What You Don't Know About Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman is an award-winning actor, producer, and director. At the beginning of his career, he was a child actor on television shows like Little House on the Prairie. He became a teen idol, appearing in series such as The Hogan Family. On Fox and then on Netflix, he starred as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, and he stars in, directs, and produces Netflix's Ozark (which will wrap up this year). On the big screen, he has had comedic roles in movies like The Break-Up, Juno, The Switch, Horrible Bosses, and Game Night (via IMDb).

What was his first acting gig, though? What sort of education did he receive? What speed bumps has he hit along the way, while rising to fame in Hollywood? What does he do in his spare time? What facts are there to know about his family? All of that and more can be found down below!

Bateman has been in the spotlight since a young age, growing up as a child star. In the 1980s, he was on Little House on the Prairie as James Cooper and on Silver Spoons as Derek Taylor. He starred as David Hogan on The Hogan Family and was even the youngest director in the Directors Guild of America, after directing three episodes of the show when he was 18, as stated by Us Weekly. He also appeared in Teen Wolf Too, a sequel to Teen Wolf (via IMDb).

Before all of that, though, Bateman first popped up in front of a camera in 1980, in order to promote a well-known cereal: Golden Grahams (via Rediscover the '80s)! Kirk Cameron, Fred Savage, and Jerry O'Connell are some more big names who also were featured in commercials during the '80s, and just look at all the success these four actors have had since then.

According to MyRye.com, Bateman was born in Rye, New York, to Victoria, who was a Pan Am flight attendant, and Kent, who was an actor, writer, and director. Bateman has three half-brothers, as well as an older sister who is also famous. Justine Bateman acts, writes, produces, and directs, having previously appeared on Family Ties, Desperate Housewives, and Californication (via IMDb).

Since Bateman and his sister were acting at such a young age, some of their paychecks went toward helping support their family. Additionally, at that time, Bateman's father was his manager, as reported by Her Moments. When speaking of that time in his life and sharing the financial burdens with his parents, Bateman said it "got a little complicated" and "a little confusing" (via The Guardian). "I don't think there are many people who would say that was a healthy situation," he said in an interview with NJ.com.

Many people out there are familiar with at least some of Bateman's acting credits. But what about his education? On celebvogue.com, it says that he studied at Pacific Hills School in Los Angeles, California, and, according to Celeb Answers, he did not attend college, nor did he graduate from high school. This was reportedly due to not taking his final exams, since he was busy filming Teen Wolf Too during that time.

However, according to a source and former classmate of Bateman's who spoke with Star Magazine, drug use is what led to this celebrity dropping out of high school, as he was rumored to have done it everywhere, "halls, bathrooms, classrooms, you name it." The source said they would sit next to the actor while he "snorted cocaine off his hand during math class" and that drugs "no doubt" had to do with Bateman never getting his high school diploma.

Bateman lost his virginity when he was 15, started drinking when he was 16, and was soon abusing both alcohol and drugs, as reported by The Mirror. "Booze was what would make me want to stay out all night and do some blow or smoke a joint or whatever, so shutting that off was key," he told Us Weekly. "It's like ketchup and French fries — I don't want one without the other."

When he tied the knot with Amanda Anka, he was still partying, which was putting a strain on the relationship. And, at that point in his life, he asked himself an important question: "Do you want to continue being great at being in your twenties, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?" When discussing this with IWNDWYT.app, he said that, since he has been sober, he doesn't plan on going back to his old ways.

Yes, in today's day and age, Bateman seems to have traded out the partying lifestyle of the past for an active one, as he utilizes any free time for some fitness-related hobbies. He is a cycling enthusiast, and he runs, on average, five miles a day, which is his "meditation time," when he clears his mind, prefers not to have any music, and can just think about his day, according to an interview with Men's Health.

A bike is not the only thing Bateman can drive — back in 1987, he won the celebrity portion of the Long Beach Grand Prix. The racing event started in 1974, and the pro-celebrity race ended in 2016, due to costs. But when celebs were a big part of this three-day festival, some such as Gene Hackman, Stephen Baldwin, Donny Osmond, Alfonso Ribeiro, and this Ozark star were declared winners (via seeing-stars.com).

A final fact to know about this actor has to do with Bateman's love life. On July 3, 2001, he tied the knot with Amanda Anka, and they have two daughters together: Maple Sylvie, who was born in 2012, and Francesca Nora, who was born in 2006 (via IMDb).

If Bateman's wife's maiden name sounds familiar, it is because she is the daughter of singer and songwriter Paul Anka! Anka is known for hits like, "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" and "(You're) Having My Baby," and he has six children, including a daughter who married the one and only Jason Bateman (via IMDb).

Anka even encourages his fans to support Bateman's career, as seen by a Facebook post from last year. The singer said he was looking forward to and would be watching Ozark — "starring my incredibly talented son in law."

If you are, or anyone you know is, struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).