Jonathan Kite biography Jonathan Kite was born and raised just outside of Chicago in Skokie, IL. He studied drama in high school and at the University of Illinois Champaign/ Urbana, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. He performed many times on stage in Illinois before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in voice over, flm, television and zoological criminology. Best known as “Oleg,” the hilarious, lovable, sex- crazed Ukrainian cook, opposite Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs on the current CBS comedy hit, “Two Broke Girls,” Kite credits Wilt Chamberlin and Ukrainian porn star Vlad, the Impaler as major infuences when creating his character. “Two Broke Girls” returns for it’s sixth season on October 10, 2016. In addition to his role on the series, Kite voices many of the color impaired characters on the Adult Swim throwback, “Black Dynamite: The Animated Series.” When asked to list them, Kite simply said “just call me EVERY WHITE.” Before “2 Broke Girls,” Kite was seen in a number of notable supporting roles including the pilot of FOX’s hit “Raising Hope”. In 2009, he created, wrote, produced, and starred in his own sketch comedy TV pilot, “The Skokie-Jo and Shappy Show,” which has been described as “Mr. Show” meets “Quantum Leap”. In 2010, Kite booked the Jamie Foxx produced sketch show for FOX “In the Flow with Afon Crockett”. Kite has also studied improvisation and sketch comedy with Chicago’s Second City and The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Kite is a founding member of the improv group, L. Ron Jeremy which in 2010, set the national Cage Match Competition record at the Improv Olympic West Theater, winning 52 weeks in a row and then retiring undefeated. Aside from a busy acting career, Kite is an expert impressionist boasting over 100 celebrity impressions that include: Vince Vaughn, Tom Hanks, Seth Rogen, Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, Jef Bridges, Robert Downey Jr., and John Lithgow. In 2013, he began touring, and has performed and headlined at some of the top comedy clubs nationwide. He recently flmed his frst stand up comedy special entitled “Back to School Special” at his high school alma mater Niles North, where it all began. 2 projects 3 press http://www.backstage.com/interview/backstage-life-ashley-zamora-lopez/ 4 CHARACTER (ARCHETYPE) Playing T h e F o o l Jonathan Kite believes that comedy is about keeping it real WORDS PATRICK CHEW FOR JONATHAN KITE, choosing a life in the performing arts was a no-brainer. “Growing up in Chicago, I was fortunate to be surrounded by The fact that we’ve read the script is precisely a huge theatre community and great comedy scene. I also used to watch what makes scripted comedy so hard classic films like Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz, and old black-and- white television programmes with my dad, and that really made me fall in love with live performance.” point to one being more difficult to pull off than the other. “While both Kite chose to study drama in high school and at the University of types of comedy are executed differently, their intention is the same. Illinois. He went on to study improvisation and sketch comedy with And that intention is to tell a story with comedic beat. Comedy is like Chicago’s Second City and The Groundlings in Los Angeles, which led jazz. Its beats are unexpected; it hops in and out and doesn’t necessarily him to become one of the founding members of the improv group follow a constant pace. That’s what makes good jazz and that’s what L Ron Jeremy that set the national Cage Match Competition record makes great comedy.” at the Improv Olympic West Theatre, winning 52 weeks in a row and With improv, it’s easy to see where Kite is coming from because finally retiring undefeated. improv actors think on the fly and trust in their co-stars that they will Now Kite spends his days playing the role of a sex-crazed Ukrainian set them up for jokes. Scripted comedy, on the other hand, seems to lack cook Oleg on the current CBS comedy hit, 2 Broke Girls. “One of the that sense of unpredictability simply because the actors have already great things about the show is that I still get to do a live performance seen and read the script. But Kite couldn’t disagree more. every week; we just happen to be