Cast of 'Son of Zorn'

Johnny Pemberton | Biography 2021

• By Ojasbi
• Update : July 27, 2021

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Johnny Pemberton is an American actor and comedian best known for his roles in the movies, In the Loop, Ant-Man, and 21 Jump Street.

Who is Johnny Pemberton?

Pemberton is an actor, comedian, podcast host, writer, and streamer from Rochester, Minnesota, the U.S. Born to a two-generational family of doctors, Pemberton's parents were initially discontent with pursuing a career in comedy. Later, his parents stood by and watched as their son's career progressed with cameo roles in films like 21 Jump Street (2012), This Is 40 (2012), and Armando Iannucci's Oscar-nominated film In the Loop (2009). 

He kicked off his appearance on the television with the TV series Hollywood Residential playing a cameo role of PA in 2008 and has contributed to hits like Son of Zorn (2016-2017), an American animated/live-action sitcom, playing the main role of Alan. Besides this, he also portrayed the voice of Peanut on the Disney XD show Pickle and Peanut (2015-2018). 

Additionally, Pemberton is a nationwide traveling comedian and the host of Starburns Audio's cutting-edge podcast Live to Tape. He wrote the TV Series MegaDrive in 2010.  

In the year 2020, he started streaming on Twitch. DJing, chatting, interviews, gardening, and playing video games were all part of his stream.

Early life and Education

Johnny Pemberton was born on June 1, 1981, in Rochester. He was born to a family of Mayo Clinic surgeons. His great-grandfather, John DeJarnette Pemberton, worked alongside the hospital's founding brothers, and his father, John Pemberton, worked as an ulcerative colitis specialist at Mayo Clinic. Coincidentally, he too was a patient of ulcerative colitis in his childhood days. He grew up with his sisters Maggie Pemberton, Lauren Pemberton, and brother Jeff Pemberton.

Pemberton's paramount medico background did not persuade him to pursue his family's legacy. Instead, the Lourdes High School graduate decided to choose a different path of his interest - TV and comedy.

"I thought about a career in science. I still do. I didn't realize comedy was something you could do as a career. I just kind of fell into it," Pemberton said during a telephonic interview with StarTribune in 2013.

Later, he graduated from Florida State University and gained the courage to move to Los Angeles to pursue comedy. There, he landed in the behind-the-scenes job at Fox Broadcasting. In the evenings, Pemberton invested his time in clubs to hone his stand-up routine. Though his career choice was a matter of resentment to his parents, they continued to support him and appreciated his efforts. His father anticipated one of his children to follow in his footsteps. He stated, "It never worked on any of them." "We're 0 for four," he added.

TV series

Pemberton began his journey in TV series through cameo appearances on Hollywood Residential in 2008, playing the PA role. In 2010, he made another cameo appearance on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Craig. 

In 2013, he worked on Bob's Burgers portraying the voice of Dr. Eigerman in the episode The Kids Run the Restaurant. The same year he appeared on other TV series such as New Girl in the episode Virgins, in the animated television series Adventure Time voicing the character Braco in the episode, The Suitor, and on Perception as an imaginary fanboy in the episode Alienation. He got his first main role as Mason Baumgardner on the famous Family Tools.

From 2013–2015, he fulfilled his recurring role on Kroll Show. In 2015, he played cameo roles on several series such as Community in the episode Queer Studies & Advanced Waxing, on the TV series Review as Tim in the episode, Curing Homosexuality, Mile High Club, and on Fresh Off the Boat in the episode, Shaquille O'Neal Motors. He also contributed his voice as Peanut to the American animated series Pickle and Peanut (2015–2018).

Similarly, from 2015 to 2021, he worked on Superstore portraying the recurring role of Bo Thompson. His other works include Son of Zorn (2016–2017), You're the Worst (2017), I Feel Bad (2018), Just Roll With It (2019), The Midnight Gospel (2020), and Corporate (2020)

Films

Pemberton starred in the British satirical black comedy film, In the Loop, in 2009, where he portrayed the role of A.J. Brown, followed by the movie Let Go in 2011, portraying the Preppy Kid. In 2012 he played the role of Richard in Dream World and got featured as Delroy in 21 Jump Street. The same year he contributed to This Is 40 as a room service waiter and The Watch as a Skater Kid. Additionally, he played the role of Delroy in the movie 22 Jump Street and the role of Desk Guy in Jason Nash Is Married in 2014

Similarly, he worked for several other movies such as Band of Robbers, and Ant-Man in 2015,  The 4th, and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising in 2016, The Night Is Young in 2017, Action Point, and Living Room Coffin in 2018, Headlock, and Tone-Deaf in 2019, King Knight in 2020 and Unplugging in 2021.

