About John
From drama to comedy, film, acclaimed television series, and on stage, John Hoogenakker has made a name for himself over the years bringing vivid, dynamic character to life on screen. This year Hoogenakker can be seen appearing on Amazon’s highly anticipated drama series “Jack Ryan” opposite John Krasinski. The series follows up-and-coming CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Krasinski) who is thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time, and uncovers a patter in terrorist communication that launches him into the middle of a dangerous gambit with a new breed of terrorism. Hoogenakker shines as Matice, a tough and salty American who works black ops for the CIA. At first skeptical of what appears to be a desk-jockey, he quickly develops a new respect for Ryan after seeing him handle himself in the field.
Aside from “Jack Ryan” Hoogenakker was most recently seen with a major recurring role throughout season three of USA’s critically acclaimed drama series “Colony” opposite Sarah Wayne Callies and Josh Holloway. Additional recent credits also include: “The Girlfriend Experience,” “Empire,” “Chicago Fire,” and “Boss.”
Hoogenakker became an actor at an early age, appearing in local shows at the Children’s Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina. A two time state and district champion in Humorous Interpretation, a High School Debate event, he went on to attend The Theatre School at DePaul University, in Chicago. Hoogenakker found his calling on stage, appearing in many of the city’s illustrious houses including turns in shows at The Goodman, Writers' Theatre, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the renowned Steppenwolf Garage. His varied stage work ranges from Chris Smith in Tracy Letts' Killer Joe to the role of Hamlet at The Illinois Shakespeare Festival. At the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York he received excellent reviews as the tragic alcohol addled Willie Oban in the acclaimed remounting of The Iceman Cometh, alongside Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy.
One of the first on camera roles Hoogenakker secured after college was in “Flags of Our Fathers,” under the esteemed direction of Clint Eastwood. From there he has gone on to play roles in film and television that range from a Ukrainian mobster in “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas” to an FBI agent opposite Marion Cotillard and Christian Bale in “Public Enemies.”
While you are likely familiar with the characters Hoogenakker has portrayed in film and TV, he has also appeared in millions of homes across the country on the commercial front. From Pepsi/NASCAR to Baskin-Robbins, Avocados of Mexico, Hyundai, voicing campaigns for McDonald’s, BMO Harris, Nintendo, Tyson and Sears, and even working with Robert De Niro for Santander, Hoogenakker has had a lucrative career commercially. His work with Bud Light as the Bud Light King has helped introduce the nonsensical phrase ‘Dilly Dilly’ into the cultural lexicon.
When Hoogenakker is not on sets around the world, he enjoys spending time with his family, and being outside as much as possible.
