Actor and podcast host Jon Bernthal is well known for many notable roles, including Shane in The Walking Dead and as FrankCastle/Punisher in the MCU, a role he will reprise in the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. On Sunday, September 8, Bernthal was honored with his first Emmy award for his role as Mikey Berzatto in the FX for Hulu series The Bear.
Bernthal first appeared in season 1 of the comedy-drama and has continued the role through season 3. The series second season was nominated for a record 23 awards, of which is won seven in the following categories.
Bernthal's nomination was based on his performance in the widely acclaimed season 2, episode 14, "Fishes," which received nine of the 2024 Emmy nominations. This episode featured a long list of unannounced guest roles including Jamie Lee Curits, who also won an Emmy for her role, Oliver Platt, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Paulson.
"Fishes" is considered one of the greatest episodes of the second which the synopsis reads: Mikey, the eldest Berzatto sibling, wrestles with inner turmoil amid strained relations with Uncle Lee. He softens when Carmy discusses revamping The Beef, exposing Mikey’s financial worries and past battles with depression. Tensions climax as Mikey’s pent-up frustrations erupt in a heated clash with Lee.
The episode was praised for the intensity of the family dynamic and outstanding and unrestrained performances from the cast. Vulture, foretelling the future, called the episode "absolutely exhausting to watch" and said, "[b]oth the writing and the execution of 'Fishes' speaks to how well The Bear is able to walk its dramatic tightrope and come Emmy season 2024, you just know everyone involved in this episode is going to clean the hell up
Bernthal has been acting since the early 2000s and began portraying Shane in The Walking Dead in 2010 during the series' first season. His role was cut short in season 2 with one of the most impactful deaths of the series. During the early stages of the outbreak, it was believed that only a walker bite would cause someone to reanimate, but Shane's death would mark the first notable death that saw a human turn without being bit. This proved Dr. Jenner (Noah Emmerich) of the CDC was speaking the truth when he told Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) that we are all infected. Bernthal did an incredible job bringing Shane to life, a character first featured in The Walking Dead comic created by Robert Kirkman.
The Netflix series The Punisher featured Bernthal in a reprisal of his role from Daredevil as Frank Castle/Punisher. The series ran for two seasons on the streamer.
In 2022, Bernthal starred in the HBO series We Own This City as Baltimore Police Department Sergeant Wayne Jenkins.
He has been praised for his role as a sad yet sweet motel owner with Parkinson's disease in the neo-thriller Sweet Virginia. Indie Wire described his performance as "phenomenal playing against his macho meathead type with a character who’s haunted by his past and just wants to start over with whatever spare parts he finds lying around."
Small Engine Repair was another chance for Bernthal to reprise a role he previously played on stage. The film is based on John Pollono's same-titled play. In both productions, Bernthal portrayed Terrance Swaino, who reunites with some old friends in a meeting that holds a hidden agenda. Bernthal won the Ovation Award for Best Acting in a Play for the role, and the cast won the Garland Award for Outstanding Acting Ensemble.
In 2021, Bernthal starred with Will Smith in biographical sports movie King Richard, which chronicled the life of Richard Williams, father and coach of tennis sensations Venus and Serena Williams. Bernthal won the Detroit Film Critics Society for Best Supporting Actor for his role.
He also starred in the highly acclaimed war movie Fury, which has been praised for its oustanding cast which also includes Brad Pitt , Shia LaBeouf , Logan Lerman , Michael Peña , Jason Isaacs , and Scott Eastwood. The cast won the National Board of Review Award for Best Cast.
He portrayed Brax Wolff in the 2016 movie The Accountant with Ben Affleck and will reprise this role in the upcoming sequel. The new film is scheduled for release on April 25, 2025.
He also has stand out roles in Ford v Ferrari as Lee Iacocca and in the black comedy, The Wolf of Wall Street.
In 2017, Bernthal appeared in Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut, Wind River, a neo-Western crime movie with Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. He also appeared in Sheridan's 2019 movie Those Who Wish Me Dead, an action thriller with Angelina Jolie.
Congrats to Jon Bernthal on his first Emmy win for his performance as Mikey Berzatto in The Bear. Be sure to check out his podcast, Real Ones with Jon Bernthal described as giving "the microphone to some of the most interesting, authentic people living on the front lines of the big issues of our time."
