Jake Steinfeld (born February 21, 1958) is an American actor, fitness personality, and entrepreneur, known for his brand, Body by Jake.
Early life Born in the Sea Gate neighborhood of Brooklyn in western Coney Island, New York, Steinfeld grew up in Baldwin, New York which is near Queens on Long Island. He attended the State University of New York at Cortland, dropped out, and moved to Los Angeles.
Career Steinfeld develops brands and businesses as chairman and CEO of Body by Jake. Before that, Steinfeld created FitTV, a 24-hour fitness lifestyle network, which he later sold to News Corp.
After the sale of FitTV, Steinfeld launched ExerciseTV, a fitness on-demand television network, with partners Comcast, New Balance, and Time Warner. He co-founded Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the first professional outdoor lacrosse league in 2001. MLL had six franchises in North America; the championship trophy was named the Steinfeld Cup. In 2020, the MLL merged with the Premier Lacrosse League. He is the founder of the World Series of Youth Lacrosse which provides (U13) youth players a lacrosse experience like that of a professional. The event features teams from the U.S., Europe, Canada, Israel, the Iroquois Nation, among others competing to play in the championship game aired live on ESPN2 on the Fourth of July. Teaming with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a division of Universal Music Group, Steinfeld formed a music label called Body by Jake Music.
Steinfeld became chairman of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 and served until 2011 under Governor Jerry Brown. He was named chairman of the National Foundation for Governors' Fitness Councils in 2012. Through the cooperation of public and private partnerships, the NFGFC rewards "Don't Quit" fitness centers to elementary and middle schools who show innovative ways to promote fitness and nutrition in their schools and communities across the United States. Steinfeld was an official Olympic torch bearer for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He served as the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, from 2013 to 2016.
Television and film Steinfeld began as a personal trainer with clients including Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford, whom he trained for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Later Steinfeld starred on a sitcom on the Family Channel called Big Brother Jake.
Other television credits include King of the Hill, Movin' Mountains, Dream On, The Tracey Ullman Show, Shaping Up, and Simon & Simon. In addition, he appeared in the fourteenth season of Hell's Kitchen as a guest in episode 12's dinner service. His film debut was in Americathon, a 1979 film. He acted in the lead role of the killer in the early slasher film Home Sweet Home (1981). Other film roles include Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980), Into the Night (1985), The Money Pit (1986), and Coming to America (1988). Steinfeld supplied the voice of Git, a lab rat in the Disney animated feature Ratatouille and was the voice of the Fish Seller in the 2011 English version of From Up On Poppy Hill.
Steinfeld is executive producer of The Grizzlies, a Canadian film which won the DGC award for Best Director in Feature Film as well as Audience Awards in the Calgary, Minneapolis, and Palm Springs Film Festivals.
Writing Steinfeld is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. He has written and co-authored books including Body by Jake (1984); Don't Quit; Get Strong! Body by Jake's Guide to Building Confidence, Muscles and a Great Future for Teenage Guys (2002); I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked and They've Got Nothing on You! (2005); and Take A Shot!, A Remarkable Story of Perseverance, Friendship, and a Really Crazy Adventure (2012).
Personal life Steinfeld is married; he and his wife, Tracy, have four children. He is the uncle of actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1979AmericathonAct1980Cheech and Chong's Next MovieWomba1981Home Sweet HomeJay Jones1982Movie MadnessBodyguard1985Into the NightLarry1986The Money PitDuke1986Odd JobsMick1986Tough GuysHoward1988You Can't Hurry LoveSparky1988Coming to AmericaCab Driver1990RepossessedSelf1991Rock-a-DoodleFarmyard Bully / Max the Bouncer Voice1998Susan's PlanSelf1999Aimée & JaguarEberhard2007RatatouilleGit (Lab Rat)Voice2011From Up on Poppy HillFish Seller
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1982Simon & SimonBernardEpisode: "Art for Arthur's Sake"1983The Invisible WomanAttendantTelevision film1984Shaping UpJery2 episodes1984Mr. SuccessOfficer Winston SimonTelevision film1985Amazing StoriesThe HulkEpisode: "Remote Control Man"1986All Is ForgivenBouncerEpisode: "Mother's Day"1989The Tracey Ullman ShowFitness Trainer / Conductor2 episodes1990–1994Big Brother JakeJake Rozzner81 episodes1994Dream OnMackEpisode: "Martin Tupper in 'Magnum Farce'"1995Burke's LawBurt DouglasEpisode: "Who Killed the Hollywood Headshrinker?"2000The Wonderful World of DisneySelfEpisode: "Model Behavior"2008King of the HillThunderEpisode: "Dia-BILL-ic Shock"2016, 2017LopezJake / Jake Steinfeld2 episodes
References
External links
Hause, Irene [L.], (1981, July); Jake Steinfeld: Movie-Makin’ Muscleman; Muscle & Bodybuilder, 3(11); pp. 14–18, 54; (Retrieved November 16, 2008)