Jonathan Freeman (actor)

Jonathan Freeman is an American actor and puppeteer. He is known for voicing Jafar in Disney's Aladdin franchise, as well as the Kingdom Hearts franchise and the 2011 Aladdin musical.

Early life

Freeman was born in Bay Village, Ohio on February 5, 1950. He graduated from Ohio University.

Career

As well as being the voice of sorcerer Jafar in Aladdin, a role he once said he is called in to reprise every 3 to 6 months, Freeman is also known for being the puppeteer for Tito Swing of the Jukebox Band on the PBS series Shining Time Station. Freeman reprised his role as Jafar in the Aladdin sequel The Return of Jafar and the Hercules crossover episode "Hercules and the Arabian Night".
In 1994, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in She Loves Me. Additionally, he appeared in the Broadway revival productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Producers, On the Town, and 42nd Street, during which his caricature was drawn for Sardi's restaurant in 2002.
Freeman can be heard on the 1997 Varèse Sarabande studio recording of the flop 1965 musical Drat! The Cat!.
He was also seen on stage as Cogsworth in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and originated the role of Grimsby in Disney's Broadway production of The Little Mermaid.
Freeman began his run starring as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins on December 12, 2009.
Freeman also reprised his role as Jafar in the musical adaptation of Aladdin, which played at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre from July 7–31, 2011. After nearly eight years with the show, Freeman played his final performance with the company on January 23, 2022.

Theatre work

Broadway credits

Aladdin as Jafar Mary Poppins as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman The Little Mermaid as Grimsby Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth The Producers as Roger De Bris 42nd Street as Bert Barry On the Town as Pitkin W. Bridgework How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Mr. Bratt She Loves Me as Headwaiter – Nominated – Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a MusicalPlatinum as Minky Sherlock Holmes as ''Lightfoot McTague''

Off Broadway credits

Of Thee I Sing as Senator Lyons Finian's Rainbow as Finian A Class Act as Lehman An Empty Plate In The Cafe Du Grand Boeuf as Claude Sail Away as Joe Wall To Wall as Frank Loesser Li'l Abner as Dr. Rasmussen On The Town as Pitkin W. Bridgework In A Pig's Valise as Zoot/Gut Claptrap as Harvey Bertrano as Louie/Momo Confessions Of Billie as Conrad Gerhardt Thirteen Days To Broadway as Cy Babes In Arms as Steve Pinocchio as Fire Eater The Miser as Cleante Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme as Dancing Master

Regional/Stock credits

Restoration Comedy as Sir Novelty A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge You Can't Take It with You as Boris Kolenkov An Empty Plate In The Cafe Du Grand Boeuf as Claude Peter Pan as Hook/Mr. Darling How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Bert Bratt Fortinbras as Claudius Babes In Toyland as Gonzorgo A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as Marcus Lycus The Flowering Peach as Shem Emigration Of Adam as Issac Kurtzik Gay Divorce as Teddy The Student Prince as Hubert Can-Can as BorisArsenic and Old Lace as Jonathan The Desert Song as Benny George Washington Slept Here as Steve How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Bud Frump

Soundtrack

Year	Artist/Writer	Song	Film	Role
1989	Kevin Roth	"Cosher Bailey's Engine" "Camptown Races" "Jesse James" "Celito Lindo" "No Business like Show Business" "Polly Wolly Doodle" "The Desperado" "Home on the Range" "Jamaican Farewell" "Born on the Fourth of July"	Shining Time Station	Tito Swing
1990	Lydia Maria Child	"'Tis A Gift"	Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift	Tito Swing
1992	Alan Menken & Howard Ashman	"Prince Ali Reprise" "Humiliate the Boy" "Why Me?"	Aladdin	Jafar
1994	Alan Menken & Howard Ashman	"You're Only Second Rate"	The Return of Jafar	Jafar
2001	Randy Petersen & Kevin Quinn	"It's Our House Now"	Mickey's House of Villains	Jafar