At the beginning of the 2000s, the CBS channel decided to launch a new comedy television series about the life of two bachelors and one child. Choosing candidates for the main roles, at first they doubted whether it would be worthwhile to take in the sitcom an already well-known actor at that time named John Cryer, since over the past few years all the projects with his participation had failed. However, they took a chance and did not regret it, since it was John who not only became the lucky mascot of this television show, but also managed to bring several prestigious awards to the series.
early years
John Cryer comes from a hereditary acting family. His father Donald was a good actor, and his mother Gretchen was not only an actress, but also a famous singer and songwriter.
The future owner of the Emmy was born in New York in the mid-sixties. In addition to him, the family had two more daughters. When the boy was twelve, he announced to his family that he plans to continue the family tradition and dreams of an acting career. Oddly enough, parents were not very pleased with the choice of their child, but they supported him, and after graduation, the young Cryer went to London to study dramatic art at the Royal Academy.
Carier start
With a discreet, but rather pleasant appearance, as well as moving facial expressions, John Cryer was able to quickly attract the attention of the directors. So, the guy had not yet turned twenty years old when he got the main role in the comedy No small affair (the name of this film is translated into Russian in different ways - “Not a Small Affair” and “Serious Love”). After a successful debut next year, two films with his participation were already released. And from the eighty-sixth year, John Cryer begins to participate in television shows.
First successes
In the same year, the famous film “Girl in Pink” appeared on the screens, making the aspiring actor the idol of thousands of teenage girls. Fans did not give a pass to the novice actor, called him at home and sent mountains of letters.
The next significant, albeit secondary, was the role of Lex Luthor's nephew - Lenny - in the fourth film about Superman's adventures.
Over the next few years, John Cryer starred in several more films, but they were no longer as popular as his earlier work.
Trying to succeed on television, John gets the lead role in the series "The Famous Teddy Zee." However, this project did not gain recognition either from the audience or from the critics, so after one season it was closed.
The film "Hot Heads"
John Cryer could not have become a star if he had allowed the failure of the series to break himself. So, next year after its closure, a comedy-parody of the sensational film “The Best Shooter” - “Hot Heads” is released. In this film, John got a secondary, but very memorable role - Jim "Sludge" Faffenbach, strabismus.
Having played this character, Cryer was able to show his comic talent in all its glory. In addition, on the set, the actor met Charlie Sheen, who played a major role in the film.
It is noteworthy that the name of Shin's character - Topper Harley - became an anagram of the future surname of the main characters of the sitcom “Two and a Half Men” - Harper.
Participation in the project “Two and a half people”
John Cryer again achieved success and worldwide fame only twelve years after the release of "Hot Goals." Although all these years he often starred in various films, the directors were not in a hurry to give him the main roles. In addition, John often played in television series as a guest star, and also produced some of them.
Also, John Cryer voiced several characters in the animated series, and to top it off, the actor wrote the script and became the producer of the movie “Going to Connie Island on an assignment from God ... back to five.” This project really liked the critics, unfortunately, he did not get into the full rental.
Failures in his career almost haunted the actor all this time. Most of the sitcoms in which he earned permanent roles were failures. Despite perseverance, John Cryer (whose films suffered the fate of most series) lost faith in himself and left the profession for three years.
However, when in 2003 the CBS leadership began to prepare for the filming of a new sitcom starring Charlie Sheen, they invited John Cryer, who had already worked with Sheen, to the role of his loser. Having relied on the actor, which many have long written off due to the glory of the loser, the management did not lose, as it became a decoration of the project, and the series “Two and a Half Men” received international fame.
Perhaps the actor so well succeeded in the image of the loser Alan Harper, played by him in the sitcom, because he himself experienced something similar and knew from his own experience how to lose everything and his dream, to be useless to anyone, on the outskirts of life. This epochal role in his life brought the actor two Emmy awards and restored the directors ’confidence. Working on the series, he simultaneously starred in other television shows, as well as in several films.
Now he is in demand again, directors and producers are queuing up to star in their films. So it looks like the bad luck streak in his life and career is over.
The personal life of the actor
Like his character, John is married twice, but his second marriage was strong, and the couple still live in perfect harmony.
The first time Cryer went to the altar in the late nineties.
His chosen one was the English actress Sarah Trigger. Unfortunately, this union was short-lived, and after five years, the couple broke up. From this marriage, the actor has a son, Charlie.
John met his current wife, Lisa Joyner, a little later. As a journalist, one day she was given the task of interviewing a star of a popular TV series. Arriving at the meeting, the girl did not even suspect what all this would turn out for her and that the famous John Cryer would become her future husband. His personal life at that time did not stand out anything special, despite world fame. However, some time after meeting a charming journalist, John announced on one of the television shows about the upcoming wedding.
After the wedding, the happy couple adopted a girl named Daisy. It is worth noting that Lisa herself was also adopted and only in adulthood was able to meet her real parents. In addition, Mrs. John Cryer also has little acting experience. At the dawn of her reporting career, she starred in episodic roles in several television projects.
The life of any creative person has its ups and downs. But most often talented people are haunted by failures that can break and force to abandon their dreams and vocation. John Cryer is not like that. Having survived an early and rather fleeting success, he was doomed to failures for more than a decade. However, he surrendered and was able not only to return to the profession, but also to achieve worldwide fame, proving once again the good old truth: "The road will be overpowered by the one who walks."