Jeff Witzke

BLONDE AMBITION TOUR

I recently traveled to Shreveport, LA to shoot a part in a feature film where I had to die my hair blonde! What a trip. At the moment - we’ve asked been to keep the title secret, but it should be out in August and is a fun spoof movie. More details to come but it was a fantastic experience!

• • •

CHECK OUT “CHRISTINE”

Click on the picture above to see my scenes on

“The New Adventures of Old Christine.”

• • •

AND IN OTHER NEWS...

Keep your eye out for a commercial I recently shot for Cascade dish detergent. I play one of a few News Anchors talking about the breaking news that will impact pots and pans everywhere. It was a fun shoot and turns out the director is another Michigan native who one take said, “Jeff, give me your best Bill Bonds!”

• • •

My episode: “I Love What You Do For Me”

airs on Wed. April 21st, 8 PM on CBS

• • •

BACK WITH ‘CHRISTINE’

I got a great call from

my agent. “The New

Adventures of Old

Christine” is going into syndication

and they are shooting some promos.

The producers of the show called

and asked me to be in them! I shot

five spots where I play Christine’s therapist. It was so much fun to work with everyone again and I was honored they asked me to be a part!

• • •

JEFF MEET ‘OLD CHRISTINE’

I spent a week working

and having the time of my life with the cast of “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” In my episode (titled ‘I Love What You Do For Me’) - I play a Toyota salesman trying to get Christine (the amazing Julia Louis-Dryfus) into a new car. Doing a show in front of a live audience is my favorite... and not only did a I get a chance to work with Julia, but director Andy Ackerman (the brilliant director of most of the episodes of Seinfeld!) The writing was great, the crew awesome and the cast - so much fun! Can’t wait for everyone to see it.

Me and televisions’ J.L.D!

Mini-GROOVE reunion.

Hamish and I were in the 2000 Sundance smash indi-hit “GROOVE.” Great to reconnect.

My guest cast friends, Leo and Julia.

• • •

ME WITH A ‘GREEK’ ACCENT

OK... how about me with a British accent on GREEK? Here is my scene from the ABC Family show. I think it turned out rather well and I look quite dashing!

• • •

“UP IN THE AIR” TAKES OFF!

Th fantastic Jason Reitman film starring George Clooney (and an appearance by yours truly) has opened in limited release. I attended the Los Angeles premiere and walked the red carpet with good friend and editor of the film, Dana Glauberman. Good times.

Dana strikes ‘the’ pose on the red carpet!

Hanging out on a carpet of red.

Jeff and Dana holding for pics from the paparazzi.

By George - it’s George!

This is a keeper!

The after-party at The Beverly Hilton.

I grab a pic with classic comedian Shelley Berman.

(a co-star of my Reitman short: ‘In God We Trust’)

Walter Kirn, author of the novel ‘Up In The Air.’

After a screening later the in the week, I was able to grab a picture with a true star and great guy.

• • •

JEFF IS GOIN’ GREEK!

I worked on the

hit ABC Family show: GREEK. I play David Fanning, a British interviewer for EW. No, not Entertainment Weekly... Engineering Weekly! I worked with Jacob Zachar (he plays Rusty) and the amazingly talented Dan Castellaneta - who plays Dr. Hastings on the show... but you might know him a little better as the voice of Homer Simpson! D’oh!

Dan, Jeff, and Jacob - hanging on the set!

• • •

WITZKE IS ‘LOSING CONTROL’

First of all, I am so excited not only to be a working actor, of late - but on projects that easily lend to fun headlines for my posts!

Anyway - I shot a couple days on an indi-feature called: Losing Control. A fun comedy about a female scientist searching and researching for love. It is written and directed by Valerie Weiss. I play a neighbor who... hmmm... how should I put it?Contributes to her study by donating some... sperm.

Barry Gordon, Kathleen Robertson, yours truly,

Miranda Kent and Lin Shaye.

(oh - I am wearing a hoodie, not a school kid paint smock.)

• • •

WITZKE - UP IN THE AIR...

LITERALLY!

If you happen to be flying American Airlines this month (coincidentally the airline partner for “Up In The Air”) turn to page 29 of the October issue of the in flight magazine - American Way. Something truly special in the air.

• • •

SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT...

Check out some fun stuff that has appeared in a few recent entertainment blogs!

I did my first internet radio interview with:

Click on the logo above to go to the site and listen to the half and hour interview with yours truly.

AND AS AND ADDED BONUS

Dan of Geekadelphia wrote up a fantastic review of ‘House Husbands.’ Check it out:

• • •

2009

“UP IN...” TORONTO

I went to the Toronto Film Festival for the official world premiere of “Up In The Air.” It was a fantastic screening, the crowd was spectacular and very receptive to the film. Jason has done it again. A fabulous movie that is funny, moving and just damn good. Here is what the Owen Glieberman, veteran critic for Entertainment Weekly had to say:

'Up in the Air' is light and dark, hilarious and tragic,

bouncy and brainy, romantic and real. It's everything that

Hollywood has forgotten how to do, but we're blessed

that Jason Reitman has remembered it,"

I was blessed and honored to be there for the festivities and once again have a part in it all! It comes to theaters this holiday season. You will want to see this one!

Jason and George at the Q & A after the film.

Editor Extraordinaire - Dana Glauberman.

• • •

GOIN’ A LITTLE ‘MENTALIST’

Meet Eric Blair... a realtor with a little bit of attitude.

That’s who I play in the season premiere of the CBS hit show “The Mentalist.” It’s a great scene with Simon Baker - just nominated for an Emmy! (Actually, the nominations were announced the day we worked together. I got to congratulate him in person.) Look for it this fall!

