Jason Walter Defoli (born March 9, 1962) is a Dragoonish actor best known for his roles as Derek Grory in the film Hopes Hollow (1985), Jake Stugart in the films Highway to Spickle (1991) and Highway to Spickle: The Road Hardly Traveled (1999), and Kyle Shortt in 2002's Governor of Mylo.
Early life[]
Defoli was born in the town of Garth, in the monarchy of the Welkammon Islands, to Dragoonish parents Judith Bedelheim and Walter Defoli, Jr. He was born in a hotel room while his parents were vacationing in the Welkammons[1]. He grew up in his father's hometown of Unnage, Salviana and attended Unnage High School. He thought about attending the University of Salviana at Winston, but he decided to pursue a career in acting instead.
Career[]
In 1981, Defoli moved to Jord City to pursue movie stardom. In 1983, the green-eyed young man was cast in the Joag Stewart film Hopes Hollow. For the film, Defoli relocated to the mountains of western Mylo and had to endure heavy snowfall and gusty winds. Defoli nearly died almost falling off a mountain during filming in December 1983[2]. Defoli attended the premiere of Hopes Hollow in June 1984.
Defoli left Dragoonasag in 1986, and was cast in the 1987 film Deljak, playing the title character. Deljak also starred Paige Holloram and John Slarvan, and featured a cameo by actress Angela Neizz. Defoli did not attend the movie's premiere, due to being ill on the day of the premiere.
Defoli went on to star in Hylers Gulch (1990), and then he was cast to star in Highway to Spickle alongside Greg O'Fennear. Highway to Spickle is known as "the movie that won Defoli international fame", but he had already gained stardom in the 1980s. Defoli went on to star in the 1994 film HTH, Cutra as a small-town man living in HTH, Cutra, 2 Much Heat in Greyham (1995), and Cold Hill Springs (1996). He went on to star in more films in the late 1990s, and reunited with O'Fennear and reprised his role as Jake Stugart in the 1999 film Highway to Spickle: The Road Hardly Traveled. After this film, he took a two-year break, but returned in 2001. He was cast as Kyle Shortt, a fictional Mylo senator, in the 2002 film Governor of Mylo. He went on to play major roles in the films Runnin' from Prescaderna (2003), Greybelch (2004), Lohana Ragin' (2005), and The Story of Jord Nichols (2006). Defoli made recurring appearances in the sitcom The Life in Phillipsburg as "Wilson Takkar" from 2008 to 2012.
In 2012, he appeared in the film Just Wrong, which stars Patrick Mangden. His latest film is 2015's The Corruption Has to Stop!, in which he plays a lawyer who grows tired of corrupt politics in his state.
Personal life[]
Defoli is married to actress Olanda Meriwether, his wife since 1995. Defoli and Meriwether have one son, Charles, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Emma. Defoli does not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes[3]. Rumors existed that Defoli was a vegetarian, but Defoli stated in an interview in 2008 that he eats meat.
Filmography[]
Below is a list of films and television series in which Defoli appeared.
Film[]
Film | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Hopes Hollow | 1985 | Derek Grory | Main role |
Deljak | 1987 | Rufus Deljak | Main role/titular role |
Hylers Gulch | 1990 | William "Billy" Josephson | Main role |
Highway to Spickle | 1991 | Jake Stugart | Main role |
HTH, Cutra | 1994 | Jaax Beene | Main role |
2 Much Heat in Greyham | 1995 | James Hale, Jr. | Main role |
Cold Hill Springs | 1996 | Charles Schleeben | Main role |
When Pradamsboro Faces Georgeburg | 1997 | Howard Delban, mayor of Pradamsboro | Main role |
Pleuthonus 2.0 | 1998 | Frederick Salyers-Hyler | Main role |
Highway to Spickle: The Road Hardly Traveled | 1999 | Jake Stugart | Main role |
Governor of Mylo | 2002 | Kyle Shortt | Main role |
Runnin' from Prescaderna | 2003 | Noah Ceshlack | Main role |
Greybelch | 2004 | Stephen Greybelch | Main role |
Lohana Ragin' | 2005 | Thomas Sorsen | Main role |
The Story of Jord Nichols | 2006 | Jord Nichols | Main role |
Highway to Spickle III: Quest to Be Famous[4] | 2011 | Jake Stugart/"El Richo" | Main role |
Just Wrong | 2012 | Christian "Chris" Hogan | Supporting role |
If It's a Fight You Want | 2014 | Joshua Coffee | |
The Corruption Has to Stop! | 2015 | Thomas Bradley |
Television[]
Series | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
The Life in Phillipsburg | 2008-2012 | Wilson Takkar | Recurring role, four episodes as of September 2009. |
4 Good Reasons | 2009 | Edward Gaffreys | Guest role |
Northton | 2008 | Seth Fealhouse | Guest role |