Jonathan Freeman (born February 5, 1950) is an American actor and puppeteer. He is known for puppeteering and voicing Tito Swing in ''

Shining Time Station ''Shining Time Station'' is an American children's television series jointly created by British television producer Britt Allcroft and American television producer Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by Quality Family Entertainment (the Ame ...

'' and for voicing Jafar in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''Aladdin'' franchise, as well as the ''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...

'' franchise and the 2011 ''Aladdin'' musical.

Early life

Freeman was born in

Bay Village, Ohio Bay Village is a city in western Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, the city is a western suburb of Cleveland and a part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 16,163 at the 2020 ce ...

on February 5, 1950. He graduated from

Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...

Career

As well as being the voice of Jafar in ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...

'', a role he once said he's called in to reprise every 3 to 6 months, Freeman is also known for being the puppeteer for Tito Swing of the Jukebox Band (Flexitoon Puppets) on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

series ''

''. Freeman reprised his role as Jafar in the

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

sequel to ''Aladdin'', ''

The Return of Jafar ''The Return of Jafar'' (sometimes marketed as ''Aladdin: The Return of Jafar'' on re-release) is a 1994 American direct-to-video animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Television. It is the first sequel to the 1992 fi ...

''. In 1994, he was nominated for a

Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been given since 1947, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly announced since 1956. Winner and ...

for his role in ''

She Loves Me ''She Loves Me'' is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The musical is the third adaptation of the 1937 play '' Parfumerie'' by Hungarian playwright Miklós László, following the 1940 fil ...

''. Additionally, he appeared in the Broadway revival productions of ''

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

'', '' The Producers'', '' On the Town'', and '' 42nd Street'', during which his caricature was drawn for ''

Sardi's Sardi's is a Continental food, continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Manhattan, New Yo ...

'' restaurant in 2002. Freeman can be heard on the 1997

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...

studio recording of the flop 1965 musical ''

Drat! The Cat! ''Drat! The Cat!'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Ira Levin and music by Milton Schafer. Originally called ''Cat and Mouse'', this spoof of late- Victorian melodrama has at its core Alice Van Guilder, who wants to be a career girl at a ...

''. He was also seen on stage as Cogsworth in Disney's ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...

'', and originated the role of Grimsby in Disney's Broadway production of ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...

''. Freeman reprised his role as Jafar in the ''Hercules'' crossover with ''Aladdin''. Freeman began his run starring as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman in the Broadway production of ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'' on December 12, 2009. Freeman also reprised his role as Jafar on stage in the new musical adaptation of ''

'', which played at

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

5th Avenue Theatre The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theatre located in Seattle's Skinner Building, in the U.S. state of Washington. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land are owned b ...

from July 7–31, 2011. He reprised the role in the Broadway production, which opened in March 2014 at the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater on 214 West 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the New Amsterdam was built from ...

, and he is the only actor from the original cast of the animated film to do so. Also, he reprised the role in the special West End performance was filmed shot on location at the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Prince Edward Theatre The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Ma ...

on August 31, 2019. After nearly eight years with the show, Freeman played his final performance with the company on January 23, 2022.

Filmography

Film

Television and web

Video games

Theatre work

Broadway credits

* ''

'' as Jafar (Original Broadway Cast) * ''

'' as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman (Replacement) * ''

'' as Grimsby (Original Broadway Cast) * ''

'' as Cogsworth (Replacement) * '' The Producers'' as Roger De Bris (Replacement) * '' 42nd Street'' as Bert Barry * '' On the Town'' as Pitkin W. Bridgework * ''

'' as Mr. Bratt * ''

'' as Headwaiter – Nominated –

* ''

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

'' as Minky * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' as ''Lightfoot McTague'' (Replacement – RSC Transfer)

Off Broadway credits

* ''

Of Thee I Sing ''Of Thee I Sing'' is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President o ...

