Hollywood is gearing up for tonight’s Primetime Emmy Awards, where Jason Bateman is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Marty Byrde in Netflix’s Ozark.
In honor of this very special occasion (and since I can’t be there in person to celebrate), I’ve collected my top five Jason Bateman moments to get us in the mood for the evening’s festivities:
1. His appearance in Austin at SXSW in 2015 to premiere his directorial debut Bad Words. I’m almost positive that this one was far more life-changing for me than for Jason, but it tops this list nonetheless.
2. His acceptance speech at the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards back in January, also for his work as Marty Byrde. His sentiment — that every actor is “just a job away” from the one that turns everything around (thank you to Arrested Development for being that for Jason) — has certainly gotten me through many a rough patch. Watch the full speech and be inspired here: https://youtu.be/HfrZGVU_NU0
3. His New York Times interview in 2011, during which he explained that he prefers quality over quantity when it comes to roles. While he’s an incredibly talented actor, he’s isn’t on the hunt for “Jason Bateman vehicles” and views comedy as more of a team sport. Read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/movies/jason-bateman-anchor-of-all-star-comedy-ensembles.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2
4. His appearance in the Mumford & Sons’ 2013 music video for Hopeless Wanderer. I could watch this video on a loop for days. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/rId6PKlDXeU
5. His 2013 cover shoot with GQ. What can I say, the man cleans up well. A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look here: https://www.gq.com/gallery/jason-bateman-photos-gq-april-2013
Fingers crossed that I’ll be adding Jason’s Emmy acceptance speech to this list tomorrow.