Jon Cassar
{{Short description|Maltese-Canadian director and producer}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jon Cassar
| image = Jon Cassar by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption = Cassar at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
| birth_name = John Francis Cassar
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|4|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = British Malta
| alma_mater = Algonquin College
| occupation = {{Flat list|
- Director
- producer}}
| years_active = 1986–present
| spouse = Kristina Kinderman
| children = 2
}}
John Francis "Jon" Cassar (born 27 April 1958) is a Maltese-Canadian television director and producer, known for his work on the first seven seasons of 24. In 2006, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on the episode "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.". In 2011, he produced and directed all episodes of the Canadian-American miniseries The Kennedys, for which he won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Television Film and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.
Early life
Jon Francis Cassar was born in Malta on 27 April 1958, and immigrated to Canada in 1963 with his mother, Elda (née Segona), and father, Frank Cassar.{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3069600028.html|title=Cassar, Jon 1958- (John Cassar)|publisher=Encyclopedia.com}} He has two younger siblings, Bernard Cassar and Kristine Palsis. Cassar is a graduate of Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario.{{cite web|url=http://www.algonquincollege.com/alumni/2011/11/29/premier’s-award-jon-cassar/|title=Premier's Award presented to Algonquin College Alumnus, Jon Cassar, as part of Higher Education Summit|publisher=Algonquin College|date=November 29, 2011|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220174456/http://www.algonquincollege.com/alumni/2011/11/29/premier%e2%80%99s-award-jon-cassar/|archive-date=February 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}
Career
After La Femme Nikita ended, for which he directed 14 episodes, Cassar began working as director and executive producer on the FOX drama-thriller series 24. In 2006, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.".{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060829/local/maltese-born-director-lands-emmy-for-24.43046|title=Maltese-born director lands Emmy for 24|work=Times of Malta|date=August 29, 2006}} In addition, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row (2003–06), winning one in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/news/me-my-emmy-jon-cassar|title=Me & My Emmy: Jon Cassar|publisher=Emmys.com|first=Corey|last=Nickols|date=January 6, 2015}} He directed the spin-off feature film, 24: Redemption, in 2008. Following the completion of the seventh season of 24, Cassar left the series to focus on other projects. He joined the FOX science fiction series Terra Nova in 2010, as a producer and director.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2010/06/24-alum-jon-cassar-joins-terra-nova-48708/|title='24' Alum Jon Cassar Joins 'Terra Nova'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=June 23, 2010}}
In 2012, Cassar won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Television Film and the Directors Guild of Canada Award for Outstanding Direction – Television Movie/Miniseries for his work on the 2011 miniseries The Kennedys.{{cite web|url=http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/13004/jon-cassar-wins-dga-award-for-the-kennedys/|title=Jon Cassar Wins DGA Award for The Kennedys|publisher=Reelz|date=January 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303095930/http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/13004/jon-cassar-wins-dga-award-for-the-kennedys/|archive-date=March 3, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directors-guild-canada-awards-dangerous-381464|title=David Cronenberg's 'A Dangerous Method,' Jon Cassar's 'The Kennedys' Dominate Directors Guild of Canada Awards|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 21, 2012}} For producing the series, he was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. In 2014, it was announced that he would return for 24{{'s}} follow-up event series, 24: Live Another Day, which debuted on 5 May 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/2013/tv/news/jon-cassar-to-helm-exec-produce-foxs-24-live-another-day-1200495778/|title=Jon Cassar to Helm, Exec Produce Fox's '24: Live Another Day'|work=Variety|first=AJ|last=Marechal|date=June 12, 2013}} In 2015, Cassar joined the ABC anthology series Wicked City as an executive producer and director.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2015/06/jon-cassar-boards-abcs-1980s-la-crime-drama-wicked-city/|title=Jon Cassar Boards ABC's 1980s LA Crime Drama 'Wicked City'|publisher=TV Wise|first=Patrick|last=Munn|date=June 29, 2015}}
Personal life
Cassar is married to Kristina Kinderman with whom he has two children: photographer Zak Cassar and actor Alexis "Lex" Cassar. Zak is married to singer Betty Who and Lex's wife is actress Sprague Grayden.
