Jay Mohr

A hotwired presence on television and features, Jay Mohr's lengthy career as a stand-up comic translated into acting roles in films like Jerry Maguire (1996) and series like Action (Fox, 1999-2000) and Gary Unmarried (CBS, 2008-10), as well as numerous side ventures into radio, publishing and recording. Born Jon Ferguson Mohr in Verona, New Jersey, he began pursuing a career in stand-up comedy in the late 1980s, and soon became a staple of the club circuit and television showcases for comics. His popularity in that scene translated into acting roles on television and a two-year stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which, as he detailed in his 2004 memoir Gasping for Air: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live, proved to a demoralizing and physically debilitating experience. But his brash, motormouthed stage persona eventually translated into an acting career, playing insincere young men with little to no filter in films like his film debut in Jerry Maguire and the short-lived but critically beloved Fox comedy Action, which cast him as a film producer clawing his way back from a costly failure. He followed Jerry Maguire in 1997 with a starring role in Picture Perfect with Jennifer Aniston. he has also appeared in the films Suicide Kings (1997), Paulie (1998), Playing by Heart (1998). Jane Austin's Mafia! (1998), Small Soldiers (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Pay it Forward (2000), The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), Simone (2002), Are We There Yet? (2005), The Groomsmen (2006), Even Money (2006), Street Kings (2008), and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). In 1999 he played part of a gay couple, with Scott Wolf, in the critically acclaimed cult film Go. The next year he was in the cult horror/slasher film Cherry Falls (2000). Mohr hosts his own podcast Mohr Stories on the SModcast Network and, since September 2015, hosted Jay Mohr Sports, a daily midday sports radio talk show on Fox Sports Radio. Mohr left Fox Sports Radio in January 2016 to pursue acting ventures. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award as the inaugural host and executive producer of Last Comic Standing (NBC, 2003–2006). His recurring role on the TV series Ghost Whisperer developed into a regular role. Mohr had a recurring role in the first season of The Jeff Foxworthy Show as Jeff Foxworthy's brother, Wayne. He appeared in "My Own Private Practice Guy", a 2003 episode of the sitcom Scrubs, and in three episodes of The West Wing in 2004 in the recurring role of Taylor Reid. Parts of Mohr's stand up was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. Mohr starred as newly divorced father Gary Brooks, the title character, for two seasons on the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried. Paula Marshall played his ex-wife. In January 2010 he took the role as Billy in Clint Eastwood's thriller film Hereafter. He also guest-starred on TV shows such as Outlaw, CSI: Miami, Las Vegas, Monk, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Prime Suspect, Suburgatory, American Housewife and The Mick. He was recently in Ben Affleck's film Air on Amazon. Mohr's album Happy. And A Lot was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Mohr has a son, Jackson, from his six-year marriage to former model Nicole Chamberlain. He married actress Nikki Cox on December 29, 2006. Cox wrote one of his stand-up shows. Their son, Meredith Daniel Mohr, was born on May 5, 2011. Mohr confirmed on May 16, 2017 during The Adam Carolla Show that he and Cox were "in the middle" of a divorce. Their divorce was finalized in August 2018. He Has a tattoo on the inside of his bicep that is dated and contains the word "will," in respect of his cousin Will, who was killed by a drunk driver.