'' as Senator Lyons (City Center Encores) * ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

'' as Finian (Irish Repertory) * ''

A Class Act ''A Class Act'' is a quasi-autobiographical musical loosely based on the life of composer-lyricist Edward Kleban, who died at the age of 48 in 1987. Featuring a book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price along with music and lyrics by Kleban himself, ...

'' as Lehman (Manhattan Theatre Club) * ''An Empty Plate In The Cafe Du Grand Boeuf'' as Claude (Primary Stages) * '' Sail Away'' as Joe (Carnegie Hall) * ''Wall To Wall'' as Frank Loesser (Symphony Space) * ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn ...

'' as Dr. Rasmussen (City Center Encores) * '' On The Town'' as Pitkin W. Bridgework (Public Theater/Delacourte) * ''In A Pig's Valise'' as Zoot/Gut (Second Stage) * ''Claptrap'' as Harvey (Manhattan Theater Club) * ''Bertrano'' as Louie/Momo (Primary Stages) * ''Confessions Of Billie'' as Conrad Gerhardt (Performing Garage) * ''Thirteen Days To Broadway'' as Cy (890 Studios) * ''

Babes In Arms ''Babes in Arms'' is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work f ...

'' as Steve (Playwrights' Horizon) * ''Pinocchio'' as Fire Eater (Marionette Theater) * ''

The Miser ''The Miser'' (french: L'Avare; ; also known by the longer name ''L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge,'' meaning The Miser, or the School for Lies) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9 ...

'' as Cleante (Greenwich Mews) * ''

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (, translated as ''The Bourgeois Gentleman'', ''The Middle-Class Aristocrat'', or ''The Would-Be Noble'') is a five-act ''comédie-ballet'' – a Play (theatre), play intermingled with music, dance and singing – wri ...

'' as Dancing Master

Regional/Stock credits

* ''Restoration Comedy'' as Sir Novelty (Seattle Repertory Theater) * ''A Christmas Carol'' as Scrooge (Bay Street Theater) * '' You Can't Take It with You'' as Boris Kolenkov (Bay Street Theater) * ''An Empty Plate In The Cafe Du Grand Boeuf'' as Claude (Berkshire Theater Festival) * ''Peter Pan'' as Hook/Mr. Darling (Austin Musical Theater) * ''

How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

'' as Bert Bratt (La Jolla Playhouse) * ''

Fortinbras Fortinbras is either of two minor fictional characters from William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. The more notable is a Norwegian crown prince with a few brief scenes in the play, who delivers the final lines that represent a hopeful future ...

'' as Claudius (La Jolla Playhouse) * ''Babes In Toyland'' as Gonzorgo (Houston Grand Opera) * ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specifica ...

'' as Marcus Lycus (La Jolla Playhouse/Orange County Performing Arts Center) * ''

The Flowering Peach ''The Flowering Peach'' is a 1954 dramatic play by American playwright Clifford Odets with music by Alan Hovhaness. The plot is a modern take on the Bible stories of Noah and Noah's Ark. It was the last original play by Odets produced in his li ...

'' as Shem (Coconut Grove Playhouse) * ''

Emigration Of Adam Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

'' as Issac Kurtzik (Williamstown Theater Festival) * ''

Gay Divorce ''Gay Divorce'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song " Night and Day" in which Astaire d ...

'' as Teddy (Goodspeed Opera House) * ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' as Hubert (Milwaukee Melody Top) * '' Can-Can'' as Boris * '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' as Jonathan (Meadowbrook Theater) * ''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Moroccan fighters, against French colonia ...

'' as Benny (Coachlight Theater) * ''

George Washington Slept Here ''George Washington Slept Here'' is a 1942 comedy film starring Jack Benny, Ann Sheridan, Charles Coburn, Percy Kilbride, and Hattie McDaniel. It was based on the 1940 play of the same name by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, adapted by Everett ...

'' as Steve (Berkshire Theater Festival) * ''

'' as Bud Frump (Coachlight Theater)

Soundtrack

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Jonathan 1950 births American male musical theatre actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American male comedians Living people Male actors from Cleveland Ohio University alumni