Jon Cassar
Cassar at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	John Francis Cassar (1958-04-27) 27 April 1958 (age 66) Malta
Alma mater	Algonquin College
Occupations	Director producer
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Kristina Kinderman
Children	2

John Francis "Jon" Cassar (born 27 April 1958) is a Maltese-Canadian television director and producer, known for his work on the first seven seasons of 24. In 2006, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on the episode "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.". In 2011, he produced and directed all episodes of the Canadian-American miniseries The Kennedys, for which he won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Television Film and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.

Early life

Jon Francis Cassar was born in Malta on 27 April 1958, and immigrated to Canada in 1963 with his mother, Elda (née Segona), and father, Frank Cassar.^[1] He has two younger siblings, Bernard Cassar and Kristine Palsis. Cassar is a graduate of Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario.^[2]

Career

After La Femme Nikita ended, for which he directed 14 episodes, Cassar began working as director and executive producer on the FOX drama-thriller series 24. In 2006, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.".^[3] In addition, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row (2003–06), winning one in 2006.^[4] He directed the spin-off feature film, 24: Redemption, in 2008. Following the completion of the seventh season of 24, Cassar left the series to focus on other projects. He joined the FOX science fiction series Terra Nova in 2010, as a producer and director.^[5]

In 2012, Cassar won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Television Film and the Directors Guild of Canada Award for Outstanding Direction – Television Movie/Miniseries for his work on the 2011 miniseries The Kennedys.^[6]^[7] For producing the series, he was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.^[4] In 2014, it was announced that he would return for 24's follow-up event series, 24: Live Another Day, which debuted on May 5, 2014.^[8] In 2015, Cassar joined the ABC anthology series Wicked City as an executive producer and director.^[9]

Personal life

Cassar is married to Kristina Kinderman with whom he has two children: photographer Zak Cassar and actor Alexis "Lex" Cassar.^[1] Zak is married to singer Betty Who and Lex's wife is actress Sprague Grayden.

He is the co-founder of the Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance, which hosts an annual charity auction called "Lights, Camera, Auction".^[10]

Filmography

Director credits

Television

Rabbit Hole (2023; 1 episode)
Law & Order: Organized Crime (2023-2024; 2 episodes)
FBI: Most Wanted (2023; 1 episode)
FBI (2022; 1 episode)
Medici: Masters of Florence (2018; first four episodes of the second season)
The Orville (2017-2019; 3 episodes)
24: Legacy (2017; 4 episodes)
The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017; 3 episodes)
Wicked City (2015; 8 episodes)
Between (2015; 2 episodes)
24: Live Another Day (2014; 6 episodes)
Nikita (2013; episode: "Reunion")
Revolution (2012–2013; 2 episodes)
Person of Interest (2012; episode: "Bad Code")
Continuum (2012; 2 episodes)
Touch (2012; episode: "Tessellations")
Terra Nova (2011; 5 episodes)
The Kennedys (2011; 8 episodes)
Human Target (2010; episode: "Lockdown")
Fringe (2009–2012; 2 episodes)
Washington Field (2009; unsold pilot)
Criminal Minds (2009; episode: "Haunted")
Company Man (2007; unsold pilot)
24 (2001–2009; 59 episodes)
The Dead Zone (2002; 2 episodes)
Mutant X (2001–2002; 3 episodes)
Sheena (2000–2001; 3 episodes)
Queen of Swords (2000; 2 episodes)
Code Name: Eternity (2000; episode: "Death Trap")
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (2000; episode: "GeoCore")
Profiler (1999; 2 episodes)
Amazon (1999; episode: "Fallen Angels")
La Femme Nikita (1997–2001; 14 episodes)
F/X: The Series (1997; episode: "Medea")
Baywatch Nights (1996–1997; 4 episodes)
Due South (1996; episode: "Body Language")
The Hardy Boys (1995; 2 episodes)
Pointman (1995; 5 episodes)
Nancy Drew (1995; 4 episodes)
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1994–1996; 12 episodes)
Forever Knight (1992–1996; 7 episodes)

Film

When the Bough Breaks (2016)
Forsaken (2015)
24: Redemption (2008)
Danger Beneath the Sea (2001)
Assault on Death Mountain (1999)
CHiPs '99 (1998)
The Ultimate Weapon (1998)
Assault on Devil's Island (1997)
The Final Goal Part 2: Final Goalier (1996)
The Final Goal (1995)

Producer credits

The Orville (2019–present; 14 episodes; Executive producer from Season 2)
24: Legacy (2017; 12 episodes)
The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017; 4 episodes)
Wicked City (2015; 8 episodes)
Rio Heat (2015)
24: Live Another Day (2014; 12 episodes)
Terra Nova (2011; 13 episodes)
The Kennedys (2011; 8 episodes)
24: Redemption (2008)
24: Day 6 Debrief (2007; 5 episodes)
24 (2002–09; 147 episodes)

