Jonathan Adam Saunders Baruchel (; born April 9, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He is known for his voice role as Hiccup Haddock in the ''

How to Train Your Dragon ''How to Train Your Dragon'' (abbreviated ''HTTYD'') is an American media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the eponymous series of children's books by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: ' ...

'' franchise, and for his roles in comedy movies such as ''

Knocked Up ''Knocked Up'' is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann. It follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between a sl ...

'', ''

Tropic Thunder ''Tropic Thunder'' is a 2008 satirical action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, who wrote the screenplay with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as a gro ...

'', ''

The Trotsky ''The Trotsky'' is a 2009 Canadian comedy film directed and written by Jacob Tierney and starring Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Colm Feore, Saul Rubinek, and Michael Murphy. Plot High School student Leon Bronstein believes that he is the reinc ...

'', '' Fanboys'', ''

She's Out of My League ''She's Out of My League'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith and written by Sean Anders and John Morris. It stars Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve, and was produced by Jimmy Miller and David Householter for Paramoun ...

'', ''

Goon Goon may refer to: Slang * Humans: ** People noted for brutality, or otherwise as targets of contempt: *** A guard in a prisoner of war camp (British World War II usage) *** An enforcer (ice hockey) *** A hired thug, in a goon squad ** Alter ...

'', ''

This Is the End ''This Is the End'' is a 2013 American apocalyptic stoner action fantasy black comedy film written, directed and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, in their directorial debuts. It is a feature-length film adaptation of the short film ...

'', and the action-fantasy film ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old magician (fantasy), sorcerer departs his ...

''. He had lead roles as Josh Greenberg in the

FXX FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Walt Disney Television unit of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and fe ...

comedy television series ''

Man Seeking Woman ''Man Seeking Woman'' is an American surrealist romantic comedy television series that aired for three seasons on FXX from January 14, 2015, to March 8, 2017. The series is set in Chicago, about a naïve and soft-spoken man in his 20s named Josh G ...

'' and Steven Karp in

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...

's comedy series ''

Undeclared ''Undeclared'' is an American sitcom created by Judd Apatow, which aired on Fox during the 2001–02 season. The show has developed a cult following, and in 2012, ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed it at #16 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the P ...

''.

Early life

Baruchel was born in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario, the son of Robyne (née Ropell), a freelance writer, and Serge Baruchel, an

antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

s dealer. He grew up in the

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ( en, Our Lady of Grace), also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal in the city's West End, with a population of 166,520 (2016). An independent municipality until annexed by the City of Montreal in 1910, ...

neighbourhood of

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, and has a younger sister. His father was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France. Baruchel is of one-quarter Jewish descent, with the rest of his ancestry being French and Irish-Catholic. He has stated that he believes his Irish roots are from

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

Career

Baruchel got his first acting job when he was just 12. One of his first major acting roles was on the local television series ''My Hometown'' in 1996. From 1997 to 1998, he co-hosted ''

Popular Mechanics for Kids ''Popular Mechanics for Kids'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''PMK'') is a Canadian educational television program based on ''Popular Mechanics'' magazine. The program aired on Global TV from 1997 to 2000. It was notable for starting the careers of E ...

'' with

Elisha Cuthbert Elisha Ann Cuthbert Phaneuf (; born 30 November 1982) is a Canadian actress and model. As a Child actor, child actress, she made her first televised appearance as an extra in the Canadian horror-themed series for children ''Are You Afraid of the ...

. After appearing briefly in

Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American journalist, author, writer, producer, director, actor, lyricist, and playwright. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, for wh ...

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

winning film ''

Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for ''Rolling Stone'' ...

'', Baruchel won the role of Steven Karp on

's acclaimed yet short-lived television series ''

'', where he starred alongside

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series ''Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part on ...

Carla Gallo Carla Paolina Gallo (born 1975) is an American actress. Gallo has had recurring roles in the television series ''Undeclared'', ''Carnivàle'', ''Bones'', ''Californication'', and a number of film roles. Since her role on ''Undeclared'', she has ...

Charlie Hunnam Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in ''Green Street Hooligans'' (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014). For the latter, he was ...

