time ago, a small baby at an orphanage crawled into Santa’s bag of toys, only to go undetected and accidentally carried back to Santa’s workshop in the North Pole.
Though he was quickly taken under the wing of a surrogate father and raised to be an elf, as he grows to be three sizes larger than everyone else, it becomes clear that Buddy (Will Ferrell) will never truly fit into the elf world.
What he needs is to find his real family. This holiday season, Buddy decides to find his true place in the world and sets off for New York City to track down his roots. Although Buddy experiences a world he never knew existed, he quickly learns that life in the big city is not all ice skating and sugarplums, and he finds himself as much an outsider there as back in the North Pole.
Buddy seeks out his real father, Walter (James Caan), a workaholic publisher of children’s books with a place on Santa’s 'naughty' list. Walter doesn’t believe Buddy is who or what he says he is; in fact, the only thing Walter believes in with any certainty is the bottom line.
Buddy also discovers a new mom (Mary Steenburgen), and learns he has a ten-year-old half-brother (Daniel Tay) who doesn’t believe in Christmas or elves or Santa. In fact, everyone seems to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
With the holiday season fast approaching, Buddy takes it upon himself and his earnest elf ways to win over his family, realize his destiny and, ultimately, save Christmas for New York and the world.
The film was a surprise cinematic smash grossing over $220 million at the international box office as well as winning over the critics.
Favreau's current project is the Iron Man, the latest Marvel Comic book character to get the big screen treatment after X-Men, Spiderman and Fantastic Four.
Robert Downey Jr is to take the lead role as Iron Man aka Tony Stark. Stark is a billionaire weapons manufacturer who is injured by a landmine. He is captured by Afgan forces and a dying Stark is forced to build them a weapon.
He builds an suit which acts as a life support machine for Stark who escapes and returns to the America where he must come to terms with his past
When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armour and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
A sequel for Iron Man is already in the planning stages and a 2010 has already been suggested.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw