little-house-on-the-prairie-what-were-jason-batemans-biggest-roles-after-the-show

‘Little House on the Prairie’: What Were Jason Bateman’s Biggest Roles After the Show?

Little House on the Prairie was just the start of Jason Bateman’s expansive career. The actor, who played James Cooper Ingalls on the show, has been working for almost four decades. Here are some of his biggest roles:

‘Arrested Development’

In perhaps one of his most famous roles, Bateman starred as a businessman and father Michael Bluth on the hit comedy, Arrested Development. The highly praised series follows Michael Bluth and his wealthy family after his father is put in jail and the family loses everything.

Arrested Development was canceled in 2006, only to get a Netflix reboot in 2013. Unfortunately, the Netflix continuation of Arrested Development notoriously lacks some of the humor and wit of its early years. Still, Bateman’s role as Michael Bluth is loved by many.

‘Horrible Bosses’

Bateman also starred in the 2011 film, Horrible Bosses, a comedy about three friends who decide to murder their bosses. The comedic film exceeded box office expectations, earning $28 million in its first three days. The plot, however, received mixed reviews and stirred up a fair amount of controversy. The studio ordered a second film, Horrible Bosses 2, regardless.

Horrible Bosses 2 follows Bateman’s character as he tries to kidnap the son of a millionaire. It didn’t gain as much pull as the first one and also received more negative reviews than its predecessor. What most didn’t seem to argue about, however, was Bateman’s stand-up acting in the two films.

Jason Bateman in ‘Ozark’

After lots of success in comedy, Bateman gave an outstanding performance in the Netflix drama Ozark, which he also produced. Bateman has also directed for the show. Ozark is about a dirty financial advisor, Martyn Byrde, who is forced to set up an expansive money laundering operation for a Mexican cartel after his smaller operation went haywire. He relocates his family to Osage Beach, Missouri, to continue his life of crime.

The show has received 32 Primetime Emmy Award nominations in its 3 season run. Bateman won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2019. Ozark premiered in 2017. Fans are anxiously awaiting a release date for the show’s 4th season.

Bateman has also been in iconic films such as Juno, and This is Where I Leave You. His run on Little House on the Prairie launched the now Emmy award winner into his current stardom. From his dramatic roles to his comedic roles, Bateman is always a pleasure to watch on screen. He’s sure to continue his successful streak as he leans into more serious roles and further works on Ozark.