, and

Monica Keena Monica Keena (born May 28, 1979) is an American actress. She made her film debut in '' While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), and a lead role as Lilliana "Lilli" Hoffman in '' Snow White: A Tale of Terror'' (1997). She later starred as Lori Campbe ...

. He then appeared with

James Van Der Beek James William Van Der Beek (; born March 8, 1977) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in the WB series ''Dawson's Creek'' and Johnny "Mox" Moxon in '' Varsity Blues'' (1999). He played a fictionalized version of hi ...

Roger Avary Roger Roberts Avary (born August 23, 1965) is a Canadian-American film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. He collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on ''Pulp Fiction'', for which they won Best Original Screenplay at the 67th Acad ...

's ''

The Rules of Attraction ''The Rules of Attraction'' is a satirical black comedy novel by Bret Easton Ellis published in 1987. The novel follows a handful of rowdy and often sexually promiscuous, spoiled bohemian students at a liberal arts college in 1980s New Hampsh ...

''. In 2004, Baruchel played boxing hopeful Danger Barch in

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

's ''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay written by Paul Haggis, based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

''. Baruchel then starred in '' Nemesis Game'' and ''

Fetching Cody ''Fetching Cody'' is a 2005 Canadian drama/science-fiction film, written and directed by David Ray. Location of Movie The film takes place in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Plot of Movie The film follows the story of Art Frankel (played by Jay B ...

'', before appearing opposite

Don Johnson Donnie Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series ''Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Em ...

on the WB's ''

Just Legal ''Just Legal'' is an American courtroom drama television series that stars Don Johnson and Jay Baruchel as two courtroom lawyers in Venice, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005, and was canceled on October 3, 2005, aft ...

'' in 2005, and guest-starring on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

drama ''

Numb3rs ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton ...

'' in 2006. Baruchel appeared in the films ''

'' (which reunited him with Judd Apatow,

Jason Segel Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...

, and Seth Rogen), ''

I'm Reed Fish ''I'm Reed Fish'' is an American romantic comedy film based on a story by Reed Fish, and released theatrically on June 1, 2007. The film was directed by Zackary Adler and stars Alexis Bledel, Jay Baruchel, and Schuyler Fisk. Jay Baruchel won the B ...

'', ''

Just Buried ''Just Buried'' is a Canadian dark comedy film written and directed by Chaz Thorne. Released in 2007, the film stars Jay Baruchel and Rose Byrne among several other actors. Plot Grocery delivery boy Oliver Whynacht and his brother Jackie go on ...

'', and the

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as ...

-directed ''

'', alongside

Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...

Steve Coogan Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which ...

, and

Robert Downey Jr. Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...

He co-starred with

in the 2007 trailer for '' Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse'', created by Rogen and

Evan Goldberg Evan D. Goldberg (born September 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American filmmaker and comedian. He has collaborated with his childhood friend Seth Rogen on the films '' Superbad'', ''Pineapple Express'', ''This Is the End'', ''The Interview'', and ''Go ...

as a strategy to garner interest and funding for a similar, larger-scale project (later made in 2013 as ''

''). In 2008, he appeared in ''

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ''Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist'' is a 2008 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and Davi ...

''. He also made a brief appearance in '' Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian''. In 2010, Baruchel starred in the films ''

'',

DreamWorks DreamWorks may refer to: * DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin ** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio ** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and f ...

' ''

'' (opposite

Alice Eve Alice Sophia Eve (born ) is a British actress. Her movie career includes roles in ''She's Out of My League'', ''Men in Black 3'', ''Star Trek Into Darkness'', and ''Before We Go''. She has had recurring roles on the TV series ''Entourage'' and ' ...

), and the live-action Disney adaptation of ''

''. He also voiced the starring role in the acclaimed animated feature, ''

'', a role he has subsequently continued throughout the

franchise Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

, including its television series. Also in 2010, he played two supporting characters in the Canadian comedy series ''

The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour ''The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Funtime Hour'' is a Canadian television comedy series, which aired during the 2011 television season on Action. Described by its producers as "'' Curb Your Enthusiasm'' after it got smashed in the head with a hamme ...

''."The Boys are back and on drugs"
. ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', July 12, 2010. He developed the screenplay for ''

'', with

, playing Johnny Klutz, a character of his own creation. ''Goon'' co-stars

Seann William Scott Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Steve Stifler in the '' American Pie'' franchise, and also for his role as Doug Glatt in both ''Goon'' and '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers''. He has also ...

and fellow Canadian actor

Eugene Levy Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. From 1976 until 1984, he appeared in the Canadian television sketch comedy series '' SCTV''. He has also appeared in the '' American Pie'' series of films and the Canadian ...

. Baruchel also appeared in the 2010

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

Originals ad campaign, "Cantina", in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup and in video clips for Canadian prog-rockers Rush's 2012–13 Clockwork Angels tour. In July 2012, he appeared in the music video for the song "Toxsik Waltz" by rapper Necro. In the summer of 2013, he starred in the hit apocalyptic comedy ''

'' and in 2014, he appeared in the ''

RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...

'' remake and reprised his role as Hiccup in ''

How to Train Your Dragon 2 ''How to Train Your Dragon 2'' is a 2014 American computer-animated action fantasy film loosely based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox, it is the sequel ...

''. In July 2014, it was announced that Baruchel would be starring in the FXX comedy ''

'' which premiered in January 2015. He also appeared in the 2015 music video for the song "Every Little Means Trust" by Idlewild. Baruchel was also involved in writing the Chapterhouse comic book series ''

Captain Canuck Captain Canuck is a Canadian comic book superhero. Created by cartoonist Ron Leishman and artist/writer Richard Comely, the original Captain Canuck first appeared in ''Captain Canuck'' #1 (July 1975). The series was the first successful Canadi ...

''. Baruchel wrote, directed, and starred in the 2017 sports comedy film '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers'', the sequel to the 2011 film ''Goon''. In 2018, he made his debut as an author, with ''Born Into It: A Fan's Life'', released on Harper Collins. The book explored his love of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

with anecdotes, childhood memories, and heartfelt tales about his life as a fan of the team. After the release of '' How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World'', 2019 saw Baruchel star in the Danish film '' The Kindness of Strangers'' and the Canadian horror film '' Random Acts of Violence'', which was his second film as a director. In 2021, Baruchel hosted the original audio

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

documentary series for Audible.ca, ''Highly Legal'', that explored the political and economic history and aftermath of Canada's legalization of

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

. In the same year, Baruchel and his wife, Rebecca-Jo Dunham, both appeared in the music video for "Ouch", the lead single from

The Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...

's archival EP ''

Saskadelphia ''Saskadelphia'' is an EP by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on May 21, 2021.Jane Stevenson"The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie" ''Calgary Herald'', May 20, 2021. The band's first ...

''. He was also named host of '' LOL: Last One Laughing Canada'', which premiered on February 18, 2022 on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...

. He appears in the seventh episode of ''

The Kids in the Hall The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, in C ...

'' revival. In 2022, Baruchel hosted the Crave original series '' We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel),'' a six-episode docuseries about the end of the world that explored potential world-ending risks. Baruchel, as host, met with scientists and other experts to discuss the feasibility of the risks and the potential solutions and innovations to counter the issues.

Personal life

Baruchel was engaged to actress

Alison Pill Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous films and television series. She transitioned to adult roles and her breakthrough came with the television ...

from 2011 to 2013. He alluded to their break-up in a

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

post on February 16, 2013. In May 2018, Baruchel announced his engagement to his girlfriend Rebecca-Jo Dunham. They were married on September 21, 2019, in Portugal. Baruchel has said that he is "probably agnostic". Baruchel has several tattoos: a

Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...

(on his upper right arm) to honour his Irish heritage, and a red

Maple Leaf The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree. It is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada. History of use in Canada By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the French Canadians along the ...

on his left pectoral, which can be seen in '' Fanboys'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baruchel, Jay 1982 births 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian male actors Anglophone Quebec people Annie Award winners Canadian agnostics Canadian Comedy Award winners Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian male child actors Canadian male comedians Canadian male film actors Canadian male screenwriters Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian people of French descent Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian people of Jewish descent Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian stand-up comedians Comedians from Montreal Comedians from Ontario Daytime Emmy Award winners Film directors from Montreal Film directors from Ottawa Living people Male actors from Montreal Male actors from Ottawa People from Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce