Jon Lovitz

For as high-flying a career as Jon Lovitz has had, it’s hard to imagine that it almost never got off the ground. His first 10 years in entertainment were devoted to dramatic acting, with which he had little success. On the advice of his drama coach, he switched to comedy, and has never looked back.

His first big break was with the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings in Los Angeles , which led to his landing a high-profile slot on “Saturday Night Live.” There, he created such indelible characters as Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous (“Yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket!”), the Devil, and Master Thespian. Beyond “SNL,” Jon has guest-starred on numerous hit shows including “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” and “Two and a Half Men.” He has appeared in over 30 movies, and has become an often-heard voiceover talent, including the title character of Jay Sherman in the series, “The Critic.” Today, he performs stand-up comedy at his own club -- inventively named the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club.
 
But, for as much success as Jon has experienced on stage, life hasn’t always been fun and laughter. Several years ago, Jon noticed a few red spots beginning to appear on his body. At first, he thought he might have a rash, but the spots multiplied and became red, inflamed, itchy patches of skin all over his back, stomach, arms and scalp. Jon didn’t know what was going on, and after seeing a dermatologist, he learned that he exhibited the symptoms of moderate-to-severe psoriasis, which covered nearly half of his body. By building a strong and open relationship with his dermatologist, Jon gained the courage to stop covering up and share his personal experiences with psoriasis through what he does best -- comedy. Having lived with the condition for approximately 10 years, Jon understands firsthand what it’s like to live with the physical and emotional challenges of psoriasis. As the face of Are You Serious?, Jon hopes that his courage inspires millions of people living with the disease to have frank discussions with a dermatologist about how to effectively manage the condition.