Editing Jon Lovitz (section)

== Early life and education ==
Lovitz was born on July 21, 1957, in the [[Tarzana, Los Angeles|Tarzana]] neighborhood of [[Los Angeles]], to Harold and Barbara Lovitz.<ref name="serious">{{cite news |last1=Reinhertz |first1=Adam |title=Getting serious for a change, Jon Lovitz reflects on childhood, faith and Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/getting-serious-for-a-change-jon-lovitz-reflects-on-childhood-faith-and-israel/ |access-date=June 18, 2021 |work=Israel Times |date=June 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=filmref>{{cite web | url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/59/Jon-Lovitz.html | title=Jon Lovitz Biography (1957-) | publisher=FilmReference.com| access-date=January 28, 2016 | archive-date= March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075801/http://www.filmreference.com/film/59/Jon-Lovitz.html | url-status=live}}</ref> His family is [[Jewish]] and emigrated from [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]], [[Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen|Hungary]], and [[Russian Empire|Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jon Lovitz|url=http://www.jewishbiography.com/biographies/Jon-Lovitz.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401210003/http://www.jewishbiography.com/biographies/Jon-Lovitz.html|archive-date=April 1, 2012|access-date=February 3, 2012|website=jewishbiography.com}}</ref> His paternal grandfather Feivel Ianculovici left Romania around 1914 and [[Anglicisation (linguistics)|Anglicized]] his name to Phillip Lovitz after arriving in the United States.<ref name="serious"/>

Lovitz is a friend of David Kudrow, brother of [[Lisa Kudrow]], since childhood. While in college, Lovitz went on a [[backpacking (travel)|backpacking]] trip across Europe and Israel with him in 1978.<ref name="serious"/> He graduated with a bachelor's degree in drama from [[UC Irvine]] in 1979, then studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 8, 2013|title=Master thespian|url=https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/|url-status=live|access-date=February 1, 2021|website=UCI News|archive-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105041418/https://news.uci.edu/2013/11/08/master-thespian/}}</ref> He became a member of the [[The Groundlings|Groundlings]] comedy troupe, where he befriended his future ''SNL'' castmate [[Phil Hartman]].<ref name="PopCultureClassics"/>