Camera credits

PCU (1994; camera operator)
Trapped in Paradise (1994; camera operator)
Clearcut (1992; Steadicam and camera operator)
The Cutting Edge (1992; camera operator)
Termini Station (1991; camera operator)
Millennium (1989; Steadicam operator)
The Dream Team (1989; Steadicam operator)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
1998	Gemini Awards	Best Direction in a Dramatic Series	La Femme Nikita	Nominated
2003	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series	24	Nominated
2004	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series		Nominated
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television		Nominated
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directing – Drama Series		Nominated
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Drama Series		Nominated
2006		Outstanding Drama Series		Won
		Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series		Won
	Golden Nymph Awards	Best International Producer		Won
	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama		Nominated
2007	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama		Nominated
2007	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directing – Drama Series		Won
2009	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television	24: Redemption	Nominated
2011	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Miniseries or Movie	The Kennedys	Nominated
2012	Directors Guild of Canada Awards	Outstanding Direction – Television Movie/Miniseries		Won
	Directors Guild of Canada Awards	Outstanding Television Movie/Miniseries		Won
	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television		Nominated
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directing – Television Film		Won
2013	Gemini Awards	Best Direction in a Dramatic Series	Continuum	Nominated

References

External links

Awards for Jon Cassar

Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series

1971–2000

Daniel Petrie for "Hands of Love" (1971)
Robert Butler for "Dust Bowl Cousins" (1972)
Charles S. Dubin for "Knockover" (1973)
David Friedkin for "Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die" (1974)
James Cellan Jones for Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1975)
Glenn Jordan for "Rites of Friendship" (1976)
John Erman for "Second Hour" (1977)
Gene Reynolds for "Prisoner" (1978)
Roger Young for "Cop" (1979)
Roger Young for "Lou" (1980)
Robert Butler for "Hill Street Station" (1981)
David Anspaugh for "Personal Foul" (1982)
Jeff Bleckner for "Life in the Minors" (1983)
Thomas Carter for "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" (1984)
Will Mackenzie for "My Fair David" (1985)
Will Mackenzie for "Atomic Shakespeare" (1986)
Marshall Herskovitz for "Pilot" (thirtysomething) (1987)
Marshall Herskovitz for "Therapy" (1988)
Eric Laneuville for "I'm in the Nude" (1989)
Michael Zinberg for "Vietnam" (1990)
Eric Laneuville for "All God's Children" (1991)
Rob Thompson for "Cicely" (1992)
Gregory Hoblit for "Pilot" (NYPD Blue) (1993)
Charles Haid for "Into That Good Night" (1994)
Christopher Chulack for "Hell and High Water" (1995)
Christopher Chulack for "Fear of Flying" (1996)
Barbara Kopple for "The Documentary" (1997)
Paris Barclay for "Hearts and Souls" (1998)
David Chase for "The Sopranos" (1999)
Thomas Schlamme for "Noël" (2000)

2001–present

Alan Ball for "Pilot" (Six Feet Under) (2001)
John Patterson for "Whitecaps" (2002)
Chris Misiano for "Twenty Five" (2003)
Walter Hill for "Deadwood" (2004)
Michael Apted for "The Stolen Eagle" (2005)
Jon Cassar for "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." (2006)
Alan Taylor for "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (2007)
Daniel Attias for "Transitions" (2008)
Lesli Linka Glatter for "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" (2009)
Martin Scorsese for "Boardwalk Empire" (2010)
Patty Jenkins for "Pilot" (The Killing) (2011)
Rian Johnson for "Fifty-One" (2012)
Vince Gilligan for "Felina" (2013)
Lesli Linka Glatter for "From A to B and Back Again" (2014)
David Nutter for "Mother's Mercy" (2015)
Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" (2016)
Reed Morano for "Offred" (2017)
Adam McKay for "Celebration" (2018)
Nicole Kassell for "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" (2019)
Lesli Linka Glatter for "Prisoners of War" (2020)
Mark Mylod for "All the Bells Say" (2021)
Sam Levinson for "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird" (2022)
Peter Hoar for "Long, Long Time" (2023)

Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Movies for Television and Limited Series

1971–2000

Buzz Kulik for Brian's Song (1971)
Lamont Johnson for That Certain Summer (1972)
Joseph Sargent for The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973)
John Korty for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
Sam O'Steen for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975)
Marvin J. Chomsky for Inside the Third Reich (1982)
Edward Zwick for Special Bulletin (1983)
Daniel Petrie for The Dollmaker (1984)
John Erman for An Early Frost (1985)
Lee Grant for Nobody's Child (1986)
Jud Taylor for Foxfire (1987)
Lamont Johnson for Lincoln (1988)
Dan Curtis for War and Remembrance: "Parts VIII-XII: The Final Chapter" (1989)
Roger Young for Murder in Mississippi (1990)
Stephen Gyllenhaal for Paris Trout (1991)
Ron Lagomarsino for Picket Fences: "Pilot" (1992)
Michael Ritchie for The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993)
Rod Holcomb for ER: "Pilot" (1994)
Mick Jackson for Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Betty Thomas for The Late Shift (1996)
John Herzfeld for Don King: Only in America (1997)
Michael Cristofer for Gia (1998)
Mick Jackson for Tuesdays with Morrie (1999)
Jeff Bleckner for The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000)