TV shows, series, and videos

Pemberton kicked off his screen appearance in 2007 with a TV program, Vamp'd, portraying the character of Max Mcgee. The same year he worked for the TV program UCB Comedy Originals. In 2008, he starred in another TV show, My New Family, and on TV series Hollywood Residential. He simultaneously worked on Groove Fighters from 2007 to 2008

In 2009, he worked in the TV series The Pop, Making Mistakes, and Sky Pilot. From 2009-2010 he worked for Gigabots as Phoenix Stryker, followed by a cameo role in Punks in 2011. He further starred in the short comedy piece It's F* Ckin' Late with Dave Coulier as Johnny Pemberton in 2012. He worked for a few more shows like Peter at the End, Looper: Baldness Anxiety, Call Me Maybe Not, Party Time, and A Dog for Christmas in 2012 

Similarly, in 2013 he was seen in a TV short Greenboy: Prescription for Death as Teddy Carstairs. From 2013-2016 he worked for a short TV program Pound House and in 2017 appeared in I Know You from Somewhere and Kiss My Ass with Josh and Dicker. Dealership was another short in 2020 where he portrayed the role of Adam. 

 ‘Aim High’

Johnny Pemberton appeared in six episodes of the thriller series Aim High (2011-2013) in 2011. He played Marcus Anderson. The series followed a high school kid who had a secret identity as a teenage spy.

Furthermore, Pemberton was asked by Trainwreck’d society in 2013 how he got involved with Aim High to which he shared, “I was shopping at a Ralphs supermarket in Culver City when I ran into the auteur director Robert Rodriguez who was buying some props for his latest movie. We got to talking and he spilled the beans about this project he heard about that was casting nearby in a few weeks”.

“Fast forward a few weeks later… I took the bus from Downtown LA, where I was living at the time, down Adams boulevard to Culver City and auditioned for the part of Marcus. They liked me and asked that I hang out for a few hours while they made a decision. I walked over to J-N-J burger for some BBQ then bought some records at Records LA. Then I went back to Bandito Bros and they said I had the part. I also love Thor Fruedenthal, the director”, he added to his statement.

‘Family Tools’

Family Tools (2013) is a comedy series based on a British sitcom, White Van Man (2011-2012). The series follows the character Jack’s forceful specification to acquire his father's (Tony, played by J.K. Simmons) mending business, keeping aside his personal wants in life. 

Pemberton portrayed the character Mason on Family Tools. The series plots the protagonist, Jack moving in with his nephew Mason and aunt Terry Baumgardner, after his father, Tony, experiences a heart attack to handle the family repair business. 

“It’s a great show about a crazy family in a town where people live and work. Sometimes the characters have an argument or a disagreement, but generally, things work out by the end. Sometimes there is a challenge that one character will face whilst another character is facing a different challenge simultaneously. Oftentimes these 2 events will come together at the end of the show for a hilarious blow out”, Pemberton told Trainwreck’d society in 2013 in reference to what Family Tools would bring forth.

“Mason suffered a minor head injury early in life which may or may not have affected his personal development”, he added on his character’s portrayal.

‘Pickle and Peanut’

Pickle and Peanut is an animated comedy series that uses a mix of animation and live-action to depict the escapades of two unusual companions, an emotional pickle and a freewheeling peanut. The two-season, 42-episode series aired from 2015 to 2018. Pemberton voiced the titular character peanut in about 34 episodes of the series and Jon Heder performed the voice of the other titular Pickle for the same number of episodes.

Pickle and Peanut are best friends who have a lot of strange adventures during their senior year of high school in a fictional Reno, Nevada neighborhood.

‘I Feel Bad’

I Feel Bad was a 2018 NBC comedy series that aired 13 episodes over the course of a season. The series follows the character Emet, who appears to be the ideal mother, wife, daughter, friend, and boss, yet she is far from flawless. The titular reference adheres to scenes where she feels awful about having a seductive dream about someone other than her husband, or when she acts indifferent to her children, Lily and Louie, when they act disobedient in public, or when she utilizes her employees to assist her address personal difficulties. Pemberton portrayed the character Griff in the series.

Furthermore, the sitcom was not renewed for a second season and was wrapped up with a season comprising a 13-episode sequence. The comedy series was canceled by NBC after it failed to gain momentum with viewers and received mixed reviews, making a second season improbable. 

The fate of the family sitcom was somewhat alluded to by the decision of NBC to increase the order for Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s sixth season by six episodes.

‘The Midnight Gospel’ Season 1

The animated adventure, comedy, fantasy, and sci-fi amalgam Midnight Gospel premiered its first season on 20 April 2020. It introduces the world to space caster Clancy Gilroy, voiced by Duncan Trussell, who ventures to varied worlds to interact with people right before they're swept out by a cataclysmic event, often with Clancy narrowly avoiding the event and escaping out.