He is the co-founder of the Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance, which hosts an annual charity auction called "Lights, Camera, Auction".{{cite web|url=http://www.mpica.org/|title=Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance|publisher=MPICA.org}}
Filmography
=Director credits=
==Television==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Rabbit Hole (2023; 1 episode)
- Law & Order: Organized Crime (2023–2024; 2 episodes)
- FBI: Most Wanted (2023–2025; 2 episodes)
- FBI (2022–2025; 3 episodes)
- Medici: Masters of Florence (2018; first four episodes of the second season)
- The Orville (2017–2019; 3 episodes)
- 24: Legacy (2017; 4 episodes)
- The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017; 3 episodes)
- Wicked City (2015; 8 episodes)
- Between (2015; 2 episodes)
- 24: Live Another Day (2014; 6 episodes)
- Nikita (2013; episode: "Reunion")
- Revolution (2012–2013; 2 episodes)
- Person of Interest (2012; episode: "Bad Code")
- Continuum (2012; 2 episodes)
- Touch (2012; episode: "Tessellations")
- Terra Nova (2011; 5 episodes)
- The Kennedys (2011; 8 episodes)
- Human Target (2010; episode: "Lockdown")
- Fringe (2009–2012; 2 episodes)
- Washington Field (2009; unsold pilot)
- Criminal Minds (2009; episode: "Haunted")
- Company Man (2007; unsold pilot)
- 24 (2001–2009; 59 episodes)
- The Dead Zone (2002; 2 episodes)
- Mutant X (2001–2002; 3 episodes)
- Sheena (2000–2001; 3 episodes)
- Queen of Swords (2000; 2 episodes)
- Code Name: Eternity (2000; episode: "Death Trap")
- Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (2000; episode: "GeoCore")
- Profiler (1999; 2 episodes)
- Amazon (1999; episode: "Fallen Angels")
- La Femme Nikita (1997–2001; 14 episodes)
- F/X: The Series (1997; episode: "Medea")
- Baywatch Nights (1996–1997; 4 episodes)
- Due South (1996; episode: "Body Language")
- The Hardy Boys (1995; 2 episodes)
- Pointman (1995; 5 episodes)
- Nancy Drew (1995; 4 episodes)
- Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1994–1996; 12 episodes)
- Forever Knight (1992–1996; 7 episodes)
{{div col end}}
==Film==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- When the Bough Breaks (2016)
- Forsaken (2015)
- 24: Redemption (2008)
- Danger Beneath the Sea (2001)
- Assault on Death Mountain (1999)
- CHiPs '99 (1998)
- The Ultimate Weapon (1998)
- Assault on Devil's Island (1997)
- The Final Goal Part 2: Final Goalier (1996)
- The Final Goal (1995)
{{div col end}}
= Producer credits =
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- The Orville (2019–present; 14 episodes; Executive producer from Season 2)
- 24: Legacy (2017; 12 episodes)
- The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017; 4 episodes)
- Wicked City (2015; 8 episodes)
- Rio Heat (2015)
- 24: Live Another Day (2014; 12 episodes)
- Terra Nova (2011; 13 episodes)
- The Kennedys (2011; 8 episodes)
- 24: Redemption (2008)
- 24: Day 6 Debrief (2007; 5 episodes)
- 24 (2002–2009; 147 episodes)
{{div col end}}
= Camera credits =
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- PCU (1994; camera operator)
- Trapped in Paradise (1994; camera operator)
- Clearcut (1992; Steadicam and camera operator)
- The Cutting Edge (1992; camera operator)
- Termini Station (1991; camera operator)
- Millennium (1989; Steadicam operator)
- The Dream Team (1989; Steadicam operator)
{{div col end}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result |
|---|
| 1998
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Series | {{nom}} |
| 2003
| rowspan="2"| Primetime Emmy Awards | rowspan="2"| Outstanding Drama Series | rowspan="11"| 24 | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="3"| 2004
| {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"| Directors Guild of America Awards
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television | {{nom}} |
| Outstanding Directing – Drama Series
| {{nom}} |
| 2005
| rowspan="3"| Primetime Emmy Awards | rowspan="2"| Outstanding Drama Series | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="4"| 2006
| {{won}} |
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
| {{won}} |
| Golden Nymph Awards
| Best International Producer | {{won}} |
| rowspan="2"| Producers Guild of America Awards
| rowspan="2"| Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"| 2007
| {{nom}} |
| Directors Guild of America Awards
| Outstanding Directing – Drama Series | {{won}} |
| 2009
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | {{nom}} |
| 2011
| Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | rowspan="5"| The Kennedys | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="4"| 2012
| rowspan="2"| Directors Guild of Canada Awards | Outstanding Direction – Television Movie/Miniseries | {{won}} |
| Outstanding Television Movie/Miniseries
| {{won}} |
| Producers Guild of America Awards
| Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | {{nom}} |
| Directors Guild of America Awards
| Outstanding Directing – Television Film | {{won}} |
| 2013
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Series | {{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0143984}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100330065945/http://yourvideostoreshelf.com/?page_id=66%2F 2007 Audio Interview at Your Video Store Shelf]
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Jon Cassar
|list =
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaOutstandingDirectingDramaSeries 1990–2009}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardMiniseriesorTVFilm}}
{{EmmyAward DirectingDrama 2001-2025}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassar, Jon}}
Category:Canadian television directors
Category:Canadian television producers
Category:Algonquin College alumni
Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners
Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners
Category:Maltese emigrants to Canada