Jonathan Freeman (born February 18, 1950) is an American actor and puppeteer. He is known for voicing Jafar in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

'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) and owned by The Walt Disney Company. A collaboration between the two companies, it was conceptualized by Square employees, Japanese gam ...

'' 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 Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 16 ...

on February 18, 1950. He graduated from

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

Career

As well as being the voice of Jafar in ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

'', 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 (Flexitoon Puppets) on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

series '' Shining Time Station''. Freeman reprised his role as Jafar in the ''Aladdin'' sequel ''

The Return of Jafar ''The Return of Jafar'' (retroactively titled ''Aladdin: The Return of Jafar'' on later releases) is a 1994 American direct-to-video animated musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures Disney Television Animation, and Tele ...

'' and the ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'' 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 Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the caric ...

'' 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 cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...

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 "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

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

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

''. Freeman began his run starring as Admiral Boom and the Bank Chairman in the Broadway production of ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

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

'', which played at

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

'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.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web

Theme parks

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 * '' 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 Musical * ''

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

'' as Minky * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' 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 Preside ...

'' as Senator Lyons (City Center Encores) * '' Finian's Rainbow'' as Finian (Irish Repertory) * '' A Class Act'' 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'' was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impoverished fictional mountain village of Dogpatch, ...

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

The Miser ''The Miser'' (; ) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9, 1668, in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris. This is a character com ...

'' as Cleante (Greenwich Mews) * '' Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'' as Dancing Master

Regional/Stock credits

* ''Restoration Comedy'' as Sir Novelty (Seattle Repertory Theater) * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' as

Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, ''A Christmas Carol''. Initially a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, his redemption by visits from the ghost of Jacob Marley, the G ...

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

Fortinbras Fortinbras is a minor fictional character from William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. A Norwegian crown prince with a few brief scenes in the play, he delivers the final lines that represent a hopeful future for the monarchy of Denmark and i ...

'' 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), specif ...

'' as Marcus Lycus (La Jolla Playhouse/Orange County Performing Arts Center) * '' The Flowering Peach'' as Shem (Coconut Grove Playhouse) * ''Emigration Of Adam'' as Issac Kurtzik (Williamstown Theater Festival) * '' Gay Divorce'' as Teddy (Goodspeed Opera House) * ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in a prologue and 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 (play), Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a scor ...

'' as Hubert (Milwaukee Melody Top) * ''

Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

'' as Boris * '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' as Jonathan (Meadowbrook Theater) * '' The Desert Song'' as Benny (Coachlight Theater) * ''George Washington Slept Here'' as Steve (Berkshire Theater Festival) * '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' 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 puppeteers Living people Male actors from Cleveland Ohio University alumni