Justin Bartha | |
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Bartha in 2011
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Born |
Justin Lee Bartha July 21, 1978 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States |
Alma mater | Tisch School of Arts |
Occupation | Actor, writer, producer |
Years active | 1998–present |
Spouse(s) | Lia Smith (m. 2014) |
Children | 2 |
Justin Lee Bartha (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor, writer, and producer, known for his roles as Riley Poole in the National Treasure film series, Doug Billings in The Hangover trilogy, and David Sawyer in the NBC comedy series The New Normal.
Bartha was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and moved to West Bloomfield, Michigan, when he was eight. His father, Stephen, is a real estate developer, while his mother, Betty, is a school teacher. He has one older brother, Jeffrey. Bartha was raised in a Reform Jewish family. After he graduated from West Bloomfield High School in 1996, he moved to New York City and studied filmmaking and theatre at New York University's Tisch School of Arts.
Bartha began his film career behind the camera as a production assistant on the film Analyze This. His acting debut came with his first film, 54, as a clubgoer. He wrote and directed a short film, Highs and Lows with Darrell M. Smith as co-producer, which was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2003. Additionally, he wrote, produced, and starred in an MTV pilot called The Dustin and Justin Show.
Bartha had major roles in the critically bashed Gigli and Carnival Sun in 2003 before his co-starring role in National Treasure (2004) as Riley Poole, which launched him into the mainstream.