taping it as we go.” “The fact that we’ve read the script is precisely what makes scripted 2 Broke Girls premiered in 2011 and is currently in its third season, comedy so hard. Actors have to read the script as if it were their which started airing last month. Kite attributes the show’s success to first time to allow the jokes to surprise them. You have to go on that the fact that it’s relatable to the audience more than anything else. emotional journey with the audience so that you’re the fool and you’re “I remember immediately laughing out loud when I first read the script just as surprised as they are so that they can experience what you’re before we even started filming season one, which, in my opinion, was going through with you.” a sign that it was a good comedy. But if you take the jokes away, you’ll In the end, Kite doesn’t think he’ll ever be done with comedy. “Comedy start to notice that the show is addressing the country’s suffering is filled with evolution. Look at social media like Twitter and how short economy and its effects on people, which is something everyone is people’s attention spans are these days, these things have changed the currently facing. People need to believe the laughs and the fact that the way we do comedy because they limit the length at which people can show is rooted in such a real issue makes it that much more appealing.” tell jokes. We’ll never run out of ways to tell jokes and that’s what I love Having dabbled in both scripted comedy and improv, Kite cannot about it.” 74 AUGUSTMAN OCTOBER 2013 5 26 INTERVIEW A Hotminute with Jonathan Kite With the return of smash hit comedy Broke Girls to E4, one of it’s stars Jonathan Kite takes our HOTseat for a grilling on his alter ego, everyone’s favourite sex pest cook, Oleg. Image- J Squared HM: Hi Oleg, oops sorry I mean Jonathan, you must window and says its for table 69. Caroline says there get that a lot huh? isn’t a table 69. Then later in the scene, Oleg puts up Not as much as I get, “Sorry, I don’t have any another plate, dings the bell and says, “Table 6” and change.” walks away. Just as he is out of frame, he swoops back into the scene and says “D 9”. HM: So how’s business with the car service? Did it have the desired effect on Sophie? Is marriage and a HM: We usually ask our interviewees about their fave bunch of Oleg Juniors on the cards for season 2??? places in the city they’re from. So we may regret this The car service hasn’t been touched on yet this but we’d like to ask Oleg his fave places in Brooklyn season. I’m not sure what will become of it but if to; you need a ride call 800-I-LUV-SEX and Oleg will 1. Go shopping - Sleeveless Mart give you a ride... and take you where you want to go. 2. Go dancing - Club Commie HM: We want to get to know Oleg a bit more, tell us 3. Go for a drink - I make vodka in my bathtub so we how did he end up in Brooklyn working at the diner can rinse off after getting sloppy, then dirty and where did he get his culinary skills? 4. Go for a walk - Little Russia in I don’t know. Oleg is a man of mystery. He may have Brighton Beach come over on a cruise ship as a cook/stripper. Or 5. Have a bite…. to EAT! I cook at home a lot, in the perhaps he saw an American movie and fell in love kitchen and in the bedroom with our women. Who’s to say. His culinary skills Catch Jonathan Kite as Oleg in Broke Girls every were probably passed down from generation to Thursday, 8.30pm on E4 (Sky 136, Virgin 143, generation. Or maybe he just watches a lot of Food Freeview 28) Network. There is more of JK & Oleg online at www. HM: Oleg is known for his one-liners, one of our hotminutemag.co.uk/hm-meets-2-broke-girls- faves is “ ..Captain Oleg of the amazing party in my jonathan-kite pants”. What’s yours? They’re all my children, so no favorites but I am 6Interview Enam G partial to the scene where Oleg puts food in the 6 THE USUAL wit 2 BROKE GIRLS IS A THROWBACK TO THE CLASSIC SITCOMS OF THE PAST—IT IS EVEN FILMED IN FRONT OF A LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE FOR GOOD MEASURE. JONATHAN KITE THE SHOW IS REMINISCENT OF LAVERNE & SHIRLEY WITH ITS FOCUS ON FEMALE FRIENDS WHO GET INTO ALL SORTS OF ZANY MISADVENTURES. LIKE Written by Barney Dunn PAST BELOVED HALF HOUR COMEDIES—2 BROKE GIRLS HAS PLENTY OF Jonathan Kite is a true performer in every sense of the word.