The series had aired a season consisting of eight episodes as of 2020. Each episode featured interactions between Clancy and another being from a different world on spiritual topics such as meditation, hope, and death. The episodes were outlined on the pre-recorded conversation with comedians, spiritual teachers, and other guests of 'The Duncan Trussell Family Hour', a free podcast facilitated by an American comedian, writer, and actor Duncan Trussell, which included personalities like Joey Diaz, Trudy Goodman, and Dr. Drew. Trussell is the creator of Midnight Gospel.

‘The Midnight Gospel’ Season 2

An official confirmation regarding the second season of Midnight Gospel hasn’t been announced yet but as speculated, in reference to the gap between seasons of other Netflix series, Midnight Gospel is expected to return to the screen in 2021. The second season is expected to go deeper into topics such as birth, death, rebirth, and transfiguration of the first season. According to reports, it will transport people on a profound cosmic voyage and elevate the psychedelic experience.

Voice actors

Pemberton voiced the character, Cornelius, in the series alongside other voice actors, namely, Duncan Trussell as Clancy Gilroy, Phil Hendrie as Universe Simulator, Christiana P as Bobua, Maria Bamford as Butt Demon, Steve Little as Captain Byrce, Dong Lussenhop as Daniel Hoops, Joey 'Coco' Diaz as Chuck Charles and Stephen Root as Bill Taft.

New Projects

Pemberton's new project which is currently in preparation to come out in 2021 includes King Knight that stars him as Desmond and Unplugging stars him as Tim.

'Middlemost Post'

Middlemost Post, directed by John Trabbic III, who previously worked on SpongeBob SquarePants follows an exuberant rain cloud, a brawny mailman, and their magical pet walrus as they carry presents to the strange residents of Mount Middlemost. Pemberton will voice Ryan in this Nickelodeon original animated series, which will launch in July 2021.

Pemberton on 'Son of Zorn'

Son of Zorn is an FBC animated/live-executed sitcom developed by Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné. The show is set in an alternate dimension where conventional animated characters coexist with actual humans. Zorn is a fighter from the completely fictitious island of Zephyria. He relocates to Orange County, California, hoping to reunite with his ex-wife and teenage son Alangulon, abbreviated 'Alan.' Pemberton played the titular role of Alan, the vegetarian half-Zephyrian son of Zorn and Edie.

"Watch this and then buy the products that are advertised during the commercials. Laugh a lot, too. Laugh a lot while you're watching," he added his humor while explaining what the sitcom was trying to portray in an interview with Den of Greek in 2016.

"I don't know! I think the only negatives would be self-inflicted. In terms of being embarrassed about them or being self-conscious. Once you get over that hurdle I think it's just all literally getting over hurdles. You could run hurdles infinitely faster. I would love it. I would love to have a cartoon digestive system. That'd be great," he added on whether he wanted cartoon leg's like Alan in real life or not and on the pros and cons of those legs.

In an interview with the Sioux City Journal, he also stated that acting like a cartoon hero's son is 1.5 times more difficult than regular acting.

'Superstore'

Superstore is an American television show that aired on NBC from November 30, 2015, to March 25, 2021. Superstore manifested the story of a team of employees at Cloud 9, store number 1217, a fictitious big-box store in St. Louis, Missouri. The show broadcasted a total of six seasons.

Johnny Pemberton portrayed the recurring role of Bilbo Bo Derek Thompson, Cheyenne's immature, want-to-be-rapper husband and Harmonica's father, who briefly worked at Cloud 9 in Superstore. 

A spin-off of 'Superstore' 

In December 2020, NBC announced that the show would be closed after six seasons. A few days later, Deadline reported that the co-executive producers, Bridget Kyle and Vicky Luu, were working on a Superstore spin-off, centered on the couple, Cheyenne and Bo. 

Bo & Cheyenne, the alleged spin-off intended to circumvent "balancing the couple's big dreams with the harsh realities of being a blue-collar family in America." 

A pilot script was also prepared in this connection, but NBC decided not to move forward with the spin-off.

Podcast

Pemberton is a nationwide traveling comedian and the host of Starburns Audio's cutting-edge podcast Live to Tape, where he talks to people in a funny, weird, and inspiring manner. The podcast has over 170 episodes and is still running as of 2021.

Personal Life

Pemberton is happily married to Britt Pemberton. Britt owns Sleepy Britt Store and is active in designing, crafting, and illustrating art.

“that fact this person agreed to marry me is more proof we live in a simulation *EDIT* we’ve been married for a while now, I’m just saying it’s cool that we are married. thanks for your congrats tho, I didn’t post anything when we did get married because if you saw our wedding pics your head would explode”, he wrote on his Instagram beside a picture with his wife on 12 August 2020.

Pemberton expressed his fascination with collecting weird things in a talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. 

"Yes, I'm a bit of a collector….. Mostly like things that are similar to thrash as you can say like I collect the little coconut husk. Well someday I'm gonna make plants with the coconut husk, like putting a plant in the coconut husk," he said and added, "I collect a lot of pieces of wood if I find a piece of wood outside."