Jon Lovitz Joins Cast of "Producers" Film

By Andrew Gans
11 Feb 2005

Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz

Former "Saturday Night Live" star Jon Lovitz is the latest addition to the cast of the film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers.

According to a spokesperson for the film, Lovitz will play Leo's boss, Mr. Marks, in the upcoming motion picture. Lovitz joins a cast that includes the previously announced Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock, Matthew Broderick as Leopold Bloom, Uma Thurman as Ulla, Will Ferrell as Franz Liebkind, Gary Beach as Roger De Bris, Roger Bart as Carmen Ghia and Andrea Martin and Debra Monk as Bialystock's little old lady investors.

"The Producers" movie will film at the new Steiner Studios, located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The new facility was specially built to accommodate Hollywood-style productions.

Jon Lovitz appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. He is best known for his work on "Saturday Night Live" and has appeared in such films as "The Stepford Wives," "Rat Race," "A League of Their Own," "City Slickers 2," "Small Time Crooks" and "Little Nicky." Lovitz was also the voice of Jay Sherman in the cult animated TV series, "The Critic."

The original 1968 "The Producers" film about a conniving producer starred Zero Mostel as producer Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. Others in the cast included Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind, Renée Taylor as Eva Braun, Christopher Hewett as Roger De Bris, Lee Meredith as Ulla and Andréas Voutsinas as Carmen Giya. Mel Brooks won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for "The Producers," and Gene Wilder was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The Producers, winner of 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, continues to play at Broadway's St. James Theatre.