Biography

Jason Paul Field was born in the blue-collar town of Cleveland, Ohio to parents Barry Lee and Susan Rose. The youngest of three children, Jason has one brother, Barry Michael, and one sister, Lisa Rene.

When Jason was five the family relocated to nearby Akron, Ohio, where Jason was enrolled at King School Elementary, and then attended Litchfield Middle School. During this time Jason developed a flair for classroom clownery and some very peculiar style antics, which brought him some unwanted attention from school authorities. In an attempt to correct the behavior, his parents pulled him from the public school system and enrolled him in a Private Catholic School of Higher Education (Archbishop Hoban High). It appeared to work as Jason was elected Vice-President of student council and earned a spot on the City Champ football team. Unfortunately, his classroom disruptions outshined his participation in school functions and he was expelled at year's end for (among other things) cross-dressing in protest of the school's dress code and blowing up a urinal with a homemade CO2 bomb during a school Mass.

Jason was then returned to the public school system, where he attended Firestone High School. Making an effort to clean the slate, Jason joined the newspaper staff and the bowling team, but it was his affiliation with "The Pit" (the school's designated smoking area) where Jason felt most comfortable. He had also developed a talent for skipping classes, avoiding homework, and challenging the institutional school atmosphere with fiendish fashion exploits. It took a little longer this time, but Jason was expelled again in the middle of his junior year after a confrontation where he verbally and physically assaulted school officials.

Following that, the Akron Board of Education decided to send Jason to Central-Hower, an inner-city vocational school for discipline problem kids. Here students were placed in work study programs designed to train them for a particular profession as opposed to preparing them academically for Higher Education (in other words: Try to get us a job, 'cause we sure as hell weren't going to college!). Jason intended to sign up for cosmetology figuring it would be a great way to meet girls, until he learned you had to earn a license, which required over a thousand hours of service. He was then lured (by one of the other social deviants) to join the Performing Arts department. As fate would have it, this would be a decision that would change his life.

At the mandatory spring auditions in the spring of 1988, Jason took to the stage for the first time to audition for the role of Billy Flynn in the famed Fosse musical "Chicago". The next day Jason was informed he had won the role, but the news was bittersweet because he was also informed that rehearsals were every day after school for 3-4 hours! This would greatly infringe upon Jason's other afterschool activities such as smoking cigarettes, hustling pool, playing video games and vandalizing public property. Jason went to program director Beverly Smith's office to inform her of his decision not to take part in the production. Here Jason learned that if he did not choose to do the part he would flunk, thus having to repeat his junior year of High-School. Caught in the crossfire and with much loving encouragement from Ms. Smith and his family, Jason did the show and a star was born. Well, OK, how about this - another Midwest kid from a dysfunctional family who needed A LOT of attention came up with the big idea that he would be the next James Dean.

Jason remained in school plays until his graduation (on time!) in 1989. On Ms. Smith's recommendation, he enrolled in a summer drama workshop at The North Carolina School of the Arts seeking to win a spot in their fall drama class. He was not selected. He was however asked to audition for the Modern Dance department as they noticed some raw dance talent in his dance studies over the summer. He auditioned and was accepted and attended NCSA in the fall of 1989. Two months later Jason was implicated in the theft of a 20 pound mirrored disco ball from the prop room on campus. Jason was not invited back for a second semester.

Jason held several jobs over the next year and a half as a mall maintenance worker, serving frozen yogurt at TCBY, and waiting tables at several of Akron's dining establishments. After a chance run-in with his high school director Ms. Smith, Jason decided to give acting another go. In 1991, he auditioned for the famed Carnegie-Mellon acting program. He was accepted. With a lot of support and love from friends, peers, faculty and family, Jason managed to overcome his juvenile patterns and earn a BFA in Acting, graduating with a 3.8 GPA in 1995.

Upon graduation, Jason moved to New York City and signed with an agent. Nine months later, he earned his way into Equity (Professional Association for Theatre Artists), and has worked as a professional actor ever since. He is also a member of SAG and AFTRA, and has performed in television and independant films. Hobbies are singing, songwriting, dancing, playing guitar, photography, karaoke impersonations and sports. He would like to thank Mom, Dad, Lisa, Barry Michael, Gramma, Grampa, Aunt Terri, Uncle Eddie, and all of his extended family for their ongoing support. And he would also like to raise a glass ... TO ALL MY FRIENDS!