5 Jon Beavers movies and TV shows that deserve a spot on your watchlist

Jon Beavers is one of those actors you suddenly recognize mid-episode and then wonder why you didn’t notice him sooner! He does not have to play some big, dominating role or have some elaborate build-up; he just sort of is there.

There’s no dramatic buildup or overexposure, just a steady presence that quietly shapes the story. If you’ve ever paused a show thinking, “Wait, I’ve seen him somewhere,” chances are Jon Beavers was that familiar face!

From crime dramas, war tales, and police procedurals, he's created an entire filmography made up of grounded and realistic stories, and he doesn't have to overdo his roles, as there's really no way of exaggerating what his filmography is like.

Here are 5 Jon Beavers movies and TV shows that deserve a spot on your watchlist

1. Animal Kingdom (2016-2022)

One of the most substantial roles in Jon Beavers’ career comes from Animal Kingdom. He plays Jake Dunmore, a character who makes an appearance in multiple episodes and storylines within this crime drama.

Within the universe of Animal Kingdom, the viewer finds the Codys, a crime family based out of Southern California, who frequently make their names known for engaging in a variety of illegal activities (predominantly a form of organized robberies).

Jon Beavers' role contributes to one of the groups that work within this system to perform illegal activities in the universe of Animal Kingdom. One thing about Jon Beavers' role in Animal Kingdom is that it's the one where he's a recurring part, rather than a one-time occurrence.

That in itself helps add to the progression of the story, and the way he plays Jake Dunmore is in character, but also very realistic, not melodramatic.

2. The Long Road Home (2017)

The Long Road Home (2017) ( Image via YouTube / National Geographic )

While Jon Beavers tends to play somewhat realistic characters, he also plays one actual person, an American soldier on a mission in the Iraq War. The Long Road Home is a series about the July 2004 mission referred to as "Black Sunday", where American soldiers and their loved ones waiting back home deal with the war in Baghdad.

The series flashes between these different timelines, and soldiers and Jon Beavers play Staff Sgt. Eric Bourquin as a part of the soldier's storyline. This is an interesting part to see Jon Beavers take on, because it's a story directly from real life, which in turn feeds the dramatization of that specific, true story.

Jon Beavers' character is, for the most part, true to this aspect.

3. Chicago P.D. (2014- )

In Chicago P.D., a show that is a fixture in crime drama TV, Jon Beavers appears as part of the show in the episode called "The One Next to Me". In this role, the character Jon Beavers plays is tied to Jay Halstead's past, not necessarily in a good way.

Chicago P.D. is centered around the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago Police Department and is known for having a dual storyline going at each time - that of a specific case being investigated, and the personal lives within the detectives' relationships.

Jon Beavers is part of one of those story lines in a way that ties together two different time periods of a narrative. This is one of those guest roles that Jon Beavers often plays. He usually takes on smaller, supporting roles, which are easier to manage and fit smoothly into the production without affecting the schedule.

4. Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (2024)

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (2024) ( Image via YouTube / Warner Bros. )

Most of Jon Beavers' work has been seen on TV, but that has changed this year, when he takes on a role in the upcoming film Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1.

In this project, Jon Beavers plays Junior Sykes, which takes place during the American Civil War, while blending multiple story lines revolving around the expansion of the West and how it affected all aspects of society, especially after the Civil War came to an end.

This role is obviously different because it is a film, so the production schedule and story will obviously differ, but at least we know that Jon Beavers plays a smaller role in order to connect the various larger story lines with the actors around whom they revolve.

5. Paradise (2025- )

Through small details, Jon Beavers delivers a believable performance while playing the villain, Billy Pace, in the 2025 thriller series Paradise. In this series, Billy Pace serves as the closest associate to a vast network of potent individuals who have uncovered hidden plans related to technology, personal motivations, and a widening criminal enterprise within a near-future American setting.

The individual is introduced as calculated and composed, functioning within the bounds of an elite, political cabal that is battling shifting alliances and acts of treachery. As the central character seeks their place to gain recompense, Pace’s performance begins to unravel in installments, which reveal a calm method and measured tactics.

Rather than an overt show of power, Beavers portrays a character who maintains a controlled and unassuming aura, which is the very embodiment of latent dread.

From the selected works listed above, it seems Jon Beavers clearly has a good intuition for picking roles and characters that will mesh well with the narrative that it's part of. He has done roles on various criminal procedurals, wars, crime series, and even some westerns, and in each setting, his character serves the purpose of the story and drives it forward.

His work ranges from recurring roles such as Jake Dunmore in Animal Kingdom, to guest spots like his performance on Chicago P.D. This versatility demonstrates a strong performance ability in a variety of media. From the selected projects that he has done, we see what Jon Beavers has come to be as a steady, consistent actor who fits into stories both major and minor, whether it is a larger role as the criminal Jake Dunmore, a brief guest spot, such as in Chicago P.D., or something along the lines of The Long Road Home.