Little side note, the director Chris Long let me know that Eric Blair is the real name of George Orwell. Fun trivia fact for you literature folks).

Simon Baker, Eric Blair and Chris Long

Tim Kang who plays Kimball Cho

• • •

A DEVIL OF A PART

I once again had the honor of being in The Blank Theater Company’s Young Playwrights festival. I just love doing it. This year I played The Devil in a play titled “God’s Board Meeting” - where Jesus calls together Mohammed, Buddha, Zeus, Thor, Abraham, Shiva and Confucius because God has turned in her letter of resignation. I show up as an uninvited guest. It was a fun farce written by a sixteen year old girl from Twentynine Palms, CA. I had an absolute BLAST playing with the cast and working once again with director Warren Davis.

• • •

“RECONCILIATION”

I worked a couple days on an

independent feature, “Reconciliation.” Written and directed by Chad Ahrendt, it’s the story of a father and son reconciling their relationship after twenty-four years. I play a not so nice ‘friend’ of the father who appears in a flashback to 1987. It was a great group of folks and a fun shoot (and turns out I had worked with or knew three other cast members - small town.)

• • •

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

The Golden Trailer Awards were announced this week, and low and behold the trailer I worked on for WALL-E won the award for BEST ANIMATION/FAMILY category. Wow! Kudos to all the folks at Craig Murray Productions for a job well done!

Click on the logo to watch it.

• • •

LOVING LIFE “UP IN THE AIR”

I traveled to St. Louis to do my

part in the next Jason Reitman picture: Up In the Air. It stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, and of course me -- Jeff Witzke.

This one is going to be another good one. George plays a guy who is a corporate downsizer (he flies around the country

firing people) and is obsessed with accumulating frequent flyer miles. Bateman’s his Boss and Vera’s his love interest. It’s another witty, interesting look at how we live our lives.

I am the host of Goalquest XX, a very prestigious conference where George’s character has been invited to speak.

I had an amazing time. Not only hanging with my friends (the film is produced by Daniel Dubiecki and DP’d by Eric Steelberg -- we did all of Jason’s short films together) - but made new friends, got to watch some talented actors work and enjoyed the good people and hospitality of St. Louis!

I have to thank fabulous costume designer Danny Glicker (“Thank You For Smoking,” and nominated for an Oscar for “Milk”) for giving my character perhaps the best tie in the world! I tried it on and we knew we found Goalquest Gold!

Here I am with Jason, the tie, and our friend -

the camera on the GOALQUEST XX stage.

• • •

THESE ARE THE DAYS... OF MY LIFE

I booked a voice over on Days Of Our Lives. The cool part was they had me come to the set to do my part live. (Days was my Mom’s soap when I was growing up - so she was thrilled.) I voice a cranky old man, a patient who yells out his room at the new girl at the hospital. I’m told the episode will air April 7th. So keep an ear out for me!

• • •

WATCH ME NIP & TUCK

At last the episode of Nip/Tuck I’m on (titled “Manny Skerritt”) aired on FX. Click below to see me play one of “The Steves” -- super agents to top baby models in the world! I’m pretty proud of it.

• • •

TAKE ME TO THE ‘PILOT’

I am very excited to announce we have wrapped principal photography on a pilot presentation. Written by and starring Michael Cotter, Darren O’Hare and me! A few months ago we came up with a great idea and then decided - why not write it and go out and shoot it!

Our game got raised to the next level when our director, Lee Friedlander, came aboard. She was amazingly enthusiastic about the project and she made it possible for us to shoot on the new Sony RED camera, got together an amazing crew of about twenty people, and got everything we needed in our three day shoot.

We had good friends help us out in every aspect, from being production assistants to being in the cast!

It was an incredible experience and I’m very excited about seeing how it turns out and what we are able to do with it. Kudos To Michael and Darren - for not only putting up with me , but making it so much fun to shoot - we kept laughing and laughing!

• • •

Fall 2008

LIFE ON ‘TIL DEATH

I worked a week on the FOX

sitcom ‘Til Death, starring Brad Garrett. I play Dave Weber - a suburban father whose family dog , Mr. Bumpers, is missing and Kenny (JB Smoove) returns him for the reward. I had a great time and always love the chance to do a show in front of a live studio audience. (Yet - I broke the first rule of show business - never work with kids or animals. Our scene had the wonder poodle - Dash AND the absolutely adorable Buddy. Oh well, they were both too cute!)

• • •

IN COL. KLINK’S FOOTSTEPS

I am honored to follow the tradition of Sgt. Schultz and all the other funny televisions Nazi’s! Here is my bit on FOX’s outrageous comedy, “The Family Guy.”

Click on my animated character above to see the clip!

• • •

REUNITED... “The Show”

I traveled back to

Michigan State University for a reunion of MSU Telecasters, the organization that makes The Show - A student run, produced, written and acted sitcom about dorm life. It was a big part of my life when I was there. I was an actor, writer and even co-produced an episode. The Show is still going 20 years after it’s conception! It was so amazing to celebrate with old friends, meet people who worked on it throughout the years, as well hang with the rockin’ folks who are making it today! A fantastic time I will not soon forget.

Good friend Greg Harrison (left) and I on a panel

about “Breaking Into The Business.”

Greg and I with current cast members Hazen Natzmer

and Darcy Dittrich on the set of “The Show.”

• • •

TO DVR... OR NOT TO DVR

I just shot a commercial for Time Warner Cable, highlighting their DVR. I’m in a bit where my wife and I talk to each other at a cocktail party through our teeth (see Mom, all that money for braces paid off!!)

• • •

Me and my bud Bill Macy at the TYFS Premiere.

Me and country superstar
Toby Keith (and the gang).

More Archive