2001–present

Frank Pierson for Conspiracy (2001)
Mick Jackson for Live from Baghdad (2002)
Mike Nichols for Angels in America (2003)
Joseph Sargent for Something the Lord Made (2004)
Joseph Sargent for Warm Springs / George C. Wolfe for Lackawanna Blues (2005)
Walter Hill for Broken Trail (2006)
Yves Simoneau for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)
Jay Roach for Recount (2008)
Ross Katz for Taking Chance (2009)
Mick Jackson for Temple Grandin (2010)
Jon Cassar for The Kennedys (2011)
Jay Roach for Game Change (2012)
Steven Soderbergh for Behind the Candelabra (2013)
Lisa Cholodenko for Olive Kitteridge (2014)
Dee Rees for Bessie (2015)
Steven Zaillian for The Night Of: "The Beach" (2016)
Jean-Marc Vallée for Big Little Lies (2017)
Ben Stiller for Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Johan Renck for Chernobyl (2019)
Scott Frank for The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Barry Jenkins for The Underground Railroad (2021)
Helen Shaver for Station Eleven: "Who's There?" (2022)
Sarah Adina Smith for Lessons in Chemistry: "Her and Him" (2023)

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
1950s	Jack Smight for "Eddie" (1959)
1960s	Robert Mulligan for The Moon and Sixpence (1960) George Schaefer for Macbeth (1961) Franklin J. Schaffner for The Defenders (1962) Stuart Rosenberg for "The Madman" (1963) Tom Gries for "Who Do You Kill?" (1964) Paul Bogart for "The 700 Year Old Gang" (1965) Sydney Pollack for "The Game" (1966) Alex Segal for Death of a Salesman (1967) Paul Bogart for "Dear Friends" (1968) David Greene for "The People Next Door" (1969)
1970s	Paul Bogart for "Shadow Game" (1970) Daryl Duke for "The Day the Lion Died" (1971) Alexander Singer for "The Invasion of Kevin Ireland" (1972) Jerry Thorpe for "An Eye for an Eye" (1973) Robert Butler for "Part III" (1974) Bill Bain for "A Sudden Storm" (1975) David Greene for "Part I: Chapters 1 & 2" (Rich Man, Poor Man) (1976) David Greene for "Part 1" (Roots) (1977) Marvin J. Chomsky for Holocaust (1978) Jackie Cooper for "Pilot" (The White Shadow) (1979)
1980s	Roger Young for "Cop" (1980) Robert Butler for "Hill Street Station"(1981) Harry Harris for "To Soar and Never Falter" (1982) Jeff Bleckner for "Life in the Minors" (1983) Corey Allen for "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" (1984) Karen Arthur for "Heat" (1985) Georg Stanford Brown for "Parting Shots" (1986) Gregory Hoblit for "Pilot" (L.A. Law) (1987) Mark Tinker for "Weigh In, Way Out" (1988) Robert Altman for "The Boiler Room" (1989)
1990s	Thomas Carter for "Promises to Keep" / Scott Winant for "The Go-Between" (1990) Thomas Carter for "In Confidence" (1991) Eric Laneuville for "All God's Children" (1992) Barry Levinson for "Gone for Goode" (1993) Daniel Sackheim for "Tempest in a C-Cup" (1994) Mimi Leder for "Love's Labor Lost" (1995) Jeremy Kagan for "Leave of Absence" (1996) Mark Tinker for "Where's 'Swaldo?" (1997) Mark Tinker for "Pilot" (Brooklyn South) / Paris Barclay for "Lost Israel, Part 2" (1998) Paris Barclay for "Hearts and Souls" (1999)
2000s	Thomas Schlamme for "Pilot" (The West Wing) (2000) Thomas Schlamme for "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part I" & "Part II" (2001) Alan Ball for "Pilot" (Six Feet Under) (2002) Christopher Misiano for "Twenty Five" (2003) Walter Hill for "Deadwood" (2004) J. J. Abrams for "Pilot" (Lost) (2005) Jon Cassar for "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." (2006) Alan Taylor for "Kennedy and Heidi" (2007) Greg Yaitanes for "House's Head" (2008) Rod Holcomb for "And in the End..." (2009)
2010s	Steve Shill for "The Getaway" (2010) Martin Scorsese for "Boardwalk Empire" (2011) Tim Van Patten for "To the Lost" (2012) David Fincher for "Chapter 1" (2013) Cary Joji Fukunaga for "Who Goes There" (2014) David Nutter for "Mother's Mercy" (2015) Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" (2016) Reed Morano for "Offred" (2017) Stephen Daldry for "Paterfamilias" (2018) Jason Bateman for "Reparations" (2019)
2020s	Andrij Parekh for "Hunting" (2020) Jessica Hobbs for "War" (2021) Hwang Dong-hyuk for "Red Light, Green Light" (2022) Mark Mylod for "Connor's Wedding" (2023)

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